Hungarians do pastries right at Hungarian Pastry Shop on 111th and Amsterdam. The cozy shop boasts dozens of cakes, strudels, cookies and tarts, all baked from scratch in-house. And don’t let the name throw you off- they prepare everything from chocolate-filled French croissants to Turkish Baklava. There are also some delicious coffee concoctions, including “Viennese Coffee:” espresso, steamed milk, and whipped cream (yum). Aside from the worn wooden chairs and tables, the menu selection is scrawled on white wooden planks displayed about the storefront, adding to the rustic feel of the place... 

After about 10 minutes of deliberation, and much to the annoyance of customers behind me, I finally decided on the cherry and cheese strudel (pictured above) and small cup of coffee. My pastry partner in crime ordered a massive chocolate filled croissant (also pictured above) and café latte. As we made our way past the frenzied Columbia students cramming for finals, we found ourselves a seat near the narrow aisle. Within minutes, we were face-to-face with our chosen colossal servings of deliciousness. I was amazed that for the price of a Starbucks Venti Latte, I could get a freshly baked pastry and mug of coffee. Good thing Hungarian Pastry Shop is well outside of my usual stomping ground, or I would make the whole gigantic pastry and coffee thing a daily routine.

My cherry and cheese strudel was fantastic. It was surrounded by a flaky, buttery Phyllo crust with warm, tangy red cherries that held their shape and kind of popped in my mouth as I ate them. The cheese provided a nice contrast to the tart cherries and wasn’t too sweet (which I liked). It was a sort of toned-down version of cheesecake filling, with a creamy texture and subdued flavor. The coffee, on the other hand, tasted a bit sour- even when I added a few sugar cubes. There were also no refills. Sigh. I was told the croissant was “pretty good,” and the latte, of which I sneaked a few sips, was excellent. I’ll definitely go for a fancier coffee drink in my next visit.


Hungarian Pastry Shop is a great little find. It’s perfect for an inexpensive breakfast or quick coffee with a client. They also have Wi-Fi access, which is always a plus. Not to mention, it feels good to support mom n’ pop kind of shops.