French Pastries and Filled Croissants in the East Village

Petit Chou runs narrow and bright on First Avenue, a French bakery where the pastry case does the talking. Rows of raspberry and mango entremets sit beside chocolate tarts, cheesecakes, and glazed éclairs. Croissants come layered and cracked open around vanilla cream and a streak of jam.

This is counter service with a handful of seats. Most regulars order, wait, and carry a white box back into the East Village. The steady weekend line makes sense once you see the 4.6 rating across more than 500 reviews, most of them praising the pastry work. Come early for the widest selection. The prettiest cakes tend to sell first.