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Bowery (J, M)
Grand St (B, D)
Canal Street (J, M, Z, N, Q, R, W, 6)
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The ultimate place to get dessert. Be patient though.. it gets crowded and the service is on the slow side.
TIP: You can take out as well if you're in a rush.
Chocolate anything is tasty. Chocolate coated cannoli is heavenly.
The filling was not too sweet and studded with chocolate chips and bits of dried fruit.
Overall, fresh and high-quality.
T'was a happy ending to an enjoyable day of a platonic date where sweet treats filled our stomachs in warming our hearts.
We both warm our insides with hot chocolate with whip cream. My Chocolate Cannoli were very tasty, and my date's carrot cake was sweet. I rate it four stars as a glass of Port wine is approx. $15.00 per glass which there is no Canadian Ice Wine offered.
Service is attentive. I'm surprised there were no long haul line for a table as it usually is crowded, which this ailing economy no business is immune to its wrath!
I believe they're family owned for the past 100 years. Italians sure know how pastry and desserts… Read more »
Two main issues with this place
1) Poor service
2) Mediocre food
Let me detail this further through our recent experience
Ad 1) First person that we addresed was blank regarding how to order, eg, which line was for seating and take-away. And, seemed to care less to help out.
When we paid a service charge of 20% was placed on our bill... on top it was recommended to charge additionally... Due to the poor service and quality of food, we had intended not to pay any tips
Ad 2)
The coffee (latte) tasted of a machine that was not cleaned for an excessive period; bitter side taste. The chocolate was a sugar bomb and with whipped cream fresh... out of a supermarket premad can
All in all a extremely poor experience which is uterly overpriced. Do not go there!
Yummy! The cannolli was great! Even my husband ate it who "hates ANYTHING with cheese" Reccommend the regular one as the chocolate in the chocolate covered ones overwelms the taste.
The napoleon was good too.
Gelato was great.
Only downfall was we spent too much money.
Love the cannoli and that's what I base my star rating on.
I've had the napoleon (it was ok). The baba rhum (again, ok), the eclair (awesome), the hot chocolate (passable) and a gelato (s'ok)
We made a stop at Ferrara's outdoor vending counter during San Gennaro's feast, and bought a Cannoli. $4? Not quite a bargain, as it wasn't too hefty a pastry; in addition the shell was a bit stale and the ricotta a bit congealed at the ends. Not worth it.
A week later, made another visit to try the gelato. The strawberry tasted like candy (gag!) but the hazelnut was alright. Still nothing compared to Italy's but I suppose it's an alright substitute.
Maybe I ordered the wrong thing?
There's gotta be something better in NYC, right?
You should go here on the last day of summer with someone you just met but have decided you cannot live without. You should joke about the mini wedding cake for $15 and contemplate buying it together. Then, instead, you should purchase a chocolate cannoli and hike all the way back to Gramercy with your joint-custody prize in tow.
You should sit atop the stoop of someone else's brownstone and eat the cannoli Lady and the Tramp style. Laughing, being gross, free, young, fun, and meeting in the middle with a kiss.
You should NOT, however, tell the guy to take a hike afterwards. For absolutely no reason. Out of nowhere. Because that would make you a crazy beast of a woman and fit for no man long-term. Maybe ever.
I am a big huge fan of cannolis so when my mom an (NY native) found out that I was in Little Italy she whole heartily recommended Ferrara's. She said its been around for over 100 years and is known for the cannollis. Ferrara's looks like a great place to relax and have a cappuccino and some pastry, but after dinner in Little Italy I was too full to do anything but get a cannolli to go so I got in the long line at the counter. The cannoli lived up to the glowing review and I was happy to report to Mom that the place was still around.
After we went to Padre Figilo, I wanted to bring back fresh cannoli for the clan back in Long Island. I parked on the side of the narrow road and sent my wife out on a cannoli buying mission.
I call her on the cell after 10 minutes online (be ready to wait)
Close yet?
Yes, I can see them!
She comes back to the car with a box loaded with 10 big sucka cannoli, 1/2 chocolate covered shell and 1/2 regular cannoli that my grandparents ate as kids.
My wife also surpirses me with a "elephant ear" for the road.
I say to her, "baby, you're the greatest"
How can you not have room for Ferrara's?
Everytime we're in the area, we wait on line and get coffee…
Read more »
Must try at Little Italy... great place for dessert and something for out of town visitors. It get pack during rush hours. The strawberry shortcut and Chocolate mousses cake... Awesome..
I've had amaretti cookies, elephant ears, and a choco dipped cannoli from Ferrara. I'd say the elephant ears and the choco dipped cannoli were great. The cannoli is a little pricey for $4 compared to other bakeries, I mean it's not Mike's in Boston North End, but good for New York. The elephant ears were light, crunchy, flakey, and had just enough sugar on them. The amaretti cookies weren't that good.. I expected them to be a little softer in the middle and crunchy on the outside.. but they were too crunchy for my liking.
If only there was a thunderdome where we could place all of the classic DOWNTOWN italians bakeries in to duke it out. (wait thats mad max, I mean Gladiator Arena!)
Round 1: Battle of the Cannolis!!!
With one fell swoop of the Q-tip ended Jousting stick, Ferrara wins this one. perfect ricotta filling, crispy hard shells tops with a few chocolate chips, they really do have good Cannolis.
Round 2: The climb up mount Cappuccino!!!
As if climbing a wall made of ice, Ferrara doesn't quite get off the ground. A GOOD cappuccino no doubt, but in the battle of the bakeries I'm going to have to say they are just good enough.
Round 3: The miscellaneous round!!!
Who would have thought I would invite my friend from Austria to Ferraras and they would have Sacher Torte?? Apparently, according to my friend, she wanted to take a flamethrower to the place, an insult to Vienna for daring to call that cake a Sacher. For those who don't know, its a cake that originated at the Sacher Hotel in Vienna and has become an iconic Austrian cake abroad. Flamethrower? I'll take it wasn't legit.
But where Ferrara gets me is in their Chocolate pastries that I cannot prounounce such as the Dacquoise and cheminee, two of my ultimate favorites.
****4 stars - All kidding aside this is one of the most legit Italian bakeries left in manhattan. A glimpse into the past, sitting here will cue up some past memories, all good, all sweet. The line can be ridiculous and the tourist ratio can be very high, but whats to expect from such a well known place? Extensive menu, high class table service, Ferrara never fails to please.
The first thing i noticed about this place was the design. it's almost theatrical if you want to call it that. Very clean, nice atmosphere, and the Eclair's, Connoli's and Gelato are awesome!
I am not a sweets and desserts person so the fact that they have mini versions of their desserts is awesome. Their cannolis are classic and whenever I bring tourist friends down to Little Italy, I always at least make them stop in to see the magnificent display.
Very interesting people watching to be had here.
Cannoli is indeed a very solid choice, although in the future I might have to go for a mini version because the big one was almost a sugar OD.
Also got a berry tart to go, that I ended up chomping down on in the car while driving around Manhattan late at night. It looked better than it tasted...there was a definite orange zest kinda flavor going on in the crust and I'm not a fan of oranges, so I was a little disappointed.
Prices are a bit steep, but it's open pretty late so the convenience kind of balances it out.
-after our 4'th meal at hop-kee, we decide to get dessert here
-the servers could be a lil bit friendlier or smile at least
-whatever we got in the box (see pic) were all gross but one, which was my pick
-so whatever i have shoved in my mouth (see pic) was the only thing that was worthy of my fucken money since dessert was on me
-sad to say but bro jon's cigarette tasted better
-my sister loves the torrone here but my ass ain't spending money on that shieyt, they were out of the pistachio one she wanted anyway
-one star cuz you were open late
-another cuz i feel like being generous and your gelato is good but then again, how can you fuck up gelato? can you? aside from the texture.....
= ITALIAN CREAM IS HARD FOR ME TO SWALLOW, BUT I CAN SAY HELLO TO YOUR LITTLE FRIEND
This place is great! Went for Gelato after dinner on Mulberry Street! The perfect ending to a great meal!
Cannoli, pistachio gelato was fantastic.
A must stop in Little Italy!
It felt like walking into a tourist trap. I can understand overpriced food/drinks in Midtown but in Little Italy?
The bakery section was very impressive. The service was crappy. Both of these things brought back memories of Rome.
This is my favorite Italian pastry place in the US.! Everything is excellent from the cannolis to the gelatos and if you want the best thing on the menu you simply must try the Isabelle - it is a pastry with chocolate ganache on top of chocolate mousse on top of a raspberry cake. This pastry has a bee on the top, it is as beautiful as it is delicious.
This place is the first dessert cafe I had gelato in NYC.
The sweets here are not amazing but always consistant and good. If your looking for a Italian dessert in Little Italy, Ferrara is your best bet.
The greatest tasting cannoli I've ever had the pleasure of consuming.
Really?
The server was NOT friendly at all. She was impatient like she had something better to do. HELLO? Don't forget that your tip is dependant on how good your service is.
Oh, and then I caught her eating a pastry in the hallway to the kitchen. I am pretty sure that isn't appropriate.
The desserts were OK. Nothing to write home about, but definitely noteworthy of its average-ness here on Yelp.
Even the coffee wasn't that great. I expected more. Much more!
It was expensive too!
Oh well.
For more reviews on Chinatown visit http://ChinatownEats.net
Ferrara Bakery located at 195 Grand St. New York NY 10013 has a lot of historical significance however I felt it was too much of a tourist attraction. While there I noticed that 90% were large tourist families. Normally I don't care what type of customers a place gets, but this was overkill and it felt like I was on vacation.
Our group tried a whole array of desserts and drinks. I felt that only the gelato stood out. It wasn't overly sweet but very soft. The others weren't much to write home about and you can similar sweets at a cheaper price in other bakeries.
The setting was meant to be 'cozy' but I didn't have that feeling because there was too much foot traffic and tourists standing around not knowing what to order. Everything on the menu was $7-8 a piece but the quality did not warrent so.
Positives: Famous place, can say that you've been there
Negatives: Price, atmosphere, food items not so special
Posted by Peng Li at 5:58 PM 0 comments
Where I popped my cannoli cherry...and BOY oh BOY, was it worth the wait...
Cannoli.
Freakin' Delicious!
A must stop if you're visiting Little Italy and your craving dessert. Service may be sub-par, I wasn't there long enough to find out but, there was only one other person in line with me and it took 10 minutes to get my order.
So many other desserts to choose from as well. Just look at the photos of the dessert case! Next time I will have to try something else, but the cannoli is so good and rich it's enough.
service = 3 stars, cannoli = 5 stars
Oh my god. The cannoli's are delicious! I came here during San Gennaro Festival and the only thing I had was the cannoli. $4 is a bit expensive for one, but the filling was incredible. This place looked like a really great Italian bakery. I can't wait to try other things here.
Let me preface this review: having Italian (European) parents, I have very high expectations related to Italian gastronomy. Dessert is no exception. There is nothing Italian about the dessert at Ferrara. The people who claim that they've had authentic tiramisu or cannoli here are the same people who pronounce pasta fagioli "pasta fazool." Sorry. I have to commend the management for marketing this place as an "authentic" Italian tourist trap though.
I went here with a group of friends to sample a variety of desserts. The ricotta cheesecake was not really ricotta - the consistency and taste indicated that there was cream cheese added to whatever recipe they use. The tiramisu was imbalanced - it was too cakey and creamy and there was not enough coffee flavor. The sfogliatelle was tasteless and the ricotta inside was way too dry.
As a sidenote, I've had someone buy the pre-packaged Ferrara torrone as a gift for me and it tasted like corrugated cardboard.
Always my last stop before heading home. Best Cannoli ever! I always hand carry a couple of dozens of their cannolis back home to LA and when i land i send a message to the masses of their arrival. Need I say more? I know they ship but it just something I can't trust UPS with! I know I have a trust issue but can't be helped.....
Stumbling and bumbling about to find Topshop (Topman for the bf), we came across an italian festival celebrating some patron saint. But low and behold, Ferrara's Bakery stand which I have heard so much about. I decided to get a chocolate covered cannoli. It was good, but I don't think it was worth that hype. I'm sure I can find a better cannoli in the city!
OK so I take this personal being Italian and all...
but when mentioning the above place... don't even mention the word average... the only average thing about this place is the sign outside with the lights...
Although located in Little Italy, there is absolutely nothing Italian about this place... my african-american friends have more Italian to them than any of the pastries, goods, or workers in this place...
i have tasted the pastries, the cookies, the cake - yuck, yuck, yuck... would it really help if I listed everything that was disgusting because honestly who has the time to write out the menu.....
However, being slightly nice I will say the Nocciola gelato in the summer served outside is decent... it's not Rome,Italy good but it's decent compared to the other gelato places in town. And the coffee is tolerable as well, but it is a cafe I mean and messing up coffee is a difficult task!!
The place is way over priced, those poor tourists... Not authentic. And not that great inside even though it is always crowded....
god bless those tourists huh Mr Ferrara?
Busy spot! This little cafe does serious business from the looks of it. Tried a cannoli here and it was goooood.
Ferrara has been getting a bad rap on Yelp lately and I am stepping in to set the record straight...it just needs to be done.
Ferrara makes perfect Cannoli. The accurate taste of Cannoli has been passed down through my Sicilian lineage and it is in my blood. When I taste good Cannoli, I know...I just know. This is good Cannoli. If you must get the ones with a chocolate covered shell, then go ahead...they are fine. But the best is the Cannoli with the plain old shell (made to absolute crispy perfection). There is just the right amount of semi sweet chocolate and candied fruits present in the filling--so as to not overpower the taste but elevate it.
The Espresso that they serve somehow tastes better than most places. It is just a plain old espresso bar that they are using, but something about the coffee to water to heat ratio is just right. Maybe it's because they are the oldest Espresso Bar in the country. Just a thought.
For Christmas you must get a Panettone. They are fresh and moist. I've actually had one of theirs and compared it with the taste of one shipped over from Italy. Theirs won by a long shot. It was fresher and more flavorful (the one shipped over just can't compete when it was probably made about a month or two ago...packed with preservatives).
Avoid sitting down at a table...this place is best experienced "to go". The costs are much higher for table service and the wait staff is kind of bad. But that is not what I am rating...after all, it is a bakery. If I were rating just the cafe then it would be a different story.
Take it to go (and it is NOT cash only...despite several wrong reviews) and enjoy some quality Italian pastries in the comfort of your own home with friends...or just on your way to your next stop. I have tried taking Cannoli home but it doesn't make it far before I devour it.
After dining and strolling through Little Italy, we decided to stop by Ferrara for dessert. Once you walk in, you feel that you have stepped back in time- red leather booths, checkerboard marble floors, and shinny wooden finishings on the doors. It reminded me of an old ice cream parlor setting in the 40's. I was almost going to get a gelato but decided against it. Instead, we picked out some treats. Among them, we purchased a rainbow chocolate, a chocolate dipped strawberry and a canoli. The rainbow chocolates were the best because they tasted like sweet Petit Fours. The chocolate dipped strawberry was fresh and sweet. However, the canoli shells tasted like they had been sitting in lard and tasted processed. Besides the canoli, I will be back to Ferrara- for their sweets and their good-looking gelato!
best cannolis ever! I dream of these cannolis. I haven't found any better cannoli in the US, if you know of a place, let me know. The best part is that Ferrara sells "mini" versions of its cannoli so you can just grab a small bite, with a cup of espresso and kick it euro-style at their standing bars. sure it was somewhat packed with tourists but I'd be willing to put up with a lot for one of their cannolis and a bag of nougat.
also, their nougat is amazing!!!!
Looks ARE deceiving at this seemingly polished, "Italian" bakery/ cafe.
All the sweets are presented very well and they all look darling and pretty but they all taste the same! Beyond generic.
I've sampled many in the hopes that I might find one gem - alas! alack!
From cannoli to "Mandarin mousse cake", gelato...
Expensive, bad service...bring a a tourist friend to see the decor and then take them right back out through the door.
Fantastico!
Loved my little visit here as we walked from one neighborhood into the next. Ah, the quaint beauty of NY. The ability to walk into these little areas and still feel totally assimilated from the experience.
After finishing up with a rather heavy yet delightful dinner at a joint that apparently Leonardo Di Caprio frequents (my friend has a heavy crush on him) I persuaded her to walk a bit along this famed block for a little camera action as well as possibly burning off about a tablespoon of calories from the previous sit down.
After nearly being seduced from the lovely displays of Italian sweets and creamy decadence, I settled on a latte and a dish of the profiteroles. Every bite, an escape. I loved this. And knew I was going to miss the experience of sitting outside and Italian sweets cafe in NY.
I'm back in SF and I still miss that experience. *SIGH*
Some of the best Italian pastries in NYC. Definitely the best in Little Italy. The canolis are quite amazing. Everyone raves about the gelatos but once you've had real gelato in Italy, which I have, "American" gelato just doesn't compare... so I don't get gelato anymore since I know I'll be disappointed. Anyways the pastries are great, the service, eh...
This was a visit to Heaven!
The best cheesecake ever (we told the waiter it was sexy). Had this with a gelato drink that consisted of chocolate gelato, decaf espresso, milk and ice in a tall glass. YUM!
I've been here quiet a few times and i'm not even sure why- (I can't even remember what i've had because everything is so average or blah that it's not memorable) i've never enjoyed it and feel like there are just so many great places to eat in NY why settle for a mediocre bakery?
Cappy Hour
Hoboken, NJ
Stimulus Plan Special
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