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Categories: Bakeries, Coffee & Tea [Edit]
Neighborhood: Morningside HeightsCathedral Pkwy (1)
Cathedral Pkwy (B, C)
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Coworker/Columbia alumni (before New York trip): "You HAVE to try my favorite little Hungarian place. It's the coolest place to hang out and chill for hours."
Friend I stayed with/current Columbia student (before I left for cafe): "Ooohhh, yeah there. It's a classic."
Friend from home/dated a Columbia student (after I told him I went here): "THE HUNGARIAN!!!!"
I think I may have spotted a trend?
Well, I honestly didn't see the huge appeal even after going here, but I'll agree I can imagine the infinite hours spent by a countless number of smarty-pantses studying and talking philisophy, life, and love at this establishment. I suppose every fine east coast university needs a cool coffee shop backdrop... at least that's what my friend Hollywood tells me :P.
There's an endless sea of tables (most of which will be full), dim lighting (not conducive to doing homework, imho), a diner-like counter (they take your order down on an oldschool waitress tablet), oh, and a cat (that really liked my old friend from high school I was meeting up with--a Columbia alumni, naturally).
The tea I had was fine. Nothing Hungarian about anything, but my half-Hungarian roommate squealed with delight when I told her the name of the place. Are some people just easy to please or something?
2 stars for everyone else's glowing opinion, 1 more from me just because.
For me, it's not the pastries or the coffee (although I think both are just fine), but the atmosphere. I'm a CU student so when I cannot take studying at home anymore, I go here.
I like that there is free re-fills on coffee (God knows I need them).
I like that there's a million other people studying around me.
And I especially like that when I'm ready to throw my homework out the window, I can go to the bathroom and write an angry poem on the wall instead.
Didn't like the pastries. Didn't like the coffee. Didn't appreciate no electrical outlets. On the other hand, I did like the view, both of the neighborhood and the student population (very dated look: I'd say about 1973). Kids in a private school should not try so hard to look broke.
My encounter with those who work here was pleasant, unlike what others have said here.
I am not so sure I can find a reason to come back other than to satisfy an occasional need to travel back in time.
Super-pretentious place that I unfortunately have to pass by way to often!! :( Its a nice concept -- but i just don't like the atmosphere and i really don't get why its such a popular place to hang out -- whatever to each his own -- but on top of that the food is not so great and the selection is really limited - there wasn't one thing on the menu that didn't have egg in it - so all i could do was sip green tea and ummm .. soak up the ambience -- i didn't like it -- doesn't mean you won't but if it is your kind of place - don't listen to any of my reviews - we have very different taste!
I know it's a favorite of many Columbia students, but I never got the habit of getting a pastry and a cup of coffee and occupying one of their tables forever. I've tried many of their pastries over the years, and not one has impressed me. My husband did say their baklava was good a couple years back (see how much I frequent this place, now that I'm out of Columbia!)
Can you believe ....this place has a history of its own.....NOTORIOUSLY FAMOUS....for its mouth watering desserts.... authentic Viennese and Hungarian delicacies ....it has been on the same spot for almost 30 years.....right across from the largest Cathedral of the world St. John the Devine on 110 and Amsterdam Ave in Morningside Heights....
Aside from the disgustingly delicious pastries...they are known for....Napoleons....Chocolate Mousse.....Croissants... Streudels, Baklavas...Doughnuts..Hazelcake...Carrot cakes ...Napoleons...Walnut Cake...Tiramisu.... they also have a large selection of coffee and teas from all over the world to choose from....I am not a coffee drinker so I always settle for some green tea ....
.A favorite haven for students at nearby Columbia University and writers...the place is always full....I had to treat myself to a custard cake...like their version of the Italian Napoleon..the other day and a very rich Baklava today.......this is a sin to the body....another thousand calories that I don't really need....
Well....gotta have my sugar fix once in awhile.....have to give in to our cravings....otherwise we don't feel good.........
Not surprisingly, the pastries I've had here were excellent (brioche and croissant). The hot chocolate is good too. But the coffee and tea (Celestial Seasonings?!?) are nothing to write home about. Mind you, I have nothing against Celestial Seasonings, but that's not what I was expecting.
One definite plus: room to sit. I had an excellent 2 hour conversation with a friend here recently, and there were still plenty of tables available so I didn't feel like we had to leave. A good place to read, write, or meet with a friend and just relax.
Despite the high marks for pastry and seating, there is one sticking point that results in the 3 star rating. As a recent addition to the job market, I have come to appreciate when people work hard for the money. I have also come to appreciate when they do NOT. I know, I know, this is New York, but I still wonder how these people get jobs. They're not just flaky. They seem downright uphappy. I hope they find peace.
I live half a block away from Hungarian and I go here for breakfast all the time. It's my go-to for pastries (especially the apple turnover, which is flaky, perfectly spiced and delicious) and coffee on weekends or if I don't have class for a while and can just sit and people watch. They let you sit at a table for however long with free coffee refills, so you really could just sit and write the great American novel or whatever and no one would care. I love the crowded, dark atmosphere which I know a lot of reviewers hated but seriously- it's a college cafe in Manhattan; it has to be all hipstery and impractical. Or it could just be that I'm hipstery and impractical, but if that means I get to go to Hungarian, I'll take it.
Billy Joel said it best "Don't look for answers, just take your chances, don't ask me why ". Apply this rock wisdom to this coffee shop and you'll be fine.
I don't know about these dramatic encounters people mention with servers, it's a great place to go if you like whipped cream - either in your pastry, coffee or both. I think these reviews tend to over-analyse:
If you want a donut, get a donut
If you want a napoleon, get a napoleon
It is funny how people attempt to put every possible business into a "tourist attraction" paradigm - as if it were the Hotel Sacher, and therefore, you must order from them the one thing in the world the ONLY THEY can make, so you order Sacher torte. When I was there I said " F *&^ Sacher torte, that other thing looks good" - and it was.
I'm not a fan of the bathroom, or the strong smell of the pink bathroom soap, but I suppose that won't change.
The hungarian pastry words on the red awning caught my eye, and I insisted we stop by to get a pastry. I happened to be at St John's Cathedral down the street and thought this would be a good place to grab a snack - my friends said sure! One of them said he had heard a lot of good things, so off we went. Once in there, I wanted to try the most Hungarian pastry I could, so I asked the lady behind the counter which to try. She rattled off a list of them, with the majority of them being directed to the large selection of streudels they had. I chose the cheese and cherry streudel - the outsides were very flaky and the cherry filling was sweet and slightly tart - but the cheese filling was dull and flavorless.
The cafe was bustling and had a lot of business, so I'm sure the pastries are great, but the one I had was just average.
Mmm ... delicious, yummy, scrumptious pastries ... The smell just entices you ...
Baklava, tarts, cakes, cobblers, etc ...
All the pastries are pretty big and we had just come from a quite filling dinner (over at Sookk) so I had a difficult time choosing. There were so many delicious choices but I knew I wouldn't be able to finish one and didn't want to waste ... so I ended up getting a cherry cobbler and my friend got some hazelnut cream cake thing. Both are pretty good.
Lots of tables/chairs to sit inside or outside.
CASH ONLY
This place has the creamiest, tastiest Napoleons that I've ever had.
I haven't bothered trying anything else because they're just that good.
Everything else about the place from the space itself to the employees are unremarkable. The girls behind the counter seemed irritated at having to answer questions about the others cakes and tarts they offer, and I'm convinced that they don't have the ability to smile.
But although her acerbity left a bad taste in my mouth, their sweet and sinful napoleons more than made up for it.
5 stars for the dessert, 2 stars for the service and 3 1/2 stars overall.
So everyone here can tell you have strong the coffee is or how amazing the little cookies are. I'm going to ask you to check out the much neglected gem of this Hungarian pastry shop and that is it's bathroom.
Nowhere else in the city have I ever found the walls of a stall to be so insightful to the world around us today. Dissertations ranging from fiscal policy, to socio-economic debates, to discussions literary masterpieces have been topics for this lavatory.
Posting on a wall? Facebook's got nothing on Hungarian Pastry Shop bathroom....
Our German teacher, Frau Berger, took the class here in 1975, and it was wonderful. I especially remember the Sacher torte. I've been back many times since then.
I give it a three because it is across the street from my favorite site in NYC and because it reminds me of Cafe Roma in Isla Vista (the old one) at UCSB. I suppose the only parallels are that it is a major Columbia co-ed hangout, they have coffee and yummy bakery items.
Be prepared to fight for a spot and to have the baristas look at you like you're an alien. Be prepared to be squeezed in like you've never been squeezed in before listening to the kid sitting next to you with his dad, chastise his dad while he stuffs his face with a plate full of sugar.
It is a great hang out to get some writing done and watch the college students prosylitize about their great knowledge and wisdom of the universe. Ah...the Ivy League.
Let me tell you the point of coming to this place. The pastries are average. The tea is about average. The service is about average. It's a noisy, crowded, little grimy shop. Yet, it seems everyone still comes here.
You come here to sit and enjoy everyone else who comes in here. Dotted throughout this shop were lots of cute Columbia students: Both male and female. They're here to spend a little money to study in a wifi available dimly lit social spot so they can see and be seen. There was a pompus know-it-all next to us who was trying to impress his date with useless factoids and some wrong factoids. I didn't hear her voice once. Behind me were people I call the Intellectualists. These are the very smart people of the world that scorn people who they think are unenlightened. They are often heard having 'debates' in the middle of the street, or in this case, at a pastry shop. In front of me were a couple oogling and smoogling.
The baklava we ordered was too wet and the carrot cake was too dry. At least the coffee is refillable and the hot water for a tea re-steep are both free.
I think this is a nice place to visit again.
Wanna pay 2 bucks and sit somewhere for hours and work on your manuscript? This is the place for you. If you can wrangle a seat, never let it go because you won't get another one.
Also, get those crazy little cookies. I'm a big fan of the chocolate covered sprinkled ones. Yum.
This place has excellent pastries, but is a tad pretentious. So far I've only tried the baklava and the napoleon, but both were amazing. Get the napoleon! Best napoleon I've ever had. I'm so lucky to live near this place!
The only thing sweeter than the pastries at this joint are the servers. Ok, lame. I know. But really, everyone here was incredibly nice and laid back.
I ended up coming in here a couple times during my week in New York, whether it was to pick up some cookies and cakes to take to Central Park, or to sit and do some reading and writing. Normally a place with free refills on coffee can be kind of harsh about how long you idle at your table, but the atmosphere here was completely relaxed. I don't think anyone was rushing to do anything, and I mean that in the best way possible.
I love going to this pastry shop and will go out of my way to visit it. The Hungarian pastries are very authentic, the only place to get them in the region. The wait staff is nice. The atmosphere is very casual (perhaps too casual for some, be sure not to expect an elegant cafe). No one is going to make you leave, people stay comfortably for a long time. Of course, this makes getting a seat hard at times, but people also cycle through so it's not impossible. The crowd is generally friendly. The pastries are also very reasonably priced. Gosh, what I would give for Starbucks to have pastries of this quality even if they charged double!
Check out this place, you won't be disappointed!
Environment: OK.
It is always warm an crowded inside. Sometimes you may not find an empty table.
Food:Good.
Pumpkin Cheesecake is delicious,
Dobos Tort is more like brownie.
Service: Weird.
I asked what was most famous or best selling. The waitress didn't know. Then I asked what was most traditional Hungarian Pastry. She told me everything. Then I gave up and chose the pastry myself.
This place is yum. For about 2.50, you can get a pastry. I had to have 2. I had an apricot "danish" that must not look like the American Danish because it looked more like a turnover. The jam inside was good, though. I also had a chocolate crossiant, which was flaky and delish. I haven't tried any of their drinks. You can sit outside or inside, which is nice. I support and small place that is good and not Starbucks, so I'll be going back.
Get the walnut cake! Fun little spot with tons of character and, apparently, staying power, since it's literally been in this spot for at least three decades. Order at the counter, given them your name, have a seat and get comfortable, anticipating the sugary goodness of whatever tickled your fancy. I had a taste of the carrot cake and the apple strudel, both of which were good, but the walnut cake was my fave: cinnamony, not too sweet, and a nutty/crunchy texture.
Great little family-run business, along with the sandwich shop next door. Food and drinks are good, but you also have to appreciate the fact that the place attracts a lot of "characters." A. Lot. Every employee there is either very nice or very interesting, which to me isn't a bad set of options.
Stop by the Hungarian Pastry Shop, get a warm croissant or fruit danish with a cup of tea to start the day? Not bad at all.
I have mixed feelings about the Hungarian Pastry Shop. I enjoy the location (right across from the gorgeous Saint John the Divine!), the independent coffee shop vibe, and the fact that you can be drinking your coffee/tea while reading and look up 1 hour later to see the same "usual suspects" dotted around the room, one possibly typing the next big novel on his laptop, another carefully folding the NY Times just right, perhaps yet another writing in a canvas journal.
However I have never found their pastry and coffee to be more than average and the customer service - more often than not - leaves something to be desired (could that "something" be a sense that they are even slightly happy you chose their establishment?).
Still, what keeps me going back is the good tea, the good location, and that fantastic vibe (once you get past the customer service). Also, a couple bonuses to keep in mind: during nice weather there is a good amount of outdoor tables with the amazing view of the cathedral, and you are allowed to bring the yummy sandwiches from the shop next door into the coffee shop to eat.
Went to get a croissant today because everyone says its really good. I think it's okay. Their regular plain croissant has a thin layer of sweet glaze on it, and I don't really dig it. Overall, it's alright. They do have a lot of sweets there, but I don't know what they are because there is no names/labels.
I wouldn't mind going back to try other things, but not super big of an urge.
This place would be even better if they had free wifi..but they don't.
Can I make a confession?
I don't really like the Hungarian Pastry Shop.
I know, I know--you're SUPPOSED to. HPS's entire existence comforts Morningside Heighters jittery that the neighborhood may not actually be that cool.
But it's too dark. The desserts aren't that good. Hell-neither are the drinks. It's always so damn crowded. And it's so INTO itself!
Since I don't know much about this place, but want to get it on record, I'm giving it a three until I try it again.
A bit out of the way for a girl from Queens, this pastry shop still packs a powerful punch as far as variety is concerned. Furthermore, considering I adore Hungarian and virtually all central European treats, this place hit the motherload.
Points taken off, however, for bored, lazy service.
I decided upon a napoleon, something which I think I might have had once in my life previously. It was $3.50, and made up almost entirely of a stiff, yellow and delicious custard. Sandwiching this delightful filling were two puff pastries covered in powdered sugar. Though they were tasty, I had to pick them up and bite into them, as a knife wouldn't suffice. Be sure to turn the pastries right side up when consuming, or else you'll be covered in a shower of baby powder.
When I get another hankering, I'll venture back over here and give you guys a more thorough review.
[ phone rings ]
Me: Hello?
Friend: Hey, what are you doing?
Me: Oh, I got cabin fever being in my room, so I'm studying at Hungarian Pastry Shop.
Friend: [ chuckles ]
Me: Why? Am I being too much of a cliche?
Friend: I don't know, are you scribbling on a notebook in there?
Me: No. A loose leaf paper.
Friend: Of what?
Me: I'm alternating between studying Greek and writing down thoughts from a recent exhibition.
Friend: You're a ridiculous cliche.
Yes, I am a cliche, but where else in the neighborhood can I go to get 2 delicious walnut macaroons, 3 snowball cookies, 2 pistachio and chocolate cookies, and unlimited coffee (I ended up having 4 cups) for $5.75?
*
*
*
*
-Notes on the bathroom-
A quick scan of the walls revealed that graffiti was written in the following languages:
-English
-Spanish
-French
-German
-Latin
-Greek
-Cyrillic alphabet (Russian?)
-Japanese
-Chinese
-Korean
-Dutch (maybe Flemish?)
-Sanskrit (Seriously?)
Excerpts from the following were also written onto the walls:
-Goethe
-Juvenal
-the Bible
-Jack Keuroac
-James Joyce
-Catch 22
-Victor Hugo
But I think my favorite scrawl was on the bathroom door. It read, "There must be a college around 4 this shit."
The Hungarian Pastry shop is like a Woody Allen movie-- it's not the most aesthetically gorgeous or… Read more »
This is a dependable spot if you want a good cup of coffee and a few hours of reading. I love Hungarian cuz it's so laid back. Plus, it's always stocked with mood-lifting desserts whenever I hit a writer's road block or difficulty wrapping my head around a problem set!
I decided to check this place out because I live around the area and i was fascinated with all the choices! I couldn't resist myself so i ordered 7 pastries to go.The girl that took my order dropped my box with the pastries inside on the floor and she seemed very confused and agitated. She also mixed up the coffee but other than that they have good cinnamon rolls.The baklava was extremely sweet and the pink cake wasn't filled with chocolate as the girl told me.
Overall: Good Cinnamon rolls/coffee and poor service- Workers seemed like they didn't want to be there, didn't smile at all and didn't know what they were doing. Poor customer service.
Love this place.
Fresh pastries, good java, friendly staff, chill vibe. Overflowing with college kiddies, profs, etc.
I am primarily looking for spaces to work on my dissertation over the course of the summer. I want a reasonable amount of room for a laptop and maybe a book or notebook, wireless, self-service water, electrical sockets, etc. As importantly, I'm looking for places that aren't trying to push you out their door.
The Hungarian Pastry Shop scores on most accounts -- though this may be contingent on when I visited (afternoon, early June -- so, probably not a high volume of students around). I didn't see many plugs-ins, but I had plenty of space and was able to pick up a good wireless signal. Water is self-serve.
I'm not enamored with the espresso here -- it tastes stale or something, like it came from a can or I made it with a Mr. Coffee espresso maker. Sorry, that's as sophisticated as my coffee critique runs. However, I did have a cherry danish and it pleased me. The bread wasn't all that sweet, and neither was the cherry part as far as cherry danishes go. The stuff in the display case looks over-the-top sweet, but I was pleased that, at the very least, the danish wasn't.
No internet the second time around. Someone nearby has a linksys router that you can get bits of pieces of, depending on where you are in the cafe.
there are only a few places in this city that i can boast being a regular. since i love trying new things, i tend to not habitually hit up the same spots more than once or twice a month.
the hungarian pastry shop is one of my few exceptions. however, for as often as i come here, i always get the same thing. a cheese strudel (sometimes with cherry or raspberry in it) and a hot steamed milk with honey (and i dump a few teaspoons of sugar into it). i am never unhappy with this choice, so i see no need to switch it up at all.
this place is always jammed packed with students and finding a seat is hard, but i never had a problem. i'm just lucky like that.
Yes I find the pastries too mediocre, but they do a croissant with jam and butter well and there is unlimited mild and good coffee and it's a place I want to go to often, so what is not great about all this? Fun spot.
Best pastry I tasted while on a 7 day vacation to New York. Stumbled on it by accident just down from Columbia and across for the large St. John the Divine Cathedral.
Lot's of Columbia students. We orderd a cherry torte and apple turnover. Great tastes as the dough was light, succulent and very fresh.
Had coffee and ice tea, both of which were freshly made.
Chatted with a couple of Columbia students as we munched.
A great find and stop for a snack.
I love this place! Friendly staff and the most delicious croissants. Seating can be tight but it's a great place to chat and consume flaky pastries.
Their cakes are hit or miss, but their brioche, almond horns, and croissants are amazing. I'm also a fan of the chocolate mousse cake. The Hungarian coffee (they put some kind of syrup in it) is great, as is the hot chocolate. The staff is very friendly.
Great atmosphere and free coffee and tea refills! Plus no glares from waiters, you can stay as long as you'd like! Love it!
I had heard good things about this place, so we decided to check it out after a bit of geocaching in the area. I had a cup of coffee and a macaroon. It really wasn't anything special. In fact, I was somewhat upset that I had spent $2.50 on a cup of coffee. If you enjoy your sweets, then perhaps this is your spot. However, for those who are expecting a unique Hungarian cafe experience, prepare to be a bit disappointed.
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