New York

The Best Last-Minute Valentine's Day Gifts from Local Businesses in NYC

These thoughtful presents highlight the best of our hometown restaurants, bakeries, and shops.

Photo courtesy of Magnolia Bakery
Photo courtesy of Magnolia Bakery
Photo courtesy of Magnolia Bakery

News flash: Valentine’s Day is just about a week away. But even though the holiday is getting close, there’s no need to dash into Duane Reade for a box of chocolates or the bodega for a last-minute bouquet. You can still get your partner (or your Galentine) a thoughtful gift this year, and even better, support your favorite local restaurants, bakeries, and shops while doing so.

Because from flower delivery and handmade chocolates to creative caviar packages and local brews, NYC’s small businesses have it all. So whether you need a last-minute gift or are planning ahead this week, here are the best Valentine’s Day gifts from NYC businesses.

Photo courtesy of Breads Bakery
Photo courtesy of Breads Bakery
Photo courtesy of Breads Bakery

Breads Bakery

Multiple locations
Known for its expert Babka and Challah loaves, this favorite NYC bakery is already a holiday go-to-and Valentine’s Day is no different. On offer this year at Breads Bakery are special pastries like the Roselach, a rosewater rugelach filled with marzipan and sprinkled with raspberries that come in orders of a dozen; and the the heart-shaped Marizan Fruit Tart topped with marzipan, pastry cream, and fresh fruit. On the more savory side, the bakery will have Heart Baguettes and a Valentine’s Sourdough loaf with stenciled hearts. Goods are available for pickup at the shop’s Union Square, Lincoln Center, and Upper East Side locations.
How to order:  Website

Photo by Frances F. Denny
Photo by Frances F. Denny
Photo by Frances F. Denny

Caffe Panna

Gramercy Park
After a brief hiatus for renovations, Hallie Meyer’s premier ice cream shop is back. And it’s just in time, because there’s no better gift than a pint of rich Italian ice cream and a hearty dollop of the shop’s signature cream called Panna imported from Italy’s Piemonte region. If you’re looking for something a bit heartier, the ice cream shop is teaming up with the fine frozen food company ipsa provisions to offer an $85 three-course Valentine’s Day dinner bundle with appetizers, pasta, and everything you need to make a Caffe Panna sundae at home for a special date night spread.
How to order:  Website

Photo courtesy of CaviAIR x Coming Soon
Photo courtesy of CaviAIR x Coming Soon
Photo courtesy of CaviAIR x Coming Soon

CaviAIR and Coming Soon

West Village
For an ultra-luxe gift for the season of love, look no further than CaviAIR, the caviar company from the minds behind Air’s Champagne Parlor, Niche Niche, and Tokyo Record Bar. CaviAIR is teaming up with Coming Soon, a trendy design store on the Lower East Side, to offer a Love Note package for Valentine’s Day. The package includes 50 grams of Kaluga caviar, a vintage caviar spoon, a bottle of champagne, two champagne coupes, and a Sharpie pen for writing a love note to go along with this epic gift.
How to order:  Website

Photo courtesy of Feste
Photo courtesy of Feste
Photo courtesy of Feste

Feste

This brand new NYC-based company pulls together all the best glassware, table decor, party decorations, and everything else you need to host a festive get-together-and Feste offers several packages that can spice up Valentine’s Day dinner at home and make a great gift. The Give a Glam set comes with a disco ball, candles and candleholders, confetti, palm reading cards, and more, while the In the Name of Decadence package has rose gold decor to set a romantic table, plus playing cards and a champagne saber to really turn your party for two up a notch. Even better, the company works with one of NYC’s top wine shops, Parcelle, so you can tack on a bottle of bubbly and really be celebration-ready.
How to order:  Website

Photo by Tanya Blum
Photo by Tanya Blum
Photo by Tanya Blum

Gotham Chocolates

West Village
Gotham Bar & Grill has been a West Village staple for nearly 40 years so chances are you know about the restaurant’s stylish American fare. But beyond the dinner menu, executive chef Ron Paprocki and his team also craft artisanal bonbons from the same kitchen. Each confection from Gotham Chocolates is truly made from scratch, as the team starts by turning cacao beans into rich, homemade chocolate before morphing that into gorgeous sets of bonbons. For Valentine’s Day, choose from options like the Taittinger Champagne Bonbon Collection filled with ganache made from Taittinger Prestige Rosé Champagne or the Bonbon Bouquet Trio with champagne, salted caramel, and pistachio flavors.
How to order:  Website

Photo by Nina Choi
Photo by Nina Choi
Photo by Nina Choi

HOWM

Chelsea
This mesoamerican restaurant located in the Selina Chelsea hotel has a Valentine’s Day dinner that packs an extra bit of heat. Chef Byron Peñafiel’s menu at HOWM kicks off with Lobster Bisque with chili oil and appetizers like Aguachile Ceviche or Blood Orange Burrata with fennel and pickled jalapeno salad. For the main course, guests can choose from three options: Braised Short Rib with horseradish celeriac polenta; Mussels & Chorizo with serrano and tomato broth, and grilled bread; or Chili-Rubbed Duck with crispy potato gratin and spicy plum gastrique. And finally, alongside Red Velvet Churros with cream cheese filling and habanero chocolate sauce, guests can also choose a spicier way to cap off their night with a stay at the hotel for just $14 (as long as availability lasts).
How to book:  OpenTable

Photo courtesy of Macchina
Photo courtesy of Macchina
Photo courtesy of Macchina

Macchina

Williamsburg
Macchina, the stone-fired pizzeria that recently opened in the back of The Bedford, is feeling the love this February. For Valentine’s Day, the shop has a special package that includes five Mini Strombolis with sweet and savory fillings from mushroom and spinach to strawberries and Nutella, plus a bottle of prosecco and housemade rose and strawberry syrup to make your own signature cocktail at home.
How to order:  Website

Photo courtesy of Magnolia Bakery
Photo courtesy of Magnolia Bakery
Photo courtesy of Magnolia Bakery

Magnolia Bakery

Multiple locations
Of course, New York’s most iconic bakery has to pull out all the stops for Valentine’s Day. And Magnolia Bakery did just that. The shop is offering a slate of sweet treats this month including themed cupcakes in regular and mini sizes, Chocolate-Covered Strawberry Brownie Bites, and a special chocolate-covered strawberry flavor of the shop’s famous Banana Pudding. Can’t decide? Well, you’re in luck, because the bakery put together a “Best of Magnolia Bakery” date night sampler pack with two classic cupcakes and two cups of chocolate-covered strawberry pudding.
How to order:  Website

Settepani Bakery
Settepani Bakery
Settepani Bakery

Settepani Bakery

Williamsburg
When Christmas time rolls around, Settepani‘s kitchen has thousands of panettones flying out the door. But the classic Italian sweet bread is not just for the holidays and the Settepani team proves that with a new signature flavor unveiled each month. For February, the bakery is offering a heart-shaped, Red Velvet Panettone with white chocolate chips and red velvet crumbs. Beyond the signature sweet treat, the bakery has other options fit for the holiday, including Chocolate-Covered Strawberries, heart-shaped cakes and cookies, and more.
How to order:  Website

Photo courtesy of TALEA x Levain Bakery
Photo courtesy of TALEA x Levain Bakery
Photo courtesy of TALEA x Levain Bakery

TALEA and Levain Bakery

Greenpoint
Wrapping a bow around a six-pack of locally made brews is a perfect Valentine’s Day gift for beer lovers, but TALEA is helping you take that up a notch with an indulgent stout inspired by Levain Bakery‘s cookies. The woman-owned brewery‘s latest creation, Dark Chocolate Cookie Stout, is made with fresh-out-of-the-oven cookies and rich dark cocoa from Levain, plus an ample dose of vanilla and milk sugar, and a four-pack makes a perfect gift on its own or with some cookies to enjoy on the side.
How to order:  WebsiteWant more Thrillist? Follow us on InstagramTwitterPinterestYouTubeTikTok, and Snapchat.

Liz Provencher is an associate editor at Thrillist. You can follow her on Twitter or see what she eats on Instagram.

New York

Scavenge for Peeps Cookies and More Fun Treats in NYC This Easter

The best Easter desserts in NYC this spring include Easter Bunny Churros and Carrot Cake Macarons.

Photo courtesy of Funny Face Bakery
Photo courtesy of Funny Face Bakery
Photo courtesy of Funny Face Bakery

As spring makes its way through New York City, not only do we get to enjoy beautiful weather, stunning cherry blossoms, and cool activities priced at $Free.99, but it’s also the perfect time for some limited-edition desserts.

With Easter fast approaching, bakeries are filling their shops with tons of chocolate eggs, carrot cake-flavoured everything and all types of flavours that offer both nostalgia and innovation within the city’s dessert landscape. After you’ve picked up a cake from the city’s best new bakeries, from Easter Bunny Churros to Carrot Cake Macarons, here are 8 Easter desserts to try in NYC right now.

Photo courtesy of Magnolia Bakery
Photo courtesy of Magnolia Bakery
Photo courtesy of Magnolia Bakery

Magnolia Bakery

Throughout April
Various locations
There’s great news for devotees of Magnolia Bakery’s Classic Banana Pudding: For Easter, the spot is mixing up the iconic dessert’s vanilla pudding with some carrot cake. The Carrot Cake Pudding is filled with freshly grated carrots, coconuts, pineapples, raisins, and walnuts. And if both bananas and carrots aren’t your thing, they’ll be offering their Classic Vanilla Cupcakes in pastel colours with a Cadbury chocolate egg hidden inside.

Photo courtesy of Funny Face Bakery
Photo courtesy of Funny Face Bakery
Photo courtesy of Funny Face Bakery

Funny Face Bakery

Through Easter Sunday
NoHo and Seaport
Known for their celebrity face and meme-worthy decorated cookies, fans of Funny Face Bakery know that a new fun design is always just around the corner. For Easter, they’ve created the adorable Hoppy Easter decorated cookie that resembles a classic box of marshmallow Peeps. Along with that, they also have the return of their fan-favourite Caramel Pretzel Chip cookie flavour, plus a set of three mini-decorated cookies perfect for gifting.

The Doughnut Project

Friday, April 7 through Easter Sunday
West Village
With the ever-changing flavours at The Doughnut Project, it’s super easy to miss out on trying out a new debut. But this Easter weekend, there will be two new flavours available. One is of course, a carrot cake doughnut topped with a cream cheese glaze, and the other is known as the Doughnut Nest-a French cruller “nest” with a cream-filled doughnut hole “egg” in the centre.

Photo by Cole Saladino, courtesy of The Fragile Flour
Photo by Cole Saladino, courtesy of The Fragile Flour
Photo by Cole Saladino, courtesy of The Fragile Flour

The Fragile Flour

Wednesday, April 5 through Easter Sunday
East Village
For stellar vegan desserts this holiday, head to The Fragile Flour, a plant-based bakery and dessert wine bar. They’re known for going all out for each holiday with a variety of new pastry options that you can pair perfectly with a glass of wine. This Easter, they’ll have a whole dessert menu that’s both delicious and gorgeous for posting on IG. The menu includes Stuffed Carrot Cake Cookies, a Lemon Cake (whole or by the slice), some festive cupcakes, and specialty macarons.

Photo courtesy of Kreuther Handcrafted Chocolate
Photo courtesy of Kreuther Handcrafted Chocolate
Photo courtesy of Kreuther Handcrafted Chocolate

Kreuther Handcrafted Chocolate

Through mid April
Midtown
For a luxurious take on Easter chocolates, browse the selections available at Kreuther Handcrafted Chocolate. You can even pick the Easter Signature Chef’s Selection for a special box curated by award-winning chefs. For something other than chocolate, choose between the Carrot Cake Macarons or the cake flavored Easter Marshmallow Trio, both of which are almost too cute to eat.

La Churreria

Throughout April
Nolita
This churro-centric spot is putting the cutest Easter spin on their crispy cinnamon churros by twisting them up into bunnies and bunny ears. At Churreria, choose from a Bunny Churro Lollipop topped with your choice of chocolate or dulce de leche and sprinkles, or the bunny ear churros in the Ube and Matcha ice cream sundae or the Ube Milkshake, both of which are made with ice cream from il laboratorio del gelato.

Photo by Briana Balducci
Photo by Briana Balducci
Photo by Briana Balducci

Lafayette

Throughout April
NoHo
You’ve surely seen this croissant tons of times while scrolling through IG or TikTok, whether it’s the Pain au Chocolat one or the latest of the month. Known as Suprêmes, these filled croissants went viral and continue to live up to the hype each time a new flavour comes out. April’s flavour-sour cherry amaretto with a Luxardo custard and toasted almonds. While you’ll have to be super early and wait in line during one of their three drops of the day to get a taste, we promise you it’ll be worth it.

Photo courtesy of Levain
Photo courtesy of Levain
Photo courtesy of Levain

Levain

Seasonal
Various locations
We all know the iconic cookies from Levain-they’re gigantic, perfectly crispy and chewy, and well worth the long lines. For spring, the shop is launching a new flavour: Caramel Coconut Chocolate Chip. Filled with gooey caramel chips, fresh shredded coconut, and melty dark chocolate, it’s one you’ve got to try while it’s still around. To further celebrate the new season, all of Levain’s storefronts will be decked out in spring floral displays, serving as the perfect backdrop for pictures.

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Alaina Cintron is an Editorial Assistant at Thrillist. Her work can also be found in Westchester Magazine, Girls’ Life, and Spoon University. When she’s not at her desk typing away, you can find her exploring a local coffee shop or baking a new recipe.

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