The counters in New York City worth queuing for: bread, pastry, and the morning ritual.
Bakery counters in New York City worth queuing for: levain breads, laminated pastry, regional bakes and the morning ritual.
Ess-a-Bagel on Third Avenue has hand-rolled bagels in Midtown New York City since 1976. Boiled in barley malt water, baked on burlap, sold dense and seeded.
Tip: The line is 30 minutes at 09:30 weekends. Order over the counter; pre-paid online jumps the line.
Worth the queue: Plain everything bagel with scallion cream cheese
Tompkins Square Bagels on Avenue A boils bagels at dawn in the East Village, New York City. Eight cream-cheese flavours, hot bagels until they sell out.
Tip: Sells out by 13:00 most weekends. Lunch arrives early; the lox sandwich is built thick.
Worth the queue: Pumpernickel everything
Black Seed in Nolita bakes Montreal-style honey-water bagels in a wood oven in New York City. Smaller, sweeter, denser than the New York standard.
Tip: Mobile order is the fastest line. The beet-cured lox sandwich is the cross-style order to share.
Worth the queue: Beet-cured lox sandwich
William Greenberg Desserts on Madison Avenue has baked the canonical black-and-white in the Upper East Side, New York City since 1946. Schnecken.
Tip: Order black-and-whites in the bigger six-inch size. Pre-order schnecken at Rosh Hashanah; they sell out a week ahead.
Worth the queue: Black-and-white cookie
Levain Bakery has baked the six-ounce chocolate chip walnut cookie in the Upper West Side, New York City since 1995. Two-tray racks, lines around the block.
Tip: The original Upper West Side basement counter has the shortest line at 17:00. Heat one for ten seconds in your hotel microwave.
Worth the queue: Chocolate chip walnut cookie
Zabar's on Broadway has anchored Upper West Side appetising in New York City since 1934. At 2245 Broadway. Booking recommended. Reservations advised.
Tip: Take a number at the appetising counter the moment you walk in; the bakery side has no number system.
Worth the queue: Black-and-white cookies, babka
Balthazar Bakery on Spring Street in SoHo has supplied New York City's croissants and country breads since 1997. Open daily 07:00-19:00. At 80 Spring Street.
Tip: Take the morning pastry to the chairs at the Spring Street subway plaza; the bakery line moves faster than the cafe line.
Worth the queue: Pain au chocolat
Uri Scheft's Breads Bakery near Union Square turns out the city's most-loved chocolate babka in New York City. Rugelach by the pound, challah on Fridays.
Tip: Babka comes hot from the oven at 11:00 and 15:00. Slice with a serrated knife at home; do not pull it apart while warm.
Worth the queue: Chocolate babka
Veniero's has filled cannoli on East 11th Street in the East Village, New York City since 1894. Sfogliatelle, pignoli cookies, ricotta cheesecake.
Tip: Cannoli are filled to order at the counter; never buy pre-filled. Espresso at the bar is the after-dinner move.
Worth the queue: Cannoli
Junior's on Flatbush Avenue Extension has baked New York cheesecake in Brooklyn New York City since 1950. Cream-cheese-base, graham-crust, sour-cream top.
Tip: The Brooklyn original is the right room. The Times Square outpost serves the same cake under different lighting.
Worth the queue: Original New York cheesecake
S&S Cheesecake in the Bronx has baked one cake only since 1959 in New York City. Plain, dense, the canonical New York cheesecake, supplied to delis citywide.
Tip: Cash only, weekdays only. Drive or take the 1 train to 238th; the bakery is two blocks west of the subway.
Worth the queue: Plain cheesecake
Eileen Avezzano has baked mini cheesecakes on Cleveland Place in Nolita, New York City since 1975. Open mon-sat 09:00-21:00, sun 11:00-19:00.
Tip: The plain or strawberry are the originals. The Oreo and the salted caramel are the indulgent picks; share two.
Worth the queue: Strawberry mini cheesecake