There are some foods you just associate with New York, like pizza, bagels, and of course, cheesecake! Finding cheesecake in NYC is a matter of turning the corner. But what’s the best cheesecake place in the city? Well, we compiled a list to find out!
Junior’s Restaurant
Possibly the quintessential slice of cheesecake. Junior’s Restaurant has been around for 65 years, and has become near synonymous with New York style cheesecake. The famous original cake is made with a sponge cake base and Philadelphia cream cheese, but there are 9 more cheesecake flavors for you to choose from, including red velvet and apple crumb. Junior’s also has 9 different kinds of cake if you don’t feel like cheesecake, as well as pies, pastries, brownies and cookies. You can also have steak or diner fare like pastrami reuben sandwiches if you’re feeling the munchies.
Mah-Ze-Dahr
Mah-Ze-Dahr roughly translates to delicious in Urdu, and does this café live up to its name. Opened by former Goldman Sachs employee and MIT graduate Umber Ahmad, Mah-Ze-Dahr is responsible for producing some of the most elegant cheesecake in New York City. The menu serves a sinfully excellent chocolate cake and a creamy soft-serve, but it’s the cheesecake that’s the showstopper, with its lemon zest and vanilla in a dark chocolate crust. There’s a fancy nine inch version that weighs about five pound, with a chocolate crust and a cream cheese base. You’ll also find the more classic graham cracker crust and a smaller version coming in at four inches.
Eileen’s Special Cheesecake
Sometimes, all you want is to dig into a heavenly slice of cheesecake minus the frills, and that’s where Eileen’s Special Cheesecake comes in. A Cleveland Place institution, it has been a location for beautiful cheesecake for years. Serving both full size and puckish mini cheesecake tarts for decades, Eileen’s a must-go New York destination.
Two Little Red Hens
Two Little Red Hens is a charming bake shop located on the Upper East Side. It is characterized by its three rotating varieties: plain New York, pumpkin and cherry. The cream filling, sweet graham cracker crust and the fruity toppings are made in-house, and come together to make a baked product that is absolutely to die for.
Veniero’s Pasticceria and Caffe
This Italian bakery has been around the East Village since 1894! More than a century of experience means it is able to gift its patrons a cheesecake that will be the creamiest deep-dish they’ll ever have. The cheesecake is made richer with whole eggs and fresh ricotta, and rolls on the tongue like magic. They also have pastries, biscotti and cannoli.
Ferrara Bakery & Cafe
Another Italian bakery, Ferrera Bakery and Café is a Little Italy icon in its own right. It served carrot cakes and cannoli too, but it’s the cheesecake that balances sweet and sour in a masterful stroke. Details like candied citrus peel and ricotta combine to make for an authentically Italian experience.
