Veniero’s Pasticceria & Caffe

This Italian pastry shop has been in the East Village for well over a century, which is why you’ll typically see tourists lining up to buy a box of cannoli and taking pictures under the sign out front. But don’t write this off as a tourist trap, it’s one of the great East Village bakeries.

While Veniero’s is where you should go if you ever need to pick up a box of rainbow cookies for a housewarming party, it’s just as wonderful for a solo snack at 2pm on a weekday. We particularly like their classic cannoli with ricotta and mini chocolate chips mixed in because the pastry filling tastes floral (in a good way), since it’s made with citrus rinds and cinnamon.

photo credit: Alex Staniloff