When AMNY listed the best places to grab hot chocolate this holiday season, you could bet that I was determined to try a couple of them. So when the boyfriend and I found ourselves in Union Square doing some holiday shopping, we immediately thought of hitting up City Bakery on 18th between 5th and 6th.
City Bakery on a Sunday afternoon was absolutely mobbed. The bakery has two floors of seating, and people are like vultures, trying to find a table. For those who haven’t been, the desserts and pastries line the middle of the restaurant, and then towards the back there are sandwiches and salad options, which you can purchase as well. We stuck to baked goods, ordering a slice of pumpkin pie, a pretzel croissant and two hot chocolates (one with homemade marshmallows).
I was familiar with the quality of City Bakery, as two of my friends cater for the company. The pretzel croissant, although salty, is delicious. The pumpkin pie was great too, with an excellent crust. Usually I hate pastry type crust, but this was more of a dense graham cracker/cinnamony crust. I was surprised however, with the hot chocolate. Maybe it was the fact that it was so hyped up, but I just didn’t find it that good. It was as if you melted a hot chocolate bar, and then proceeded to drink it. It was almost too chocolatey and I couldn’t even finish the cup. I 
think I’d prefer making my own hot chocolate by heating up chocolate milk from Stew Leonards. The marshmallow was also difficult to eat. It didn’t melt into the hot chocolate, so I had to end up spooning it out and eating it, and all that sugar nearly made me gag.
Another thing that shocked me about the bakery is the price. Now, I have no problem throwing down 5 bucks for a slice of pie or 3 bucks for a croissant - that’s standard in almost any restaurant across the US. Paying nearly 5 bucks for hot chocolate (and extra for the marshmallow) is a little ridiculous. Even Starbucks doesn’t charge that much. The whole experience set us back $18 - and knowing our cheap dining skills, we could have probably found dinner somewhere for that price.
Keeping the price in mind, I doubt I’ll visit City Bakery again soon - but Alex and Lindsey, I’m always up for your catering leftovers.
The Basics Name: City Bakery Location: 3 W. 18th St Who To Bring: Friends, Date, Parents Price: One less drink at the bar next week. $$$. Overall: They better have coupons. 3 Stars.
Not to be a grammar Nazi, or an over-the-top egomaniac, but “the boyfriend” should be capitalized to “The Boyfriend.”
And I thought the hot chocolate was really good, albeit a little too pricey… and who charges extra for marshmallows?