West Village gem: French pastries & *the* chocolate cake. Savory croissants, brownie bites too. A must-try for dessert lovers.
This West Village bakery is a celebrated spot for classic French pastries and desserts, with a particular reputation for its exceptional chocolate cake. While many rave about its rich, moist texture and quality ingredients, some find it pricey for the portion size. Beyond cakes, they also offer enticing options like savory croissants and brownie bites, making it a versatile destination for both sweet and savory cravings.
Primarily a bakery known for French-inspired pastries and desserts. The chocolate cake, often referred to as Manhattan Blackout cake, is a frequent highlight, though some users found it dry or overpriced. Other popular items include savory croissants and brownie bites.
"The chocolate cake, often referred to as Manhattan Blackout cake, is frequently highlighted as a must-try. Savory croissants and brownie bites are also noted positively."
Customers largely praise the bakery for its delicious pastries, especially the chocolate cake, though some find the prices high for the serving sizes.
Important Note
Some customers find the cakes, particularly the chocolate cake, to be expensive for the portion size. There are also conflicting opinions on the quality of the chocolate cake, with some finding it dry or disappointing.
"This user recommends the 'Chocolate Explosion' cookie at Mah-Ze-Dahr."
Positive"This commenter found the Claude cake slice to be disappointing."
Negative"This commenter expressed disappointment with the Claude cake, stating they don't understand the hype."
Negative"This commenter reported that the Claude cake slice they tried a few weeks prior was dry."
Negative"This commenter stated they did not particularly like the Claude cake slice."
Negative"This commenter agreed with the disappointment regarding Claude's cake, stating that while Claude (bakery) is 'mid', Claud (restaurant) is superior."
Negative"This commenter expressed strong disappointment with the Claude Bakery cake slice, stating they don't understand the hype around it."
Negative"This commenter agreed that the chocolate cake at Claud (the restaurant) is overhyped."
Negative"This commenter strongly disagreed with the quality of the chocolate cake at Claud (the restaurant), calling it the worst dessert on their menu. They later clarified they believe only Claude (the bakery) has good chocolate cake."
Negative"This commenter was reminded of the chocolate cake at Claud (restaurant) in the East Village, which they consider one of the best but also very expensive."
Neutral"This commenter provided a link to a video showing a chef blowing chocolate dust onto a cake at Claud (restaurant), which they found off-putting."
Negative"This commenter was put off by a video showing the chocolate dust technique at Claud (restaurant) and questioned if it was the blackout cake. They also mentioned trying Mia's and Little Cupcake Bakeshop."
Negative"This commenter humorously suggested that the frequent mentions of 'Claude' were getting out of hand, likening it to AI taking over."
Neutral"The OP found the Manhattan Blackout cake slice delicious, rich, not too sweet, and made with quality ingredients, but expensive at $10 for a small portion. They are debating if it's worth the splurge and looking for cheaper or larger alternatives."
Neutral"The author visited Claude Bakery, a new establishment that replaced the old Patisserie Claude. They enjoyed a savory heirloom tomato croissant with chives and Swiss cheese, topped with Mimolette. While tasty, they felt the Swiss cheese was unnecessary given the Mimolette."
Positive"Claude on West 4th is mentioned as a place for cake."
Positive"This user agreed that Claude is a favorite, despite not being frequently mentioned in other croissant recommendation threads."
Positive"This user recommended both Claude and L'Appartement 4F."
Positive"Responding to a query about ownership changes, this user confirmed that Claude's quality remains high and classics are unchanged, though the menu direction may have shifted."
Positive"This user inquired about the current quality of Claude after a change in ownership."
Neutral
