Last Updated: ~1 month ago
Phone: (718) 852-0200
Address: 89 EAST 42 STREET 10017
Artisanal French bakery w/ rave sourdough & miche. Croissant quality debated: some say divine, others say a letdown.
A French bakery known for its artisanal breads and pastries, this spot offers a taste of traditional baking. While some praise its consistently flavorful sourdough and miche bread, others have noted a decline in croissant quality, with descriptions ranging from dry and hollow to perfectly flaky.
This bakery specializes in French-style baked goods, with a particular emphasis on sourdough and miche breads, which are frequently recommended for their flavor and texture. However, there's a notable divergence in opinion regarding their croissants, with some finding them to be exceptionally flaky and delicious, while others report a decline in quality, citing issues like dryness, hollow centers, and a lack of crispiness.
"The miche and sourdough breads are frequently recommended for their distinct flavor and texture. Some users also praise the croissants, though this is a point of contention."
Customer sentiment is divided, with strong praise for sourdough and miche, but significant disappointment regarding recent croissant quality.
Important Note
There are conflicting reviews regarding the quality of croissants, with some users reporting a significant decline in recent years.
"This commenter noted that Bien Cuit bakes their croissants on the browner side rather than golden."
Neutral"This commenter mentioned visiting Bien Cuit often with their kids and compared its croissants unfavorably to excellent ones found in Atlanta and San Francisco."
Negative"This commenter felt Bien Cuit tasted overcooked and wondered why."
Negative"This commenter felt Bien Cuit tasted overcooked and wondered why."
Negative"This commenter felt Bien Cuit tasted overcooked and wondered why."
Negative"This commenter also found Bien Cuit's croissants disappointing, describing them as soft and dry, although they enjoyed the bakery's cookies and bread."
Negative"This commenter further elaborated on their negative experience with Bien Cuit croissants, emphasizing consistent disappointment from multiple locations and preference for other bakeries."
Negative"This commenter disagreed with the negative review of Bien Cuit, stating their croissants from the Smith St location are crispy and enormous, contrary to being deflated."
Negative"This commenter defended their negative opinion of Bien Cuit's croissants, describing them as soft, deflated, frequently dry, and lacking chewy moisture, comparing them to Sam's Club bulk croissants."
Negative"In response to a negative review of Bien Cuit, this commenter strongly disagreed, claiming their croissants are 'dank as fuck' and equal to anything had in France, and questioned what the other user didn't like."
Positive"This commenter was disappointed with Bien Cuit, finding their croissants consistently mediocre, often dry, and lacking crispiness, comparing them to bulk-bought options."
Negative"This commenter recommended Bien Cuit."
Neutral"This commenter suggested Bien Cuit as a place to find a lemon tart, potentially similar to the one desired by the original poster."
Neutral"Bien Cuit is listed as a bakery with good sourdough loaves among others in NYC."
Positive"Bien Cuit's miche is mentioned as something the commenter used to get regularly from their Grand Central Market location."
Neutral"Bien Cuit's miche is consistently flavorful and noticeably sour. The user finds their Grand Central Market stand convenient."
Positive"Bien Cuit's sourdough bread is described as very pretty."
Positive"Bien Cuit is recommended for sourdough bread."
Neutral"The user reported that Bien Cuit's croissant quality has plummeted in recent years, describing them as having broken laminations, hollow centers, chewy texture, and being stale, making them a "complete waste of money" now, despite previously being among the best."
Negative"The user believed Bien Cuit should have been included on the NYT's list of best croissants, implying its high quality."
Positive
