Hani's Bakery: The Neighborhood Hotspot New Yorkers Need To Know

If a former Gramercy Tavern pastry chef and a Bon Appétit editor walked into a bakery, what would you get? Hani's Bakery. The cozy East Village spot only opened in the fall of 2024, but it's already a neighborhood favorite. There are plenty of incredible bakeries in NYC, but this one has made quite the impression. The married duo, Chef Miro and Shilpa Uskokovic, serve roughly 3,000 customers each week from their quaint bakery, and they wouldn't have it any other way. The two had been dreaming of this sweet venture for ages, hoping to incorporate both their backgrounds into their gourmet creations, with Miro from Serbia and Shilpa from India. Hani's, pronounced "honey's," is named after Miro's mother and is an ode to her shared dream of owning a bakery.

The creativity never stops at Hani's. Each day, starting at 7:30 or 8 a.m., folks can expect to find 30 or so different pastries, and they all command a moment of silence. The insanely gooey chocolate chunk flour cookies sell out fast, and according to big Hani's fans, they don't seem to ever get stale, just chewier and tastier by the hour. The donuts, house-made halva, and array of custard-filled, frosted goodies are all too die for, but the mesmerizing cakes steal all the show. If people aren't lining up for the last jumbo cookie, it's the cakes they woke up for. In fact, we think Hani's Bakery has the greatest slice of cake in the entire state of New York.

It would be torture to choose just one favorite, especially when Hani's is constantly announcing new works of art like Meyer lemon meringue donuts, but the PB & J Crunch cake has been in the Uskokovic's repertoire for a decade now, so they must be doing something right. The cake is like a grown-up peanut butter and jelly sandwich, layered with blueberry compote and slathered in peanut-butter buttercream. Hani's apple honey cake has become another quick favorite, with warm, braised apples layered between a sweet honey cookie. Apparently, it tastes just like a classic apple pie, but with an otherworldly texture. The moist carrot cake is another steady seller, sought after for its generously spiced flavor and ideal frosting-to-cake ratio. "I get the hype hype around this carrot cake now," said one satisfied customer in a Google review.

All of the treats at Hani's Bakery are simple in concept, but exquisitely executed. It's clear that time and patience are put into every item that leaves Hani's counter, with the kind of flawless piping and uniformly crumbled toppings that only a bakery professional could pull off. Chef Miro and Shilpa Uskokovic are masters when it comes to sweets, but they've conquered more savory indulgences as well. The gochujang turkey Swiss pinwheel, smoked salmon flatbread, and kale bacon scone are just a few customer favorites. Aside from the treats and savory breakfast options, Hani's has a full coffee bar with creative lattes, specialty teas like Shilpa and her families' masala chai. A customer put it best in their Google review: "To be honest, there are no misses here."