Amazing bakeries are in abundance throughout the country and certainly in NY but in my opinion, Librae is churning out some of the best and most innovative baked goods right now. If you don't believe me, go check it out yourself. Even Bon Appetit recently named them among the best bakeries in the country right now. Why is it so good? First, the quality. So good they can rival any other famous bakery out there. But beyond the quality, this Bahraini owned bakery lives up to their self designation of being a "third culture" bakery. You'll find Middle Eastern flavors and ingredients throughout their pastries and the results are not only delectable, they are downright picture perfect. My advice? Come early, come with a friend. Order as much as you can and make sure to get a box to go. Repeat.

I can't wait to come back to this place. I got the focaccia, rose pistachio croissant, and halva chocolate croissant. I prefer sweets over savory things, but that focaccia was soooo good. From what I can tell, it seems like the focaccia flavors vary day to day. The day I went they had a shakshuka-type focaccia and one with feta and pickled onions. I opted for the latter and I didn't expect the piece to be so big! The focaccia itself was so fluffy and crispy and I really enjoyed the egg in the middle of it. In general, the croissants were so perfect and flaky. The pistachio was delicious but the filling was a bit too heavy for me. The halva chocolate was way too sweet and overwhelmed the croissant in my opinion. That being said, I'd come back just for the focaccia and to try their other pastries.

The pastries are amazing! The pistachio rose croissant was not only so beautiful, but tasty as well. It was very crispy and had so much filling. The pistachio and rose flavors were so good together and balanced. The feta dill scone had a great combination of flavors.

Quite possibly the best croissant I will have in NYC and one of the most delicious babkas that have ever graced this earth. The pistachio rosewater croissant was like the lovechild between a ruffled Roccoco croissant born in the halls of Versailles and a floral baklava that romps in rose gardens and eats pistachio Turkish delights at teatime. The babka was like walking into your Middle Eastern grandmother's kitchen: yeasty, buttery, sticky and sweet. The dried lime salt sprinkled on top was like a breath of desert air-- h e a v e n l y. The lemon curd was creamy, but a little too sweet, but what's a babka without enough butter and sugar to make Marie Antoinette cry tears of joy? The espresso pain au chocolat and croissant was respectable as well, shatteringly crisp but ultimately a little too dense and oily inside. After reading some other reviews, heavier pastries seems to be a theme--I personally have no problem with that, but I know many people prefer lighter baked goods.

The Rose Pistachio Croissant ($8.50ish) is probably their flagship pastry, and it's delectable. It's a hefty twice-baked croissant, stuffed to the gills with a luxurious pistachio nut cream, soaked in a rose infused syrup, and also streaked on top with more pistachio cream that's caramelized in the oven. It tastes close to a gigantic baklava, and it's awesome. The strawberry rhubarb scone was good too. Expect crowds and for the pastries to sell out. I was afraid I wouldn't get said special croissant, but they brought a tray out right on time.

Librae had the best scone combination of flavors I've had in a while. The chamomile scone with rhubarb topping was gorgeous to look at and incredibly soft on the inside and subtle in its sweetness. I could order 5 of these. As soon as you walk in, it smells like a full on pastry shop. Every possible freshly baked pastry scent dances in the air from their enormous kitchen and makes you feel like you must buy at least three different pastries to join. The downsides: the matcha drink I got was mediocre and not worth the price for 7.50 and some of the pastries are much higher priced than I'd like (around 7 and up), compared to to other pastry shops that have similar quality and taste.

Okay I wanted to think it wasn't worth the hype but it is. This croissant is life changing. Just look at how golden and buttery and crispy it looks. It's actually one of the best croissants I've ever had! The inside is really nice. There's a good amount of seating at marbled tables. Great aesthetic. The focaccia here looks delicious too! I would love to come back and try it! Staff are also super friendly!