Café d’Avignon

Welcome to Café d’Avignon, an artisanal bakery café that brings the heart and soul of traditional French baking to the vibrant streets of New York City. For over 25 years, the team behind Café d’Avignon, through their esteemed wholesale bakery Pain d’Avignon, has been the secret behind the impeccable bread served in Michelin-starred restaurants and top hotels across the city. Now, New Yorkers can experience this award-winning quality firsthand in a relaxed and inviting café setting. Our philosophy is simple: bread is at the heart of everything we do, and we do it exceptionally well. This dedication extends to every pastry, sandwich, and coffee we serve, all crafted with meticulous care and the finest ingredients. Café d’Avignon is more than just a place to grab a bite; it's a culinary journey that blends the authenticity of French tradition with American culinary creativity, born from a desire to bring people together through the beauty of baking. Whether you’re starting your day with a perfectly brewed coffee and a flaky croissant, or enjoying a light lunch, you’ll find that every item reflects our commitment to excellence and a passion for pure, natural tastes.

Café d’Avignon is conveniently located at 88 Essex St, New York, NY 10002, USA, placing us directly within the dynamic Essex Market on the Lower East Side. This iconic public market is a culinary haven, making our bakery an easily accessible and exciting destination for locals and visitors alike. Our presence within Essex Market means you can seamlessly combine your visit to us with exploring other unique food vendors, artisan shops, and cultural experiences the market has to offer.

Accessibility to our Essex Market location is incredibly straightforward for New Yorkers across the boroughs. For subway riders, the F, M, J, and Z lines all serve the Delancey Street-Essex Street station, which is directly connected to Essex Market. This makes for a remarkably convenient journey, allowing you to step off the train and immediately immerse yourself in the market's vibrant atmosphere, with our bakery just steps away. Additionally, numerous MTA bus lines run along Delancey Street and nearby avenues, providing extensive coverage and easy access from various parts of Manhattan and beyond.

The Lower East Side itself is a wonderfully walkable neighborhood, known for its historic charm, street art, diverse culinary scene, and lively ambiance. This makes Café d’Avignon an ideal stop for those exploring the area on foot or by bicycle, perfect for a morning pastry run, a midday coffee break, or a leisurely lunch. The central location within Essex Market ensures that we are not just a destination, but a convenient and integral part of the local community's daily routine, offering a relaxed and friendly spot to enjoy authentic, high-quality baked goods.

At Café d’Avignon, our services are rooted in our passion for artisanal baking and providing a delightful café experience. We offer a comprehensive menu designed to cater to various tastes and times of day, from a quick morning bite to a satisfying lunch.

• Artisan Breads: As the retail front for Pain d’Avignon, an award-winning wholesale bakery, we offer an impeccable selection of artisan breads. This includes traditional baguettes, Pane Francese, Ciabatta, and specialty loaves like Sourdough and Multi Grain, baked fresh daily.
• Freshly Baked Pastries: Our extensive pastry selection is a highlight, featuring classic French favorites such as Classic Croissants, Pain au Chocolat, Almond Croissants, and Ham & Gruyère Croissants. Unique offerings like the Cinnamon Kouign Amann, Baklava Croissant, and Pistachio Chocolate Escargot are also available, ensuring a delightful variety.
• Café Beverages: We pride ourselves on pairing extraordinary coffee with our baked goods. Our beverage menu features classic espresso-based drinks, including Lattes, Cappuccinos, Americanos, and Mochas, brewed with high-quality beans from Stumptown Coffee Roasters. We also offer various teas (Palais des Thés), homemade lemonade, fresh orange juice, and hot chocolate.
• Breakfast Items: Start your day right with our breakfast offerings, available until 10 AM. These include items like the Organic Yogurt Parfait with homemade granola and fresh berries, and Country Bacon & Egg buns.
• Sandwiches & Tartines: For lunch, we offer a range of delicious sandwiches and tartines made with our exceptional bread. Popular choices include the small ham and cheese sandwiches, Black Forest Ham & Sea Salt Butter on Baguette, Croque Monsieur, and Avocado Toast.
• Salads & Quiches: Our menu extends to lighter fare such as fresh salads (e.g., CDA Cobb Salad, Curried Chicken Bibb Salad) and savory quiches, including Quiche Lorraine and Spinach & Feta Quiche, often served with fresh spring greens.
• Sweet Treats and Desserts: Beyond pastries, enjoy our indulgent desserts like Banana Bread, Chocolate Chip Sea Salt Cookies, Cranberry Pecan Shortbread Cookies, and unique olive oil cakes (Dark Chocolate and Honey Cornmeal).
• In-Store Dining: Enjoy your selections in our relaxed and inviting café environment. Our space offers a comfortable spot for a quick breakfast, a leisurely lunch, or simply a coffee break.
• Takeaway and Delivery: All our delicious items are available for takeaway. Additionally, our presence on delivery platforms allows New Yorkers to enjoy our fresh bakes and coffee from the comfort of their homes or offices.

Café d’Avignon stands out in the bustling New York City culinary scene due to a range of distinctive features and highlights that underscore its commitment to quality, tradition, and customer satisfaction.

• Roots in Award-Winning Pain d’Avignon: Our most significant highlight is our connection to Pain d’Avignon, the renowned wholesale bread bakery that has supplied Michelin-starred restaurants and top hotels for over 25 years. This heritage ensures that "bread is at the heart of everything they do, and they do it exceptionally well. The bread is impeccable." This background guarantees an unparalleled quality of bread as the foundation for all our offerings.
• Artisanal French Baking: We blend authentic French baking techniques with creative American culinary influences. Our dedication to ancestral techniques, long fermentations with natural leaven, and baking in stone hearth ovens results in breads and pastries that are rich in taste and nutrients, embodying "the pure and natural tastes of our childhood."
• Exceptional Coffee Program: Our commitment to quality extends to our beverages. We partner with Stumptown Coffee Roasters to craft "excellent coffee—strong and well-balanced," along with a range of specialty lattes and teas, making us a destination for coffee aficionados.
• Diverse and Innovative Menu: Beyond classic pastries, we offer unique items like the "small ham and cheese sandwiches they serve," which are particularly enjoyed, and inventive creations such as the Baklava Croissant, demonstrating a blend of tradition and new culinary terrains. The "yoghurt bowl" is also a recommended item, showcasing our varied offerings.
• Seasonal and Quality Ingredients: We are committed to using "top of the line, carefully selected and sourced natural ingredients," prioritizing local and organic options whenever possible. This focus on fresh, quality components is evident in the vibrant flavors of our pastries and dishes.
• Freshly Baked Daily: Everything we bake and serve is prepared fresh on the same day in each of our locations. This dedication to freshness ensures that customers always receive the highest quality and taste.
• Friendly and Efficient Staff: Our team is consistently praised for being "friendly and efficient" and "lovely and super friendly." This warm hospitality contributes significantly to the relaxed and welcoming vibe of our café, making every visit a pleasant experience.
• Relaxed and Inviting Atmosphere: Our café offers a "relaxed vibe" that makes it "an ideal spot for a quick breakfast or light lunch." The comfortable ambiance, especially within the bustling Essex Market, provides a pleasant escape for New Yorkers.
• Multiple NYC Locations: While our Essex Market location is highlighted here, Café d’Avignon operates across multiple prominent NYC spots including Times Square, Chelsea, East Village, DeKalb Market Hall, and Rockefeller Center (with The Tipsy Baker offering evening service), making our artisanal creations widely accessible throughout the city.

For those looking to experience the delightful offerings of Café d’Avignon, here is our contact information:

Address: 88 Essex St, New York, NY 10002, USA

Phone: (917) 261-2092

Mobile Phone: +1 917-261-2092

Café d’Avignon is an undeniable fit for New York locals, offering a blend of unparalleled quality, European charm, and urban convenience that truly resonates with the city's discerning palate. For residents navigating the daily hustle, our Essex Market location provides an accessible and inviting escape. Imagine starting your day with an "impeccable" bread or a "strong and well-balanced" coffee, knowing it comes from the same hands that supply Michelin-starred restaurants – that's the level of quality you get every day. The variety of freshly baked goods, from flaky croissants to savory ham and cheese sandwiches and even hearty yogurt bowls, caters to diverse tastes and needs, whether you're grabbing a quick bite on your commute or settling in for a relaxed lunch. The friendly and efficient staff creates a welcoming atmosphere, transforming a simple meal into a pleasant experience, a detail highly valued by busy New Yorkers. Furthermore, our roots in Pain d’Avignon mean that locals are not just getting a pastry; they're getting a piece of artisanal heritage, baked fresh daily with carefully sourced ingredients. This commitment to traditional methods and superior ingredients, coupled with the relaxed vibe of the café, makes Café d’Avignon an ideal spot for any local seeking genuine quality and a moment of culinary pleasure amidst the city's pace. It’s a place where exceptional bread and pastries are not just a luxury, but an everyday possibility, making it a beloved and essential part of the New York food landscape.