Red Gate Bakery: A Local's Guide to NYC's Best Cookies and Cake Slices in the East Village

Red Gate Bakery Introduce

In the bustling and vibrant landscape of the East Village, where new food trends and culinary gems constantly emerge, a few spots manage to rise above the noise and become true local favorites. Red Gate Bakery is one such place, a small but mighty shop that has garnered a reputation for producing some of the most delicious and high-quality baked goods in the city. Praised by locals and even recognized by popular food blogs for its exceptional cookies and cakes, Red Gate is a destination that's absolutely worth seeking out. This article will serve as your comprehensive guide to what makes this bakery so special, from its delectable menu to its charming, tucked-away location, and why it has become a cherished part of the New York City dessert scene.

Red Gate Bakery's success is built on a foundation of quality and creativity. They’ve perfected the art of baking with a focus on rich, moist, and not-overly-sweet flavors that appeal to a broad range of palates. Their cookies, in particular, have a cult following. One customer even mentions that their Choco Toffee cookie was rated the #1 chocolate chip cookie in NYC by a popular food blog, a testament to its exceptional quality. But their offerings extend beyond just cookies. The bakery has a delightful tradition of offering a special cake flavor every weekend, creating a sense of excitement and encouraging repeat visits. These cake slices, like the Rhubarb Macaroon cake, are not only fresh and delicious but also perfectly balanced in their sweetness. This constant rotation of unique flavors, combined with a mastery of classic favorites, is what keeps New Yorkers coming back for more.

Beyond the menu, the experience of visiting Red Gate Bakery is also a key part of its charm. It is described as a small shop with a cozy feel, and while there's no extensive seating, the quality of the baked goods makes it a destination for a quick, satisfying treat. The bakery's high quality and value are a recurring theme in customer reviews, with one person specifically noting the "thick and heavy slice" of their Midnight Banana Bread, in the "very very best way." This attention to texture and richness, coupled with a reasonable price point, makes every purchase feel like a great deal. This guide will provide you with all the essential details to make your visit to Red Gate Bakery as smooth and delicious as possible, including its location, what to expect, and why it has earned a permanent spot on many New Yorkers' must-try lists.

Red Gate Bakery is located at 68 E 1st St, New York, NY 10003, in the heart of the East Village. This puts it in a neighborhood celebrated for its lively energy, eclectic dining scene, and vibrant street life. The bakery is situated on a corner that is described as a "crazy intersection," but it is easy to find if you know what to look for. One helpful landmark is Superbueno, a popular restaurant that shares the same corner, which makes the bakery's location easy to reference.

The location's accessibility is a significant advantage. The bakery is a short walk from several major subway stations. The F train at 2nd Avenue and the J/Z trains at Bowery are both within easy reach, making it convenient for those traveling from other parts of Manhattan and Brooklyn. The neighborhood is also highly walkable, making it a perfect spot for locals to stop by on their daily strolls or while running errands. While the shop itself is small and doesn't offer much indoor seating, a small table is available outside for those who want to enjoy their treats right away. This "to-go" friendly setup is perfectly suited to the fast-paced New York lifestyle, making Red Gate Bakery an ideal stop for a quick, high-quality treat.

Red Gate Bakery offers a focused but exceptional menu of baked goods, with a strong emphasis on cookies and cakes. Their offerings are known for their high quality, balanced flavors, and unique twists on classic recipes.

Specialty Cookies: The bakery is famous for its cookies, particularly the "choco toffee cookie," which has been highly rated by food publications. Another standout is the "PB miso cookie," praised for its unique flavor profile. The cookies are noted for being soft, chewy, and of a good size.
Fresh Cake Slices: Every weekend, the bakery offers a special cake flavor, providing a unique and exciting reason to visit. These cake slices, like the rhubarb macaroon cake, are celebrated for being fresh and "not overly sweet," making them a perfect indulgence.
Midnight Banana Bread: This item is a customer favorite, described as "so moist and rich" and a "thick and heavy slice, in the very very best way." It is a testament to the bakery's commitment to quality and value.
Custom Cakes: While their daily menu focuses on slices, Red Gate Bakery is also a go-to for custom cakes, making them a perfect choice for birthdays and other special occasions.
Coffee: The bakery also serves coffee, making it a complete destination for a classic pairing of coffee and a fresh baked good.

Red Gate Bakery stands out in the bustling New York food scene thanks to a few key features that have earned it a loyal following.

Award-Winning Cookies: The reputation of their cookies, including the fact that one was rated the #1 chocolate chip cookie in NYC, is a major highlight. This recognition speaks volumes about the quality and taste of their products.
Not Overly Sweet: A common point of praise from customers is that the desserts are not "overly sweet." This balanced flavor profile appeals to a more sophisticated palate and makes the treats more enjoyable.
Quality and Value: The bakery is known for providing high-quality, rich baked goods that are a good value for the price. The Midnight Banana Bread, in particular, is a great example of this.
Weekend Special Cake: The tradition of offering a special cake flavor every weekend creates a unique and exciting reason for locals to visit regularly. It makes the bakery a source of discovery and fun.
Handcrafted and Fresh: The small-batch nature of the bakery means that everything is fresh and made with care. This is a significant draw for customers who prioritize quality and craftsmanship.

For those who want to visit or get in touch with Red Gate Bakery, here is the relevant information.

Address: 68 E 1st St, New York, NY 10003, USA

Phone: (646) 870-5553

Red Gate Bakery is a quintessential East Village gem. Its small size belies the incredible quality and flavor packed into every cookie, cake slice, and loaf of banana bread. For New Yorkers who appreciate baked goods that are chewy, moist, rich, and not excessively sweet, this is the perfect destination. The bakery’s commitment to fresh, high-quality ingredients and its creative menu, with weekend special cakes and unique cookie flavors, makes every visit a delightful experience. Its location, though tucked away, is a key part of its charm and adds to the feeling of discovering a hidden treasure. Red Gate Bakery is a place that celebrates the art of baking, and its reputation for excellence is well-earned. It is a must-visit spot for any local with a craving for truly exceptional sweets.

Red Gate Bakery Menu

Drinks
Glass Of Milk US$3.00
16oz
Hot Tea US$3.00
12oz
Drip Coffee US$3.00
12oz
Iced Coffee US$5.00
16oz

Delicious Duos
Sandwich & Cookie US$8.00

Pies
By The Slice US$5.50
Call or check Instagram for weekly slice flavor.
Slice Of The Day US$5.50
Call or check Instagram for weekly slice Flavor

Featured Items
White Chocolate Grapefruit Cookies US$4.00
Fresh and bright yet sweet and sumptuous, these cookies are going to hit each and every part of your tongue whether you like it or not.
Buttermilk Rancher Cookies US$4.00
A tangy-sweet buttermilk cookie coated in a sweetened ranch powder, these cookies will hit each and every one of your taste buds and leave you just curious enough to take another bite.
Malty Lime Bars US$5.00
Behold out brand spankin' new Malty Lime Bars! our spin on a traditional key lime pie comes in the form of a bit of malted milk in our filling, lending an etheral creaminess that pairs *quite* well with heaps of brown butter-toasted graham cracker crust.
PB Miso Cookies US$4.00
*Contains peanuts* Sweet & savory, soft on the inside with crunchy demerara sugar on the outside.
Toasted Carrot Loaf US$35.00
By the slice. *Contains pistachios* Rich, warmly spiced, and topped with candied pistachios (not to mention a trademark cream cheese frosting), this cake gets its signature nutty aroma from loads of browned butter.
Spiced + Iced Oatmeal Cookies US$4.00
These cookies are both crisp and chewy, sweet and warm, and topped with a cinnamon-spiked glaze that’ll heat up even the coldest of hearts.
Brown Butter Blondies US$5.00
*Contains pecans* Gooey, nutty, and (you guessed it) buttery, these bars pair well with…well anything really. Ice cream not included.
Cannibal Cookies US$5.00
Sometimes, our Oreos go missing. Straight up vanish. As we lament their loss the only way we know how—by making more cookies—more often than not, after a rest in the fridge, we find that our Oreos have made their way into a new bowl of dough. That’s right, even our cookies eat cookies. These tender, deeply caramelized cookies are studded with actual Oreos themselves.
Choco-Toffee Cookies US$4.00
Perhaps the most perfect update on an already perfect cookie, we add a little toffee along with shards of bittersweet chocolate into this cookie, warming it up ever so slightly.
Cardamodoodle Cookies US$4.00
Finally getting on the skickerdoodle train, but with a twist of course! This cookie is a warm and bright sugar cookie coated in cardamom sugar. Crinkly and soft as you'd expect, with a spicy zing you wouldn't.
Midnight Banana Bread US$35.00
By the slice. The perfect cake for a séance. Filled with black cocoa, bittersweet chocolate, and a secret banana surprise, we feel a little less sinful knowing that there’s some fruit hidden inside this loaf.
Kitchen Sinker Cookies US$4.00
An everything-kind-of cookie loaded with oats, coconut, chocolate & potato chips. There's something for everyone in there, so what's stopping you from grabbing one?
Strawberry Oreos US$2.50
Cupid has officially shot his arrow at Red Gate, and our pretty-in-pink Strawberry Oreos are the result! this sweet, tangy take on the original sandwich cookie are here for the month of February, so come snag one (or a dozen) while you can.
Pickled PB&J US$5.00
*Contains peanuts* A layer of pickled concord grape jam is sandwiched between peanut butter and miso shortbread, giving your tongue a sweet, nutty, and ever-so-slightly tangy trip.
Bagel Cookie US$4.00
a cousin of our Buttermilk Rancher, this soft, crispy, and chewy sugar cookie is loaded with milk powder to give it its signature texture. as for its signature flavor, you guessed it: a healthy coating of everything bagel spice. loaded with contrasts of all types, Bagel Cookie is sure to please the most adventurous and seasoned palates. and lucky for you, they’re around every day. come grab one (or a dozen) from here on out
Apple Miso Crumb US$5.00
Loaf By The Slice US$5.00
Salted Caramel Brownies US$4.00
Deep, chocolate brownies injected with a thick ribbon of gooey salted caramel, sure to satisfy your basest desires.
Bill Clark's Red Velvet Bread US$5.50
By the slice. This plush—dare we say, velvety—cake has a ribbon of cream cheese running through it and a salty, crunchy, cocoa-y topping that not only makes for a textural marvel, but fits right in alongside your dozen roses and cheap red wine.
Lavender Oreos US$2.50
it’s a new month, and we’re really feeling the spring pastels around here, so please give a warm welcome to our brand new Lavender Oreo! the palest of purples, this filling is just the right balance of sweet and floral, for a lovely and unexpected twist on the traditional cookie. around for this month only, come spring into spring with us and these floral little lovelies!
Confetti Cookies US$3.00
Sweet and plush vanilla bean sugar cookies with loads of rainbow sprinkles to feed your soul- made for each and every mouth.
Cocoa Au Lait US$4.00
Meet our brand new Cocoa Au Lait cookies! These tanned espresso beauties are studded with both white chocolate *and* chocolate covered espresso beans, not to mention more coffee in the form of an espresso glaze.
Irish Cream Oreos US$2.50
new month, new oreo! we're coming up on an anniversary that's better forgotten than remembered in our opinion, so allow our new Irish cream oreos to haze up your memory for you! sweet, creamy, and with a little kick reminiscent of your after-dinner coffee, these bad boys are here to stay all month long!
Oreos US$2.00
America’s Favorite Cookie, and for good reason. Our version takes them a step further, with real butter and a subtle warmth running through a dark-as-night cocoa cookie.
Peppermint Oreos US$2.50
the cute holiday cousin to our eggnog oreos! A super minty, fluffy filling sandwiched between your favorite dark cocoa cookies and coated in a candy cane crunch. get em' while you can!
Fudgenutter Cookies US$4.00
*Contains walnuts* Gluten-free alert! Who are we to discriminate against food allergies in 2020? studded with hunks of dark chocolate & walnuts, our FUDGENUTTERS may lack a certain structural protein, but they certainly don’t lack any flavor.
Eggnog Oreos US$2.50
It's time to bring back the ol' eggnog oreo! For the uninitiated, these butter-hued babies have a filling so richly reminiscent of the classic drink that you'll be left wondering whose chimney you just slid down.
Vegan Vacation US$40.00
By the slice. *Contains coconut* Let’s go to the beach! Our idea of a vacation is this deeply tropical loaf, full of coconut, pineapple, lime, & toasted sugar. Add the fact that it’s vegan to the mix and let your worries float away in the warm breeze.

Cake
Slice Of The Day US$10.00
Call or check out our instagram page to see what we're slicing up. Flavors change daily!
Vanilla Bean Strawberry Dream US$90.00
Dreams are funny things. They often say more about ourselves than anything else and when this cake sleeps, it conjures up ideas of soft, intensely vanilla cake and bright, tart strawberry frosting. We’d take these ideas to dr. Freud for analysis, but we find that the cake disappears too quickly to book an appointment.
Caramelized White Chocolate Stout US$90.00
We love the combination of deep, almost-salty chocolate and sweet, nutty caramelized white chocolate so much that we couldn’t limit it to our burnt chocolate cookie alone. Behold, its cake cousin! A little kick from dark, earthy stout gives these chocolate layers a depth of flavor, and keeps them incredibly moist, while toasty white chocolate buttercream holds it all together. If we had our way, we’d bottle this into a perfume…. Brb.
Toasted Coconut Banana Bacon US$90.00
Yes, you read that correctly. This frankenstein of a cake has bacon fat running through its banana layers and actual bits of bacon in the pillowy cream cheese frosting sandwiched in between. Top that off with a shaggy coat of toasted coconut and you’ve reached salty-sweet-savory nirvana.
October Surprise US$90.00
This sweetie's made up of brown butter-and sage-infused pumpkin cake, a cinnamon pecan streusel filling, and a soft blanket of salted maple cream cheese frosting to keep us all warm as the climate turns cold.
S'mores Cake US$70.00
Roast me, toast me, tell me you love me! With layers of graham cake, a salted chocolate ganache filling, and a toasted marshmallow meringue topping, this cake is sure to warm up any evening, bonfire not with standing.
Straw-Tashio US$90.00
We're going green! Taste the soft layers of strawberry cake enrobed with a salted pistachio french buttercream.
Yellow Birthday With Chocolate Sour Cream Frosting US$70.00
The very definition of ‘updated classic. ’ Our yellow cake is luscious and light, imbued with rich egg yolks and bit of milk powder to keep everything tender. Wrapped in a sweet, rich, and tangy chocolate sour cream frosting, this cake isn’t only perfect for any celebration, it’s simply required.
Li'l Puddin' US$70.00
A Deeply rich combination of devil's food layers, chocolate sour cream frosting, and- as her namesake suggests- a salted chocolate pudding center. As if that weren't enough, a cake-crumb-coating tops it all off, and if that doesn't land her Best In Show, we don't know what will.
Citrus Upside-Down Cake US$5.00
By the Slice. Citrus-cornmeal olive oil cake with tangerines, moros, blood orange, and meyer lemons. Perfect treat any time of day.

Red Gate Bakery Details

Service options
Delivery
In-store pick-up
In-store shopping
Takeaway

Accessibility
Wheelchair-accessible car park

Offerings
Coffee

Crowd
LGBTQ+ friendly

Planning
Quick visit

Payments
Credit cards
Debit cards
NFC mobile payments
Credit cards

Red Gate Bakery Photos

Red Gate Bakery Location

Red Gate Bakery

New York New York County New York East 1st Street

68 E 1st St, New York, NY 10003, USA

Red Gate Bakery Reviews

An average rating of ★4.4 from 196 user reviews.

oreosbanana breadmisofrostingtoffee cookiecaramel browniepb&jchocolate cookiepickledcarrot loaf

★ 5★ 4★ 3★ 2★ 1

This bakery is absolutely worth a visit and I'll certainly be back to try more.I like that they offer a special cake flavor every weekend. I tried their rhubarb macaroon cake slice ($10) and it was soooooooo good and not overly sweet. The cake slice was so fresh. I also had the midnight banana bread ($5). And oh my goodness, I was surprised at how moist and rich it was. It's a thick and heavy slice, in the very very best way. Really good quality and value.This is a small shop. There's not much space inside. No seating except for one small table outside.I returned for what infatuation has rated as #1 chocolate chip cookie in nyc, the choco toffee cookie. It's suuuuuper good, chewy, but I loved the PB miso cookie even more!Red Gate is also becoming my favorite bakery for cake slices.
May 24 · Jessica Yang
If you like your cookies to be soft and chewy, then you'll love these cookies! Got the chocolate toffee and PB miso. Both were great and a good size. Went around 1pm on a Friday and there weren't very many cookie options or else I would have bought more.The place is kind of tucked away at a crazy intersection. It's at the same corner as Superbueno if you need a reference point.
May 03 · Darlene Yao
Tried a bite of a bunch of pastries for my friend’s birthday. These are REALLY good!!! My favorites were the pickled pb+j bar, spiced iced oatmeal cookie, salted caramel brownie, and miso pecan bar. Unique flavor combos and great textures. Others I enjoyed but wouldn’t go out of my way to have again.
March 06 · Sachi Tejani
Red Gate Bakery is a charming spot with exceptionally friendly staff. They offer a range of classic American treats at reasonable prices. However, I wasn’t entirely impressed—the carrot cake was overly sweet, and while the cookie was good, it wasn’t remarkable. That said, I’m still interested in returning to explore more of their offerings.
February 07 · Gunjan Amarnani
Do yourself a favor and go get a cookie. The choco toffee cookie is perfectly baked; a wee bit crispy around the edges and soft and chewy in the center. The sprinkled salt on top is just right with the sweetness of the chocolate and sugar. YUM.
June 27 · Morgan Borthwick