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L'Appartement 4F in New York City

  • Aug 12
  • 3 min read

Gather round, influensters! It is time to discuss the latest obsession! Here is the skinny on L'Appartement 4F.


While there are two equally popular locations - one in the West Village and one in Brooklyn Heights - I'll be diving into the BK Heights spot.



This pastry shop is located on Montague Street in Brooklyn Heights, just a few streets over from the infamously chic (and monied) brownstones on "The Fruit Streets." Lena Dunham and Zac Posen's high school is just down the street and author Emma Straub's famous bookstore, Books are Magic, is right across the street. If a quaint - but cool - pastry shop were to spawn out of thin air into a random block in New York City, it would fit perfectly right here.


8am on a Wednesday in August during perfect weather: NO LINE!
8am on a Wednesday in August during perfect weather: NO LINE!

Additional cool points are added because while L'Apt is a pastry shop by day, on Wednesdays through Saturdays from 6-10pm the space converts into a candlelit natural wine bar. It's tiny space upstairs that is almost impossibly full during bakery hours becomes available for reservation which I dare say would be a stellar second date spot.


But honestly, we're not really here to talk about the natural wines. The influensters have descended upon L'Apt because of the baked goods. Let's discuss them and declare which items are overrated, underrated, or perfectly rated.


UNDERRATED

  • Pain au Chocolat - yes, this croissant is worth waiting in line, at least for a bit. I don't know if I am ready to declare this the best chocolate croissant I have had in New York, but I can't name anything else that comes close. This thing is the softest, butteriest pillow of rich chocolate and sweet bread, it makes every other bakery's croissant feel like a stale Starbucks pastry.

  • Tahini Chocolate Chip Cookie - Steam is coming out of my ears (positive). Why is this so good? If you like a soft, gooey cookie that oozes rather than crumbles and crunches, you can't leave without trying this.


The Pain au Chocolat literally glowing with butter
The Pain au Chocolat literally glowing with butter

OVERRATED (I'm sorry)

  • Pistachio Rose Croissant - I fear the most buzzy item on the menu falls victim to the overhype. To me, the fruity filling felt like it weighed down the croissant (which would have shone on its own). While its beautiful and creative - and it might be worth it to try just to have an opinion on it - don't let this be the only thing you sample.


PERFECTLY RATED

  • The table breads - Like a true bakery, the walls are lined with french baguettes, focaccia, and sourdough loafs. All are solid.

  • Kouign Amann - This item is basically a croissant, warped into a muffin tin and baked so that the layers of the croissant come together like the "fortune tellers" we made in elementary school. While this isn't beating out the all stars listed above, it was an item I had never tried and it gives you a muffin x croissant crossover you didn't know you needed.


The Kouign Amann: She is doing great work! We value her!
The Kouign Amann: She is doing great work! We value her!

Now for the golden question: How long would I wait in the line?


Let me answer that with a non-answer. Go on a weekday morning. The shop opens at 8am and Mondays through Wednesdays, you can be in and out within 10 minutes if you're there at open. Plus, this might be the only time you can grab a table upstairs without having to make aggressive eye contact with someone who looks like they are finishing up. Either go for a morning run and finish it off with a light 1,000 calorie sugar spree or make a pit stop on your commute to work for breakfast.





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