Guide to New Haven Bakeries: Italian, Mexican, Puerto Rican & Asian Must-Try Bake Shops

Carly Terzigni

New Haven is a foodie hotspot in Connecticut, with no shortage of top-notch restaurants featuring cuisines from all around the globe. That level of quality, sheer abundance of choices, and beautiful blends of cultures extend to the city’s bakeries and cafes, which offer some of the best sweets and baked goods you can imagine. Whether you are looking for a quick dessert or a catered order for your next big event, you definitely do not need to look beyond New Haven’s city limits to find what you are looking for. 

The next time you find yourself in New Haven, be sure to carve out some time during your visit to check out one (or several) of these great bakeries listed below. Pro tip: don’t stop at just one dessert; stock up on these tasty sweets like we did and enjoy them all week long.

NOTE: If you have a favorite New Haven Mexican, Italian, Puerto Rican, Brazilian, or Middle Eastern bakery and it’s not on this list, please contact us and we will add it to the list. 

Havenly

25 Temple St, New Haven, CT 06510

https://www.havenlynhv.org/

Havenly is not just a local cafe and bakery serving up tasty sweets and savory meals. It is also a training center for refugee women, focusing on job training and education. The cafe serves as both a source of income as well as a learning space for women, with proceeds from the cafe directly benefiting the communities that Havenly has served since it first opened in 2018. Satisfy your sweet tooth by indulging in the cafe’s baklava or asabe, or go all out with one of their bowls or wraps. Havenly is closed Sundays and Mondays, but is open Tuesdays 3PM - 8PM, Wednesdays & Thursdays 12PM - 8PM, and Fridays & Saturdays 12PM - 9PM.

Lupi Marchigiano Bakery

169 Washington Ave, New Haven, CT 06519

http://www.lupisbakery.com/

Lupi’s has been a staple of the New Haven area since it first opened in Hamden back in 1900. It moved to New Haven in 1983 on Washington Avenue, where customers will find freshly-baked items including Italian breads, rolls, and baguettes each and every day. Lupi’s Bakery is open 7AM - 4PM Monday through Friday, and 7AM - 12PM Saturdays (closed on Sundays).

Pan Del Cielo 2

523 Ferry St, New Haven, CT 06513

http://www.pandelcielo2.com/

This corner cafe is serving up Puerto Rican and Latin delicacies, and has no shortage of pastries and desserts, but they also serve a variety of cold and cold sandwiches, tostadas, and empanadas. The pastry window is always well stocked, making it one tough decision to decide what sweets you want to bring home with you (we opted for their scrumptious Pan de Leche, it did not disappoint). Pan Del Cielo 2 is open 5:30AM - 7:00PM Monday through Saturday, and 6:30AM - 6:00PM on Sundays. 

Panaderia La Tapatia

309 Grand Ave, New Haven, CT 06513

Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/panaderia-la-tapatia-new-haven

The aroma of freshly-baked pastries wafts over you before you take your first step inside La Tapatia Mexican bakery on Grand Avenue. Once inside, you are overwhelmed in the best way possible with a large assortment of desserts to choose from, including donuts, conchas, cinnamon rolls, and more. Its self-serve model of picking your own treats makes for a grueling exercise in self-control (but we won’t judge; we left with a bag full of treats ourselves). Panaderia La Tapatia is open daily from 6:00AM - 9:00PM.

Apicella’s Bakery

365 Grand Ave, New Haven, CT 06513

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Apicellasbake/

This New Haven Italian bakery has all kinds of sweet and savory items, from hearty chicken parmigiana stuffed breads to tasty and sweet ring cakes. Apicella’s Bakery is open from 6AM - 4PM Monday through Friday and from 6:00AM - 2:00PM Saturdays (closed on Sundays).

Libby's Italian Pastry Shop

139 Wooster St, New Haven, CT 06511

https://libbyscookies.com/

If you’re on the hunt for classic Italian cookies and pastries, look no further than Libby’s. Founded in 1922, this bakery features all of the traditional fixings like tri-color butter cookies, linzer tarts, milanos, wedding cookies, and more. Specialty orders are also available. No matter what you choose, the cookies are baked fresh each day. Libby’s is open 12:00PM - 8:00PM Mondays and Wednesdays (closed Tuesdays), 12:00PM - 9:00 PM Thursdays and Sundays, and 12:00PM - 10:00PM Fridays and Saturdays. Can’t make it during business hours? They can also ship their cookies right to your door. 

Lucibello's Italian Pastry Shop

935 Grand Ave, New Haven, CT 06511

http://lucibellospastry.com/

Open since 1929, Lucibello’s serves a wide array of sweet pastries and cakes, serving every kind of order from large weddings to simply satisfying your sweet tooth in the middle of the afternoon. This Italian bakery specializes in wedding cakes as well as bite-size treats like cannolis, eclairs, cookies, and more. Lucibello’s is open 9:00AM - 5:00PM Monday through Saturday (closed on Tuesdays), and from 9:00AM - 2:00PM on Sundays.

Tous Les Jours

831 Chapel St, New Haven, CT 06510

https://www.tljus.com/

Tous Les Jours is known worldwide, particularly in Asia. With over 1,600 locations worldwide, there are only 70 Tous Les Jours cafes in the United States, according to QSR Magazine. Fans of the franchise may be familiar with its locations around New York City, but its cafe in New Haven is a first for Connecticut, making it even more of a sweet treat. The South Korean franchise blends French and Asian cuisines, resulting in a one-of-a-kind bakery where you will find a unique assortment of pastries, cakes, and coffees. Tous Les Jours is open Monday through Friday 8:30AM - 7:30PM, 10AM - 7:30PM Saturdays, and 10AM - 4PM Sundays.

Roccos Bakery

PHOTO: @lyssa_jillian

432 Ferry St., New Haven, CT 06513

https://www.roccosbakery.com/

From cookies to cakes to fresh rolls of bread, Roccos Bakery has just about every kind of baked good that you can imagine. The Italian bakery also specializes in pies, which receive rave reviews. Roccos is open Tuesday through Friday 7:00AM - 6:00PM, Saturdays 6:30AM - 6:00PM, and Sundays 6:30AM - 3:00PM (closed Mondays).

Pistachio Café

www.pistachiocafe.com

At the heart of Westville, a new modern destination for coffee, sweets, and savory lunch selections. Catering available. They have the largest selection of Baklava, Turkish & Syrian Coffee, and Turkish Delights in town, alongside specialty coffees and cold brews.