Billy's Bakery - Upper West Side

Very chill atmosphere. Soft piano music plays over the speaker at a low volume. There's a pretty view of the street. The chocolate cake was very good, and the hot chocolate was a perfect way to warm up on a chilly day.

Billy’s made the BEST cake for our event. Delivery was easy. Moist chocolate cake and the buttercream was perfect. Great communication during the ordering process to make sure the image we wanted came out exactly right. Thank you Billy’s Bakery!

Wow, what a tasty cup cupcake. Truly delicious. The chocolate peanut bar is your "healthier" (made locally) and bigger snickers. Great customer service! They serve coffee and other beverages. I'll be back.

Second year in a row ordering a custom cake for my son’s birthday, and second year in a row that Billy’s hit it out of the park. Delicious, attractive cakes. Always a crowd pleaser. Will continue ordering from them for sure!

The carrot cake was seriously hyped up on instagram so i was kinda really disappointed that it was just a basic carrot cake. The banana cake was better but still not that great. Both cakes were too dense and a little hard. Their arnold palmer was delicious though definitely recommend that.

Visited this place to pick up birthday cupcakes for my girlfriend. I thought the place lacked energy, enthusiasm, and it didn't have that sparkling feeling that I usually get from bakery. I ordered 6 cupcakes and I asked the representative to add sprinkles and some glare to the cupcakes. The Rep told me "no" we are unable to add it at the time. Not her fault, but I'm thinking if I paid $26 for cupcakes why can't I add sprinkles to it? In addition there is no parking, so be careful with the traffic ticket cops, they are very tricky in this area. The store was clean and relatively spacious, but not quite what I was looking for. Service was so-so. I recommend you order what you you need in advanced.

I recently visited here and had a mixed experience. The chocolate cupcake was delightful, boasting a rich and satisfying flavor. The tea selection was extensive, providing plenty of options for tea enthusiasts. However, the latte fell short of expectations.

I happen to be walking in the neighborhood one afternoon. Not knowing this location was here once I saw the sign my mouth dropped and I went straight in. I was greeted by the staff members but also the sweet aroma of goodies surrounding me. They offer a variety of products from cakes, cookies, brownies, cookie sandwiches, pies, cheesecakes, etc. They even offer a vegan cupcake. I'm unsure what other vegan products they offer. My favorite cupcakes are the lemon with cream cheese frosting and the crowd pleaser (chocolate and vanilla cupcake and icing). The cupcakes are moist. However sometimes when buying extra for later then tend to dry out really fast which is a negative for me. The staff was very friendly while assisting me. Next time I'm in the area I know where I can stop if I want a sweet treat. They only accept card. Nearby public transportation.

Ordered a custom heart shaped cake for my friend's engagement party and it turned it mostly great! I requested a very minimalistic design and they nailed it aside from the coloring for the letters. I asked for gold but the color was more yellow so don't recommend that choice. Otherwise the cake was yummy and cute but have to deduct stars for the steep price. For this little simple cake, the cost was $100.

We stumbled upon this small bakery near Central Park while searching for New York-style cheesecake. Though it primarily caters to takeout customers, the bakery looked charming, and we were excited to give it a try. Unfortunately, they were out of cheesecake slices that day, so we opted for a selection of cupcakes and cookie sandwiches instead. The cupcakes turned out to be delightful--sweet yet incredibly satisfying with moist cake and rich frosting. The cookie sandwiches, however, fell a bit short of our expectations. The staff was friendly, although they seemed a bit rushed as they took our order. Nonetheless, the bakery is a cozy spot, perfect for a quick, sweet treat.

Visited Billy's Bakery for the first time while on a family trip to the Natural History Museum in New York. The place boasts a wide variety of cupcakes. I opted for the mint chocolate cupcake, which was warm, fresh, and easily one of the best I've had, enhanced with crumbled Andy's candy. The kids chose confetti vanilla and lemon with cream cheese frosting cupcakes. Unfortunately, they were quite dry, almost stale. The lemon flavor was good, and the cream cheese somewhat compensated for the dryness, but the confetti cupcake was dense and hard. The service was disappointingly mediocre. For a family visiting New York for the first time and excited to try this bakery, the staff's indifferent attitude was a letdown. Lastly, the cleanliness could be improved. As we sat eating, we noticed dust and dirt in the corners. The place could definitely use some attention. Overall, our experience was mixed, hence the 2.5-star rating. Some cupcakes were delicious, but others fell short, and the lackluster service and cleanliness issues were hard to ignore.

Oh my gosh! I LOVE BILLY's!!! but today (5/1/24) I came in for a cupcake and ended with the lemon one. Man, I bit into a very old stale cupcake- like a 3 day old one- it was crumbly and was falling apart, so dry! I was so dissatisfied and disappointed. This was not the case before:(

Disclaimer: I am not a huge fan of cake (I prefer heavy, decadent desserts) but the confetti cake from Billy's Bakery was quite nice. The cake was light, fluffy, and chock-full of sprinkles (as a confetti cake should be). The frosting was very sweet/a bit overpowering, but this was overall a joy to eat!

We ordered a confetti cake that was advertised as "yellow butter cake" - it was incredibly dry and dense. There was not a hint of yellow cake and I usually assume that a butter cake will be moist. When I let the bakery know (asking for nothing), they replied with they haven't received similar complaints. On a positive note, the icing and the decorations were fabulous.

I am a frequent customer at Billy's and I love it! They have amazing goodies and drinks. The customer service is always excellent and I highly recommend their Arnold Palmer :).

Nice spot for a sweet treat and cup of coffee near the Museum of Natural History. Cupcakes are fairly small and cost more than $4 each. There was one vegan/GF option - chocolate flavored - which was surprisingly good. The banana Nutella cupcake was also good though the Nutella frosting didn't have much of a flavor. Coffees are made with Partners beans and can be made with oatmilk for an extra 50 cents.

Perfection! First time try for this year's birthday cake after many bakeries over the years. Finally with Billy's found the winner! Kept it simple & classic with the 6" 2-layer (choc/van) buttercream w/flowers. Perfect ratios of icing:cake; sweetness levels; consistencies; and decor...and the taste: OMG decadent! Highly recommend. Worth every penny & added bonus the staff are super nice!

Billy's Bakery Upper West Side is a must when you are in the neighborhood. I remember when there was only one location. I've been a customer for at least 15 years. For me I rarely deviate from the Peanut Butter Pie. One time I did when I purchased a mini cheesecake. I do like the cupcakes. Every time I visit I would get the Peanut Butter Pie. It's one of my two favorite Peanut Butter Pies in Manhattan. I didn't see it today when I visited this location. I've never had an issue with customer service until I came to this location. One employee freaked out because I touched the merchandise on display. It should have a DO NOT TOUCH sign. Or 'Ask for Assistance' sign in the very least. I touched the pie server first and she ran over repeating over and over "which one did you touch." She said it had to be thrown away. I had no idea which one because the container was full. I said if someone buys it I would hope they wash it before they use it. And I added they should put a sign if you can't touch! At the same time this exchange was going on she snatched the jar of Billy's pins out of my hands. I was interested in purchasing something that had their name on it. It was horrible. I felt like I was three years old again. So embarrassing and made me angry. I highly recommend any of their pastries. I have tried a huge slice of their cake too. Their cakes are delicious as well! I love the cupcakes and took lots of photos. I was so upset and embarrassed over the merchandise incident I left without making a purchase. By then there were other customers getting the employees attention. I'm not sure if or when I'll return to this Upper West Side Location. They're lucky I'm giving them Three Stars and it's strictly because I enjoy the pastries. Maybe they should open on the Upper East Side on one of the 80's or 90's blocks. We need a good cupcake shop with this variety!

This is my first time visiting the upper west side location. I tried the cupcake of the month "lemon with blood orange frosting" it was delicious. The frosting wasn't too sweet and the lemon cupcake was soft and not dry.

Went here with my mom, the food was great the cheesecake was okay but next time remind me to ask for no ice in my milk

This may have been the single greatest cupcake I've ever gotten on the Upper West Side.

I was really disappointed with the cupcakes I purchased. They were incredibly dry and tasted like they had been sitting out too long. Not worth the money.

Dirty Chai Latte was just bad. Watery and little flavor. On the brighter side, the cookies were edible.

Billy's Bakery is one of New York's many fabulous bakeries. They are famous for their homemade baked goods, ranging anywhere from whole cakes to pies and cookies to cheesecakes. They have a few locations in Manhattan, and all of the stores have a quaint charm with friendly staff. While Billy's Bakery is popular for their red velvet cake and icebox cake, I think their banana cake/cupcake is the real MVP and deserves a mention. The cake is incredibly moist, and I love that the cake is not overly sweet. However, I personally could care less about the cream cheese frosting they put on the cake. I personally found Billy's Bakery's cream cheese frosting to be light and sugary, and lacking the creaminess of cream cheese. As a result, I think the cream cheese frosting was a bit lost when paired with the dense and flavorful banana cake. I also tried the Banana Nutella Cupcake - and I felt similarly about the frosting. I felt that the Nutella flavor could have been more pronounced, but instead, it got lost in the flavor combination.

Just had the worst experience here. We have been coming to Billy's at least 1x per week as a ritual for my son. We were running really late this time but I saw that there was no line, so I seized the opportunity to grab him a cupcake before our appt instead of after. We usually get 2 or more cupcakes, this time we got 1, but I also got an banana pudding. Total charge $11. She put the cupcake in a paper bag, with no protection. I said, "wait where's the box?" She says, "2-cupcake minimum for a box." I said, "oh please, we come here weekly, please I just need a box or this cupcake won't last our walk to our appt." She said "no, you can pay for one for $1." I said, "we're rushing to our appt, can we just grab a box?" She continued to be unhelpful, my son started getting upset, so we just left. Terrible experience for a $5 cupcake, and an $11 total charge. I'd also like to mention that we used to go to Billy's in Chelsea before we moved. The quality was a million times better back then. I literally only go here because my son is too young to know the difference, and he wants a cupcake. Their buttercream is far from what a BUTTER CREAM should taste like. I'll follow up with a review on the banana pudding once I calm down lol. Anyone know where else we can find cupcakes near here? ;)

Super cute. Good cakes. A few tables to sit at, but I would not bring my laptop and hunker down for an hour or two.

This is my favorite place to sit and read on the UWS. I wanted to gatekeep it, but i had to leave a nice review because i saw all the bad ones, and those people are stupid!

For whatever reason, I keep giving Billy's passes even though I've gotten burned in the past. The price point is a little steeper than comparable bakeries on the Upper West Side (and I still have yet to find a cupcake place that will rival Two Little Red Hens on the UES) and the quality of the product is just not ... great. I ordered the crowd pleaser cake for my mom's birthday, perhaps relying too much on the name. The composition did sound good: chocolate and vanilla cake with alternating layers of chocolate and vanilla buttercream frosting. And it looked pretty, though the frosting looked a tad unevenly scraped against the sides. But I'd rather eat a delicious, awful-looking cake. In other words, I don't care if a cake doesn't look all that hot in photos if it's going to be awesome in my stomach. That may be an overly simplistic way of looking at things (and kind of a tortured metaphor) but this cake was really meh. It was too dry and crumbly and the frosting lacked all creaminess but approached the sort of artificial sugariness of a elementary school party sheet cake. I usually always get seconds of a cake but this time, after eating a small wedge, didn't feel inclined to get another slice. I shocked even myself. Also, as a heads-up, if you order pick-up at this location off the website, they may be shipping your cake from somewhere else (which actually explains the dryness) and running later than your selected time, which really defeats the purpose of being able to select a time in the first place. You could try calling ahead but just know that the listed number is to their headquarters downtown and you have to ask them to transfer you to the UWS location, which may or may not pick up depending if the one person working behind the counter is helping out someone in the store. All that's to say - the actual process of getting a not-so-great cake is not easy as well.

This is my first time at this location but I am familiar with the franchise. I love Billy's. Always smells like heaven upon entrance. A wide variety of freshly baked goods. Beautiful cozy atmosphere and Delicious treats. Glad to know this location is as good as the one in TriBeCa. I always get a huge slice of the chocolate on chocolate cake, and/or banana pudding if anyone is asking

Wonderful cupcakes. Please make The blood orange lemon cupcake a regular!! That is simply the best cupcake I ever had! Why only January?!?

I ordered a decaf Americano. It was so weak that I would not have known it was coffee if I hadn't been told. The last time I had coffee this bad it was in a woebegone bagel place in New Jersey and it only cost $1.50. Service was grudging. It wasn't clear to me whether I should order from the woman at the bakery counter or the from the barista. After being ignored by the staff I asked the barista "Is this where I should place my order?" and she said "I'm finishing someone else's order now, you'll have to wait," which didn't even answer my question. Rude staff. Terrible coffee at a premium price.

I tutor near AMNH and recently discovered that Billy's Bakery was conveniently located on my walk to the subway. At 5:00 in the evening, they had a range of flavors still available to order. I ended up with the chocolate cake and chocolate buttercream. It was beautifully and safely packaged in a box for my commute home. Great ratio of cake to frosting, and the touch of sprinkles was delightful.

Sorry but this bakery was a miss! I was expecting the quality here to be somewhat like Martha's or Magnolia's but was pretty disappointed. We got a simple chocolate cake with vanilla buttercream icing and a dozen cupcakes. The cake was semi moist in certain areas but honestly, it tasted like the $5 Entemann's cakes. It's weird because 4 of us made the same comparison. I was honestly extremely disappointed since we lugged this home all the way back to queens, not to mention but it also was not cheap. The cupcakes were also not great. They were dry and stale for the most part. Presentation wise, the designs were nice but on a couple, the icing was placed too far to the left or right. The only good one was the CARROT cupcake which was amazing. It had shreds of carrots too and was designed pretty. Paid almost $120 and left unsatisfied. This place doesn't have a bathroom either so not sure if it would be ideal for a coffee date. Miss for me :(

Carrot cake was good but inscription was done poorly-owners response was "inscriptions are always complimentary". Just bc something is offered "complimentary" doesn't mean I should accept bad customer service/a bad job. Plenty of bakeries offer free inscriptions that are done well. Charge for inscriptions and have them done by someone actually trained. Photo is below; I had to put candles around the inscription to deflect from how horrible it looked.

Charming staff, fun cupcakes and stuffed cookies across from the AMNH. Oh and good coffee too! The cookie we picked was a black/white stuffed choc chip cookie - stuffing=buttercream. It's like an ice cream sandwich with icing in the middle instead of ice cream. I liked the cookies a lot!

We love this place. The staff is amazing. They are always happy and welcoming. They are open much latter than other bakeries. If you are dying for cake at 8 pm than go there. They are waiting for you The Carrot cake is soooo delicious. Thank you guys for your jokes and smiles

A new cute bakery in UWS! I really love the chocolate cupcakes in the cups. So moist! The small cherry cheesecake was also good. The banana pudding was tasty but not as good as Magnolia's. It's more runny. The packaging and bags are adorable. There's a few tables inside. A nice addition to the area. I felt the regular cupcakes without the cups were dry. I didn't like the gluten flavor either.

Billy's has a limited selection of a few croissants and misc pastries, but mostly a very large refrigerated case of cupcakes, in addition to a coffee bar. What they do have, though, they do well. The cupcakes are really an elevated take on the dessert; think Sprinkles or Georgetown Cupcakes, not store-bought vanilla. The iced chai was surprisingly good and their coffee seemed overall promising. This is therefore a good place for babysitters or parents with young children, who can indulge in a carb-free drink while their kids have the desserts. Pretty empty mid-day, unsurprisingly given the school-hours-bound clientele.

Ordered a fantastic birthday cake online and picked it up at this location. Everything was perfect and the cake was delicious!

I usually go to the Chelsea location and absolutely love the cupcakes so do my children. I decided to surprise my daughter for her birthday with her favorites. I selected banana, carrot and lemon flavors which she loves! I then asked the employees to add sprinkles to them to make them feel birthday and festive for extra. She is 7 years old. They refused to do it and behaved as if I was asking them something completely bizarre. They told me they cannot customize. They said I had to place the order for pick-up another time. It was six cupcakes! How is tossing some sprinkles on cupcakes at the request of the customer who plans to pay extra, with no one else in line, such a difficult request. I walked on foot for almost 30 minutes and passed a ton of bakeries just to come here. After, the snotty employees declined while standing in front of a massive jar of sprinkles, I had to go to a supermarket to buy sprinkles and return all the way home to put some on myself to then travel all the way back to where I planned to surprise my daughter. What an inconvenience. I will never go to this location again.

4 stars for the kind of cupcake I had here. I can't really speak for anything else. But I had a hazelnut praline cupcake here that was out of this world. The staff was super nice and it was good that they had some tables to sit after a long day of shopping.

Billy's Bakery - Upper West Side is so good. This place is fabulous. Everything was incredibly flavorful and tasty. Workers made sure everything was alright. Billy's Bakery - Upper West Side - Hope they succeed.

Every year for my fiance's birthday, i get her a red velvet cake (her favorite) so i googled "best red velvet in NYC" and of the bakeries open in covid, this one came out on top and was closest to where i recently moved to on the UES. We tried it and...meh. I read some of the reviews below and one literally captured my exact experience so I clearly am not the only one. The cake was dry, not moist and to quote that other review, perhaps here is why: "Also, as a heads-up, if you order pick-up at this location off the website, they may be shipping your cake from somewhere else (which actually explains the dryness) and running later than your selected time, which really defeats the purpose of being able to select a time in the first place. You could try calling ahead but just know that the listed number is to their headquarters downtown and you have to ask them to transfer you to the UWS location, which may or may not pick up depending if the one person working behind the counter is helping out someone in the store. All that's to say - the actual process of getting a not-so-great cake is not easy as well." I had the same experience-i was notified 5 min before when i was already practically at the store that the cake was going to be late. I had ordered the cake over a week before, selected a specific time when I had a free moment in the workday and confirmed an additional time by email since I could not get through by calling...and yet it was still late. They offered to deliver it, but their delivery fee is $20 (half the cost of the cake!). So i ended up with a dry overpriced cake that I had to go twice to pick up. If you're going to be late, maybe notify more than 10 min before when someone is already on their way over and maybe have a policy that if the cake is more than a certain amount of time late, you agree to cover the cost of delivery rather than charge half the cost of the cake to deliver it. Last year i lived in Brooklyn Heights and ordered a red velvet cake from a highly regarded local yokel bakery. It was half the price and much better. Lesson learned.

I was so excited this place opened up nearby my sister's place - especially tonight. I had a very disappointing dinner and had a hankering for cake. I wanted something good since dinner had been so bad. I read the reviews from other locations and thought I'd be in for a delicious slice of cake. The space is cute and colorful. It feels fun to walk in as you look at a bright and bold wallpapered wall. I looked over my options with eager hope. I settled on a slice of the yellow daisy cake, which is their take on a plain vanilla cake. I didn't even consider their cupcakes as I really prefer a slice of cake over a cupcake, but if their cupcakes are anything like their whole cakes, I'll pass forever. What a let down! The cake had too loose of a crumb for my liking -- I prefer a much denser cake. Additionally, it tasted very dry. I don't know if it was because I was there at the end of the day, but even if so, what kind of cake gets dry that fast? If the frosting had been exceptional, it may have made up for the terrible cake, but no. It was overly sweet with no redeeming qualities. I didn't even finish the slice before throwing it out. I love a good, simple, but flavorful vanilla cake. Unfortunately, this was NOT that. It was boring and over reliant on the sugar alone. I am not very motivated to return and try other flavors, but if my desire for cake gets the better of me again, I may end up giving them one last chance to wow me with a different flavor. Meanwhile, if I can keep my head on straight, I'll just save the money and calories and stay away from Billy's.

So I was happy with the service I received here. It was literally the second day they were opened. I'd heard things about Billy's, and i wanted to check it out. Cupcakes are about $4/per. I got a few of them: red velvet, confetti vanilla buttercream, lemon cream cheese. So much potential. And since Crumbs is no longer, and Magnolia is only in the 60s up here. Magnolia had the lasting power, Crumbs was a good got-damn cupcake though. Billy's is, eh, somewhere in the middle. But honestly? I'd probably be just as happy getting a 12 pk of mini cupcakes from Whole Foods. But good luck to Billy's. They were so busy when I went past their midday.

Great selection of cupcake, cake and cookie flavors. Favorites: the carrot bar (seasonal), black and white cupcake, red velvet cupcake, chocolate chip cookie sandwich without chocolate frosting. It's a cute location near the AMNH and Central Park. Hope you all are taking care during the pandemic!

This is the go-to bakery for my family milestones. Just recently ordered a cake and it came out exactly how I asked for it! And was absolutely delicious! Thank you for making my family's milestones more memorable with the beautiful and delicious cakes!! On an aside, the customer service is outstanding. I just needed to say one sentence and the design was perfectly executed!!! Oh yeah. And it was done perfectly the week of the event!!! Outstanding. Thank you!!!

I've had Billy's cupcakes before and thought they were lackluster. However, this is just bad on a whole other level. I ordered a slice of chocolate and vanilla cake. It was dry and hard. Also had a brewed coffee. It was so watered down it tasted like drinking dirty water with a slight coffee aftertaste. There were coffee grains in the cup as well. Definitely not worth it.

My sister brought my graduation cake from here, and must I say... Delicate.. Delicious.. & Well Decor.. Overall Good Job!!! I was sooo happy with the taste and the look.. You guys did an excellent job... Thank You Soo Much..

Stale. The first time I got cupcakes from them, the cake was extremely dry. Assuming it was a fluke, I ordered a birthday cake from them. It was consumed about 2-3 hours after pickup and again, very dry. I've always enjoyed their cake at other locations so I'm not sure if it's just the UWS location but the cake is suddenly either stale or made with a new recipe that doesn't work. This was regular chocolate cake fwiw. I'm giving three stars because the frosting is great and because I have nostalgia for the Chelsea location. I really hope they read this and consider changing the recipe or cook time or something, or just not frosting a days-old cake.

This Billy's just opened up so I quickly stopped in. The two girls working were super friendly and helpful. They had a pretty good variety of cupcakes, cakes by the slice, mini cupcakes, and cookies. It wasn't the best cupcake I've ever had but it was certainly good enough to go back again. I got the confetti cupcake and the "king cake" which was vanilla and cinnamon - neither were dry and both had good icing to cake ratios!

The selection is YUM!!! There is one GF and vegan cupcake, 2-3 flavors, so I got one for my fiancé and one for me.... they look amazing, but they're hiding in our fridge so a rainy day treat!

banana cake good carrot cupcake good cookies with cream cheese frosting in between, ok.

Good grab and go goodies. Banana pudding cups and cookies were on point as a snack before touring the neighboring museum. Would definitely return.

These are by far some of the best cupcakes we've ever had. The cupcakes are moist and delicious and the staff is friendly. The crowd pleaser is a delicious marble cupcake and the red velvet is a nice light cupcake that isn't too sweet! The others are all delicious too!

I got a slice of Ice Box cake, which was stale. Ordered also the banana pudding, which was too sweet. Back to Magnolia!

Wow. We were looking for a good place to get King Cake for Mardi Gras and their King Cake cupcake is incredible. I can only assume everything else is delicious. Great staff too!