Cafe Riviera Greenpoint

One of those underrated places that makes you wonder why! Just come here once and get anything and you'll be coming back for more. This is genuinely my go-to spot for pastries. Nothing is overly sweet. The workers are always polite and welcoming. The chocolate rum truffles are incredibly rich and moist. So chocolaty and satisfying. Another favorite of mine is the round shortbread pastries filled with delicious vanilla pudding with either blueberries or raspberries. The shortbread crust is a work of art. I also always get the cheesecake (the one without the apples on top). It’s so good that I prefer to enjoy it on its own, without any added flavors.. it really stands on its own. Apparently, the owner flies to France frequently to study baking, and that passion shows in the pastries. I guess it’s not as popular as it should be because of the space itself. It’s not really the kind of place you sit and relax with your coffee and pastry. The tables line the wall, right next to the line of waiting customers, and are usually occupied by elderly regulars who’ve long finished their pastries and sit for hours reading newspapers and chatting. That said, McCarren Park is just steps away, so you can always take your treats there and enjoy these precious delicacies in a more scenic setting!

In my opinion, this is one of the places that I’m always searching for: Remarkable food and bargain prices. My wife and I only ate their cinnamon rolls but they were quite likely the best I’ve ever had and I consider myself to be a cinnamon roll connoisseur (I also make my own but it takes me almost 2 days make them). The cinnamon rolls at Cafe Riviera Greenpoint were buttery and flaky on the outside, tender and moist on the inside and sweet without being too sweet. At $3.00 each, they’re the bargain of the century. In a sad, mean way, I’m almost glad that I don’t live close to Cafe Riviera Greenpoint - if I did, I know I would weigh over 600 pounds in no time!

Perfect little coffee shop. Atmosphere and service are both amazing and the prices are even better. The food is all so good is hard to not just buy one of everything. It's definitely one of those places that's hard to find in New York City these days. If you get the chance, pop in and enjoy some baked goods, coffee, and incredible ambience.

Be careful what you’re paying for. If you choose to pay by credit card, debit card, or over the phone, Cafe Riviera will add a 4% surcharge to your bill—without informing you in advance. This is not only poor customer service but also a violation of New York law, which requires businesses to clearly and conspicuously display the total price, including any credit card surcharge, before the customer completes the transaction. Additionally , it is not legal in New York to charge a fee for debit card payments, surcharging debit cards is prohibited. I used debit card to pay for the product. When I brought this up to the owner, she responded sarcastically, saying, “How much extra did you have to pay? One dollar?” Is only one dollar! She also claimed that they always inform customers about the fee. That’s simply not true. I’ve been to this café multiple times and have never been informed about this surcharge until I questioned it myself. To the owner: It takes years of hard work to earn loyal customers, but it only takes one careless moment to lose them. This isn’t about the $1—it’s about how you treat customers . Your customers are the reason your business exists and thrives. Respect them. By the way... Since you say it's only one dollar (that's not that much) why don't you cover the transaction costs?)

I got a cheese bun & poppyseed roll slice. I did enjoy both but I found them a bit too sweet and syrupy. Texture of them are just how I like it tho. I’m sure there are other bakes that would suit me better- they’re all so tempting. Good place to sit down and chill out, love the interior.

Cafe Riviera Layout/atmosphere *Seven tables Food/drink *Cheese Babka - not a fan; decent size; taste of lemon in the icing; cheese was very faint; bread/dough bit dry

Small cozy place with delicious fresh bakery. Always fresh, you won't be disappointed

Cafe Rivera has a cozy, laid-back vibe with a distinct Polish touch. The bakery is very Polish, as are the friendly staff, but the pastries are French-inspired, offering a delicious fusion of flavors. Their lattes are excellent, and it’s a great spot to relax or get some work done. Definitely worth a visit if you're in the area!

Affordable pastries and cakes. Their peach fruit danish was made with fresh, not canned, peaches and was delicious!! Their coffee also pairs well with their pastries.

I had the pleasure of tasting my first forest back cake, curtiosy of Cafe Rivera. My colleagues and I gave a surprise birthday party to our resident, Dr. Goldberg. She was appreciative of us showing the love we have for her. My other colleague, Joanna, brought the cakes and I don't even eat cake like that. I had two pieces during the party and was saved a 3rd for lunch the next day. The cake was light, creamy, and just enough chocolate overall. I would definitely purchase this cake on my own and try out other items they may have. Excellent taste!

Only recently discovered this place but they have turkey and cream cheese croissants and ham and cheese croissants and they are both only THREE DOLLARS EACH! In GREENPOINT! And they are so tasty. Makes a 6 dollar croissant from variety look very sad. Haven't tried anything else there but they have tons of sweet pastries too.

Came here on a weeknight looking for something sweet after dinner in the area. Got the apple cheesecake and the fruit tart. They were super tasty and a different type of taste as the cafe specializes in polish pastries and desserts. The staff was super helpful in letting us know the menu options. Definitely recommend if you're in the area and craving polish/French pastries.

riviera has the best desserts in the neighborhood - an absolute must for family events during the holidays. the lines get long around Christmas so make sure to plan ahead. While the desserts are an absolute must, it's also a great spot to grab a coffee in the go or meet with a friend, as the staff is super friendly and on any given day, it has a relaxed ambiance and isn't too packed.

Service is a joke. "Boss" has no idea how to talk to people. We ordered a cake a week before the party. We wanted fresh cake for the party and left also exact instructions on how it should look like - printed pictures. Instead of white cake we got pink one... and it was totally frozen with deep frozen fruits inside. No one from the bakery told us that the cake is frozen and we should keep it outside for around an hour. When we started cutting the cake it was rock hard and falling apart. If I wanted ice cake I would go straight to Dunkin' Donuts... cake was uneatable. After calling the bakery I didn't even hear we are sorry or anything. The "boss" lady started screaming at me saying that the cake was delicious and they are in the business for so long that they know how to do stuff. She was surprised that we ordered there for the first time and didn't know that the cake will be frozen. At some point of conversation she hang up the phone. We have wasted 120$ for a cake that went to the garbage. Don't recommend that place!

Used to be good. I was charged for a pound of butter cookies however they didn't weight the full pound. So disappointed !! ​

I came here on an idyllic Sunday and was charmed by how the cafe felt like a European bakery. As an avid Great British Bakeoff watcher, I was excited to try out their entremets, which are essentially small cakes with layers of mousse, cream, custard, and jam. It was affordable too. I tried out the Black Forrest entremet for $5. There were layers of chocolate mousse, cherries, chocolate cake, and ganache. It was a decadent and rich chocolate dessert but it was lightened up by the cream and cherries. I would 10/10 recommend this place and will definitely be going again!

We used to buy cakes here for years but lately, the cakes have been more cream than cake. At first we thought maybe it was a fluke, but lately the ratio has been comical to the point where it is mostly cream. Here's the Black Forest cake we just got today. Good if you like cream. Terrible if you want your cakes to have cake in it.

My family has been buying baked goods from Cafe Rivieria for over 20 years. The consistency in quality & taste of the baked goods is so appreciated. Also, the desserts are light and not overwhelmingly sweet. Although they specialize in traditional polish baked items, a lot of their pastries aren't, which adds to the selection. I've brought mini cakes, pastries, and cookies to various work functions and they are always a hit. The Black Forest cake is absolutely a must!!

Delicious and fresh baked goodies! My favorite: makowiec and cheese danishes It's perfect: not too sweet is always just right.

As a former GP resident it is nice to see some of our favorite places surviving the change in the neighborhood, and adjusting as necessary. I love purchasing almost all the baked goods here. The macaroons are a must, and the Polish cheesecake is delicious so are the croissants and danishes, poppy seed roll is so yummy. The cappuccino was tasty. The inside is a bit tight, but those visiting don't seem to mind and find a way to maneuver between those that are sitting and those awaiting their order. My suggestion to the owner is to SMILE and say hello to your guests, you don't need to know me to greet me with a simple hello and a smile.

Janet: "What a crummy day it is!" ::rain pours and pours:: Bob: "Have you ever been in Cafe Riviera? Wanna check it out? I don't want to go back to work just yet." So, we didn't and no one regretted this decision in the LEAST bit. This adorable Polish cafe is so cute and quaint, you'll want to sit at one of their coveted dessert tables to have an espresso and a pastry. Every pastry looks to perfect to eat, and the prices are beyond affordable at this "cash only" spot. $2 for a strawberry danish as big as a dinner plate?! $1 per macaroon?! Where am I?! I don't want to leave! The taste is just as perfect as the way these pastries look. They aren't too sweet and not bland; they are truly original tasting European pastries. Highly recommended for a first date, a friendly afternoon meet up, or a pit stop with your coworkers before returning back to work on what was a "Crummy" day, to an "oh happy day!"

If you have lived in Greenpoint awhile you've seen the change, typical of hypergentrification. The wonderful, original, cheap ethnic places disappear and are rapidly replaced with generic airspace chain cafés; white boxes with grey oak floors and lots of fiddle ferns all selling the same bland bake-off or commissary products at sky high prices. Well, Café Riviera is thankfully still here and still going strong. The place is a immaculate with beautiful sweet young girls behind the counters and a tough no nonsense lady running the place. This is a European style café where you relax and have conversation over pastry and great coffee. No annoying ear bud tune-outs hogging tables with laptops trying to look employed. All the baking here is done on premises, French Patisserie quality and superb. Standouts are the crisp cheese and fruit filled danish, the cheese cakes, traditional buttery croissants, crème brûlée cakes, pies and of course the babkas and assorted Polish cookies ( chocolate, poppy, linzer). I am not kidding, prices here are less than half what all those crummy New Brooklyn cafés now charge. I stop here on the way to The City and bring cookies and cakes for our office parties. My employees are very pleased and ask "where did you get this?" Don't be a New Brooklyn Gentrifying tool. Support these independently owned old Brooklyn Ethnic neighborhood places before they are all gone.

By looking at the name, I thought it would be French. When we entered, it was obvious it was Polish with some older Polish people just hanging out there. I wish I would have gone here for some paczki recently. Oh well. We got some apple cheese cake, some fruit cake, and some butter cookies. everything was solid, especially the butter cookies. I've been meaning to come back. Recommended for anyone who wants to get some solid cake, cookies, etc.

When you think of Greenpoint, Brooklyn these days, you think of the really great new places to stop in and get a bite to eat and drink in a hot spot for hipsters. Real estate prices and rents on apartments are through the roof, and commercial rates are following suit. Even Paulie Gee's has now opened a second pizzeria that sells by the slice (gasp)! So when i come to the Cafe Riviera, i feel myself entering a kinder and gentler place in a time warp. The young women behind the counter are very helpful, some with distinctly European accents. The baked goods in the case are all familiar items, tarts and danishes taking up the large glass enclosed cases up front, and some of the fancier Italianesque refrigerated pastries (as in eclairs) in the case near the register. It is a tight narrow venue with small tables lining the wall to the left with the pastry cases and the aforementioned young ladies to the right. It is almost as if the seating in the cafe was an afterthought, as i have visited many neighborhood bakeries such as this which were strictly bakeries, and coffee was only served years after operating without. The clientele is mostly made up of local residents, (many elderly and of Polish descent) as this place is truly a hidden gem, that has not changed a bit in decades. And i am most thankful for that. Clearly, one of my very favorite places in New York to grab a fresh and delicious peach tart. Thank you.

Cheap yummy pastries. Very Polish and very nice danishes.

Got 1lb of cookies which were amazing. Each different variety was awesome. Only giving it 4 stars because we also got a slice of tiramisu which was not good and tasted like chemicals.

High praises for their sweet, but lightly flavored and nuanced desserts. I would put this and Peter Pan in a tie for best bakeries in Green point. Foodies assemble!

I'm pleasantly surprised with the quality and the price of Cafe Riviera's pastries and desserts. I have heard good things about the cafe, but was always reticent to check it out for myself because I have my favorites already. My mom and I shared the slice of strawberry cheesecake and a Black Forest pastry. The top layer of mousse was light and flavorful, almost whimsical on top of the chocolate cake base topped with black cherries. The one drawback was that it was slightly frozen in the middle so for that I have to deduct a star. Is it made here? Is it frozen and unfrozen to serve or is the cooler to cold? The cheesecake was not chilled but the right temperature and smooth. The strawberries on top colder than the cheesecake but for the price, it can't be beat. Two desserts and a bottle of water for $8 is definitely a steal, especially in this neighborhood of hipsters.

I had wanted to give this place a go after having bookmarked it a few weeks ago. I was very happy with my experience here. The staff all speak Polish, and were nice with helping me out with the cookies. I got some with cherries in addition to some with jam. I really loved the jam cookies, they reminded me of the local Brooklyn bakeries I used to get cookies from when I was growing up. The interior is old school which I also love. I will definitely come back here in the future, and recommend it to my family and friends!

Really good pastry , very delicious wouldn't be disappointed and very good prices !!!!

I absolutely love this place I Been coming here ever since I'm a teenager . Place is always clean and staff are friendly and quick with orders Things I tried and recommend are their ice cream iced coffee which I guess is just a summer thing Turkey and cream cheese croissant Ham and cheese croissant Peach tart ( I think it's called ) And they have great fresh cakes and slices available daily I always stop in when in the neighborhood a gem of greenpoint Great quick breakfast before a walk through McCarren park

Great cappuccinos and delectable poppyseed cakes. The cashier lady was also very friendly.

I'm conflicted I love the raspberry birthday cake, croissants, jam cookies, etc! However,one of the owners was unbelievably rude! I bought two birthday cakes and I wanted to write happy birthday on them- as any normal person buying cake would expect. The owner went on ranting that I didn't ask for writing on a birthday cake fast enough for her, so she wrapped it up... I told her what cakes I wanted and She just abruptly walked away and with her back turned I tried to get her attention for several minutes, but she didn't hear me through the glass, then proceeded to raise her voice at me, that I did not ask her to write anything! Her awful attitude and costumer service made me hate this place. She made it seem like she's doing me a favor!I told her that her customer service was terrible and she just laughed at me. End of the story -she never apologized and it just shows she can care less because the place is constantly busy.... Also to point out the staff and owner do not wear the mask correctly- they don't cover the nose, while serving pastries to people

Breaking out of my binge-review-20-places-every-2-months cycle to give this place a 5-star rating. Everything is great value and there's enough variety between cakes (cheesecakes, napoleons, great variety of flavors, textures) pastries, macarons to keep every visit fresh. The value is unbeatable at $1 per macaron and $4 per slice of cake. And they taste amazing. Classics executed perfectly, with a little something extra that's hard to achieve at home. Service is friendly, although the counters are very high and the walkway narrow, so it can get a little hard to communicate when it's crowded (maybe that's part of the charm)? Cash only. Again, conveniently priced so that a cake slice and a macaron is $5.

Came here hoping to fulfill a chocolate craving. I got the Raspberry chocolate cake and was disappointed. The cake was dry/stale and the raspberries in the moose we're frozen. It was not tasty so save the calorie intake. My sister got the peach cheesecake. It was crumbly and thick. Before I ordered anything I purchased the poppyseed roll based on yelp reviews. I'm sure itll be delicious. 2 stars because coffee was good.

OK - not much of a "baked goods" guy as I am celiac, but I needed a coffee - the I discovered this in the back - 11 flavors of macaroons! With lichee and black currant flavors? What? Thanks again, Brooklyn!

The best chocolate croissants and ham & cheese croissants ever ! And lattes are my favorite

Possibly the best value I've seen thus far for macarons, they are good, not the best I've had but very good. They sell them by pound $13 for 1 pound and it comes with approx 22pcs which makes it give or take $0.60 per pcs WoAH! I'm in LOVE, they are chewy, hard outside, soft chewy inside and most importantly the prices aren't inflated like some other places out there. The croissants are buttery and flakey the plain and ham and cheese are my favs. Tiramisu, cheese cake, cappuccino cake all for $3 a slice all delightful, sweet but not overly sweet for my "buds". I recommend!

Very nice bakery! Not too sweet but with the right flavor. We tried five and liked all of them.

One the best spots in Greenpoint. It's refreshing to go somewhere in Brooklyn where the prices are reasonable, service is great and the food is excellent! Will keeping go here for as long as I'm in Brooklyn!! There's a nice sitting area with tables but they also offer takeout. *****cash only*****

Great little Cafe in the heart of Greenpoint. It is probably a 4-star place bu I gave them 5 star for a value they deliver for your money. Croussants, danishes, macaroons, Polish cookies are all fresh and priced low for the neighborhood. You can have a coffee and turkey-cream cheese croissant for a very fresh and fulfilling breakfast there (for only a couple of bucks).

I used to love this place and their croissants. Always fresh. I went in this morning around 9am and asked for two chocolate ones. Hard as bricks!!!! They must have been laying around for 2 days or more. My microwave didn't even help.

The pastries are VERY reasonable priced and the coffee was also cheap in terms of New York bakeries. However, I got a tasteless decaf coffee in a paper cup to go which did not have two let alone one sugar as I asked but the pastries were good. However, I am very concerned as the café did not respond to a poster who submits their washing techniques may be questionable. Once they address this, I will gladly modify my review to the original

This is not a children friendly place! The owner which is an older blond lady is incredibly rude!!! I was just there with my 4 year old son who was excited to get a cookie and was just curiously looking around. As we were leaving the owner said "they finally left". Obviously little children bother her so much that she can't wait for them to leave. Spend your money elsewhere parents!

The prices here are really reasonable for greenpoint The pastry's are always fresh and delicious . On weekends usually a line but the efficient staff keeps it moving . Space is however cramped .

Stopped by based on yelps great reviews here. Ordered two small cakes. My cheesecake was so crumbly and dry.. it must be an old cheesecake.. disappointed with the desserts here.

Heaven. If they had wi-fi, I'd move there full time. These pastries are just amazing, always fresh always amazingly light. Personal favorites: lemon raspberry birthday cake, rose petal mini-tarts, Black Forrest pastries... oh, here do I even start! Coffee's very good, too. And by George, your cappuccino and a divine pastry will cost less than a large latte next door at Upright Coffee! Shhh. Don't tell too many people, they will ruin it for us. Come hungry. Oh, and the place is cash-only. You have been warned.

I recently ordered a cake for my wedding. I would not be so harsh if it was not such an important event... - over the phone the owner told me a different price then she actually charged me - I gave them a picture of a cake to duplicate. I was assured that it would not be a problem to copy the design. The cake I received looked completely different! Check photos a posted!!! - it was supposed to be ready to pick up at 10AM on the wedding day but it was NOT till 11.20 AM !!! They are only getting two stars because the cake was tasty. If not for that I would give them zero!

Cookies, cookies, cookies ! yummy, yummy mmmm! This is the one heavenly pastry shop on Greenpoint. There are so many great tasting pastries here that I can not mention it all. I can say some of them: The blueberry fruit tart. The Fruit tart (my favorite) the crust is soooo good tasting that it taste like amazing cereal crust. The almond chocolate cookies with coffee cream. The peach fruit tart. The chocolate mousse. and so many others. The pastries are cooked perfectly, the right amount of sugar, the sweetness of their pastries is just right, can't ask for anything better. The fruit tart comes in small $3.00 pieces and the whole pie of fruit tart is only $15.00 The prices are just right average of $3.00 per pastry. I am glad that I don't live near this place or I would probably be 300 pounds by now. If I am on Manhattan ave. this is the one stop I always make. Yes, customer service is friendly which is a big plus compared to other polish pastries where the customer services girls are not too nice. The girls here are nice ;) I got to say when I visit this store, I am the real version of Cookie Monster, cookies, cookies, cookies, too many is never enough :)

Old world charm in Brooklyn. Nobody in the joint speaks very good English. Perfect. You'll think you're in 19th Century central Europe.

Best polish bakery around. Drove all the way from NJ to buy their famous macaroons and different variety of sugar cookies!! Delicious!!!

We just aet some desserts and macaroons here. Absolutely worth the money and the trip. Some dessert are between $3/$4 dollars . The macaroons are $1 and super delicious. Definitely coming back for more.

I've been coming to riviera for years and they have amazing Polish pastries that are baked the way that Polish pastries are traditionally baked. I agree that some of the pastries have an acquired taste, so order something you think you might like! If you got a regular hot coffee and complain that it's bitter...pls go to a nearby hipster cafe in greenpoint and get the same shit and pay twice as much for it. This cafe has local Polish people hanging about which almost makes me feel as if I'm in a little cafe in Poland! Not to mention, they have $1 macaroons and amazing peach tarts!!!

I was born and raised in Poland, and I approve this bakery! LOL Seriously, I've been in this country for 30 years, and haven't been able to find pastries as good as theirs anywhere else in the US. So far, I've tried: poppy seed roll (OMG!), cheese Danish, apple/coconut topped cheesecake, raspberry chocolate mousse cake, and Napoleon, and they were all SOOOO GOOD! On my first visit, I also had a cup of coffee, and even this was super delicious! I cannot recommend this place enough! Yum!

We come here for years . Great apple and poppy seed and cheese cake only most of time I have to squeeze between people and little tables I wish they would make more roomy place

Cafe Riviera is the best bakery in New York, hands down. The cashiers are friendly, the treats are delicious, and everything is so reasonably priced. A small coffee and a giant strawberry danish for $3? I'm forever a loyal customer. Dzienkuje bardzo, Cafe Riviera!!!

Every time I'm in Greenpoint - which doesn't happen often - I make it my business to stop by Riviera. Whatever I've had from there was exceptionally delicious. My favs are the Black Forest, Caramel and Raspberry cakes - not at all heavy/buttery or too sweet. Just light mousse-like cream with intense flavors. Also, butter cookies are very yummy. Having read other reviews I feel like going back soon and try the much talked about croissants and cheese- and applecakes =) In my opinion - one of the best sweets I've had in my life. Not to miss.

THE BEST FRESHEST MOST DELICIOUS BABKA -- a traditional polish bread that's slightly sweet. Friendly staff SUPER affordable! Like everything is half the cost of other places. Great pastries. And so far the BEST CRISPIEST TASTIEST macaroons I've ever tried in the US. Seriously.