Vaccaro's Italian Pastry Shop, Little Italy

I just stumbled upon this place while traveling for work and I’m so glad I did! Vaccaro’s Italian Pastry Shop is an absolute gem! From the moment you walk in, the aroma of fresh baked goods fills the air and sets the tone for an incredible experience. Their authentic Italian cookies are truly unmatched — perfectly crisp on the outside, tender on the inside, and packed with rich, traditional flavors that instantly transport you to Italy. And the cannolis? Absolutely phenomenal. The shells are crisp and delicate, while the filling is creamy, lightly sweetened, and bursting with authentic ricotta flavor — easily the best cannolis I’ve ever had outside of Sicily. If you love true Italian pastries made the old-fashioned way, Vaccaro’s is a must-visit. I can’t wait to come back and try even more of their amazing desserts!

This place is a fun little place not far from Inner Harbor and in Little Italy, Baltimore. My grandma lives near here in the 1950s and it is so fun to think of her enjoying this place, too, since it was established in 1958. I am from the Midwest and I loved trying the authentic Italian pastries and rum cake. Everything was very delicious and reasonably priced given its authenticity. Although, I did not get any ice cream it was very noticeable the ice cream was almost melting in the showcase cooler and was quite off putting. I would not go there for ice cream but for everything else. Atmosphere was clean and staff were very friendly and courteous. They were able to accommodate 6 of us easily. 10/10 would recommend and will be going back again. I loved this place so much I even bought a coffee cup to take home. It literally sparks joy for me!!!

First time coming here as I was looking for an Italian bakery that was comparable to NYC standards. I live in Harrisburg PA now, but since I was in the neighborhood getting some other food elsewhere, I wanted to stop in and see how good their bakery items were. First off, the place itself is not very big. There is a counter when you walk in with all of their delicious treats displayed, and there is also a sitting area if you want to eat there, which was nice. I was hoping for some good cannoli cream and shells. I got 6 mini regular and 6 mini chocolate. They were both equally yummy and tastes like one you would get from Queens or Brooklyn. I also got some rainbow cookies and a few other cookies to go as well. L Everything I bought tasted fresh and will definitely be back again when I am up this way. I wish they had more of a selection of pastries, but for the size of the establishment, what they have does them good. Definitely try the cannoli cookies if you get a chance.

This restaurant used to be quite the place. Unfortunately our recent visit It just seems to be not so great. The baked goods such as the Napoleon was not as flaky and fresh. The limoncello martini was served watered down and we had to ask for it to be remade It literally tasted like water. Portions are very big here. Their ice cream is not that tasty. There are quite a few people in line for the pastries themselves for takeout. Those might be pretty good They did not have a lot of dairy-free options. But they do look pretty tasty.

Amazing desserts with crazy large portions! We enjoyed a variety of Italian desserts, but could not finish them as the portion sizes were huge. Definitely get an amount worth your money though. They have a lot of different options to choose from and they were all delicious.

Vaccaro’s has some of the best coffee, pastries, and gelato in all of Baltimore. The atmosphere is amazing located in the heart of Little Italy. The sundaes are out of this world, especially the brownie lovers sundae, and perfect for sharing. The cappuccino is delicious and definitely recommend their cold brew. Plenty of seating inside and friendly staff.

TLDR, try the tiramisu. I really liked this dessert place because I loved the tiramisu there. When you head in, you'll see a counter with all the Italian desserts you can imagine with two rows of gelatos. The togo dessert counter took about 1/3 of the space with the rest 2/3 reserved for dine in seating. I'd recommend dining in even if the dining in menu is more expensive. The reason is for some items such as gelato you can potentially get more than if you ordered to go and it's always better to sit down and enjoy the dessert right there. Service is good enough given they can be short staffed with one waitress serving all the dining in customers but I don't think it's bothersome enough for me to complain as the server is constantly trying her best to serve everyone. Once again I really liked the tiramisu here as it's deeply flavored that you can certainly taste the liquor which tone down the richness and sweetness perfectly. The portion is huge and my only change would to remove the ball of whip cream as it's not needed and feels superfluous. The gelato is decent but I prefer the regular flavors over the fat-free choices. The cream puff is alright as well. Overall I enjoyed the tiramisu enough to rate this place 5 stars just for that. It's certainly on par with the tiramisu places in Rome.

Good italian dessert cafe I came here twice, and i enjoyed desserts both times I usually am not really into tiramisu but this is the BEST tiramisu I have ever had. Other cake was good too. Creampuff was okay. I haven't tried their sandwich or cannoli but I would love to try them next time. Inside is really pretty and italian vibe. Casual vibe to get desserts with friends or s.o. I highly recommend this place.

Vaccaro's is a solid bakery right in Little Italy. The last time I was here was probably pre-Covid. It was pretty packed when I arrived during a late weekday lunch. Several tables were filled and a decent line of people were ahead of me waiting to place to go orders. I ended up ordering a small Chai tea latte and a regular filled canoli. The chai tea was really good - it reminds me of the same type of chai that might be used at Panera's. The canoli filling was thick, creamy, and not overly sweet. A fun and casual place to come and indulge in once in a while!

The best cannolis in the area!!! my daughter loves the gelato. Every time we go and their coffee with some hazelnut is just perfection!! The bakery is a small space so sometimes getting a table can be a challenge and it's very busy in there with people coming to the takeout counter.

I ordered a pack of 6 cannoli which came with filling on the side. If I had them fill it, it would have been an extra 2 bucks per cannoli which I thought was pretty steep. Service was okay, not great. But the cannoli were delicious and I would definitely go back. The shell and cream both tasted fresh. I also appreciated that they didn't skimp on the cream the cream provided for the 6 cannoli. I did not dine in, but the place seemed cozy and if I had time I would have ordered a dessert there and a drink.

After a fun day, we needed a little pick me up before the drive home from Maryland. My brother-in-law suggested we visit here. it's an Italian bakery and they serve coffee! I tried the cannoli cookies which is a new item for them , and they were delicious! I also got my husband an eclair that was the wait as much as a newborn baby! That might seem silly, but that thing was heavy! It took us four days to eat entire thing! Every time you get a coffee, they put a cookie on the top with the name of their business, and the cookie was so delicious ! I think I found my new favorite bakery in Maryland !

I was staying nearby and needed a little dessert. This was a perfect location for me. Just got a quick and straight up cannoli. Believe me when I tell you it hit the spot. If I am to compare it to other cannoli I've tasted, this came off maybe a little on the sweeter side for me. And the filling was a little less dense than others. I personally prefer something where the sweetness is a little more understated and the filling has a bite to it. But I'm comparing them to legendary places back home in Philadelphia. No disrespect intended but they set a high bar back home. I'd absolutely come back next time I stay here.

7.16.24 Chocolate/Vanilla Napoleon - Layers of pastry were flaky and too soft. I prefer the pastry to be firm and slightly crunchy. It was hearty and decadent. I ate half and it was too rich and I have a sweet tooth. I'm not sure if I will finish the other half. Hubby got the Cream Puff. The custard was good, but the pastry was stale and hard. We both agreed we've enjoyed Napoleon and Cream Puff at other bakeries more.

A truly authentic bakery shop! Came here with my girlfriend (who is from Italy) to try these pastries and coffee. The inside of the shop looked just like home (she said) but the pastries tasted not as fresh as we had hoped. Perhaps we just came at a bad day or time of day but we are hoping to try it again for a better experience!

It's hard to find a proper cannoli these days so Vaccaro fills a niche. Amazing traditional tiramisu and Italian cookies as well. Good service but note due to their popularity you may find yourself in a long line out the door.

First time we ever stopped mid-day and had lunch and dessert. Great service. Amazing sandwiches. I had the Original mufalato and it was enough for two and delicious. My daughters had the Classico panini and we both had more than enough to take home. The dessert, coconut Napoleon is my go to and it was excellent as always with coffee.

My boyfriend and I found this quaint spot after visiting this aquarium and it was truly a treat! Aside from the desserts being delectable and great portion size, this shop is affordable in price! The setting with the low lights was very warming. At the time, we were the only people who sat in with a few passerby's but it was great! Delicious food at affordable prices, 10/10! We definitely plan to visit again.

Vaccaro's is just a quick 10-15 minute walk from the Baltimore harbor and the aquarium, making it a perfect stop for some sweet treats. They offer a fantastic variety of Italian cookies and pastries. The biscotti was delightful, especially paired with my tea. We tried a couple of cream puffs, and they were a standout--filled with a creamy vanilla pudding instead of the typical buttercream. Plus, you can pick any variety of cookies by weight, so it's easy to sample everything! The sit-down area is cozy, ideal for grabbing lunch or just enjoying coffee and pastries. The vibe really feels like an old New York Italian bakery, complete with metal cushioned chairs and mirrors on the walls. If you're looking to take some sweets to the harbor, this is the place! Service is quick, so you can easily be in and out in five minutes.

Best latte I've ever had! I love love love their espresso!! My dad and I visited on a Monday around 10:30am. Inside smells wonderful, and the whole place looks very clean. We ordered 2 tomato, egg, and cheese paninis, and our server let us know they are big enough to share if we wanted to order just one. We followed her guidance, and it was the perfect amount of food to go with coffee and a sweet treat afterward. Our server was extremely friendly. She was training a new person and she seemed to enjoy her job very much. After the meal, we hit the bakery case and ordered LOTS of goodies to-go. My favorites were the sugar cookie, rainbow cookies, and cream puff with chocolate icing.

Stopped by here for lunch with a group and service was great! Paninis are a bit pricey, but portions are huge... half a sandwich and I'm full! Service was wonderful and waitress didn't try to upsell us and told us one cookies and dip will be good for the whole table and she was right! The inside was also a nice retro diner feel and bathrooms were very clean! The food was good and the paninis were pressed well and served hot and crispy, maybe a bit oily as it was dripping out. Everyone enjoyed their food. Also they have a sign for military appreciation for free coffee and mini cannoli, definitely a plus for giving back!!

This is my favorite bakery in the world. We decided to sit down in the restaurant section and have gelato. I ordered the apple Napoleon with vanilla gelato and my friend ordered the snickers gelato. I will say the Napoleon warm amazing. The vanilla gelato was good next time to get the snicker because that was better, then ordered a lot of stuff to go. Napoleons, eclairs, pine nut cookies and frosted sprinkle cookies. $100 later I was one happy camper. Jade was our server and she was very sweet. Had a nice smile and suggested to warm up the apple Napoleon. As I sharedThat's my new way to do it. The restaurant was not crowded. People kept coming in and out to order the pastries to go . I highly recommend this establishment.

My wife and I have been coming to Vaccaro's for years. We have since moved away but always make a point to come to little Italy and stop by Vaccaro's for cannolis. There is something so charming about this pastry shop. Everything I have had has been amazing, from the gelato to the pastries and cakes. Some of our favorites are the cannolis, the rum cake, the amaretto cookies, and the Italian cookie gelato. If you are ever in Baltimore do yourself a favor and go check this place out!

I had lunch here with the family. The price for a panini seems high but when the food came I see the "bang for the buck." I love the Godfather. I shared half the sandwich and we were both full from it. Then we got the cannoli chip and dip. It was delicious and enough to share with the table.

Stopped in on a trip to Baltimore and got some mini chocolate covered cannoli that were filled to order. This was just the right amount of dessert. The cannoli shells were crunchy and the filling, while a bit loose, tasted yummy. It's been well over 10 years since I've been to Vaccaro's and the cannoli never disappoint.

We stopped in here for a quick dessert stop after having dinner at Amicci's. Love that they are open until 9pm! The inside was bigger than I imagined it would be, plenty of seating and it looked clean. The young man working was very nice and quick to serve us. I was tempted to try the gelato, but stuck with a cannoli and some cookies for the kids. Their selection is full of typical Italian classic cookies and cakes. My cannoli was filled to order. We took our treats back to the hotel for snack time. The cannoli shell was fresh as was the filling. The kids gobbled up their cookies and I enjoyed a piece of chocolate dipped biscotti. Can't say a bad thing about our experience at Vaccaro's. I recommend you save some room for dessert and visit Vaccaro's after dinner!

Love love love their cookies! The café au lait is also one of my favorites. A very quaint and cute spot in little Italy. Always great service.

This place popped up on Yelp as a highly recommended Italian pastry shop, and it lives up to its reputation. Ambiance is chill. Service is efficient. There are dine-in option and take-out option. We got three sweets to go: - raspberry Napoleon: Jam-filled but not overly sweet. - tiramisu: the highlight! The espresso flavor is deliciously strong and the mascarpone is decadent. - cannoli: delicious with crispy shell.

My mom and I went in today, beautiful decor! We've been there once or twice before and decided to go in because we were waiting for our order at Mo's. Anyway the cashier, an older white lady was borderline rude. She seemed to be frustrated and didn't really know how to work the register. She didn't really want to service us and we could tell.So I would say if their customer service were as good as their cannoli cake, their in-store made vanilla cookies and their coffee, I would have given them 5 stars. I really wanted to five the 2.5 stars but I wanted to be as fair as possible.

Four stars. The mini cannoli kit to make at home was amazing. The service was only okay. It was kind of slow when we went without many in line in front. Also they explain that unstuffed was build your own vs just shells. Hence my friend got home 3 stuffed ones after they asked not realizing he could bound his and as we left we were disappointed the minis didn't come with stuffing but it was fun having it on the side to make your own. I came here 8 years ago and had other pastries which were decent but not as good as the cannolis. We can forgive them for being understaffed and ourselves for not quite understanding what stuffed vs unstuffed is and enjoy cannolis and other goodies again next time in the neighborhood.

If you like classic Italian patisserie, please stop by here. I've been here several times, always loved their desserts. My best friend also used to work here, so I would always eat their fresh cannolis. Honestly one of the best things to get here. It's a cute little small shop, definitely recommend visiting during the summertime. Last time I was here, the service was good, never had a problem. All in all, one of the places to stop by if you're from/visiting Baltimore.

The pastries in Vaccaro's are pretty good, but can be a bit on the pricier side. The salted caramel cookies were wonderful and not overly sweet. There are nuts in them, however, so I would definitely ask and confirm before getting anything if you have any allergies. The cream puffs were not great. Don't recommend getting them, especially at the end of the day.

I was really excited to bring my family here after having had great cookies and pastries a few months ago. It was a huge disappointment. The panini were filled with subpar, flavorless ingredients and the bread was grainy and mushy at the same time. It would not be worth it at half the price, and then you add the awful service, over 30 minute wait time for 6 sandwiches, and them charging an extra $6 a sandwich to sit inside. Some of the gelato flavors were melting in the case. Again, huge disappointment.

The place is empty. Seems to be a failing bakery that is build on older years success and now becoming a tourist trap. 8.5$ for coffee which was cold and disappointing after we mentioned it was cold they shoved into a microwave common, some self respect, I'll pay 8.5$ per coffee that's my problem, but don't disrespect a customer like that... Cheesecake was horrible as well we left most of it and left.

Wooooow, this might be my new pick me up spot! Grabbed dessert here after dining at Amicci's across the street and this place is a hidden gem!! I recommend the cookies and cakes. I personally am obsessed with the raspberry vanilla cake, 10/10. If you want take out, you can grab it at the front but if you'd like to sit and eat inside, your order will be taken by a server. Overall a great experience, food and service was amazing. They also have decorated the place for Christmas so it's super cute and festive.

Ok this is definitely a stop you have to make when in Baltimore, that is if you have a sweet tooth or want a delicious cup of coffee with some alcohol in it as a special treat. Haha Super Friendly staff, they make you feel very welcomed. Go on an empty stomach please, don't make my mistake. I wanted to cramp little Italy in one stop and got so full from lunch/ dinner that I couldn't enjoy all my sweets. Ended up bringing left overs which is absolutely ok too. Cute little Bakery, lots of choices.

Good service, quiet environment excellent food with large serving. I had the classic panini and a coconut Napoleon.

Wonderful pastries. Best eclair ever. Nice and friendly staff. I truly enjoyed my visit

The only bad thing about this place is its walking distance from my house. Great sandwiches, great desserts, and great service.

Always worth the drive into Little Italy for their St. Jospeh's Zeppoles. We've only ever had their desserts to go. Everything is so, so good.

Going to college in the Baltimore area you have pretty much tried Vaccaro's at some point in your life. EVERYTHING is amazing! I always recommend the Italian cookies, canoli's, coffee,etc. It's in the heart of little italy so you can't go wrong.

Very pricey desserts. However, the chocolate eclair was shared by three of us and was extremely good. Great location and great variety.

Very cool pastries! I got the sfogelliatelle which was amazing! There was street parking which made it easier to get to.

Really good fresh cannoli, and they have a special on Mondays. Either regular or chocolate covered pastry, either regular or chocolate filling. All great options. Military get a free coffee with pastry, and our friends said it was good coffee too. Don't be confused by the signage; you can definitely order to go at the counter (they just don't want you to seat yourself if you're there to dine in). Generous gelato servings. Friendly service and great location!

Tried the cream puff and hot fudge sundae. The cream puff was average, it was much denser than I expected. The flavor was fine, just not fluffy like I was hoping for. The sundae was delicious and huge! The brownie in it really set it apart. Didn't get close to finishing it though. Really big serving. Will be back next time I'm in Baltimore.

This place used to be very good, but not anymore. Terrible service. The server was very rude and slow. Food was just okay. I want to give ZERO star.

Came in for gelato and was not impressed. The gelato is icing and not smooth and creamy. They had limited flavors. The cookies were ok but cross contaminated with nut products. I'm allergic to most nuts and I could feel a slight itch in my throat despite avoiding ordering any cookies with nuts. I'm usually not that sensitive, which tells me this bakery isn't taking much precaution. I've had Italian cookies in New York and those were much better. I've also had better gelato in many cities in the US and of course you can't compare to gelato in Italy. This may sound like a snobby review but I really did not enjoy my experience here. We also didn't know we couldn't eat the gelato at the tables and needed to take it to go. We were one of two parties in the restaurant. We promptly left when they told us their house rules but it wasn't until five or ten minutes after we sat down. Beware if you have an allergy. Gelato was not good.

Customer service is very lacking. I wanted to walk back out but was enticed by their display of sweet treats. After trying it, if I had walked out I wouldn't have been missing out on anything. Could have saved myself on calories for better dessert elsewhere. Unfortunately I wouldn't recommend this place nor would I go back.

Worst. Service. Ever. The workers there seem like they hate life, you're basically greeted with an upside down smile. We got their gelato and cannoli, it was just okay. I wouldn't recommend this place based on the okay tasting dessert and terrible service.

During our recent visit to the bakery and ice cream shop, while we enjoyed the tasty pastries and gelatos, the overall experience was unfortunately overshadowed by the extremely poor attitude of the staff. Upon our arrival around 4 pm, with ample available tables and minimal customer traffic, we encountered two young staff members whose behavior was disappointing. They were using inappropriate language, displaying frustration, and seemed bothered when we asked to change an ice cream flavor, even though the order hadn't been started yet. Despite spending $80 and tipping 20%, I was taken aback by the level of unprofessionalism. This was by far the worst service I've encountered in my 41 years. I hope they take feedback seriously to improve their service for future customers. 3 stars because the pastry we're delicious.

Pastry and dessert lovers far and wide with a sweet tooth; unite and don't pass this spot up! Just so much to choose from! They had everything from cannolis, cookies, pastries, coffee and ice cream. I believe they had breakfast sandwiches too! Just too much to pick and choose from. We ordered the 3 pack of cannolis, some lemon cookies, strawberry and raspberry cookies, pastries with custard (because they were recommended by not one but 2 patrons in line) and a rainbow cookie that my husband adored and was angry that we did not get more. Pricing was reasonable. Street parking. Nice large establishment. Customer service was amazing this past Sunday morning. We shall certainly come back.

Lovely spot for coffee and cookies or a pastry!!! The ambiance is delightful and the staff is so friendly!!!! Yes, the cookies are as delicious and worth the hype I've been there about 3 times in as many weeks now

Living in southeast Virginia, the idea of a real Italian bakery is about a foreign a concept there as snowshoeing. I was looking forward to some biscotti, some cannolis. Well, check on the biscotti, they had a pistachio flavor that I really enjoyed. Sadly however, their cannoli illing already had chocolate chips, so it's off limits for me. If a bakery wants to ruin their cannolis by putting the chips on the ends, that's one thing. Pistachios work much better by the way! But since I can't eat chocolate, I was out of luck. Alright, rant over. They had a very nice variety of cookies and pastries from lobster tails to rainbow cookies to cucciarere to pignolis. And I'm always a fan of the butter cookies with the cherry in the middle! Good place, even if I'm personally limited in what I can eat there.

Don't miss this place. The atmosphere is great. The only drawback on the pastries is trying to choose which ones to eat. The gelato and Italian Ice are entirely too tasty. Our server was on point an exceptionally attentive to us and our crew of littles. This is a must visit!

Nice place, great pastries. We first sat down and ordered the cannoli trio which was so yum. Good service. Then we stood in line for some Italian cookies and again--great service. Nice place and what you would expect from an old Italian place. Great selection and nice merchandise.

If you're coming from NYC just make a hard stop and turn around. This is not the typical Italian pastry shop you will find anywhere around NYC. This pasty shop is focused more on gelato/ice-cream and food, rather than pastries. You will find cookies and packaged sweets but as far as pastries go this bakery is severely lacking. When I went on a Sunday morning there were no sfogliatella, no tiramisu, no napoleons. We ordered cream puffs, which were expensive and tasteless, pignoli cookies which were dry and hard, rainbow cookies that were actually delicious, their "famous" cannoli chips with dip (Costco actually sells a better cannoli package) and a box of Ferrara torrone. I was here with my family several years ago and remember this bakery being a bit better but this visit was terrible. Service was unfriendly, even though me and my husband were the only customers there. The rainbow cookies were thrown in a bag, which I have never seen anywhere else. The pignoli cookies tasted stale. Most bakeries sprinkle powdered sugar on your pastries but that was not even offered here. My husband wanted to buy Italian bread but he didn't see any so he asked. All three employees looked at him like he had three heads and said they have bread but don't sell bread. Save your Little Italy visits for Philly, Boston or NYC. While they are all rather small, Baltimore's is just plain sad. There are much better dessert options in Baltimore than Vaccaro's.

We drove into the city to get my brother some birthday treats. The pound of cookies were stale and had to be discarded. The eclair was old--cream and pastry tasted like a refrigerator. It was a great letdown -- Vaccaro's has gone down hill. We had a similar experience a couple of weeks back at the Hamden store but chalked it up to a bad day. It's a shame.