Villani's Bakery

I was so excited about trying this bakery after reading the reviews. I only enjoyed the almond croissant and the s’mores bar. Unfortunately, the chocolate chip cookie and cinnamon roll were hard, tasted stale and were trashed. Overall, I would not recommend this bakery.

Let me set the stage. My birthday was on a Tuesday, but the big celebration? Sunday dinner. Friends. Family. A gathering of the finest people in my life. I told my wife, “Please, no grocery store cheesecake this year—get the real deal. A proper New York cheesecake. Go big or go home.” She found a charming bakery in Charlotte. Small business. Local. A $70 New York cheesecake was ordered, along with a $7 slice of Italian Crème Cake for herself. We even pre-tipped $15 because, hey, support small biz, right? Total damage? About $96. We pick it up. The place is cute. We’re excited. Fast forward to that evening: candles lit, “Happy Birthday” sung, the cheesecake sliced ceremoniously. I hand out pieces with pride, ready to bask in creamy glory. But something’s… off. One by one, eyebrows raise. Faces twist. Confused stares bounce around the table like a game of Clue. This wasn’t New York cheesecake. This was… citrus. The unmistakable zing of lemon and orange. A flavor that screams “Florida spring break” more than “Manhattan dessert classic.” I called the bakery—still calm, still hopeful. I asked, “Hey, I think we got the wrong cheesecake. This tastes like lemon and orange, not NY-style.” She replies: “Does it have orange slices in it?” Me: “Actually… yeah. What?” Her response: “That’s our New York cheesecake. We make it with lemon and orange slices.” I paused. Internally, the needle scratched across the record. This wasn’t a mix-up. This was their intentional version of a “New York cheesecake.” Reinvented. Redefined. Citrus-fied. A bold choice, sure—but also, absolutely not what anyone would expect when ordering a NY cheesecake. We returned to the bakery—still calm, still polite—to see if they’d make it right. Nope. “Email the company,” they said. No refund, no exchange, no effort. Just a shrug and “sorry.” At this point, it wasn’t even about the cake. It was about principle. It was about justice. It was about warning future generations of this culinary bait-and-switch. Let me be clear: lemon and orange slices have no place in a New York cheesecake. That’s not an opinion. That’s dessert law. Ask anyone—your grandma, a pastry chef, a man on the street. NY cheesecake is rich, creamy, vanilla-forward, maybe with a graham cracker crust. That’s it. Not a citrus fruit in sight. We ended up favoring a $10 Harris Teeter gluten-free cheesecake sampler over this $70 boutique disappointment. And honestly? That store-bought cheesecake won the popular vote. By a landslide. So here’s my suggestion to the bakery: 1. Call your cake what it is—Lemon Citrus Cheesecake. 2. Don’t gaslight your customers. When someone orders a classic dessert, then politely calls to ask why it tastes like a citrus grove, the answer shouldn’t be a casual “That’s how we make it.” 3. Consider that some people have citrus allergies and you’ve made no effort to disclose this bold creative decision. I hate leaving 1-star reviews, actually this is my first ever, but I felt it was my duty. For the next unsuspecting soul who just wants a real birthday cheesecake without a splash of scandal.

I have been wanting to go here for a long time! Their pastry cases were packed full! It was hard to make a decision, but i went with a cream horn and a cherry turnover. Both were good, but the pastry was a little heavier than I prefer. Also, they mistakenly gave me a strawberry turnover and not cherry. Everything looked so good though, I don’t think you could go wrong ordering anything here.

Villani's is definitely in my top 3 bakeries in Charlotte. I've loved almost everything I've had here and I've been coming to this bakery for 5 years now. Very excited I now work down the road so I can treat myself here and there

Macaroon 🔥, cream puffs 🔥,cartot cake delicious but a little dry 😋, lobster tail 🔥. That being said the chocolate chip cookies are big but not very sweet so they were a little disappointing 😢. The place is a little small , but the staff is awesome. I'm going back for sure and if you in the area it's definitely worth stopping

We stopped by the bakery last night after dinner on a whim, thanks to a TikTok video that made everything look irresistible. It was about 8 PM, so the selection was a bit limited compared to what they likely offer during the day, but wow—what we did try was incredible! I’m kicking myself for not discovering this place sooner (and my pants aren’t thrilled about it either). The bakery itself is cozy—tiny, even. Be prepared to rub shoulders (literally) with your fellow dessert enthusiasts. The staff was plentiful and efficient, keeping things moving quickly, but the pace did make me feel a little rushed—this isn’t the spot for leisurely browsing. Now, for the sweets: •   Chocolate cake: 10/10, absolute perfection! Rich, moist, and indulgent. •   Key lime pie: Another 10/10—just the right balance of tart and sweet. Chef’s kiss! •   Lobster claw: Good, but not quite our favorite. The cream filling was divine, but the pastry wasn’t quite to our taste (though we think it’s just how they’re supposed to be). •   Rainbow Neapolitan cookie: A delightful standout—flavorful and fun! •   Lemon bar: TBD, as my wife hasn’t tried it yet. •   Cream horn: We only sampled the filling so far, and it’s fantastic. We’re saving the rest for later. This bakery is an absolute gem, and we’ll definitely be back to explore more of their offerings. To those about to nosh, we salute you!

I've been following this bakery on Instagram for a while and one Sunday afternoon my friend says she's craving a cannoli. So I said let's drive into Charlotte and try this bakery out. She says they're open on a Sunday? I said they're open till 10:00 p.m. on a Sunday, how about that? She didn't even end up getting a cannoli, I did! But she got some other goodies and so did I. Everything was delicious. I think we arrived at about 8:45 p.m. and there was even a line that time of night. That says something about the place when they have a line like that. That means it's worth waiting in line for 😁 we will definitely be back!

I recently tried some macaroons, and they were amazing! The shells were crispy yet chewy, and the flavors—like chocolate and strawberry —were so vibrant. Each bite was a perfect blend of sweetness. Definitely a must-try!

Amazing. So so good!! Came here after dinner nearby to try it out because I was seeing rave reviews and it's absolutely worth it! The place is super small and the lot is basically a step away from a little free-for-all dirt lot type vibe, but I didn't have any issue with parking. Service was super friendly and informative. I grabbed a tiramisu and some macarons and all were delicious. I can't wait to try the olive oil cake that I've heard everyone raving over.

I've really wanted to like Villani's, especially given all of the positive reviews on here. Unfortunately, every time I've gotten something from there (which is about 3 times at this point), it's just been a bit meh or even a downright disappointment. The first time I went, I got a chocolate babka loaf which was really dry. The next time, I got a strawberry poptart which seemed like it hadn't even been cooked. The last time I went I got some cookies which were just alright. I don't have it in me to keep giving this place a shot. Perhaps they are really good at some other things?

Recently tried Villani's after hearing so many great things. The croissants are really big and you can smell the butter in them, but I was disappointed that they were dense instead of light and flaky. (The croissants at Whole Foods are better IMO) The chocolate cake was also just ok, but if you heat it up for 10 seconds it's better. They share a gravel parking lot with Cheat's so it can be hard to find a parking spot if you go at peak times.

I frequently crave a pistachio cheesecake from Villani's. It might be the best cheesecake I've had. I've really never had anything bad here though, so if you haven't tried it yet, make your way there!! Go early, because they can sell out of things, hence why I haven't had another pistachio cheesecake in months. You can order full cakes or cheesecakes when you call ahead.

Stopped by Villani's bakery and was blown away by how delicious this place is! I had the pistachio croissant (I devoured this thing before I could get a photo) and it was absolutely AMAZING!!! My wife got a slice of cheese cake which was phenomenal. I cannot wait to go back to try more from this bakery!

This place is busy for a reason! Friendly staff, kind patrons and a line that moves fairly quickly. Got there at 11 ish on a Sunday and still had a massive selection available. Passing through town, would recommend stopping for coffee and delicious classic pastries, breads and breakfast treats. Outdoor seating is available, parking is a little tough if busy but it seems the locals just make it work. Can't wait to dive into my muffin and cheesecake turnover on the drive to Ohio.

If I'm seeing this right, this is a bakery, but....a lot of their treats are not as sweet as usual. Especially the sfingy.. It literally tastes like oxygen. NO FLAVOR @ ALL. But it's yelp popular. I got chocolate cake, 2 cheesecakes, and 2 cookies. It's not a chocolate chip cookie. It's a chocolate chip scone. Lol. Missing sugar also, which makes me think it's a theme here. Small place but was crowded the whole time. This whole section was popping. I LOVE ME SOME CHARLOTTE!!!! LOVE THE MELTING POT ENERGY. Therapeutic coming from where I'm from. They were missing a few items I saw on yelp. Courteous staff. They are very patient. They know how hard these decisions are. Lol. I'm not going to rest until I have everything on the menu. Hit it arnold.....I'LL B BUK!!!

Hands down best bakery! A must if you are in the area. The macarons are AMAZING This place does not disappoint

I had such high hopes for this bakery as most reviews were good. The rainbow cookies were dry with almost no jelly, the cannoli and macrons were flavorless. I spent a decent amount of money and was sadly disappointed. The staff was very nice and helpful.

It's like a little NYC/NJ bakery in the heart of Plaza. Everything you'd expect from an Italian bakery, but without the craziness. Sure the counter is busy, but everyone there is helpful and can guide you to what you're looking for. It's a great bakery with delicious treats (get the cheesecake)!

Chocolate cake is amazing! Service was super friendly and accommodating. I plan to go back way too soon!

Stopped in for a quick coffee and picked up a few sweet treats . The scone was good, but was not a standout. My daughter tried the brownie and said it was one of the best she has had. It was moist and the chocolate was rich. They had a large selection and variety of bakery items . The place is small and does not have any indoor seating, but a nice neighborhood shop.

Tiramisu was good the original cheesecake was okay. Would come back to try the pistachio cheesecake

Villani's is just the BEST. Everything I've had from here is amazing. We were sooooo lucky that they had tiramisu left at 9:45 pm when we squeezed in right before close. Their tiramisu is to die for - it's so light and fluffy but sooo flavorful and amazing. But y'all knew that. Everything from here is amazing - they won't disappoint you

Everything is fresh and tasty Villani's Lobster Tail is better than Michael's in Boston's Northend!

This is yet another bakery that stole my heart...and taste buds! I love this place. It's a tiny bakery with great service and a sweet and lovely vibe. MENU The menu is about sweet pastries. It has a wide variety of cakes, macaroons, pies, etc., etc. It also offers a limited coffee menu. LOCATION AND PARKING It's easy to get to, and if you rely on GPS, it will take you straight to it. Beware, the free parking lot is shared with another business, so plan ahead during busy hours (mostly in the evenings and weekends). There is no sitting available inside, but there are wooded picnic tables outside. Overall, 100% recommended.

It was so packed but service was great. The bakery items were all delicious. I would go again.

Service was fast and cakes were delicious. Seating is limited outside we got ours togo. Highly recommended from our server at our restaurant. Give it a try you want be disappointed.

A friend of mine recommended this place for baked goods and other pastries. They did not disappoint!! I had a slice of chocolate cake and tasted my friend's brownie. My taste buds were dancing. Lol They tasted so rich and fresh. I can't wait to go back and try the other goodies.

It's intimate. Try not to come too late as it can get busy and there isn't a lot of inside space for standing. I always come when I see the apple cheesecake on their Instagram. It's my happy place.

Great macrons! I've been looking for a bakery that made their own macrons, most just use pre-made from the same vendor. Their ricotta cake is superb as well! The service is great, everyone was very nice. It's a small establishment but very nice.

I always feel good supporting small businesses, and when they taste good it makes them easy to support! Villani's is one of those places. It's location is great, with lots of shops within walking distance. The storefront itself is small, smells divine, but doesn't have inside seating. There was plenty of parking beside it, but multiple business share the lot so it'll vary depending on time! The staff was accommodating and I didn't feel rushed to make a selection. Some will say the service is slow, but I think they just focus on one person at a time. I'll revisit when in the area again!

If you're looking for some seriously authentic pastries and a wide array of baked goods to choose from, this is your place to go. It is a small.. I mean ssmmmalllll spot with free parking on gravel- on a weekend you'll see the line probably outside, but it will go by fast and it's worth it. I recommend the s'mores bar, any of their scones, the puffy French pastry (I'm so not French I can't recall it's name )but it's got the mild, light and airy almond cream inside the perfectly flaky outer. They also have all kids of cakes, macarons, cookies, any fresh hot or iced beverage your little heart desires, and probably more. I had the chai and it was really good- a teensy bit sweet, but wayyyyy better than the Starbucks ones.

Great atmosphere friendly staff. Good choices of baked goods and pastries. My wife and I got the German Chocolate, chocolate on chocolate and pound cake. The pound cake was my favorite

Solid Italian bakery with most of the items that can't be found so easily in the south. They got the rainbow cookies with not too much jelly as the baked ones tend to have. They also got biscotti, Italian cheesecake, and a bunch of other Christmas desserts that I'm used to seeing in my childhood. The place is small, which is why a line forms outside and moves slowly. The staff were friendly, patient, and helpful.

Best Italian bakery in the CLT area! The staff are great and all the baked goods are worth a try. There is no indoor seating but outside seating is available, perfect on a nice day! 100% worth a visit!

I've been here many times and service is always good, but whenever I've ordered any type of cake, it was dry, stale, and inedible. The crumb cake is abominable. The pastries aren't a whole lot better, with the exception of the lobster claw. It's astounding to see all these rave reviews. There are much better bakeries in Charlotte, like Renaissance, Copain, and Suarez.

We stopped after dinner for some treats. Terrific carrot cake. My s'more bar was delicious and very rich. Hubby had the Napolian but the dough wasn't crispy like he loves it. Overall good eats.

Wow wow wow! Looking for a NY style bakery? This is your place! Super small little shop with friendly and helpful staff! Amazing choices, wide variety, and really fresh! Seems like the menu always changes but they have staples that are constant. My husband and I got a few things to share and it was all great! We got the bacon and cheddar biscuit, delicious and flavorful thought it would be great if we heated it up with butter but honestly plain is amazing. The everything bialy with cream cheese, not doughy at all and had caramelized onions on it! A pistachio biscotti, just the texture between crisp and soft didn't taste artificial at all, real pistachios in it! Rainbow cookies, were okay not the best I've had but I've also had Much worse, seemed to be missing something. All in all this is our new spot, definitely recommend!!

After looking at reviews for this place, decided to stop by to try for myself. It was a Sunday evening and the line was out the door. We decided to order the carrot cake and a chocolate chip cookie which was reported to be one of the best in the city. The cake was delicious, but not as moist as I wanted. The cookie tasted more like a scone. Overall, a solid bakery. Excited to check out a few different options.

Great little spot for desserts. It can get busy within minutes of arriving. Pricing is fair if you want to try a couple things without spending $15. My favorite is the cannoli with pistachio. The confetti cheesecake was okay. Italian Cream Cake is what I imagine a wedding cake would taste like. You want to eat it the same day or the cake will dry out in the refrigerator (buttercream and nuts were fine). The iced Chai Latte was of great quality. Located near railroad in Plaza Midwood. Never met an owner but the staff are usually friendly, helpful, quick, and attentive.

My boyfriend went to go pick up Villani's for me and got a lobster tail, tiramisu and a crème sandwich. My favorite was the lobster tail- super crunchy on the outside and creamy fluffy filling on the inside ! The tiramisu was my next fav. This was easily the best tiramisu I've ever tasted. The crème sandwich I wasn't much of a fan of, I think they put too much almond extract in the filling. Not sure what their prices were like. This bakery is conveniently located about 10 mins from me :)

I just can't wait to get back here! We got the chocolate cake and a hummingbird cake as well as several little cookies from the Jars. They were better than the Italian cookies I had in Italy-by far. The Chocolate cake made my week. It looked like the one in Matilda. The service was actually hilariously bad as the guy who took our order seemed to completely forget about us when a friend of his walked in to say hi. We were just waiting to be checked out and holding up the line but we hadn't gotten anything yet Eventually someone asked us if we were waited on and we looked at the guy and said "yeah, um, he took our order." It suddenly clicked and was very apologetic. I didn't see a place I would have wanted to sit there so we brought it home and enjoyed it in the comfort of our Jammie's with a glass of milk. Perfection

After dinner in the Elizabeth Neighborhood we wanted a little something else. My wife found Villani's down the road and we we're off. We arrived to a very unassuming business. This is a small place, but don't let that fool you. WOW!! We picked a few things that included the Chocolate Peanutbutter cake, Brownie and Postacio Macaroon. Apologies for the lack of pictures, everything was that good! Service was friendly. It was a Saturday night and the place was packed. Even with the amount of people, they moved quickly. Great deserts, very nice people and a business that I will continue to support. I hope that you decide to do the same thing.

Have been here many times & will return !! Our favorites are the tiramisu & chocolate croissant. They also have espresso drinks & freshly squeezed lemonade. There is no inside seating but there are picnic tables right outside. The only thing I wouldn't recommend is the cheesecake, it is somewhat dry. Amazing service as well !

I really liked this place and was glad I was able to finally try it out! The staff is incredible and so warm and welcoming! They answered all my bizarre questions. I will list and review each item that I tried. Triple berry muffin: average, $3.50/pc so pricey & I wish they had more than 1 kind of muffin to order. Almond cheesecake: I'm a cheesecake nut and this was great! I was told to check out their Instagram or call if you want to know daily what flavors they have. Lobster tail: I will agree with the other reviews that a lot of the croissant-like-pastries were a little over cooked. And that part of it I couldn't eat due to it being too hard. Other than that it was delicious and had just the right amount of cream! I'd still recommend this guy. It's safe to say I will be back to try out more, but I would recommend them keeping an eye out for not over cooking some of the items that makes them look inedible.

My favorite chocolate croissant in Charlotte. Also me and my boyfriends favorite cheesecake. There are so many different types and it varies pretty often but over time we've tried red velvet, strawberry swirl, chocolate banana, pistachio, chocolate chip and probably some others I'm forgetting.

Tried a variety of their macaroons. So delicious and fresh! Would return to try some of the pastries

All the desserts that we have tried have been fantastic! The cakes are our favorite. Great service and worth the drive from Mint Hill NC

Love Villani's! Today we had our usual/favorite slice of carrot cake. The frosting is great and the cake is so moist and flavorful. We love the nuts in it. We tried something new (for us) in the chocolate sprinkle cheesecake and it was also delicious. The slices are always big enough to share . One of our favorite local treats!

I've been wanting to try this bakery due to all the rave reviews on Yelp. It's a 30 min drive from me, so it's definitely an out of way stop for us. We decided to make a morning of it and got there at 9am. It's a small shop in a nondescript gravel parking lot with a few picnic tables outside. They have a lot of pastries available and the staff were quick to take orders. With this being my first visit, I needed more time and asked a lot of questions. The lady was helpful in answering them. We got a mixed box of items to sample because everything looked good. We also got a couple drinks. Pros: - the lobster tail was yummy and I liked the cream - my chai latte was exactly how I like it--not too sweet, not overly spicy We also got: -2 bialys with cream cheese: these were underwhelming but it was nice that they were toasted - tiramisu. Soooo bad! The sponge was incredibly dry and stale tasting. She told me this is one of their most popular desserts and I love tiramisu so I was excited. But it was the worst tiramisu I've had. Either they are bad at making tiramisu or this was an old batch. It definitely was not made that morning. - a ricotta and orange pastry dessert that was next to the lobster tail and had a complicated name. It was fine but not something I'd order again - berry muffin: again, pretty typical muffin. Nothing to write home about. Final verdict: everything looked better than it tasted for the most part and I would definitely not drive out of my way to go here. If I were in the neighborhood, I might stop by and try something else to give them another shot. For 6 items, two drinks, and tip, our order came out to about $40 so not cheap but I guess not as bad as some places. It would be worth it if more of the food had been satisfying.

One of our favorite bakeries. They have great macarons and they stay open later than alot of other bakeries. Their cakes are also amazing. Huge slices and great flavor, moistness is just right. Sometimes their other baked goods can be a little less than great though. The croissants are too bready and not flakey enough for me. And the turnovers were a little dry. But if you get the stuff they do well, which is a lot, then you won't be disappointed. Also A+ for consistency and great customer service.

Sooo good! One of the best tiramisus I've ever had. Pretty decent size. I think it was around $6 We went around 7:30 PM and the line was out the door. It moves pretty fast though. The staff was really nice. They don't have a big menu posted, so you can't see the names of the pastries and the price until you get up to order, which makes it hard to figure out what you want without holding up the line. Lots of different pastries, cookies, and cakes available. They don't have indoor seating, so you'll have to take it to go

I visited this bakery for the second time over the course of two years. It's kind of in an unremarkable location so you might miss it unless you are specifically looking for it. It's very tiny inside, so there's always a line. And in this age of COVID, you probably should wear a mask inside - again tight quarters. The staff are always very friendly. They will answer any questions that you have about the desserts with a very friendly and positive attitude. There is a lot to choose from. The cheesecakes are all great, the pastries are delicious as well. You could really go crazy in here and before you know it, you've spent $50. I'm not on this side of town often but whenever I am, I try to remember to stop in.

Their cake slices are some of the best in Charlotte. Carrot, red velvet, chocolate, Italian cream...you can't go wrong!

Cute little bakery with all kinds of sweet treats. I tried the lemon bar and my friend tried the blueberry cheesecake. We both enjoyed our selections. There is no seating inside but they have a cute picnic area right outside.

The best bakery in town. So many options and they are all fresh! Went here in a whim and holy cow it is my favorite now! The flavors are phenomenal!

I ABSOLUTELY LOVE this hidden gem of Charlotte. It's located near the heart of Plaza Midwood! There is plenty of parking for you to run in and get your goodies. When the weather permits there are a couple of picnic tables outside with some nice shading. Everything here is delicious, this is why I try to get something new every time I go with my family. But my FAVORITE pastry I will say it's the lobster tail. To my knowledge it's the ONLY bakery in Charlotte that has the lobster tails pastries. There is something about the puff pastry when is perfectly baked golden with their light and fluffy cream in the middle. You must try it!

I'm ashamed to say I've never heard of this bakery until a friend dropped off some cheesecake for us recently. It was so good, that I had to make a trip to Villani's to see what else they had, and buy some desserts to gift to someone else. Arrived on a Saturday afternoon and there were only a couple of customers ahead of me, but that was fine, because there were so many pastries and desserts in the cases, and cheesecakes in the refrigerator that I needed time to figure out what I wanted. I ended up getting an assortment of Macarons, cheesecake, cookies and other sweets. I thought the prices were pretty reasonable, the employees were very friendly, the dessert was GOOD - and I will most definitely return.

Excellent! This team of bakers is doing something right when the crispy flakey crust of their croissant melts in your mouth! They have honed their craft into an impressive display of dessert and breakfast goods.