Magnolia Bakery

When Magnolia Bakery’s cupcakes made a cameo on a Sex In the City episode in 2000, it catapulted the unassuming spot to stardom. And with lines at the original West Village location perennially snaking around the block since then, true insiders also know that the Classic Banana Pudding is a must-try. Made with decadent layers of vanilla wafers, bananas, and vanilla pudding, the decadent dessert is a creamy and wonderful concoction that’s so good that it should be the new replacement to the customary birthday cake.

If any spot in NYC was made by its appearance on SATC, it was Magnolia Bakery. The tiny West Village neighborhood bakery known for its pastel-colored cupcakes was briefly featured in a now-famous scene in which Miranda and Carrie share treats outside the Bakery in Season 3, shortly after Carrie first meets Aidan (John Corbett). That brief appearance launched a cupcake empire. The bakery, opened in 1996 by Jennifer Appel and Allysa Torey, was sold in 2007 to Steve and Tyra Abrams. The spot quickly expanded to open other locations uptown and around the city and eventually internationally to places like Dubai, Qatar, and the Philippines. The cupcake selection includes vanilla, chocolate, and red velvet, among others, but our personal favorite is the equally popular banana pudding, made with Nilla wafers.

The dish: Pumpkin gingersnap banana pudding
While Magnolia Bakery may have become famous for their cupcakes, every true New Yorker knows their banana pudding (which you can also make at home!) is a matchless standout of its own—and the best northern rendition of a Southern classic. Perhaps Southerners would disapprove of this autumnal twist, but on the menu for fall is a creamy pumpkin pudding layered with gingersnap cookies and bananas and spiced with nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, and cloves.
How to order: Walk in. Order takeout and delivery via DoorDash, Seamless, Toasttab, Uber Eats, and nationwide shipping via Goldbelly.