Your NYC travel advisor
Your NYC travel advisor
In today’s article in my NYC BLOG I take you on a discovery of one of the most iconic foods of Italian culinary culture and one of the most famous areas of Manhattan: the best cannoli in Little Italy in NYC.
If you come on a trip to New York prepare to try cuisines of all kinds: Italian, Chinese, Mexican, Argentine, French and many, many more. Remember one thing, though: there are so many restaurants in NYC and knowing how to choose well is very important. In fact, according to the most recent statistics, there are about 20,000 restaurants in NYC. Some of them are excellent, unique in the world. Others, however, a little less so.
So, trust me and read this guide: let’s discover together the Best Cannoli in Little Italy in NYC.
Little Italy is located in Manhattan, New York. The Little Italy area is called Lower Manhattan due to the fact that it is located on the lower part of the island of Manhattan. Unlike other iconic places such as Rockefeller Center, Times Square and Central Park, which are in Midtown Manhattan, Little Italy in NYC is further down. Therefore, you will most likely need the subway to visit it. Before we find out together what are the Best Cannoli in Little Italy in NYC, let’s go over the most important things to know about Little Italy in NYC
As written in the paragraph above, Little Italy, the most famous neighborhood of Italian tradition in Manhattan, is located in Lower Manhattan. Here you will find not only some of the best cannoli in Little Italy in NYC, but also lots of other specialties such as Cheesecake, biscotti and other Italian pastry recipes.To help you find it, you can click on this Google Map Link or consult the map I have included below.
If you are looking for the best cannoli in Little Italy in NYC and want to get to Little Italy by subway, you have many options.
The first option to get to Little Italy in Manhattan NYC from Midtown Manhattan is to take the yellow N or Q. You can get this subway line from Times Square. The Times Square stop of the N or Q lines is on 7th Avenue at the intersection with 49th Street. To understand it more easily, it is practically behind the red stairs in Times Square and next to the M&M’s Store. When you get on the NYC Subway, go southbound.
The N or Q line stop for visiting Little Italy is called Canal Street. Canal Street is the street that cuts horizontally through Manhattan and divides Little Italy from China Town. From Times Square to Little Italy with the N or Q Subway Line will take you a maximum of 20 minutes. Very quick and convenient. Once you exit at the Canal Street stop, walk east on Grand Street until you reach the intersection with Mulberry Street. There you will be in the heart of this famous area of Manhattan, ready to taste the Best Cannoli in Little Italy in NYC.
Another option to reach Little Italy by subway is to start at Bryant Park. Here in fact you can take the D or F lines that cut NYC from north to sub. Take the subway south until you get to the Broadway-Lafayette Street stop.
Once you exit the subway stop, Mulberry Street is only a short walk away. Mulberry Street is the most iconic street in this area and here you will find some of the Best Cannoli in Little Italy in NYC.
Another very easy option is to take the A or E subway from Times Square. The stop for these New York subway lines are at the intersection of 42nd Street and 8th Avenue. Next to them is Port Authority, the largest bus station in Manhattan. A large number of buses connecting New York City with New Jersey also depart from here.
As with the other options, you have to go southbound on the A or E Lines. The stop you need to exit at is Canal Street. Although the name of the stop is the same as that of the N or Q lines, the Canal Street stop of the A or E Lines is located slightly further west.
From the Canal Street subway stop, walk in a westerly direction for about 15 minutes. Once you arrive at the intersection of Grand Street and Mulberri Street you have arrived. There is no better way to reward a walk than to eat the Best Cannoli in Little Italy in NYC.
Last option to go for the Best Cannoli in Little Italy in NYC by subway is the 1 or 2 Lines. These NYC Metro Lines are easily recognized by their red color. The route is very similar to the one in the previous paragraph: from Times Square take subway 1 or 2 southbound. Exit the subway at the Canal Street stop and walk east on Grand Street. Once you arrive at the intersection with Mulberry Street you will be in the heart of Little Italy in Manhattan.
Little Italy is not very big. In my opinion 2 hours is more than enough time to visit it. When I say visit it I mean walk the length and breadth of Mulberry Street, which is the most iconic street in Little Italy in Manhattan. it is on Mulberry Street that you will find some of the Best Cannoli in Little Italy in NYC.
Little Italy is located in lower Manhattan, as are so many other iconic areas of New York City. Among these, the most famous are certainly China Town, SoHo and the Financial District. In the next paragraphs we will analyze one by one the areas closest to Little Italy in Manhattan. That way, when you go in search of the Best Cannoli in Little Italy in NYC, you can also take the opportunity to go and see some other iconic places in NYC as well.
China Town in Manhattan is located practically attached to Little Italy. Dividing these two very famous areas of Manhattan in New York is only Canal Street. While Little Italy has lost much of its Italian tradition over time, China Town is 100 percent original. In fact, here you will find some of the best Asian restaurants in all of New York. A great many people combine a visit to Little Italy in Manhattan with a visit to China Town, the latter being a normal extension of the former. So take advantage of this to visit it.
In my opinion, a combined visit to Little Italy and China Town takes about half a day. The good thing is that, besides finding the Best Cannoli in Little Italy in New York, you can also go in search of plenty of Chinese food.
You have certainly seen them all over social media. I’m talking about 4 giant wooden swings alongside the East River. These swings are located at Pier 35 and offer an exceptional view of Lower Manhattan. As you swing on the swings at Pier 35 you can enjoy views of the Manhattan Bridge, Brooklyn Bridge, One World Trade Center and even, at a distance, the Statue of Liberty. The best combination? Swinging here while eating one of the Best Cannoli in Little Italy in NYC.
Click below to find out more about Pier 35 and its beautiful giant swings
Very few people know it but when they visit they fall in love with it. I’m talking about Zuccotti Park.
Zuccotti park is a tiny park in lower Manhattan that during the holiday season is decorated with thousands of lights. Expect to find Christmas trees, tan lights and decorations, and even a small Christmas market.
Click below to find out everything you need to know about Zuccotti Park and its Christmas lights.
While you’re looking for the Best Cannoli in Little Italy in NYC, why not linger a little further south and visit Manhattan’s Financial District. Here you will find the iconic Wall Street, the place where the world’s largest and most important companies are listed.
If you are in New York during the Christmas season, then take the opportunity to also visit the New York Stock Exchange’s beautiful Christmas tree. In my opinion it is just as beautiful as the one at Rockefeller Center but much less crowded. Be prepared to be confronted with a spectacle of lots of colorful lights and Christmas ornaments.
To learn everything you need to know about the Wall Street Christmas Tree, click below!
There is an area of Manhattan in New York City where you are exactly between the Brooklyn Bridge and the Manhattan Bridge. From here you can see the way the two bridges converge inside Brooklyn. I’m talking about the neighborhood called Two Bridges.
Two Bridges is located just below Pier 35 and overlooks the East River. If you are a lover of photography, this is one of the places that should definitely be visited during your trip to NYC.
Looking across the river, where the Brooklyn and Manhattan bridges converge, you will see Brooklyn. Specifically, that is DUMBO which literally means Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass. In my opinion, DUMBO is one of the most beautiful areas in New York City. If you can, visit it. Below are some articles I have written about DUMBO. I hope they will be helpful to you in planning your trip to NYC.
SoHo literally means South of Huston Street. is one of the neighborhoods in lower New York City. Visiting it, once you are looking for the Best cannoli in Little Italy in NYC, is really super easy. Just walk north and you can get there in less than 15 minutes. Among the most interesting things to do in SoHo is Shopping.
In fact, in SoHo you will find all the major brands that are on 5th Avenue in Midtown Manhattan, but without the people that crowd this extremely touristy area. Plus in SoHo there are also a lot of small stores and boutiques that make this neighborhood even more magical.
So, if you are looking for a good place to go Shopping in New York, consider SoHo!
Also north of Little Italy you will find Greenwich Village. This area of Manhattan is very famous indeed. In fact, here you will find the best Jazz venues in the city such as the historic Blue Note. Or Caffe Reggio, the place where Cappuccino was born. Here is also the home of Friends and the home of Sex & the City.
To relax, and maybe eat one of the Best Cannoli in Little Italy in NYC, you can sit on one of the benches in Washington Square Park.
After this necessary introduction to Little Italy in Manhattan that I hope will help you plan your next trip to New York, it is finally time to talk about Cannoli. The list I have prepared for you obviously focuses on Little Italy in Manhattan, with a couple of exceptions slightly north of it, but still within easy walking distance.
So here are what I think are the Best Cannoli in Little Italy in NYC.
Ferrara Bakery represents Italian excellence in New York’s Little Italy. This Bakery was opened back in 1892. It was initially a gathering place for opera lovers. Over time it has evolved into an iconic place where Italian and American traditions blend perfectly.
Now at Ferrara Bakery you can find over 200 Italian specialties. These numbers make it clear why listing Ferrara Bakery among the Best Cannoli in Little Italy in NYC is a must.
Everything you see displayed at Ferrara Bakery is handmade. I am not only talking about their delicious Cannoli, among the best in NYC, but also about Italian cookies, cheesecakes and other pastries from the Italian American tradition.
Among the things I love most about Ferrara Bakery in Little Italy in Manhattan are 1. The fact that they make custom cakes for special events, such as weddings. 2. the ability to organize private events. 3. Their technological choice to deliver their cannoli and specialties anywhere in New York thanks to services like GrubHub or UberEats.
So, if you are looking for the Best Cannoli in Little Italy in NYC, you cannot fail to stop by Ferrara Bakery.
To find it, I leave here both their Google Map Link that you can click on to read the most recent reviews and below the map that takes you directly to Little Italy.
Vaniero’s Pasticceria is another cornerstone of Italian tradition in NYC. In fact, here you can find one of the best cannoli in Little Italy in NYC. In addition to cannoli I also suggest you try their Cheesecake, prepared 100% in the traditional way.
Vaniero’s Pasticceria was opened back in 1855. Over the years, its fame has been established and now, while not exactly in Little Italy, it is still one of the most iconic places to try Italian pastries in NYC.
In fact, Vaniero’s is on the Lower East Side, between 1st and 2nd Avenues on 11th Street.
To reach it you can use the Google Maps Link or the map embedded below.
Pasticceria Rocco is not exactly in Little Italy, but a little further north. The area of Manhattan where Pasticceria Rocco is located is called Greenwhich Village. To learn more about this area, scroll down the page above because I have talked about it in a paragraph in this Blog.
Although Pasticceria Rocco is not in Little Italy, I felt like including it in this list because in my opinion it 100% reflects the Italian tradition in NYC.
Pasticceria Rocco’s recipes will also teleport you to southern Italy. In fact, they all descend from the tradition of Sicily and other Italian regions since the late 1800s.
The things I love most about Pasticceria Rocco are:
1. The Italian pastries. Not only are their cannoli delicious. They also have excellent Cheesecakes, Italian Biscuits and other traditional Italian pastries. If you are looking for something sweet to transport you from NYC to the Italian peninsula, Pasticceria Rocco in Greenwich Village is the place to be!
2. The Bar. Are you looking for a good cappuccino in NYC? At Pasticceria Rocco you will find cappuccinos, coffees, Latte Macchiatos and other drinks that will allow you to have an Italian breakfast in NYC.
3. Pasticceria Rocco’s Cuisine. In recent years, Pasticceria Rocco, given its great success, has expanded. It is no longer just a place to find Italian Pastries, but also a suitable place to have a good Lunch in New York. For example, I love their Pankakes.
As usual, if you want to find Pasticceria Rocco you can simply click on this Google Map Link or browse the map embedded below!
Caffè Palermo is the first thing you think of when you hear the words Cannoli and Little Italy mentioned. Little John, the owner of Caffè Palermo, is so famous for his specialties that he is even called Cannoli King.
Caffè Palermo is located in the heart of Little Italy. To go and try one of his specialties go to the intersection of Mulberry Street and Grand Street.
So many celebrities have passed through here. In fact, big names who have tasted Caffe Palermo’s cannoli include Danny deVito, Clint Eastwood and Katie Holmes.
If you are looking for the Best Cannoli in Little Italy in NYC, Caffe Palermo and Little John will surely know how to please you.
To help you move around inside Little Italy and also to get there, for example, from Times Square, you can click on the Google Map Link or use the map I insert below.
Paesano’s of Mulberry Street is the perfect solution if you are in Little Italy and are not just looking for a Bakery where you can eat good Cannoli, but a real restaurant.
In fact, at Paesano’s, you can try some of the most iconic Italian American specialties ever. Let yourself be delighted by its delicious Fettuccine Alfredo, Rigatoni alla Vodka, Chicken Parmigiana or even sandwiches filled with so many delights.
As its name implies, Paesano’s is also located in the heart of Little Italy and more precisely at 136 Mulberry Street.
This restaurant opened back in 1976 and from there has built a reputation that I honorably place it among the Best Cannolis in Little Italy in NYC.
To reach it from wherever in New York you are, you can use the Google Map Link or consult the map below.
Are you planning your trip to New York City? If you enjoyed this article on the Best Cannoli in Little Italy in New York, then I suggest you also check out the rest of my NYC BLOG. There you will indeed find lots of articles on many different topics. Where to eat, what to do, what to visit, and much more.
If, on the other hand, you are planning a trip to New York during the holiday season, I recommend that you click on the link below to read everything you need to know about Christmas in New York. Christmas Trees, Lights and Decorations, Christmas-themed Restaurants, Christmas Shows and more.
