When I visited: May 2013, September 2019

Location: NYC, near Bleecker (there are now a few other locations in NYC as well)

Rating in the Michelin Guide: Not rated

Dining Owl Hoot rating: 4/5

What to wear: Could go casual

Ambience: Fun, colourful

Course of the meal: Red velvet cupcake

If I could change one thing: Add a big seating area inside

Review:

If you’re in the Bleecker area of NYC, you might as well go to Minetta Tavern and then to Magnolia Bakery for a cupcake (if you’re still hungry). There is even a little park near the bakery for you to sit and enjoy your cake, and if you’re like my partner Owl, you’ll sit and eat it and love it so much that you’ll need to immediately go and buy another one for later.

This place was featured in an episode of Sex and the City and therefore still gets a lot of tourist trade, but it’s definitely worth its hype – the cakes are creamy and utterly delicious, if not good for your health in any way whatsoever except for the (temporary) great happiness that they’ll bring you. Basically, if you’re in New York and you don’t go, you’ll regret it.