Came from LA only wanting to taste test the best chocolate chip cookie! Crispy edge, gooey middle, and no empty space wasted on just flour...Levain is the clear winner! Coming back this trip for sure!!

After a friend moved up to NYC, she introduced me to Levain Bakery's cookies and her favorite quickly became mine: the chunky, Walnut-Chocolate-Chip, which, especially when warm from the oven, is pretty much my ideal cookie. Service at the original location was friendly and quick and there is (minimal) room to stand to read the articles and look at some pictures of Levain Bakery's origin while beginning to nosh.

I get the hype about Levain's cookies now, and I can say that the hype is real! My friend and I stopped by the original location on a Saturday afternoon around 3 pm and there was only a short line. We only waited a couple minutes before ordering. The original location is very small and offers takeout only. There's a small bench outside but there's no seating otherwise. As soon as you walk in, you're hit with a delicious buttery smell. You already know it's going to be good based on that. All of their cookies and other baked goods are on display, so you can peruse the options and decide what to order. They also offer a variety of drink options, mostly different coffee drinks but also tea and hot chocolate as well. I've heard that they're most known for their chocolate chip walnut cookie, so we got that as well as the dark chocolate peanut butter chip cookie. Both cookies were $5.25 each, so they're definitely not cheap, but I think the price is acceptable given that the cookies are massive and probably 1.5-2x the size of regular cookies. We ate the chocolate chip walnut cookie soon afterwards after finding a bench in Central Park nearby. It was still warm and tasted buttery and rich. We weren't hungry but still finished a whole cookie between the two of us. I ate the dark chocolate peanut butter chip cookie later in the evening as post-dinner dessert. Even though it had cooled down by then, it was my favorite cookie of the two as they don't skimp on the peanut butter chips, and I love peanut butter! I'm so happy to have finally try a Levain cookie fresh from the source!

I love Levain and their cookies. At $5+ they are pricey but they are big and shareable. They hold up well if you're planning to bring some home to family, especially if you place them in a ziplock. All the flavors are delicious and the fresh made cookies beat the frozen version available at Whole Foods any day. I went on a Sunday and the line was out the door but moved fast. Went again on a Tuesday and there was no line.

Levain Bakery (OG) might be a tiny hole in the ground, but don't let its size fool you - it's a hidden gem packed with flavor. Despite its small space, the aroma of freshly baked bread and cookies wafts through the air, drawing you in from blocks away. Once inside, you're greeted with an amazing selection of cookies that are as thick as a fist and breads that are equally delicious. With locations scattered across New York, Levain Bakery is a reliable go-to for indulgent treats that never disappoint. Whether you're craving a gooey chocolate chip cookie or a hearty loaf of bread, you can count on Levain to satisfy your cravings with quality and flavor. Just be prepared to wait in line - good things often come in small packages, and Levain Bakery is no exception. We got the OG c chocolate and walnut cookies and absolutely devoured them as soon as we got a nice scenic spot at the cebtral park

PLEASE NOTE: This was for nationwide shipping. I want to be honest: I don't really know anything about Levain. I know they're wildly popular; that people all over the world love them and rave about them and go out of their way in NYC to visit them... but I didn't know why. When I found out they had vegan cookies available for shipping I was excited to finally see what the hype was all about. And now I get it. They only have one vegan (and gluten-free) option: a Chocolate Chip Walnut cookie that "features chunks of crunchy walnuts and semi-sweet vegan chocolate chips. Baked with a rich and creamy butter made from cashews, it's a plant-based take on the classic Levain cookie - one that everyone can enjoy." Currently it's $33 for a four-pack, $57 for an eight-pack, and $91 for a 12-pack (free shipping on the last option, otherwise it's $12.50 for S&H - at least it was for me in Maine; not sure if it's different if you're farther away). I got emails EVERY step of the way: from ordering, to when my cookies were being baked (everything is baked to order, and you choose your arrival date for optimal freshness), to when my order was out for delivery, to the moment they were sitting at my door. The cookies themselves are ENORMOUS. They come beautifully packaged and with Cookie Care information ("may be stored in an airtight container for up to a week; for optimal freshness and flavor, freeze any cookies you don't plan on eating immediately; when ready to eat, heat your cookies in a 350°F oven for 5 to 10 minutes until warm and gooey"). They were perfect in every way (soft, flavorful, chocolatey and just a little salty and while I don't usually love nuts in my cookies - these might have changed my mind), though I will say they were one of the most crumbly cookies I've ever eaten. Make sure you eat it over a napkin! A thousand percent will order again, and a million percent will be ordering for friends who need a little care package in the form of cookies home baked with love when I can't do it for them!

I think Levain cookies are synonymous with the city at the point. You cannot plan a trip to NYC and not have one of their bakeries on your list to visit. We were in the Central Park and decided to walk down to the original location of this bakery. It's a small bakery which cannot house a lot of people at one time, but that doesn't discourage people from waiting for their turn. Even though it was cramped when we went, the servers behind the counter were super sweet and were not rushing us out the door. They answered any question anyone had with patience and a smile, which I really appreciated. We got a dark chocolate chocolate chip cookie and a classic chocolate chip walnut cookie. Both the cookies were very very tasty, and I would've loved to warm them and then dunk them in cold milk! But we enjoyed them throughout our day in the city and relished eating bite.

I've been meaning to purchase from this bakery to have it shipped, but I stopped myself a few times just because I can bake, too. I knew that I had to stop by here to get a cookie for myself and for the kids when in NYC simply because I wanted to see if the cookies are as good as it looks. We were at Gray's Papaya, so walking here was under 10 minutes. It was a bit hard to find for me because it's on the left side of the street and the sign is low because the bakery is on the ground level, basement-like. It's small, quaint, very cute and the smell of freshly baked goods fill the air while staff welcomes you w/ patience and a smile. I bought half a dozen cookies for my kids (two chip chocolate, dark chocolate chocolate chip, and chocolate chip walnut) and I bought a two chip chocolate chip for myself. It's dense, chewy, chocolatey, sweet... now I'm convinced that even though I can bake, I'm about to place an order to get these shipped because they were that good.

Another stop on our NYC itinerary, this Levain Bakery was a little hole in the wall... actually hole in the basement because you get to walk "downstairs" into the bakery where you get a waft of that wonderful bakery smell. It's also not easy to find since there's not a big sign outside. Levain is popular for a reason. Their cookies are famous and for a good reason. They are sold individually but each one is humongous and can easily feed 3 adults. We tried: Two chip chocolate chip Caramel coconut choc chip Chocolate chip walnut Dark chocolate chip Dark chocolate peanut butter chip All were outstanding, but my favorite was the dark chocolate peanut butter. If there was a Levain here in Birmingham, I would frequent it more than Crumbl Cookie.

Obssessed with Levain cookies. There is a time and place (and certain craving) required for them, in my opinion! I've ordered them countless times, although my first taste of them was their frozen version back in Denver. I usually get a variety box of 5 cookies because it's hard to decide on just a few. They last 3-4 days in the house easily -- to be fair, it's mostly me eating them! Favorites: Double Dark Chocolate Chip + Coconut Caramel So thick, sooo chocolately, not overly sweet, not underbaked. Huge fan of the super crispy edges pieces. Must try at least once if you're in Manhattan. I am glad they are a short delivery away!