Pip’s Place

I trooped all the way here from 33^rd and 5^th to get my co-​worker some cupcakes as a surprise for his birthday because he has celiac. The lady behind the counter wasn’t so friendly and when i asked if they sold candles she gave me a look of «what the hell» and said no. My co-​worker said the chocolate and vanilla cupcake was good to him so this review is only for 3 stars. Maybe if the lady was friendlier and more inviting I would have given more stars.

By far, the best tasting muffin I’ve ever had in a long time (sorry Grandma!). I was looking for a bakery in the neighborhood by my work and this place had good ratings, but I was off set by the «gluten free» craze sweeping the country. Despite my ignorance, this place rocked. I didn’t even notice a taste difference. Great quality items, fairly market priced. I highly recommend it.

Best gluten-​free bakery I’ve been to and trust me I’ve been to almost all of them across the country (I’ve even worked in one!) Reasonable prices for portion sizes, delicious and moist treats, no yucky aftertastes. My husband who isn’t gluten-​free can’t even tell the difference. They also do custom gorgeous cakes at very comparable prices to regular non-​gluten-​free cake places. Don’t judge this place by their coffee — that’s not their primary business! Their special offerings rotate and they sell out of certain items sometimes, so be flexible with expectations unless you place a special order specifically for that!
They have a small bar area to sit and eat but not really a place to hang out for an extended period of time.

I love sweets and crave them often, but I tend to eat them rarely only because of how heavy they can be on the body. So, on a day where I couldn’t control my sweet tooth, I was very pleasantly surprised to find Pip’s set up in Otarian (corner of 58^th street and 8^th Avenu), which caters to vegetarians, vegans and connoisseurs of healthy food. Here are 5 things that made fall in love with their station instantly:
1. I’ve never tried gluten free desserts but you don’t miss it at all! The treats of this place really are delicious baked goods you can indulge in and feel good about (in moderation, of course); I also learned that the owner takes pride in all her work, spending hours to perfect every item that she offers in her selection (ranging from chocolate to fruit and even savory scones). When someone loves what they do, it shows up in her work, and the goods of this bakery definitely shows that.
2. The eclairs are SO good, they almost feel sinful– but they are not! Little flecks of vanilla can be seen running through the custard, so you know you’re getting quality ingredients in your dessert.
3. The staff is really friendly and very knowledgable about all the treats they offer– they also love getting to know their customer. The lovely girl helping me (I believe her name is Sanya) was able to understand what I was looking for that day and made recommendations accordingly.
4. Free samples are usually available of a couple of their offerings. Try them!
5. Pip’s offers vegan sweets in addition to their gluten free options.
I love food, especially sweets, and Pip’s allows me to enjoy myself without the guilt or unhealthy ingredients. Yay!

I really liked this place. It’s very cute and peaceful. The counter for customers to sit could have been a bit cleaner. There is a good selection of items but its few of each. Someone came in and bought a whole bunch of stuff and I was left with no chocolate chip cookies to choose from. Perhaps there was more in the back but it did not seem like it. Staff was very nice and adorable.
I ordered the brownie and it was very good. No it’s not like a brownie you would get at a regular bakery but they’re gluten free and supposed to be a bit healthier. It wasn’t as sweet as I’m used too but it was still very very good. I did not get a belly ache after eating like some other sweet treats.
I read people complaining about the price which is silly because gluten free ingredients are expensive.
Coffee was okay but slightly bitter. I would prefer a lighter roast as it’s easier on my stomach. I will still definitely return for coffee and a treat on a break from work.

My work team ordered a cake here for one of my VPs birthdays. She can only eat gluten-​free and so while we were discussing where to order from I pulled out my handy dandy Unilocal app and this place came up.
4 hours later we were all seated around a 6 inch wide, round, chocolate layer cake that was frosted with a mocha buttercream. It was plain (probably our fault since our coordinator is a guy and didn’t mention we would have liked anything written on it) but we jazzed it up with some rainbow sprinkles and had a mini-​team birthday gathering with Moet-​Chandon Rose bubbly.
The cake itself was about 3 stars. Very rich and dense but kind of dry… maybe this is due to the fact that it was made with almond flour… but I’ve had gluten-​free goods that have tasted better, but again it wasn’t baaaad. Just dry.
The mocha buttercream frosting was definitely the star of the show. It was deliciously creamy and delicious without being overly sweet.
If I needed to obtain gluten-​free baked goods I would come back here, but for now — bring on the gluten :).

If you’re gluten free, you haven’t enjoyed real treats until coming here. Everything i’ve been missing for years — is here! Bön bons, bagels, donuts, heath bars and hohos?! Clearly, a little smitten with the baked goods.

Best gluten free bakery near Grand Central. Treats are delicious and staff is very friendly. The prices are a bit steep, but understandable considering the ingredients. Recommended to anyone in the neighborhood.

I used to like the place. I today I stopped by and bought ice coffee and éclair. Both smelled funky… kinda dish soap smell or bad perfume.
I don’t know what it is but it was quite strong, had to throw out both.
If it was just éclair I probably assumed it is one of food ingredients, but ice coffee also had same smell.
Wish I didn’t consumed dish soap for my afternoon dessert.lol.

First visit review:
Went about half an hour before closing, there was no line and a couple of helpful girls were working.
This review is based on the red velvet cupcake, pecan and lemon tart (lette)s and swirl cookie.
The cookie, which I tried first, was amazing. So so so good. I took a couple of bites and decided to save it for last. So glad I did.
Next, I tried the red velvet cupcake and it was sorely disappointing, with regard to both its visuals and taste. The cupcake was poorly iced and the cupcake itself was lopsided and oddly risen. Even my husband said it looked like a mess. Definitely not worth $ 4. It was also dense and very dry. The icing was good, but it is cream cheese icing. Hard to mess up.
The bread portion of the tarts were dry and not very tasty. The pecan mixture was dry and didn’t make up for the lack of taste in the tart. The lemon filling was better. Both were $ 2 each.
Came back to the swirl cookie and it made it much better. Nice buttery cookie with a just-​sweet-​enough jelly swirl. Yum! Also, the cheapest of the bunch.
The cookie added a lot of flavor to what would have been a disappointing trip and added an extra star.
Definitely willing to try other selections again.

Decided to try the top 3 gluten free bakeries in NYC.
Upon walking in, this one seemed the cleanest and all items were clearly visible and well lit.
We ordered 1 apple tart thing a ma bob, 1 mint cream chocolate cookie sandwich, 1 vanilla cupcake and 1 mini cinnamon crumb cake.
While waiting for our order to be filled we sampled some sugar cookies. Texture was good taste ok.
Apple tart thing a ma bob — EXCELLENT. They’ve perfected the crust. You’d never know it was GF.
Mint cookie Sammy — pretty good. Cookies were good. I’m a sucker for mint anything and this might have had a tough too much mint for me.
Mini crumb — cake part was good — nice taste and texture — crumb part was eh.
Cupcake was a huge disappointment. It was dry and old? The frosting actually cracked and crumbled and parts of it just fell off.
Overall, this would be my top choice over the other 2.

I think if you’re going to go by the (now sometimes ironic or mocked) title of a «Foodie», you have to be willing to step outside your normal boundaries with food and what you’re willing to try. When I saw Pip’s Place advertising gluten-​free baked goods, I decided to challenge my normal perceptions of what baked goods can be.
To me, baked goods should be full of butter, sugar and flour. I mean, as the phrase says «Go big or go home» and I believe if you’re going to stick this many calories in you, make it fully worth your while. That said, I had only had one gluten-​free baked good before and that was a prepackaged store bought brownie — not a good way to judge.
Pip’s is a gorgeous space. You walk into the shop and there’s a long counter with lots of beautiful baked goods on display. Someone checked with me immediately, but she seemed eager to get me out of there. I placed an order, the girl disappeared and then another girl asked me what I wanted. Then a third girl offered to take my payment. Yeah — confusing. Even worse? When the items rang up, it was pricier than what I had expected — turns out they gave me two of an item I only wanted one of. I rolled with it, wanting to support a «mom and pop» style business.
I wound up purchasing a pumpkin muffin and two (originally one) pecan tart. Now, I’ve had enough of both in my time to know what both should taste like, so I felt these were «safe» choices.
So…these were not winners. I totally admit these may have been bad choices and not the most representative of what this establishment is capable of. I found both items very dry. They crumbled in a way I’m not used to muffins or pastries crumbling. The muffin had an odd, bland flavor with something that I swear tasted a bit like wheatgrass (not saying it WAS, it just reminded me of wheatgrass shots I’ve had). The pastry that the pecan mix was on top of simply had no flavor. I mean, nothing. All the flavor came from the pecan mixture, which had a very odd sweetness. It reminded me a bit of artificial sweeteners like Splenda, but I doubt that’s the case. I’m sure it’s just a sweetener I’m not used to, but I found it a tad unpleasant.
I think my taste buds are simply not attuned to having such baked goods. I might return in the future and try something like a cookie or cake, but my first experience here wasn’t stellar.

I’ve been gluten free for a few weeks now and am trying to stick to eat, but man have I been craving a breakfast pastry. This morning I wanted a muffin and I knew this place was near my office so I went.
Pumpkin muffin is BOMB. Be warned though it’s very decadent :) kind of had a cinnamon roll flavor to it — probably cinnamon and brown sugar in the mix. Very moist and dense and the pecans were the perfect touch. Made my morning better.
I also bought an oatmeal cookie and a brownie because there’s a $ 10 card minimum, but I haven’t tried those yet.
I see reviews about the service being bland, but honestly they were very cheery and helpful for me. There was nice holiday music playing and the place was clean and nice. Maybe it was better because it was early in the morning. I do agree that community places such as bakeries should be extra warm and welcoming, but not everyone is a chatty people person! Overall I enjoyed my experience.

We’ve visited this place at least 3 or 4 times and tasted a fair few of the items they sell. We would recommend the raspberry pinwheels, gingersnaps and oatmeal and raisin cookies. The quality of the cookies is always consistently good. Pip’s Place seems to have perfected the art of making gluten free baked goodies without compromising the taste. The bakery is also well decorated, immaculately clean and I love the way they display all the treats.
The service in this place feels very British. By which I mean they avoid eye contact, barely acknowledge you’re actually in the shop and generally leave you alone until you are ready to order. Being British this is something I’m very used to, so it makes no odds to me. I would even go so far as to say I actually like the brisk manner in which they address and serve you, it makes me feel nostalgic for the motherland.

Great selection of gluten free baked goods! Also had some dairy free options :) the Heath bar is to die for. They also had the location of a place in NYC that makes gluten free macaroons which I’ve never seen before!
Eclaires, muffins, bread, cookies, brownies, even gluten free grilled cheese!

Mmmm the raspberry pinwheel cookie is really tasty. It’s only $ 1.75, which is kinda pricey, but not really for a NYC bakery that is gluten and dairy free. Really yummy and chewy. Tasted very fresh out of the oven. I would’ve never known it didn’t have dairy or gluten. Perfect for a little afternoon snack. Would like to come back and try the other goodies– the Rice Krispie treat looked yummy too!

Pip’s has mastered the dairy free brownie! Heaven in every bite, I reluctantly shared with my dairy-​free friend (whom I originally bought it for).
Seating inside this location is limited but cool for a chat with a friend or a quick snack. The bake shop’s scent might persuade you to buy another on your way out. I left with three receipts. I’m not ashamed to admit that.

I don’t need gluten free foods, but visited this place a few weeks ago. It’s ok. I’ve heard gluten free products are bland. They’re right. The grilled cheese was less than appetizing.
I also didn’t realize until after the fact that most gluten free products have more butter. This was why my stomach started churning and in knots after sampling their desserts.

Perfect! I’m eating one of their muffins as I type, and it’s so damn good!
I came in today after running an errand. I looked up this place on Unilocal first, since I don’t spend much time in Midtown, and really needed a gluten-​free breakfast. I walked in and instantly smiled. Cases of goodies, all gluten free! And not super expensive! YESS!
Also, the woman working here was super friendly and we ended up chatting for a bit. I ended up getting a zucchini muffin, a banana chip muffin, and a chocolate chip cookie, all of which I ate immediately. They’re really so delicious! I’ll definitely be back. No other gluten free place compares.

#glutenfree heaven
Near Grand Central, don’t miss out on your chance to stock up on goodies