Poseidon Bakery

Poseidon Bakery is a testament to the deliciousness of homemade phyllo that’s lavished with honey. This family-run Greek bakery opened in Hell’s Kitchen in 1923, and remains one of the few bakeries in the US that still makes their phyllo dough by hand. Even though I don’t often crave pastries and sweets (I know, I might as well say I dislike kittens and sunsets too), I love stopping in when I’m in the neighborhood, usually after a doctor’s appointment. There’s no better reward for enduring indignity of being poked and prodded by someone in a lab coat than a bite of Poseidon’s galaktoboureko.

I’ve had galaktoboureko served as a wedge or square in Greek restaurants, but at Poseidon it comes wrapped up eggroll-style in layers of tissue-thin, melts-in-your-mouth phyllo that’s rolled in honey. The inside is filled with semolina custard, which is lumpier than custard you’d find in an eclair, but it’s eggy, rich, and best of all, not too sweet. If you try anything here, try this!

Then there’s the baklava, which I resisted trying at first because I’ve been burned in the past by baklavas that were actually overly-sweet toothaches disguised as tasty desserts. But this baklava is a good one, made with coarsely chopped almonds and walnuts, a ridiculous amount of cinnamon, countless layers of delicate, honey-drenched phyllo. This will definitely win you points if you’re tasked with bringing dessert to a dinner party; trust me, you don’t want to eat a whole piece by yourself.

Other items include afali—a roll of chopped-up pistachios wrapped in crusty dough that has a hard, nutty crunch; and finikia—dense, bready cookies made with almonds, honey, orange juice, and cinnamon. These have a wonderful taste, but verge on too sweet for me. If you’re in the mood for something savory, check out the hand-sized meat and vegetable pies, particularly the spanakopita, stuffed with spinach and feta. This makes for a satisfying light lunch, though I think the pastries are where it’s at here. (Be sure to ask for a warm spanakopita unless you plan to heat it up yourself).

Just about everything is $3.00-$4.00, service is consistently gracious, and they’re closed Sundays and Mondays, something to keep in mind in you’re planning future appointments in the Hell’s Kitchen area. Also, there’s no seating, so be prepared to take your treats to go—hopefully trailing a sweet, glorious mess of sticky fingerprints and phyllo flakes behind you.

Poseidon Bakery
629 Ninth Avenue between 44th and 45th Street
Tues-Sat 9am-7pm. Closed Sun-Mon.