Sunday, September 29, 2013

Pan de Sal- Gramercy

Under the scaffolding, Pan de Sal looks pretty good.

Yelpers like it with usual complainers thrown in

Pan De Sal

3.5 star rating
29 reviews Rating Details
Categories: Bakeries, Filipino  [Edit]
245 E 21st St
(between 3rd Ave & 2nd Ave)
New York, NY 10010
Neighborhood: Gramercy
(212) 228-8273
Nearest Transit Station:
23 St. (4, 6, 6X)
3 Ave. (L)
1 Ave. (L)
Hours:
Mon-Sun 7:30 am - 8 pm
Attire:
Casual
Accepts Credit Cards:
Yes
Price Range:
$$$$
Good for Groups:
No
Good for Kids:
No
Takes Reservations:
No
Delivery:
No
Take-out:
Yes
Waiter Service:
Yes
Outdoor Seating:
No
Wi-Fi:
No
Noise Level:
Quiet
Ambience:
Casual
Has TV:
No
Caters:
No

Review Highlights   What's this?

  • "My Filipino friend loved the corn beef." In 3 reviews
  • "We got pastries and two croissants to go and everything was fresh and..." In 7 reviews
  • "The chicken adobo pan de sal is a great savory snack." In 3 reviews
Rating Distribution | Trend
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29 reviews in English

  • Review from

    Manhattan, NY
    11/19/2012 1 photo 1 check-in here
    Ok, first off, this is a review only for their food / lunch, unrelated to their baked goods.

    Let me just say, they have a $12 LUNCH BUFFET of catered Filipino deliciousness that totally hits the spot if you're feeling REAL hungry. They serve breakfast as well and sandwiches that are also really decent. Granted, it IS a $12 buffet so don't expect anything special, but they had a number of really legit dishes that had me coming back for fourths!

    The service is really friendly, the lady who works there was super nice. They're a little slow with the service, but it's really not too bad and I can't complain against great-tasting and inexpensive food! Definitely coming back for more, and a nice alternative to Indian cuisine.
  • Review from

    • 1 friend
    • 25 reviews
    Fort Pierce, FL
    7/22/2013
    Coffee is not amazing.  Pan de sal choices are great (pâté, corn beef, spicy sardine, tuna, ham and adobo chicken.  My Filipino friend loved the corn beef.  I had the spicy sardine (sardine marinated in spicy stuff with mayo, tomato slice and a piece if lettuce.  The  filipino breakfast special is worth it ( 2 pan de sal, coffee and a side of berries with chocolate sauce and powdered sugar).

    The space is small and cute. Bathroom was very clean!
  • Review from

    • 4 friends
    • 2 reviews
    Sydney, Australia
    3/27/2013
    Small bakeshop with a small selection of traditional Filipino sweets among western cakes and pastries. I guess they also serve Filipino food but we were only here for afternoon coffee and sweets.

    The espresso coffee was nothing special, a cup of kapeng barako would have been more appropriate. The mango mousse and brazo de mercedes was very good.

    Good if you just want to have a bit of the comforting taste of Filipino cakes and pastries but pretty average as a bakeshop.
  • Review from

    New York, NY
    9/12/2012
    Don't mind if I jump the gun on one simply tasty experience.

    I came in with a friend to take a look at the pastries and the person behind the counter coaxed us into have a pre-dinner snack. The atmosphere of the place is very suburban cafe, not a place you'd expect with all the trendy looks in the city but still had a pretty home-y feel. I had tomato and basil soup and it was delicious, my friend enjoyed his soup as well. We got pastries and two croissants to go and everything was fresh and the croissant still tasted great the next morning.

    Overall, cute place with kind management worth giving a shot if you are in the neighborhood.
  • Review from

    Toronto, Canada
    Updated - 8/9/2012 7 check-ins here
    Now I have had the opportunity to have a sit down meal there. Their baked goods just ok, but Dear God their sit down food is wonderful. You can order a Filipino breakfast (my personal favorite), or a French breakfast (comes with a crepe, is also delicious).

    If you aren't too hungry I suggest simply ordering a pan de sal with chicken adobo, which is $2.50 and is really well priced for a small sandwich. Don't believe the four dollar signs!

    1 Previous Review: Show all »

    • 5/25/2012
      I LOVE THEIR COFFEE. It's nicely full bodied and strong, and even tastes good when it gets cold at… Read more »
  • Review from

    Brooklyn, NY
    4/4/2012 1 check-in here
    Meh.
    The pictures look better than the products.

    Walked over here on this sunny afternoon, after this place popped up on my radar a few weeks ago.

    I had the small triangle carrot cake, which wasn't really "knock my socks off" fresh.  Just kinda cold and too firm. For about $4.50 it was really just ok.

    Friendly staff. Nice seating options if you want an alternative to Starbucks, but I wouldn't go out of my way.
  • Review from

    • 17 friends
    • 25 reviews
    Manhattan, NY
    10/22/2012
    Please give takeout customers napkins, thank you!

    So, I tried this place because of Yelp's glowing reviews.  Having tried it, I find Pan de Sal to be below average. (That being said, I know I should try the sit down restaurant, but I probably never will because the service here is damningly awkward.)

    I ordered a pan de sal and coconut sticky rice steamed in a banana leaf. The sticky rice was three dollars. How do I know what this item was and how much it cost? I had to ask. Because there are no signs or labels for practically everything in this store. I picked up one of the menus and it was lacking information as well. I still don't know what the name of the rice was because the gentleman working the counter wasn't forthcoming. I believe it's a kalamay. It was served with latík, which is coconut milk/brown sugar syrup.

    When I ordered what I'm going to call a kalamay, the counter man walked around from behind the counter to hand me the latík, which was just like, 'seriously man, that's awkward.'

    My pan de sal took an unreasonably long time to be ready. Why? No idea, they were just toasting a roll. I didn't even ask to have it toasted. The counter person bagged my sticky rice and my pan de sal, which was inexplicably wrapped in tin foil, separately. Maybe they don't have a toaster and they just wrap the rolls in foil and pop them in an oven. That would explain the long wait.

    That being said, the food was pretty fair. The pan had almost a flaky quality to the exterior of the roll. I liked it. Also, I love anything steamed in a banana leaf, and this was my first time trying sticky rice without anything inside. The kalamay kinda looked like it had been sitting out for a few days though. I know that this place has been shut down a few times for health code violations, but that happens to even the top restaurants in NYC. Also I have no fear. I wish that there were more labels or prices posted. I really do want to try more things like the kalamay. My purpose in trying Pan de Sal was to try something new; mission accomplished. My experience made me want to try my hand with a bit of leaf-steaming at home.

    No guys, that's not a euphemism.
  • Review from

    • 141 friends
    • 418 reviews
    Cambria County, PA
    5/22/2012 2 check-ins here
    It's definitely a unique addition to the neighborhood. It looks charming enough from the outside, a bakery with a dining area to the side. While I've never sat and had a meal, I've taken several pastries to go on various occasions. I really want to like Pan de Sal, but somehow the goods leave me unsatisfied. They're okay, not the most delicious I've tried. But they're so gosh darn pretty to look at, that you want to try. I've not thoroughly enjoyed anything as yet. They lack salt in the sweets, y'all fellow foodies know what I mean. Just to bring out the sweetness. The brownies were sweet and dry. The mini baklavas, the same. The mini cakes taste artificial, not fresh. A bit of salt would make a difference. Haven't been back after the last time I tried, but I'm open to it for down the road.
    Want to try the pan de sal for sure.
  • Review from

    • 62 friends
    • 90 reviews
    New York, NY
    3/5/2012 8 photos
    The other day, I was walking around Gramercy with a few eating buddies when we happened upon a quaint and cozy cafe called Pan de Sal.  A quick glimpse through the picture windows revealed brightly colored walls and the thing that was a dealmaker for me - an extensive cupcake and dessert spread!  In the name of research, of course, I had to stop in and see what all this dessert was about.

    Our little peek in was worth it, as we were rewarded with a plethora of mini cupcakes as well as macarons, cakes, tarts and croissants.  I decided to go with a mini red velvet, a popular choice at Pan de Sal. This bite size morsel hit the spot - moist and flavorful, and topped with a dense and tart cream cheese frosting. My only regret was that I didn't order two!

    My eating buddy treated himself to a heartier meal - a coffee and chocolate croissant. I snuck a taste of the croissant, which was flaky and fresh.  The chocolate filling was generous - oftentimes skimpy filling is a big issue (in my opinion) for chocolate croissants; no such worries here!

    The decor was very bright and cheery, with this extensive mural adorning the walls and the owner came by to take our order personally and provide recommendations.   Love the personal touch!

    I especially liked these super-cute wedding cakes on display. Overall, the dining experience at Pan De Sal was warm and cozy - a perfect place to stop by for a quick bite on a weekend! If you're in the neighborhood, stop in for a dessert or beverage!

    Super cute cafe with friendly service.
  • Review from

    Brooklyn, NY
    1/17/2013 1 check-in here
    This is solely for the baked goods, I don't remember what I got I do recall thinking it reminded me of something I'd get from the Chinatown bakeries.  Clearly I wasn't wowed
  • Review from

    • 6 friends
    • 24 reviews
    Brooklyn, NY
    1/16/2012
    Came here for the Pan de Sals-- a crazy good value: got the set for around $8 which had 2 pan de sals (big soft, yet crunchy on the outside buns stuffed with yummy MEEEEAT, sorry got carried away)-- I got the must-have chicken adobe, and perfectly sweet and salty sardine. The set came with unlimited coffee (good strong coffee!) and  a little bowl of decadent freshly whipped cream topped with chocolate syrup and sliced fruit (was glad I had someone to share it with). The table next to us ordered food from Grill21-- I am going there next!

    As for ambience, it's quiet and comfortable. I think they can comfortably seat a 2 group of 8 people if the place isn't too crowded. Gorgeous hand painted rain forest mural on the walls.

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