Librae Bakery is a Bahrain-owned bakery that opened in Cooper Square under a year ago in May 2022. They call themselves a “Third culture bakery with Middle Eastern roots and Danish technique” and have become very popular and received a lot of praise since opening.
The owner, Dona Murad, also owns a coffee roastery and another bakery in Bahrain. At Librae, the Middle Eastern ingredients and flavors can be seen very clearly in the baked goods, where they’re combined with Scandinavian baking techniques. They’re also currently partnering with Pop Up Grocer and have some exclusive menu items (including a black & white halva chocolate croissant) available there.
There are a few tables inside the bakery. I was able to snag a seat as I went right at opening on a rainy day. My impression from my visit was that prices are steep and although the quality on average was generally higher than most bakeries, I felt that the quality varied between items and wasn’t enough to justify the high prices.
There were two flavors of focaccia available when I visited, each $12 per slice and with a poached egg in the center of the slice. I opted for the Cheese and Dill Focaccia and was able to get a crispy corner piece. This focaccia was very rich and very cheesy, with a strong dill flavor. I liked the crisp top and crunchy, shattery edges, which reminded me of Detroit style pizza. The egg was perfectly runny. The interior was moist, chewy, and dense—almost gummy—so the bread itself wasn’t my favorite, but I really enjoyed the flavor combination. The price was steep, but it’s very rich and filling, and this definitely could be an entire meal. Worth trying if you’re a cheese lover.
The Espresso Pain au Chocolat ($5.50) is filled with Valharona chocolate feves and brushed with an espresso glaze. The staff member who helped me told me that this (and their classic croissants) were her favorite items, and from the ample that I tried I agree. The croissant surface was crisp and flaky, and the interior was elastic and buttery. The layers aren’t the most paper-thin but I enjoyed them, and I liked the flavor combination of the chocolate and espresso with the butter croissant.
The Loomi Babka Bun ($7.50) is one of the most popular of the sweet items here. It’s a fluffy brioche with loomi (black lime) and lemon curd. I liked the bottom half of the brioche: it was fluffy and moist, and I liked the biting acidity from the citrus. However, the top half was quite dry. Overall I didn’t feel that this was anything special, and I definitely don’t think it’s worth the price tag.
The Rose Pistachio Croissant ($8) is their Instagram-famous twice-baked croissant. It’s very buttery and rich, with a deep roasted pistachio flavor and scent. The croissant was very crispy and flaky (which doesn’t always happen with twice-baked croissants). I thought it was quite good, but I didn’t feel that it was particularly mind-blowing and actually preferred the less-hyped espresso pain au chocolat.
The price of the rose pistachio croissant is on par with the pistachio croissant at Frenchette Bakery, and (unlike the loomi babka bun) I felt that it was justified.
I probably came in with too high expectations: the products I tried were good (other than the loomi babka bun) but not as amazing as I had hoped. Next time I’d probably try a butter croissant or see if they have any new croissant flavors, but with all the other great bakeries in New York, I wouldn’t go out of my way again to visit Librae Bakery unless already in the area.
Librae Bakery
35 Cooper Sq
New York, NY 10003
Instagram @libraebakery
https://www.libraebakery.com
Will Travel for Snacks 