c/o Barachou
Free Upper East Side News, Delivered To Your Inbox
A well-known French bakery with roots on the Upper West Side is officially making its way across the park.
Barachou — a pastry shop best known for its colorful cream puffs and classic French baked goods — is opening a new Upper East Side location at 354 East 81st Street (between First and Second avenues). Owner Rebecca Tison tells East Side Feed they are aiming to open the shop by Valentine’s Day, though an exact opening date has not yet been announced.
The expansion marks Barachou’s third New York City outpost. The brand first launched on the Upper West Side in 2019 at 449 Amsterdam Avenue, before opening a second location in the West Village in 2022.
When Barachou debuted on the Upper West Side, it billed itself as “the first ever French style cream puff bar in New York.” The shop introduced neighborhood residents to chou à la crème — a traditional French dessert dating back to the 17th century — reimagined in rotating flavors and modern presentations.
c/o Barachou
According to Barachou’s website, the bakery currently offers 10 cream puff flavors, including chocolate, classic whipped cream, raspberry, hazelnut, dulce de leche, crème brûlée, lemon meringue, passion fruit, tiramisu, and a rotating flavor of the month.
In addition to cream puffs, Barachou’s menu has expanded over the years to include French tartelettes — such as lemon meringue, raspberry almond, pear almond, and seasonal varieties — along with viennoiseries, including croissants, pain au chocolat, almond croissants, cinnamon rolls, cookies, cakes, and savory breads.
c/o Barachou
c/o Barachou
c/o Barachou
When the West Village location opened in 2022, The New York Times noted that Tison expanded the bakery’s offerings with additional kitchen space, introducing more individual pastries and tarts, savory items like croissants and olive-and-Cheddar bread, and more complex desserts such as Paris-Brest and French custard flan.
c/o Barachou
On its website, Barachou describes itself as a neighborhood-focused bakery, emphasizing handcrafted goods and a community atmosphere. “We’re neighborhood shops, and we love being a home away from home for the community,” the company states.
Tison tells East Side Feed she’ll be offering some new savory items at the UES location, but “the star will still be our creampuffs and tartelettes and desserts.”
For Upper East Siders with a sweet tooth, Barachou’s arrival adds another specialty bakery to the neighborhood — and a new destination for French pastries just in time (hopefully) for Valentine’s Day.
Have a news tip? Send it to us here!
Dining and Cooking