Downtown Directory: Seven Spots to Satisfy a Sweet Tooth
Written by Amanda Buchman
From bakeries to cafés, sweet treats are plentiful in Downtown Pittsburgh. Maybe you want a quick grab-and-go breakfast pastry or a rich, chocolatey brownie to reward yourself after a hard day’s work. From croissants to cakes, our list has what you’re looking for.
Image courtesy of Amanda Buchman.
Coffee Village is Liberty Avenue’s favorite nook for coffee and pastries, located at 801 Liberty Avenue. For a sweet start to your day, try one of their muffins or cake loaves. Their muffin flavors are chocolate chip, blueberry, and banana nut, while the cake loaves come in double chocolate, lemon, marble, and again, banana nut. For an afternoon treat, they also have multiple kinds of biscotti, cookies, and brownies.
Image courtesy of La Gourmandine.
La Gourmandine is a French patisserie located on 308 Forbes Avenue near Wood Street. Their pastry chefs have spent years studying Parisian baking techniques, allowing them to bring you treats of the highest quality. As part of their breakfast assortments, they serve danishes as well as almond and chocolate croissants. Their baked goods section also offers madeleines, raspberry tarts, macarons, éclairs, and more.
Image courtesy of Bluebird Kitchen.
Bluebird Kitchen serves breakfast pastries made daily in house. A classic, flaky croissant or a streusel-topped treat could kickstart your day, but a fruit pie or a cream-filled cookie sandwich could make it even sweeter. If you’re in Market Square or walking down Forbes Avenue, stop by one of the bakery’s locations.
Image courtesy of Corner Mercantile.
Corner Mercantile offers small bites like cookies, brownies, and rice krispie treats alongside their heartier menu items. As a special treat, they also serve baked goods from Mediterra Bakehouse in Crafton. Enjoy a buttery sugar cookie or chocolate hazelnut biscotti with a hot latte for a delightfully cozy morning in the Tower at PNC Plaza.
Image courtesy of Cobblerworld.
CobblerWorld is a cake shop located in the David L. Lawrence Convention Center that offers every decadent dessert in the book. While their specialties are cobblers, cheesecakes, bundts, and pies, the takeout bakery also features handheld sweets. Grab a sweet potato mini bundt, or perhaps a piece of homemade banana bread. Maybe you’d like to please a larger crowd, in which case their cookies range from simple snickerdoodles to a heavenly German chocolate. No matter what you choose, you won’t be disappointed.
Image courtesy of Rock n Joe.
Rock n’ Joe Coffee on Penn Ave has plenty of options for a quick breakfast. Right now, you can try familiar fall flavors like the cranberry orange muffin, cinnamon twist, or apple fritter. But their pastries will satisfy year-round cravings for lemon, blueberry, chocolate, and more. On a hazy morning, a crumb cake might pair perfectly with a coffee.
Image courtesy of PAIR Charcuterie.
PAIR Charcuterie is an elegant alternative to coffee shop bites. The pastry tray, complete with an assortment of croissants, bagels, danishes, and jams, is an especially sweet way to improve company morale—but you might be tempted to keep the french toast bites to yourself. Head to the Pitt building on Smithfield Street to pick up a spread that will keep you grazing all day.
In good times and bad, everyone needs a sweet treat from time to time. That’s why the great bakeries and coffee shops of Downtown Pittsburgh work hard to ensure you’re never far from your next one!
