The North End aka Boston’s “Little Italy” is a maze of narrow streets bustling with charm, historic sites, Italian restaurants, and pastry shops. Iconic blue and white Mike’s Pastry boxes can be seen in the hands of the many that meander the North End streets, and my curiosity peaked. Is Mike Pastry really the best of the best pastry shop in Boston’s Little Italy, or is it just the most visited, thanks to the sheer volume of positive Yelp reviews?
On a perfect 80-degree summer afternoon two friends and I decided to try out five different pastry shops to determine which was our ultimate favorite. Below we listed out which items we tried from each place, and each pastry shop’s overall ranking based on taste, originality, and variety. Scroll on down to see which pastry shop was our favorite!
Bova Bakery ✭✭✭½
Ordered: Florentine, Cream Puff, & S’more Brownie
The cream puff was my least favorite of the three sweets we ordered, and the S’more Brownie was my favorite! Overall, Bova Bakery was a hit for me and offered such a wide variety of pastries and small desserts. If the cream puff was a little sweeter I think Bova Bakery would’ve been top of my list. I’m definitely going back and getting one of their many other treats that they offer, like a donut or a mini cheesecake.
Modern Pastry ✭✭✭✭
Ordered: Creme Brûlée & Carrot Cake
Modern Pastry was a delight! I’d say the selection of baked goods is similar to Mike’s Pastry and thus, in direct competition with it. I am usually not a creme brûlée fan but loved Modern Pastry’s take on it. It was more creamy in the center and less brittle on the top, but my friends disagreed and thought it was a flop. Everyone thought the carrot cake was amazing – the texture was soft and moist and it had a great balance of sweetness. While it had mixed reviews across the board, it was high on my list of places to visit again in the North End.
Mike’s Pastry ✭✭✭
Ordered: Pecan Caramel Cannoli & Boston Cream Pie
Mike’s Pastry is the most famous pastry joint in Boston, but after comparing it to some of the other pastry shop contenders we decided it’s a bit overhyped. The cannolis at Mike’s are probably my favorite, but if you’re not a cannoli fan, I’d recommend trying a different pastry shop that specializes in something else. Overall, Mike’s is a pretty average, but don’t let me stop you from trying it yourself.
Pro tip – they only accept ca$h so make sure you have some on hand!
Maria’s Pastry ✭✭✭
Ordered: Traditional Cannoli & Napoleon
Recently voted Boston’s best cannoli by Boston Magazine, we had some high hopes for Maria’s. Unfortunately, we did not think Maria’s should have earned such a prestigious title, given the competition in the North End, but it was still good. Among my friends and I we all agreed the Napoleon was best! I personally thought Mike’s Pastry had better cannolis.
Thinking Cup ✭✭✭✭½
Ordered: Churro Croissant & Cinnamon Roll
Most underrated pastry/coffee shop ever. Out of five stars, this upper scaled boutique coffee shop got nearly a perfect score. The stuffed churro croissant left all of us wanting more, and the cinnamon roll is giving my mom’s homemade rolls a run for her money. I’m usually a snob when it comes to baked goods because my mama is such an amazing baker, but Thinking Cup had me thinking otherwise (pun intended!). While it had delicious pastries, this place is more of a coffee shop, less of a pastry shop and offers a smaller variety compared to the others.
After the Boston North End pastry crawl, it was unanimous that Thinking Cup had the best tasting pastries and that Mike’s Pastry was a smidge underwhelming. No matter what our opinions, it’s clear that the North End offers something for everyone craving an authentic Italian sweet treat. Next up, a Boston pizza crawl! What are your favorite Boston pizza joints that I must try? Leave them in the comments below.
