The Montclair Girl Team 
North Jersey is full of standout bakeries across Bergen County and the Montclair and Essex County area, where longtime neighborhood spots continue to draw loyal customers. These bakeries are known for fresh breads, classic pastries, and desserts that locals return to year after year. Read on for a list of old-school bakeries to go in North Jersey and what to order.
Bergen County
Butterflake Bake Shop | 448 Cedar Lane, Teaneck
Butterflake Bake Shop has been a Cedar Lane staple since 1950 and is now the last of the many bakeries that once lined the street. After David and Richard Heisler took over in 1998, it became a kosher, nut-free spot with a wide following. It’s also earned recognition as Bergen County’s best bakery in 2008 and 2009 and a top 5 pick in the New York metro area by CBS.
What to order: chocolate babka, rugelach, jelly hamantash
Read More: 15 of the Oldest Businesses in Bergen County
La Promenade | 137 Piermont Road, Tenafly
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La Promenade began in 1985 as a “gourmet-to-go” bakery in Closter, founded by Lori and Yves with a focus on French pastries, breads, croissants, pâtés, and cheeses. It quickly expanded into fresh prepared meals, catering, and wholesale desserts before relocating to its current Tenafly home in 1997. Today, it operates as a full-service bakery and catering company known for its daily grab-and-go menu, from salads and sandwiches to soups and dinner dishes, along with high-end event catering.
What to order: chicken francaise, penne vodka, grilled shrimp
Lyndhurst Pastry Shop | 256 Ridge Road, Lyndhurst
Lyndhurst Pastry Shop has been a Bergen County institution since 1948, founded by the Lanzerotti family and still rooted in traditional Sicilian recipes passed down through generations. Today, the bakery is known for its wide selection of classic Italian-American pastries, including cannoli, sfogliatelle, napoleons, lobster tails, and eclairs, along with cookies like pignoli, biscotti, rainbow cookies, and black & white cookies. The shop also offers cakes, pies, and Italian ice.
What to order: rainbow cookies, cannoli, lobster tail pastry, sfogliatelle
Miller’s Bakery | 716 Anderson Avenue, Cliffside
Miller’s Bakery has been a Bergen County staple since 1947, when founder Otto Hänel Müller opened the doors with recipes rooted in old-world German baking traditions. What began as a small neighborhood bakery has stayed in the family for generations, now known for its wide selection of cakes, cookies, breads, and pastries made fresh daily. From classic crumb cakes and cheese danishes to custom celebration cakes and signature cookie boxes, Miller’s has remained a go-to for both everyday treats and special occasions.
What to order: cheese danish, crumb cake, pecan Bavarian ring
Rispoli Pastry Shop | 23 Emerson Plaza E, Emerson
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Rispoli Pastry Shop is a classic old-school Italian bakery that’s been family-run since 1937, founded by Gabriele and Josephine Rispoli. It is known for its traditional pastries made-daily treats and is especially loved for staples like cannolis, sfogliatella, Italian cheesecake, and other classics that keep regulars coming back. With its longtime presence in Bergen County, it remains a go-to spot for authentic, nostalgic bakery favorites.
What to order: rainbow bar pastry, cannoli, tiramisu cake
Essex County
Calandra’s | 234 Bloomfield Avenue, North Caldwell
Calandra’s Italian & French Bakery is a longtime North Jersey institution, which got its start in Newark over 60 years ago in 1962. It is best known for its fresh-baked breads, pastries, and special occasion cakes. A signature feature is its rotation of hot bread served every hour, alongside its oversized cakes designed for large-scale events. There are two other NJ locations in Newark and Fairfield.
What to order: hot Italian bread, guava cookies, cream puff
Eppes Essen Deli + Restaurant | 105 East Mount Pleasant Avenue, Livingston
Eppes Essen Deli & Restaurant was founded in 1956 in Newark as a New York-style Jewish deli before relocating to Orange and eventually settling in Livingston, where it became a longtime community institution. Known for its traditional deli experience, it serves hand-carved meats, classic sandwiches, and old-school bakery desserts in a full-service setting that’s been a North Jersey mainstay for 70 years.
What to order: black & white cookies, cheesecake, chocolate babka
Gencarelli’s | 446 Broad Street, Bloomfield
This Old-school Italian bakery was established in 1975 by Rosaria and Ernesto Gencarelli and first specialized in bread before expanding and baking Italian pastries, cakes, and cookies. It’s the kind of place where the recipes haven’t changed, and that’s exactly the point. Its website states that they aim for the “Gencarelli name to be synonymous with great Italian bread as well as wonderful pastries, cakes, and donuts.” There is also a second location in Wayne, which opened in 2000.
What to order: twisted Italian bread, butter cookies, cannoli, eclair
Nicolo’s Italian Bakery and Deli | 6 Baldwin Street, Montclair
Nicolo’s Italian Bakery and Deli has been a Montclair staple since 1967, established by Nicolo Zecchino in 1967 and is still family-owned and operated to this day. It continues to serve traditional pastries and sandwiches, maintaining its long-standing reputation as a neighborhood go-to for Italian baked goods and deli items. Its slogan is: “family is our secret ingredient.”
What to order: Italian bread, cookie platter, caprese
Teixeira’s Bakery | 186 Ferry Street + 113-129 Kossuth Street Newark
This traditional Portuguese bakery has been a Newark community cornerstone since 1976. Its founder, Manuel Teixeira opened the shop in Harrison in 1976 and moved it to Newark in the early 1980s. The bakery serves fresh bread and coffee and is known for its Portuguese pastel de nata, an egg custard tart with a flaky puff pastry crust and a rich, creamy filling. Some people travel all the way from New York to try this. The spot remains especially popular for custard-based desserts and everyday bakery staples rooted in Portuguese baking traditions.
What to order: pastel de nata, bolo de arroz, pata de veado
Passaic County
Styertowne Bakery | 1039 Bloomfield Avenue, Clifton
Styertowne Bakery opened in 1949 and has remained a Clifton institution known for its classic bakery counter and traditional recipes. It’s best known for its crumb cake, along with a steady selection of cookies, pastries, and everyday baked goods that have stayed largely unchanged for generations. The owners also pride themselves on donating a large amount of proceeds to causes including cancer research, autism awareness, the homeless, local churches, schools, fire and police departments.
What to order: cheese crumb cake, pecan ring, world-famous crumb cake
See More: 11 Old-School Bakeries in Hudson County You Need to Try
Union County
Bovella’s Pastry Shoppe | 101 E Broad Street, Westfield
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Bovella’s Pastry Shoppe was founded in 1949 in Plainfield before relocating to Westfield in 1978, where it became a well-known Union County bakery. The mom-and-pop shop is recognized for its elegant cakes and Italian-inspired pastries, serving both everyday treats and custom celebration desserts.
What to order: vanilla bean creme brulee, warm apple pie, Oreo explosion crepe
Natale’s | 185 Broad Street, Summit
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Natale’s Bakery was founded in 1938 and has remained a family-run Summit bakery for generations. It is known for its traditional Italian pastries, breads, and cookies, maintaining a consistent old-school bakery feel with recipes that have stood the test of time.
What to order: chocolate souffle, coconut macaroons, crumb cake
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