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    Balancero

    4.8 (111 reviews)
    Open 7:00 am - 4:00 pm

    Balancero Photos

    Business Info

    BALANCERO ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Good for working
    Outdoor seating
    Dogs allowed

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    Recommended Reviews - Balancero

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    Najwa G.

    Balancero is good, yes, but does it deserve all the hype that it gets? IMHO, no. The croissants are good, but absolutely nothing out of the ordinary & doesn't warrant a line in my eyes. I do, however, love the vanilla custard-filled mini donuts. I also got the Assam tea which was pretty good but again, nothing special. If I go back it would solely be for the mini donuts.

    Outside
    Joseline B.

    I found this small spot while walking around Astoria and really impressed me the amount of people were walking away with their sandwich, just made me want to grab one! The place is small but pretty cozy, they even gave me a free mini donut which I found really sweet! The sandwich could not be warm up cause their policy is to eat it fresh, and it was DELICIOUS!!! There was not much of space to sit but their service was pretty fast!

    Chocolate strawberry croissant
    Nancy C.

    Whenever someone asks for a coffee recommendation in Astoria, I always say "Balancero." Why? It's a local hole in the wall (quite literally, almost) grab-and-go coffee shop that makes really, really good drinks. From espressos, to lattes, to matchas, everything I've tried tasted delicious--strong and memorable. Other than the great drinks, I also love seeing everyone lining up and chatting it up at the window counter. And for regulars, they'll always say hello when you visit ... or ask where you've been if you haven't in awhile. Definitely a local spot with the nice neighborhood vibe here. If you'd like something to pair with your beverage, they also have donuts, sweet + savory croissants, pastries, and more. Pro tip: get a punch card so you can get a free drink after it's done.

    Jason T.

    Ate and brought here today while working as a substitute paraprofessional at P.S. 234 Q on a rainy day. I had ate and brought the prosciutto croissant sandwich with a side of seasonal iced tea that it tasted really good and delicious. The service there was also attentive and pleasant that I even got a complimentary donut for trying for the first time. Finally, I would definitely eat and come back again next time.

    Vanilla iced latte
    Leila A.

    Best coffee ever! The service was fast and great too. Can't wait to come back, thank you :)

    Iced Caffe Latte (~$6) with oat milk (+$1)
    Aya E.

    Ordered: Iced Caffe Latte (~$6) with oat milk (+$1) Mini Donut - Hazelnut Cream (~$2) Mini Donut - Vanilla Cream (complimentary) Aya's take: Balancero is somewhat of a hole in the wall coffee spot but you'll know you're there when you see the line of people outside and smell the fresh coffee beans. The Iced Latte was exactly what I needed and really well-made! It was creamy, silky, and strong. I was debating between the 2 flavors of Mini Donuts and ended up choosing the Hazelnut Cream. The worker threw in a Vanilla Cream one so I can try it and see which one I like better. This was so appreciated; great customer service! I ended up liking the Hazelnut Cream more as it tasted fresher and was more filled than the Vanilla Cream. Great local coffee spot to support if you're in Astoria!

    Carol S.

    One of my favorite coffee shops in Astoria! They don't have seating since it's a window, but they have a bench outside. There's usually a line because their coffee and pastries are delicious! It's a local hotspot. Get the strawberry croissant.

    Croissant
    Beryce G.

    Food (5/5) - Didn't get to try their coffee since I already had some earlier in the day but I did try their prosciutto sandwich which was yummy and well-portioned for roughly $9! - Also got a free croissant which was nice and flakey Service (5/5) - Really great service. I told them it was my first time and they threw in a free croissant Ambiance - They don't really have any seating inside. They had a few seats outside. - Could possible stop by here to grab coffee with a friend and sit on one of the chairs or walk around, especially on a nice day

    Croissants
    Jenny C.

    Didn't know what the hype was about since this place has a 5 star rating but I think my experience was pretty average. The croissants were probably the best part! The turkey croissant was about to be sold out and it had some arugula, cheese and pesto which was pretty big for a croissant sandwich! The service was average and the place was packed on the weekend in Astoria however I felt like the coffee was quite average as the espresso was slightly more on the acidic side and the flat white didn't have the flat white foam... it had a quite thick foam for a flat white which isn't really what a flat white is. The drip was typical. There were a few chairs outside but seems like there's no room to stand inside because of how busy it was and just in general the vibe was nothing special. I wish there were some seating inside or at least some tables outside to sit down but it's mainly for take out here.

    Diane L.

    Great little coffee shop with good coffee drinks and pastry. I got the plain croissant with a regular drip coffee. Croissant is nice and crisp on the outside and soft and chewy on the inside. I love a fresh baked croissant with my coffee and didn't know they baked on premise here so this was a pleasant surprise. Cute local neighborhood vibe. Busy. Service is good. Happy to support this local business.

    Nutella strawberry croissant, apricot croissant, leek and cheese burke
    Kimberly H.

    Great coffee (double shot americano and cortado), really friendly neighborly service, and fun pastries to boot!

    Iced chai latte. Mini vanilla donut. Mini Nutella donut.
    Danielle M.

    New favorite coffee shop in Astoria! I went today for a drink; I ended up getting an Iced Chai Latte at their to-go service window. The woman helping me (I wish I got her name) walked me through all the questions for my drink order (size, type of milk, if I'd like it dirty) with warmth, patience and a bright smile on her face! I also wanted to try one of their mini donuts; they had Nutella and Vanilla flavors. I decided to go with the Nutella and the woman helping me gave me a Vanilla Donut for free for me to try as well! It was so sweet of her and made my day! Incredible service and a delicious drink and donuts! I would highly recommend checking this place out if you haven't already! And I can't wait to go back!

    Koob V.

    Had a delightful time visiting this place. It was recommended by a friend. Though it's tucked in the neighborhood, it was easy to find because there was always a group of people gathered right outside the coffee shop. I love the simplicity of it and even though it's only about 200 ft.² they utilize the space very well. Espresso was well-balanced. Not too bitter, well rounded, but still cut through my cortado. Got to meet Zoki, who was very friendly and welcoming. He explained the philosophy of this place and told me that they're opened 7-4, 365 of the year because people will need coffee every day and they want to be there for their customers.

    matcha latte

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    3 years ago

    Iced latte was nice and strong, chocolate croissant was crispy and delicious, service 11/10

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    5 years ago

    Stopped by on a rainy day and such great lattes!!! Amazing service and super cute too :-)

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    5 years ago

    Excellent coffee every time. Staff is very friendly. I just wish it were a larger shop. I'd absolutely stay for a while.

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    7 years ago

    Best coffee in the area... Hopefully this review sticks... Since bullies at yelp are deleting reviews in order to extort $$ from businesses.

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    6 years ago

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    7 years ago

    Awesome espresso bar on a side street in Astoria. These Serbian guys make the best espresso drinks in the area.

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    Page 3 of 3

    Ask the Community - Balancero

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    Inès

    Inès

    4.3(165 reviews)
    1.9 miUpper East Side, Yorkville
    $$

    Wanted to write this review based on the wheelchair accessibility and laptop areas…read more There are coffee shops in the neighborhood with laptop rules that say you have to sit at the high tables. Obviously as a wheelchair user, I cannot sit at the high tables, and when I have asked the staff for understanding, other places have denied me. Ines let me use my laptop at a wheelchair accessible table without any fuss. Mark was very gracious. When I asked, he said, "we will make an exception." I felt heard without advocating for common sense and I greatly appreciate the humility. Thank you!

    The place is cute and small. They have good happy hour prices on wine. The food we tried wasn't…read moreso great. My friend had been here before and raved about the escargot and meatballs. The escargot was covered with pesto that tasted like the basil wasn't fresh. Also, I'm sure there was plenty of garlic because the restaurant smelled like it, but I would have liked more garlic in this dish. The meatballs were mostly bread (there may have been some meat). After we complained, the item was removed from our bill by our friendly, polite, and conscientious server. Note: This is a French restaurant, but they didn't have any butter for the bread.

    Photos
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 Happy Hour: Open-7
 $10/Glass
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 Terre Del Trebbia Delle Venezie Pinot Grigio

    Inès Mediterranean Wine Bar. Happy Hour: Open-7 $10/Glass Planeta Rosé Souvenir Pinot Noir Terre Del Trebbia Delle Venezie Pinot Grigio

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    Breads Bakery - Upper East Side - Black & white cookie

    Breads Bakery - Upper East Side

    4.1(113 reviews)
    2.3 miUpper East Side, Yorkville
    $

    IT's usually fresh, lines move quickly, and same fare as all the other Breads in the city. Large…read morearea to sit compared to some of the other locations. It's pricey but food is fresh.

    Breads Bakery does a fab job with holiday preorders. The process was seamless and so much better…read morethan stressing out and running to multiple locations to try to get doughnuts. They have a table to pickup preorders so you don't have to wait in the main line. I ordered a dozen for $39. You can select your assortment. Here's my review in order from the best to the least desirable, according to our group. Vanilla custard- the filling was thick and speckled with vanilla beans. It wasn't too sweet. This was the best according to our group. Strawberry filled- this is most traditional and Breads Bakery does a nice job. The jam is homemade. Pistachio- this doughnut was filled with smooth pistachio cream and was topped with a few pieces of pistachio. Not traditional, but they did a good job. Chocolate- the filling tasted like a semisweet or bittersweet cream/custard. Like the others, it was smooth. The vanilla was more popular among our group and I personally didn't love this doughnut. Mango- this was the one that those in my group felt missed the mark. It wasn't cloyingly sweet, so that was good, but the filling didn't do anything for us either. If you're looking for a mango dessert the one at Lysée is a real winner.

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    08/12/23

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    San Babila

    San Babila

    4.4(65 reviews)
    2.2 miUpper East Side

    Absolutely incredible pasta from this easy-to-miss UES spot! To start - the Strawberry Fields…read morecocktail is honestly one of the best drinks I've had in a while: the perfect mix of strong and not too sweet. The 2 of us split 3 pastas: the Truffle Gnocchi (my favorite item of the evening), the Cacio e Pepe (one of the best renditions of this dish I've had!) and the Rigatoni Alla Diavola. I would skip the focaccia if I came back - loved the butter but it was nothing special. 10/10!

    Place looks nice, service was good but unfortunately, food was fair. Started with the burrata…read more Visually appealing and looked like a large portion with all of the accoutrements. Unfortunately, it was totally bland and not large at all. The side sauce added nothing and over 30$ with tax/tip. For entrees, we shared the lobster pasta and the guazzetto di Pesci. The pasta was good. Reasonable amount of pasta but we would have liked some more chunks of lobster for the price. I thought the sauce was only ok but my girlfriend liked it. The guazzetto di Pesci was only fair. The sauce was lacking flavor. Also a very small bowl of broth with maybe 3 small shrimp and muscles, a few small chunks of fish. and two sad, tiny pieces of bread on the side. Since we were still quite hungry after the meal, we ordered the lotus chocolate caramel dessert. This was the only dish we really liked. kinda hard to mess up gelato though. It came with a hard outer candy shell and a very small cookie center that was sweet and delicious. Overall, an average meal at best that we both felt was lacking in taste and size. Won't return.

    Photos
    San Babila - Front bar area

    Front bar area

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    Dining room area

    Balancero - coffee - Updated September 2026

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