Despite its name, the stars of the show at this bakery aren't the baked goods. The real attractions for us, at least, are the hot food items. Some of the options on display in the case by the front door: - Empanadas (queso, carne o pollo; around $5 each, I think) -- well fried, well blotted, well filled, and well seasoned. My family eats what I'm sure is an unhealthy volume of empanadas in NYC and elsewhere, from street carts on "up." El Cisne's are some of the best we've had in a long while. - Bolon de verde con chancho (around $13) -- mashed green plantain balls topped with chunks of... "dirty pig." (Ours came with chewy diced chicharrón. :) This was my first time having bolones de verde and they reminded me of mofongo, but with a creamier, softer, moist plantain base. The fellow at the counter convinced me to get ours in platter form with a fried egg and "salad" (curtido with pickled onion and tomato) on the side, which turned out to be a total winner. Although I'd requested scrambled, the egg came sunny side up, in retrospect a better choice. Warm, liquid yolk lacquer over creamy plantains = magical! The curtido was a game changer, the fresh, acidic vegetables a perfect foil to what would have otherwise been an overwhelmingly heavy plate. And an Ecudorian hot sauce served alongside -- fairly liquidy -- was also fantastically good with everything, possibly made in house. - Ecuadorian style tamales, wrapped in green banana leaves (around $5), are available warm at the counter. The innards include from-frozen peas, carrots and green beans, a few slivers of bell peppers, and a balanced, but moderate amount of chicken or pork. The masa is (still) a bit less silky than my favorite versions for what it's worth -- but every tamale maker has their own style, and the overall effect was enjoyable. - Humitas are slightly sweet and a little denser, harder and dryer than what I am familiar with. Again, perhaps a stylistic difference. My Spanish is terrible and certainly the staff are better at English than I am at Spanish. But even if you're not a native Spanish speaker, just have some patience with communications. It'll all turn out fine. =) p.s. Would love to see prices posted by or near the food and/or on an itemized receipt. read more

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ORIGIN: El Cisne (pronounced El - Seez - Neh) is an Ecuadorian bakery named after a city in the Central American country. The bakery opened in fall 2022, and is the product of a family effort -- Jessica Rivera manages, her fiancé, Luis Alvarez, and her father, Meisias Rivera, bake, while her mother instructs how to make Ecuadorian treats. LOCATION: El Cisne is located in a New Milford strip mall. CONCEPT: Once inside, customers can get a taste of Ecuador. Complementing the bakery focus, El Cisne also offers a small grocery with Ecuadorian pantry staples that are hard to find elsewhere, such as dried purple corn on the cob, purple corn flour, and cinnamon sticks. Small bags of salty snacks, such as salted, crunchy broad beans and corn. EXPERIENCE: I never tried Ecuadorian baked goods before, but El Cisne makes it easy to be adventurous, with a beautiful wooden display case from which customers may grab items with tongs. I selected three breads, and was surprised to find at the register that my selection only totaled $4.50. Two of the items were filled with Ecuadorian cheese -- a salty, crumbly cheese that is apparently included in a wide range of dish types. Upon my second visit I came equipped with suggestions from neighbors who are from Ecuador. Dishes not to be missed include the guava-filled rolls, hot chocolate, and Morocho. Morocho, composed of dried corn, milk, sugar, and seasoned with allspice and cinnamon, is a special hot pudding/drink that takes hours to make. In the fall, look out for Colada Morada, a fruity drink associated with Day of the Dead. Nonetheless, there are plenty of familiar options available as well, such as flan, custard-filled pastries, and cakes. El Cisne is a welcome addition, as residents in the vicinity had previously been limited to purchasing cakes baked at grocery stores. TIPS: To catch a sip of Morocho you must arrive in the morning! Pair sweet with savory, such as Morocho with sugar-topped cheese empanada. Looking for something less sweet? Select hot chocolate instead of Morocho. Baked goods are ever-rotating out of ovens, some restocked more frequently than others. I suggest you ask which rolls are the most fresh, as this appears to vary by day and time. The bakery is designed for take out, but there is one cafe table with two chairs available. read more

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The selection and choices available at this bakery was exceptional. Most of the bakery items were of very good value. I guess the only item which seemed a bit overpriced was a 'pineapple cake' for $40. The clerk was helpful and gave us some options in our selection of items. The bakery store was in a small strip mall, and was a quaint shop filled with delightful goodies. The display of all the bakery items was very good and appealing. I would highly recommend this store for simple bakery items and some of their breads also. read more

Ordered birthday cakes multiple times. Great tasting cake with low sugar. Good rolls and other bakery items fresh available.

How has this place been in business for 4-5 months and no Yelp reviews? It's shocking! El Cisne is an Ecuadorian bakery with a great variety of packaged and fresh goods. They have a large coolers for drinks, and a lot of imported packaged goods you're not going to find at just any other store. But the best part, the one you can smell from outside, are their freshly baked breads. They have sweet and savory, and you're able to pick your own using a collection of red tongs and trays. I tried several, including a dulce de leches, chocolate, cream cheese, and cheese with brown sugar. The bread itself would make Paul Hollywood proud - it was well risen and fresh. The fillings were also very good, but some (dulce de leches, chocolate, cream cheese) ran through the bread while others (the cheese, cheese with brown sugar) were only in the middle at the top. There is also a shelf filled with cookies, including one epic one covered in chocolate chips. El Cisne is definitely a must stop! read more

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Went for the first time yesterday Very clean establishment Breads and cookies I grabbed were very good and the price is very affordable Definitely stopping by again read more

Super friendly and helpful staff. Be sure to get there early so you have the best selection of goods. We had meringue cookies, a cream bun and a slice of tres leches cake everything was delicious. And the prices were astoundingly low - we will be back!! read more

Food = Meh; service = ok; Ambiance = there is none. Authentic Ecuadorian pastries right in New Milford.