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    Joey Bats Café

    4.7 (416 reviews)
    InexpensiveDesserts, Portuguese, Cafes
    Closed 11:00 am - 7:00 pm
    Updated over 3 months ago

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    JOEY BATS CAFÉ ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Trendy
    Intimate

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    Recommended Reviews - Joey Bats Café

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    Marie S.

    Joey Bats Café is one of my favorite spots for Portuguese treats! This was my first time visiting their Essex Market location. I came a bit later in the day, so the pastry I wanted was sold out, but I was still able to grab one of my favorites, the blueberry Pasteis de Nata, and as always, it was delicious. Joey Bats truly has some of the best Portuguese tart so when I find one near I always get some. The café is inside the Essex Market, with plenty of seating both upstairs and downstairs.

    Jackie K.

    My mom ate these all over Portugal every day. She didn't enjoy these as much. The price is fair for them.

    Platonic ideal of a custard tart.
    Joel S.

    I had read about this place and came across it by surprise at the Essex Market. Pastels de nata were one of the highlights of our visits to Lisbon. The ones at Joey Bats are as good as anything I ate there. I can't overstate how excellent they are. They are rich and complex with the caramelized top contrasting with the rich custard and flaky crust. It's a thing of perfection.

    Amanda R.

    As a proud Luso-American with a deep appreciation for Portuguese cuisine, I have to say Joey Bats Café serves up some of the best natas I've had outside of Portugal. Their pastéis de nata are everything they should be--golden, flaky, and perfectly crisp on the outside, with a creamy, custard-like filling that strikes just the right balance between sweet and rich. Each bite transports me back to summers in Portugal, enjoying natas fresh out of the oven at a local pastelaria. Joey Bats has truly nailed the authenticity, and it's clear they're passionate about delivering a quality product that honors Portuguese tradition. Whether you're Luso-American like me or just a fan of incredible pastries, Joey Bats Café is a must-visit. Pair a nata with an espresso, and you've got yourself a little slice of Portugal right here.

    Cristina R.

    Just had the most amazing pasties de nata at Joey Bats festival stand in Mineola, NY! We tried two flavors - chocolate and passion fruit, and both were absolute perfection. The flaky crust was so crispy and delicious, it completely transported me back to Portugal and all the amazing traveling memories I've made there. The fillings were rich and creamy, and the combination with the crunchy pastry was just heavenly. If you're a fan of traditional Portuguese pastries, you need to try Joey Bats! Can't wait to try one of your 5 locations outside of a festival/carinal atmosphere.

    Nata
    Bernadette G.

    Holy Mother of cream! I love that new baby smell! This dessert is so gorgeous and delicious. That warm cream melted in my mouth like delicate velvet. With the right touch of torched sugar on top, this Portuguese tart is the Perfect sized dessert. If you are ever at the Essex Market in NYC stop by at the Joey Bats Cafè and have a nata or three! The owner and staff are very nice.

    Jessica Y.

    Wow these were SO good. Randomly came across this stand in the Chelsea market and did not expect it to taste so delicious. I got the chocolate pasteies and it was the perfect bite. It came out warm, gooey and super fresh.

    Melanie H.

    ok I don't know who Joey is but he's totally Bats for making such delicious Portuguese egg tarts! I got mine fresh out of the oven and they were so flaky, gooey, and warm!! It was so good! Not the best I've ever had but a very close second and so far the best and only one I've tried in NYC! It had the slightest paprika undertone? But honestly gave it a little umph that I wasn't expecting! I also heard during open market days they hand out free egg tarts and their new chocolate flavored one! Will have to come back for that! $4 for one was kinda kinda pricy but my deep craving for it made it very worth it! Honestly I trust any egg tart place that has the raw dogged no lining look and the top that looks like it's been glazed, about to fall off and with the very noticeable flaky layers on the side! Those are the best!

    Storefront
    Sofyan S.

    Food (5/5): Delicious Portuguese egg tarts that had a good ratio of right amount of sweetness filling and pastry. We ordered two and they were both great. Service (4/5): The egg tarts came fast and the the server had a great attitude. Ambiance (4/5): Nice storefront that's a part of Essex market. There are spots around the market for you to sit and eat.

    Pasteis de nata
    Kevin E.

    Notable differences from your Chinese bakery Portuguese egg tart: - Smaller - Pricier - Sweeter - Dryer crust - Thicker custard consistency - Hint of cinnamon Not worth the hype. Skip this and head over to Lily Bloom/Xin Fa Bakery in Brooklyn for a truly delicious Portuguese egg tart!

    Park
    Jean K.

    Nice little outdoor seating area. This is on Reed Street close to West Broadway. Nice to have a place to sit here and get coffee. They don't have tea. I think they have pastries. The outdoor place is really good. It's clean. You can sit here for a while obviously no one is going to chase you away. Coffee is fine. It's just regular coffee and they have coffee and espresso and that's all they have.

    $20- 6pcs- traditional flavor.
    Kyrie Jude E.

    Bryant Park, Winter Village Service: Very accommodating, gave me free one to taste. Ambiance: since it's a stall, don't expect a big space but enough for a quick snack, mostly to go. Taste: Got them warm, crispy outside and creamy& gooey inside. Plus cinnamon and powdered sugar dusted. Its lava feels so be careful before tossing all to your mouth. Tasted perfect. Highly recommend! My new go to egg tart pastry.

    Alan S.

    Custard tarts (pastel de nata) have become an edible legacy of the reach of the Portuguese empire's former span. I have loved the Macauan/Hong Kongnese interpretation since childhood - perhaps the single best one I've ever had was at a KFC in Taipei, where the dessert is also very popular. I also recently tasted a fairly solid version of the dish in Panjim (Goa). However, Joey Bats serves the original Portuguese variety, and I have to admit I was a bit underwhelmed. I was hoping for a bit more creaminess, but instead found the texture of the pastry sturdier than expected. I did prefer the dark chocolate over the original plain.

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    1 year ago

    Solid pastel de nata! I would say there might be some even better ones in Fall River/New Bedford, MA (little Portugal).

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    Joey Bats Café Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Joey Bats Café

    Do they make travesseiros here?

    Is this the same business that operated 40-50th st on Lexington in midtown?

    Yes it was but that location closed (right before or during the pandemic. I distinctly remember them having the same logo.

    Where is this place?

    Where are they located and do they have vegan desserts

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    Conwell Hall

    Conwell Hall

    4.3
    (156 reviews)
    1.4 mi
    $$

    Cute inside this old building, playing old music feels like you jumped into the late 50s, early…read more60s. Really makes you feel like you jumped into a Time Machine. They've kept this place in good condition. Lots of seating and menus everywhere. It once was an Art Deco bank, you can kind of get the feel of that just from looking around. If you look at the mural behind the cash out point it gives you a little touch of history what once happened within these walls. I ordered the salmon toast. It was a little hard but I like the cream cheese was thinly spread not just thrown in like many places. The salmon was good and the mint tasted fresh. The capers were like slightly toasted and crispy, i've never had them like that before and I loved it. I think the toast was just missing a little drizzle of olive oil on top. To be honest, I think the capers were my favorite part. They were just this unique texture. I've never experienced before. I also got an iced lavender chai latte to go. It was so light and delightful, with the perfect blend of lavender. I really enjoyed this place and would totally come back again.

    without a doubt, the most beautiful café in all of Manhattan…read more- inside of this old bank there is so much to discover. little hidden rooms and ample seating everywhere inside of the dimly lit halls. the perfect spot to study for an entire day or maybe for a date or whatever is your prerogative. - the service is very fast. order in front of the gorgeous mural, take a number, and they'll come find you. the hot coffees and teas come with little biscuits. the up charge for even a splash of alt milk Is a little ... outdated - the breakfast sandwich was surprisingly good. the fluffy block of eggs are filled with different herbs and the slabs of ham are thick, salty, and juicy. - the Wi-Fi is strong so is the coffee. what more could you want?

    Photos
    Interior
    Interior
    Ham and cheese croissant
    Ham and cheese croissant
    12oz Latte (~$6) with Housemade Lavender (+$1.50)

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    12oz Latte (~$6) with Housemade Lavender (+$1.50)
    Bibliotheque

    Bibliotheque

    4.3
    (131 reviews)
    0.7 mi

    My friend told me to meet her at the Bibliotheque, and so I did, not knowing what I am walking into…read more(no googling before hand). Wow, what a beautiful space! When you enter there is a bar you can sit at and two large high top tables next to it. As you walk further in there is a lounge with couches and various sizes tables. The whole space is surrounded by books! Heaven! We ordered a chai, matcha and a ginger cookie. Shout out to the woman taking my order for comping me my drink for my birthday! Everyone from the staff was friendly - I really enjoyed being there. The only thing I would say is someone should come by to check on the tables more often as I had to return other people's abandoned drinks. But you know what first world problems, am I right? Maybe they can have a sign or mention to customers to return their own cups before leaving. I sort of can't imagine why people don't... It is quite popular spot so you need to be very patient and strategic if you want to grab a table, as well as sprinkled with a little bit of luck. We unfortunately got there a little late. I went there at 3pm and hunted for a table and my friend got there by 330pm. By the time we ordered and started drinking our coffees - we were informed the lounge area will be closed at 4pm to prepare for the evening wine bar. Oh right this cafe turns into a wine bar in the evenings! How cool! At 4pm we thankfully grabbed one of the high tables - sharing it with another couple but it was large enough for the 4 of us. The lights dimmed and the atmosphere changed to more intimate. We unfortunately had to leave at 5pm, but I imagined picking up a James Baldwin book, ordering some white wine and enjoying both.... Mmm definitely next time. Maybe sometimes after work - sounds like a great wind down.

    there is a reason this cafe/wine bar tops every "best places to work remote from" list I've found…read more - this the most gorgeous bookstore and cafe that slowly turns into a wine bar. the walls are covered in beautiful books with sections for weird female protagonists and banned books. large couches, tables, spinning plushy chairs, truly a range of seating options until 4pm when it turns over for dinner service (beware 90 min wifi limit!!) - the coffee is reasonably priced ($5 americano with almond milk) and the service is very fast at the counter. the food menu is minimal until dinner, so I went with the one sandwich option with meat. - the prosciutto Gruyère was delicious. the bread has a crispy crunch while the inside had the perfect amount of butter to soften the inside further. cheese was sharp and meat was salty, a classic combination done well. - I loved it here and will certainly come back when I have hotspot data or downloaded materials to work on after the 90 min wifi limit

    Photos
    Our bar area accommodates approximately 30 guests.
    Our bar area accommodates approximately 30 guests.
    Prosciutto sandwich
    Prosciutto sandwich
    The lounge area houses almost 10,000 books and fine art from Rashid Johnson, Robert Longo, and Roy Lichtenstein, among others.

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    The lounge area houses almost 10,000 books and fine art from Rashid Johnson, Robert Longo, and Roy Lichtenstein, among others.
    Sweet Moment

    Sweet Moment

    4.3
    (1.2k reviews)
    0.5 mi
    $

    I haven't been here in a hot second (I'm talking years) and finally decided to come for some shaved…read moreice on a warm day. There's plenty of tables to sit at and there's also a restroom. We tried the melon shaved ice $22 for the large which was a bit pricy but it was quite delicious. We were worried that the large might be too much for two people but honestly we were able to finish it without a problem. The melon pieces were sweet, the ice is milk based so it was creamy and flavorful on its own. We barely used the condensed milk that it came with (and we loved how they put it on the side for us instead). At the bottom of the shaved ice was cereal pieces and mochi which gave a nice different texture. We also tried their drinks specifically their blue lemonade and mango-ade which I thought was just ok. The highlight is definitely their shaved ice. Definitely go for the large as the small seemed much smaller and for double the price, you can get almost 2-3x more. Overall: it's a great place to grab a shaved ice and relax . The atmosphere is chill and you can stay without feeling rushed.

    Love love love their bingsoo! I live in Philadelphia for school so it's easy to come up to NYC for…read morea day trip. Stopping here every time I'm in the city is a must now! Especially with the hot weather. I lovvveee their bingsoo. It's the perfect blend of flavor, coldness, texture, and sweetness! A great treat and location

    Photos
    Utensils and trash area
    Utensils and trash area
    Strawberry Shaved Ice: $8; $8.71 with tax
    Strawberry Shaved Ice: $8; $8.71 with tax
    Matcha Strawberry Bingsoo

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    Matcha Strawberry Bingsoo

    Joey Bats Café - desserts - Updated July 2026

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