Top 10 Best Cannoli In NYC

Cannoli are a famous food in New York City. They look like small tubes filled with sweet ricotta cheese. The tubes are made of crispy, fried pastry dough. Every bite has the perfect mix of textures and flavors.

I grew up eating cannoli in an Italian family in Brooklyn. We would stop at bakeries after school to get them. My mom would make trays of homemade ones for parties. After being away for years, I moved back to NYC. I wanted to find the best cannoli here. I went all over the city trying different kinds. I looked for great ingredients and balance of flavors. Of course, they also had to bring back happy childhood memories!

First I visited bakeries in my hometown, Carroll Gardens. At Monteleone’s on Court Street, I felt like a kid again right away. Their filling has just the right thickness. And their shell has the ideal crunch. It’s only $2 – a tasty bargain! Down the block is Court Pastry Shop. Their big $3.25 cannoli stay crisp, even when filled up. The shell itself tastes more toasted. The shops here make cannoli the classic way.

In Manhattan, I went to places famous for cannoli. Pasticceria Rocco in the West Village has made specialty shells since the 1970s without preservatives. Their giant size lets you enjoy more filling with each bite. In the East Village, Veniero’s Pasticceria & Caffe has been perfecting their recipe for ages. Their darker shells have deep, smoky flavor. For my last stop, I biked over the bridge to the Bronx. At Madonia Brothers Bakery, I knew I picked right. The place was filled with grandmas carrying sweets! Their balanced flavors didn’t overwhelm. Even after all that riding, this fresh cannoli was worth it.

Pasticceria Monteleone’s

Address: 3023 Gateway Blvd W, El Paso, TX 79903, United States

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Opening Time : 8:00 A.M To 8:00 P.M

My first stop brought me back to my old neighborhood in Carroll Gardens, to Monteleone’s on Court Street. As soon as I bit into their $2 cannoli, sweet childhood memories flooded back. The delicate, crunchy shell gave way to smooth, mildly sweet ricotta filling – striking that perfect balance of textures I had been craving. Though on the small side, these nostalgic bites made up for size in flavor. Monteleone’s has other tempting treats too, like their famous almond cookies, but I stayed focused on my cannoli quest.

Still floating in nostalgia, I walked just down the block to Court Pastry Shop, a classic Sicilian bakery since 1948. I noticed they sold pre-filled cannoli, which often means soggy shells. But Court Pastry’s big $3.25 cannoli stayed perfectly crisp and crunch! The creamy filling had hints of nutmeg too. As I stood at the counter, a guy I had seen at Monteleone’s walked in. “Name’s Hollywood,” he said laughing. “Too many Joes around here!” He suggested trying Mazzola bakery next. Fun neighborhood characters like him encapsulate old Carroll Gardens charm.

Pasticceria Rocco

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Opening Time : 7:30 A.M To 10:00 P.M

My online search for top cannoli brought me next to Pasticceria Rocco in the West Village. Entering the sleek, modern space, you’d never guess it houses an old-school Italian bakery run by the same family since the 1970s! But one bite of their famous cannoli transported me straight to the Old Country. Their nice big shell released a generous ribbon of subtly sweet, smooth ricotta cream. I tried the chocolate chip version too, finding the chips added nice crunch without overpowering the delicate shell. This stop lived up to its cannoli in NYC hype!

After two iconic cannoli pit stops, I still had many bakeries left to patrol across the boroughs. I hopped on my bike again, riding over the bridge from Manhattan into the Bronx, towards storied Arthur Avenue. Pedaling up, I knew this historic Little Italy would let me glimpse old-world New York charm through the lens of a classic cannoli.

Madonia Brothers

Address: 2348 Arthur Ave, Bronx, NY 10458, United States

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Opening Time : 6:30 A.M To 5:00 P.M

Riding into the Bronx, I felt like I’d time traveled straight to old Italy. Twinkling lights and sweet bakery scents filled Arthur Avenue with holiday charm. At century-old Madonia Brothers bakery, I eagerly awaited what lay behind the counter. Finally reaching it after a few minutes, I watched the no-nonsense woman quickly fill cannoli shells with glistening ricotta before my eyes.

Biting in, the quality shone through. Neither the shell nor mildly sweet filling overpowered; instead letting subtle flavors sing. The fresh ricotta tasted so rich and pure. Reaching that ideal interplay of crispy shell and cool, creamy center confirmed this as potentially the single best cannoli in New York city yet!

Needing an espresso to fuel my next leg, I quickly popped into Egidio Pastry down the block. Amused by my cannoli quest across the boroughs, the woman affectionately scolded my traversal before handing over another solid cannoli. While tasty, it still couldn’t top Madonia’s masterful version. Luckily, Arthur Avenue overflows with Italian bakeries for return ranking trips!

Veniero’s

Address : 342 E 11th St, New York, NY 10003, United States

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Opening Time : 8:00 A.M To 10:00 P.M

Back in Manhattan, I visited an East Village legend – Veniero’s Pasticceria. Founded in 1894, intricate floors and stained glass ceilings alone warranted a visit. With no seats, I took my cannoli to go, biting into the dark, caramelized shell with smoky notes. Days later, a friend arrived with Veniero’s secret off-menu chocolate cannoli! This rare find substituted chocolate ricotta cream and a chocolate dipped shell. Beautifully contrasting textures without overbearing sweetness highlighted their versatility. For anyone not in NYC, they ship nationwide to savor the full Italian bakery experience outside the Big Apple too.

My next sweet stop took me deeper into Brooklyn to find out if another old-school family bakery could deliver quintessential best cannoli in NYC in little italy as well.

La Bella Ferrara

Address : 108 Mulberry St, New York, NY 10013, United States

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Opening Time : 10:00 A.M To 8:00 P.M

Another old-school Little Italy gem, La Bella Ferrara Cafe on Mulberry Street has baked soul-warming Italian treats for generations. Small in size but big in creativity, their chocolate covered cannoli wove complex flavors and textures: the satisfying crunch of shell gave way to indulgent chocolate ricotta filling. Each element harmonized without overbearing sweetness. While renowned for perfecting cannoli, La Bella Ferrara also houses secrets beyond that iconic pastry. Their ricotta-filled sfogliatelle earns raves from NYC’s baking elite too. Of course I still had to save room on my list for more cannoli…

Fortunato Brothers

Address : 289 Manhattan Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11211, United States

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Opening Time : 8:00 A.M To 10:00 P.M

In Brooklyn, family-owned Fortunato Brothers has dished out soulful Italian sweets since the 1970s. Their cannoli encapsulated what I sought all along: freshness. The audible crunch of the shell revealed ribbons of smooth, subtly sweet ricotta. But that was just the start of their creativity. Their one-of-a-kind “cannoli shots” transform the pastry in fun ways. They pipe shells full of chocolate or Nutella for decadence, topping it with cooling cannoli filling for delightful contrast. This inventive version revealed yet another excellent cannoli to savor in NYC.

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Final Words

After crisscrossing New York indulging in these Italian delicacies, I know there’s no way to name just one “best cannoli’‘ . But reflecting on standouts, Madonia Brothers, La Bella Ferrara, and Fortunato Brothers each delivered through exceptional focus and freshness. At the same time, chasing that nostalgic childhood flavor was equally gratifying. Now I encourage all fellow New Yorker’s to weigh in – where have you discovered supreme cannoli deserving commendation? I’m ready for the next leg of my lifelong cannoli quest!