Winter in New York City can be brutal. As the season approaches and the temperature drops, the best way to warm yourself up is with a hot pie and a mug of strong coffee. Pie Face is a new Australian cafe-style pie shop that opened on 13th Street and Fourth Avenue on Oct. 8. The shop, which serves savory and sweet pies, makes a perfect place to hunker down in the wintertime for a snack.

A combination of four savory pies, including chicken curry, tandoori vegetable, BBQ pulled pork and Philly cheesesteak, cost approximately $20 after tax and is a perfect amount for two people to share.

The pies are all baked in a hot soft crust shell and have a face drawn on top. After the first bite of the BBQ pulled pork, a diner will immediately regret not having something under his or her chin, as the pie filling can be extremely dense. Meat is not the accentuated flavor in this pie, but rather the smoky, sweet and salty BBQ sauce. The Philly cheesesteak gives off a strong cheesy aroma, and the meaty pie filling includes folds of roast beef drowned in hot melted cheese.

The chicken curry disappoints. Instead of spicy curry, the pie had more of a creamy gravy, mixed with a variety of vegetables and large chicken cubes. The tandoori vegetable is the best of the four  aforementioned pies. What it lacked in texture, it makes up for in a surprisingly complex flavor. The sauce has a spicy bite at first, which is followed by a strangely sweet aftertaste.

CAS freshman Christopher Zhao enjoyed the pie’s chunky texture.

“It tasted like Japanese curry,” Zhao said, “[which is] a taste I like.”

Pie Face U.S. marketing director Tennille Scicluna said the restaurant has been expanding rapidly.

“We’ve grown from one location to seven in less than two years,” Scicluna said. “We have lots of regular customers who visit us every morning for their coffee and breakfast.”

Scicluna also said the restaurant prides itself on its student-friendly environment.

“We think NYU students will love the fact that we’re open 24/7,” Scicluna said. “We are working on delivery at this location and will be on Seamless soon.”

Besides its flexible open hours, Pie Face also has free Wi-Fi, so students can spend a winter afternoon working and feasting on hot pies.

Pie Face is located on 127 Fourth Ave.

A version of this article appeared in the Tuesday, Oct. 22 print edition. Nathan Ho is a staff writer. Email him at [email protected].