Blink and you might miss it: L’Appartement 4F has opened its newest installment on the quaint corner of West 10th Street and Greenwich Avenue. Beginning in Brooklyn Heights in May 2022, Gautier and Ashley Coiffard opened the French bakery with nothing but a dream and a sourdough starter, eventually opening the Manhattan location on Feb. 1 of this year.
The bakery was previously known for its fancy, mini-croissant cereal that went viral in September 2022. However, its menu items are not all a fad — the croissants, baguettes and kouign amanns are close replicants of the classic French pastries.
The Brooklyn location’s ground floor is compact: An elegant, wood-and-glass display of pastries takes center stage. Customers line up to place their orders, mesmerized by the rustic armoires and vintage knick-knacks that fill the space. As you walk up the modern, dark-gray steps, the energy shifts. Romantic portraits line the white walls and soft light shines on the simple wooden chairs, urging you to linger a little longer and enjoy these delectable treats.
In typical French fashion, there are no grand theatrics when it comes to L’Appartement 4F’s West Village location — it is just a classy, casual service window out of a cozy residential building. The bakery combines the flavors of Paris with the hustle, on-the-go culture of New York City. Although the Manhattan location officially began service at the start of last month, business is already booming — lines are long and menu items are fresh. Perfect for a quick morning treat, you can grab a croissant and latte all before your 8 a.m.
One of the most popular items is the $7.50 Le Framboise, a delicate raspberry almond croissant. The shell takes on every characteristic of a classic croissant — buttery on the inside, flaky on the outside — but is also filled with raspberry ganache. As someone who is not a particular fan of raspberries, I thought the cream was light enough and refreshing without being overpowering. The almond flavor perfectly complements the gentle tang of decadent fruit. This pastry is topped off with thin almond shavings, dried raspberry pieces and a dusting of powdered sugar — a truly unique croissant flavor.
Another stand-out is its $4 Tahini Chocolate Chip Cookie au Sel de Mer. You can never go wrong with a classic chocolate chip cookie, but the tahini and sel de mer — French for sea salt — add a sweet tang that makes this pastry unique. The base of the cookie is very smooth and thick, with intensely rich dark chocolate pieces that melt in your mouth. The addition of tahini gives it a subtle nutty taste, enhancing the flavor with some unexpected savoriness. My only gripe with this cookie would be the imbalanced and condensed flavor of the sea salt. It seems to overpower the distinctive flavor of the tahini and the depth of the chocolate.
L’Appartement 4F’s new window location matches the hustle and bustle of the city. No time to sit down? Come over to L’Appartement 4F where you can order a quick pastry and get moving because delicious croissants are necessary to make your early mornings just a little bit better.
Contact Christobelle Rudes at [email protected].
