This week Lies and I hopped on our bike (with helmet) for a tour through Brooklyn, a super super hip part of New York that is full of artistic hipsters. We absolutely didn't know the neighborhood, so luckily tour guide Tony (who we quickly started calling Tony Chocolonely) rode along with us. Born and raised in Brooklyn, he offers the Brooklyn Bike Tours the best bike tours through Brooklyn, and we can really highly recommend it. He promised to stop occasionally for a juice and a snack and, you guessed it, I’m going to share those spots with you. By the way, you don’t necessarily have to bike, from Manhattan you can get to Brooklyn with just one subway stop. Well, biking is definitely more fun and maybe a bit better too, because not all tips are skinny-proof, I’ll admit that. Oh well, then you just run a mile longer in Central Park the next day.

Dun-Well Doughnuts

“The best donuts in New York.” Now, it’s not like I’ve eaten a thousand donuts in my life and can compare them well, but holy moly, this was a party of soft, crispy, and creamy goodness. It’s a vegan place, so they only serve cappuccino with almond milk and no dairy is used for all the sweets. The display case is full of donuts with different toppings. Chocolate/almond, sprinkles, coconut flakes, cinnamon, vanilla/blueberry/hazelnut, maple, you name it. And this is just the beginning. You choose your donut and get it in a box to take away or on a quirky little board that looks like a piece of cut tree trunk. The coffee beans are roasted fresh, and actually everything you can buy there is homemade. Lucky you if you can snag a spot outside on the bench.

Roberta’s

When you’re outside at Roberta’s Pizza you think nay, but when you’re inside it’s yay. It’s a kind of dilapidated warehouse where you’d rather stay far away from at night in the dark. Don’t do that. The smell of pizza inside is irresistible. You sit at wooden tables and picnic benches, and when you’re there, order a bottle of wine and various pizzas because you will share. The crowd is über hip, but so hip that you can’t really tell if someone hasn’t washed for five days or if it’s all intentional. Don’t get me wrong, they don’t smell, but I just need to get used to the über hipness. Oh yes, try not to have anything planned after your dinner, because there’s a good chance something is happening and a DJ is spinning records.

Bread Brothers Brooklyn Cafe

Going out in America without a bagel is actually not allowed. This place is where you need to be for a good one. At least if you can handle a lot of choices. The number of different bagels you can choose from is endless, and we haven’t even talked about the cream cheeses. With cucumber, olives, walnuts, jalapeño, artichoke, spinach, tofu; I’m just naming a few. Then on top of that, a slice of chicken, turkey, salmon; however you want it. Besides bagels, you can also order wraps or regular sandwiches. Don’t worry that you’ll still be hungry after this lunch. There isn’t a lot of seating, so it’s better to get a takeaway and eat it on a cozy bench nearby.

Fortunato Brothers

Here you are for a brief moment in Italy. Perfect for a stopover for a small gelato and an incredibly strong but delicious mini-espresso. Fortunato Brothers is a large place with three-meter-long rows of sweet pastries, so you can really indulge. I went for a scoop of coconut ice cream and it was heavenly. There were real pieces of shavings in it. In the window, there are also giant wedding cakes, and there’s nothing more delightful than watching two friends pick one out (which I saw). In short, this is a real candy store.