It’s not just a bakery — it’s a bar! A new restaurant space in Rockefeller Center is now a one-stop shop for those who enjoy a coffee and pastry by day and dinner and a cocktail by night.
The Tipsy Baker recently opened for business on Aug. 9 at 30 Rockefeller Center. Created by the team behind the popular bakery Café d’Avignon, the new space boasts a delicious menu of baked goods and bites by day and Mediterranean-style meals and libations by night.
“We are known for beautiful artisanal handmade breads that are served at some of the best restaurants in the city. We also have a few little coffee shops where we pair our freshly made pastries with superb coffee, this is our niche,” said co-founder Uliks Femhiu. “When we were invited to Rock, they wanted us to maybe expand on what we do and stretch our services towards the later hours in the day, the after-work hours or pre-theater hours.”
Femhiu said that the team loves a challenge, and creating this dual identity for the space played right into Rockefeller Center’s vibes. Even in coming up with the name, the team fell in love with The Tipsy Baker because it plays into the playful energy they wanted to achieve.
“We do not take ourselves too seriously even though everything that we do is, to the best of our ability, very cool,” said Femhiu. “It’s the bakery and it’s the bar. You sit down and nothing looks wrong. Actually, it looks exactly how it should be. It looks like a speakeasy, we are underground but when you enter the space, it’s designed in that way that you forget where you are, which is, I think, absolutely amazing.”
Like many cafes, The Tipsy Baker has a lineup of breads, pastries and coffee options, allowing New Yorkers to pop in and grab something to grab and go or hang for a while inside. The Tipsy Baker’s lunch and dinner menus were brought to life by executive chef Andres Grundy, Chef de cuisine Finnian Peralta, and general manager and beverage director Ben Kaufman.
The menus include a selection of shareable small plates, including a Persian Aubergine Spread, Charred Organic Carrots, Seared Shrimp, Romesco, and Roasted Peppers. The menu also includes a number of large plate options such as Dry Aged Black Angus Sirloin, Grilled Spanish Octopus, Crispy Pork belly, and Seared Cobia. Each meal can be rounded out with one of The Tipsy Baker’s dessert and cocktail offerings as well.
Femhiu says that the opening earlier this month went off without a hitch, with the feedback from customers about The Tipsy Baker being overwhelmingly positive.
“Once we opened the door, the place became alive immediately. There was no advertisement of the opening, there was no announcement because we didn’t want to announce anything,” said Femhiu. “We were not in a rush to bring people in, but people started coming in as soon as we opened the door and all of a sudden, I was observing people how they behave in the state. They immediately became one with this new environment and immediately felt as if it had been there forever, which I think is extremely important. It looks like an underground in the middle of Paris or in the basement of Rockefeller Center.”
For Femhiu, he says that he hopes that The Tipsy Baker quickly becomes the go-to spot for people to not only grab a coffee, but to enjoy a night out after work with your coworkers or friends.
“We hope that it’s going to be your favorite place to grab a cup of coffee and a croissant in the morning. We hope that you’re going to continue and grab a salad or a sandwich for lunch or sit down and have a beautifully plated meal with a glass of wine,” said Femhiu. “Towards the event hours, we really hope that this is going to be a favorite hangout place for the people who work in the building who work in the area and that after being with us a little bit, they can go home a little happier.”
The Tipsy Baker counter is open daily from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., and from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. for lunch and 5 to 9 p.m. for dinner on Monday through Friday. For more information, visit rockefellercenter.com/dine/the-tipsy-baker.
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