Recommendation: Levain’s cookies live up to the hype and are unlike any cookies we’ve ever had. My favorite is the original Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookie and Tim loved the Oatmeal Raisin! They can be a little too sweet so a nice cup of milk or coffee is a must.
Price: $$. Each cookie costs 4 dollars but it’s worth it!
Levain Bakery (pronounced leh-ven) has multiple locations in New York and just recently opened a new store in Georgetown, DC.
Started by Pam Weekes and Connie MacDonald in 1995, the duo first came up with the idea for their now famous cookies when training for an ironman triathlon. Wanting something more substantial than a regular cookie to give them energy during their training they simply thought “why not just make a bigger cookie” and the rest is history.
While they also sell other baked goods such as banana bread and muffins at their stores, most customers first visit to try their cookies.
The four cookies that you can expect to find at their store are their original Chocolate Chip Walnut , Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Chip, Dark Chocolate Chocolate Chip, and Oatmeal Raisin. When I went they were also selling limited edition cookies called the Café Con Leche which was made with espresso, cinnamon, cashews, chocolate and dulce chips, all in their signature dark chocolate cookie dough. They also sell a gluten free version of their original cookie for those with dietary restrictions.
I had my first interaction with Levain Bakery back in 2019 when Tim and I were visiting NY with a group of our friends. Our friend Anna had the cookies recommended to her and we made our way to one of their locations in Manhattan. While both she and Tim got cookies there, for some reason I decided against it and instead opted to “power pose” in front of the store while waiting for them to order their cookies. I would later regret this decision heavily.
Fast-forward to October, I had since learned about how famous the cookies at Levain Bakery were and was still kicking myself for not trying them when I had a chance. Then, seemingly out of nowhere I saw the news that they had opened up a location close to home in Georgetown, DC and I knew that this time around I would not miss the opportunity to get my hands on a cookie (or three).
I made my way to the Georgetown location on a Saturday in the afternoon and the line spanned out the door and across multiple stores adjacent to Levain’s. I was accompanied by our friend Anna, and we ended up waiting about 30 minutes in line, in that time we managed to take a new photo of me power posing in front of the bakery.
Once inside we were greeted with a very clean and spacious store. The staff were friendly, and taking the proper precautions as well.
We ended up ordering three cookies, the original Chocolate Chip Walnut, Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Chip, and finally the Café Con Leche. We quickly received our cookies, and found a nice location to enjoy our ~1,800 calorie snack.
All of them were still nice and warm with a soft and gooey center and crisp exterior which is a signature feature of Levain’s cookies. My favorite of the three was the original Chocolate Chip Walnut and a near life changing experience. However, I found the Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Chip leaving more to be desired. While delicious in its own right, it did not stand out as much to me. Personally, I would have liked to see more peanut butter flavor come through and perhaps a little more salt. The Café Con Leche cookie was the softest of the three and exceptionally gooey.
The sprinkling of flakey salt on top of the cookies was a great touch and I really enjoyed this one. My ranking from this trip is:
- Chocolate Chip Walnut
- Café Con Leche
- Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Chip
Something important to note about these cookies is that they are EXTREMELY rich and sweet. I personally would not recommend eating more than one in a single sitting. By the end of our tasting Anna and I both were a little overwhelmed by the sweetness even when paired with some great coffee ,also purchased from the bakery, in an attempt to balance out all the sugar.
All in all I believe that the cookies at Levain Bakery were 100% worth the wait and exceeded my already high expectations. I can’t wait to go again and try out their oatmeal raisin, but will practice moderation and have only one.
Until next time! -Minh
Minh & Tim 
One thought