Est. 1974 · West Village
Indulge in sweet tradition.
World-renowned authentic Italian pastry, made with original recipes passed down through generations — on Bleecker Street since 1974.
Our story
In 1956, a 17-year-old Italian immigrant stepped off his boat with little more to his name than the shoes on his feet. He found work at Zema’s Bakery — in the very spot Rocco’s stands today — starting as a dishwasher and learning the art of baking from Joe Zema himself.
In 1974, after numerous changes in ownership, Rocco Generoso Sr. bought the establishment he’d called home for eighteen years and turned it into the landmark it is today. Years later, he passed the torch to his children, who run it still.
“Years of dedication have contributed to the quality desserts we’ve consistently delivered, with tradition never sacrificed for passing trends.”
What we make
The very best of authentic Italian pastry — cannoli, cheesecakes, cookies, biscotti, and holiday classics. Call the shop or shop online to order.
Signature
A deep-fried shell — still hand-rolled to this day — filled to order with sweet ricotta cream, dressed with powdered sugar, chocolate chips and pistachio. Plain or chocolate shell. It’s what put Rocco’s on the map.
A rich, dense New York–style cheesecake — plain, chocolate, strawberry, blueberry or Oreo (starred flavors are gluten-free). Or an Italian cheesecake of ricotta, candied orange peel and orange blossom.
Classic hand-pumped butter cookies from recipes dating to the late 1800s, wrapped in cellophane with a festive bow — alongside soft-and-chewy cookies, tricolor rainbow cookies, and decorated Christmas boxes.
Authentic Italian biscotti made from a recipe dating back to the 1800s in Naples — anise, almond, hazelnut, sesame, lemon twist and more.
The café case: flaky sfogliatella, lobster tails, glazed fruit tarts and strawberry cream pastries — plus rows of mini Italian pastries.
Rocco’s has long been part of the holiday table: homemade panettone (Milano, Veneziano, Genovese), pastiera di grano, struffoli, torrone, pignoli cookies, gingerbread houses, and a fresh pumpkin pie at Thanksgiving.
Still hand-rolled
Our cannoli shells are still individually hand-rolled, and we still use a mechanical dough breaker that dates back to the 1800s. Most of our ingredients are imported to give the pastries the authenticity they deserve.
The result is the reason people cross town for it — and, we’d argue, the best cannoli in the country, if not the world.
Il Bar
Our espresso, cappuccino and lattes use a custom blend of Arabica and Brazilian beans from Gillies Coffee — founded in 1840, once our neighbor, and New York’s oldest coffee merchant.
The Kitchen
Our pancake batter is made fresh every day, with a wide variety to choose from — the reason people keep telling us it’s the best breakfast they’ve ever had.
By request
From wedding cakes to birthday cakes to catering desserts, we can do it all — specialty cakes, cupcakes, desserts and cookies made to order.
Email a brief description of what you’d like along with your event date, and someone from our staff will be in touch.
Email for custom cakes
From the shop
Come see us
Please call the shop for today’s hours. Custom orders by phone or email; nationwide shipping available online.
243 Bleecker Street
New York, NY 10014
9402 4th Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11209
