By Schona Dhawan '25
The Bryant Park Winter Village opened on October 25th and will be open until March 2nd. The shops have attracted tightly packed crowds since its opening, thanks to social media. Along with its famous ice skating rink and curling, the winter village showcases popular food vendors, jewelry, artwork, apparel, and holiday and gift shops. However, over the years the attraction has become more popular and has raised crowd sizes and prices. Lines take up to two hours for popular shops for mediocre and overpriced food. So, are the shops you’ve heard about worth trying?
Strawberro
The famous $28 strawberries topped with chocolate create a 2 hour line for a simple and
overhyped sweet treat. The dessert, something you could easily make at home, is by far in the top 3 most popular shops within the village. While you may think they are worth it because of the line that can wrap around the block, is it really worth the time and money to freeze for such a long time to eventually get store bought strawberries covered in room temperature chocolate?
Gnocchi on 9th
Gnocchi on 9th has a limited menu for a convenient and delicious meal, a single serving of gnocchi in a takeout container. The pasta comes with different sauces and the
option of burrata, which leaves little room for error. When I tried it over the summer at their shop on the 9th I knew I needed to go back for more, but I definitely won’t be going back for an hour-long line and a 60% price increase at the winter village. I’d recommend the delicious pasta, but I’d rather go to their shop on 9th street.
Baked Cheese Haus
The popular raclette sandwich, which is priced at $14, is worth the wait and the horrible
smell. The sandwich is simple but one of the few places in the markets that gets the taste, portion, and price right.
No Chewing Allowed
No Chewing Allowed is famous for one of the richest hot chocolates in the area. The taste has the perfect balance between bitter and sweet, for a decent price of $8. While the line may be long, it tends to move quickly and is worth it in the end. Also, I’d recommend grabbing a free chocolate sample!
Koukli
This Greek restaurant that offers skewers, fries, pita sandwiches, and hot chocolate is
by far my favorite place to eat in the village. No matter what you buy, the portions are amazing and worth the price. Their skewers and pita sandwiches range from $10-$15, both for great sizes. Personally, I ended up getting a combo with a skewer and fries that was $18, which ended up keeping me filled for the rest of the night. Finally, their baklava hot chocolate is to die for, especially for the short line!
Smores N’More
A hot chocolate rich in flavor that adds its own twist with smores, sprinkles, and other toppings for $12, which can be a little pricey but definitely worth it. While the long may be long, the warm sweet treat at the end is one of the best in the village.
All Photos Courtesy of Instagram, gnocchinyc.com, gothamist.com, nochewingallowed.com and Facebook
Edited By Catherine Polatidis '26 and Ms. Brilliant
Fair Use Disclaimer
The images and contents in this article are under Fair Use: Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act in 1976; Allowance is made for "Fair Use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use. All rights and credit go directly to its rightful owners. No copyright infringement intended.
Comments