In Little Italy and Nolita, you can spend little on a sweet stop or more on a long meal; the format matters more than the promise of “cheap”. Ferrara Bakery & Cafe has served coffee and Italian pastries on Grand Street since 1892, while Easy Joy, beside the Chinatown border, offers dim sum and hot pot with an all-you-can-eat option. The first lets you buy one pastry and keep walking; the second takes appetite and time, and its fixed price will not necessarily be the lowest spend for everyone.
Ferrara makes cannoli, sfogliatelle, gelato and more than 200 specialties. Comments value the desserts and old-fashioned café atmosphere, although some find certain items expensive. The listing checked showed 4.4/5 from 7,718 opinions. Coffee with one pastry can be the lightest option for your wallet; sitting down for brunch or ordering drinks and several desserts raises the bill. It opens from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday to Thursday and until 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday; brunch is served daily from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Easy Joy offers a different experience: hot broth, ingredients cooked at the table and a self-service area. Diners often comment on the broths, variety and group-friendly format. Before ordering, ask whether dim sum is included in the unlimited hot pot price, how long the service lasts, and which drinks or desserts are part of the package. It opens daily from 9:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. It suits a group dinner, not necessarily someone looking for a cheap bite.
To manage your budget, choose Ferrara for coffee, one pastry or brunch; consider hot pot for a filling meal with friends and confirm its final per-person price. We could not verify a regular Italian buffet in Little Italy; Easy Joy is a real buffet option at the Chinatown border, and its food is Chinese rather than Italian. That distinction helps you choose without confusing food tradition with service style. Check menus, hours and charges before you go, and remember that one individual dish usually costs less than a buffet when you have a small appetite.
Check current details and choose according to your budget, time and way of travelling.
Cafés to compare
Compare menus, hours and recent reviews before choosing a café.
Ferrara Bakery & Cafe has been on Grand Street since 1892, and stepping into its dining room reveals another side of Little Italy: pastry as an everyday ritual, not just a souvenir from a walk. The family business makes cannoli, sfogliatelle, gelato and more than 200 Italian specialties, alongside c
Family-run bakery and café in Little Italy since 1892, serving cannoli, sfogliatelle, gelato, coffee and more than 200 Italian specialties.
Easy Joy Dim Sum & AYCE Hot Pot
145 Mulberry Street, New York, NY 10013
At 145 Mulberry Street, where Little Italy meets Chinatown, Easy Joy combines dim sum with Chinese-style hot pot. Its all-you-can-eat option is designed for a group meal: guests choose a broth, cook ingredients at the table and use a self-service area, while other dishes are ordered separately. It i
Dim sum and hot pot with an all-you-can-eat option; located on the edge between Chinatown and Little Italy. Confirm which dishes are included in the fixed price.
Sources & references
Sources for the information and reporting discussed in this guide.
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Official website of Ferrara Bakery & Cafe ↗
Primary source
Ferrara Bakery & Cafe, sitio oficial · Accessed October 2, 2026
Primary source for identity, concept, menu, and contact details.
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Official website of Ferrara Bakery & Cafe ↗
Primary source
NYC Tourism + Conventions · Accessed October 2, 2026
Primary source for identity, concept, menu, and contact details.
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Official website of Easy Joy Dim Sum & AYCE Hot Pot ↗
Primary source
Easy Joy, sitio oficial · Accessed October 2, 2026
Primary source for identity, concept, menu, and contact details.
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Official website of Easy Joy Dim Sum & AYCE Hot Pot ↗
Primary source
Easy Joy, sitio oficial · Accessed October 2, 2026
Primary source for identity, concept, menu, and contact details.
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Official website ↗
Primary source
NYC Tourism + Conventions · Accessed October 2, 2026
Primary source for identity, concept, menu, and contact details.
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Official website ↗
Primary source
Ferrara Bakery & Cafe · Accessed October 2, 2026
Primary source for identity, concept, menu, and contact details.
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Official website ↗
Primary source
Easy Joy · Accessed October 2, 2026
Primary source for identity, concept, menu, and contact details.
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Reseñas y puntuación ↗
Secondary source
Wanderlog, datos atribuidos a Google · Accessed October 2, 2026
La ficha consultada mostraba 4.4/5 en 7,718 reseñas. Visitantes suelen elogiar cannoli, sfogliatelle, café, tortas y el servicio; algunos discrepan sobre frescura y costo de ciertos productos. Datos consultados el 2/10/2026.
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Valoración y experiencia de clientes ↗
Secondary source
BestInHood, datos atribuidos a Google · Accessed October 2, 2026
La ficha consultada el 2/10/2026 indicaba 4.9/5 en 1,112 reseñas para el local de 145 Mulberry Street. Los comentarios destacan caldos, variedad y el formato de buffet; también señalan que el dim sum no está incluido en el precio de hot pot ilimitado.
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Comentarios de viajeros ↗
Secondary source
Tripadvisor · Accessed October 2, 2026
Tripadvisor mostraba 5.0/5 en 18 comentarios al momento de la consulta; se contrastó la experiencia con los comentarios de clientes de Google.