New York City’s Big Famous Cookies From Levain Bakery Are Coming to Los Angeles

New York City’s most popular cookie shop, Levain Bakery, has just signed a lease for a new space in Larchmont Village, says a company rep. This is the 12th location of the bakery chain, whose hefty six-ounce cookies draw long lines in New York, D.C. area, and Boston. Soft and almost gooey in the middle with a slightly crisp outer edge, these $5 cookies have become one of the city’s most iconic foods. It’s not clear when exactly Levain will open for business but permits will be filed next week to begin construction.

Levain Bakery first opened in 1995 in New York City’s Upper West Side by Constance McDonald and Pamela Weekes, expanding to a second location in 2000 in the Hamptons. Over the years, they’ve expanded across Manhattan and Brooklyn, and opened their first store outside of New York City in Washington, D.C. in 2020. In the past two years, Levain has also expanded to Bethesda, Maryland, and Boston.

The original chocolate chip walnut is the store’s signature flavor; other popular cookies include dark chocolate chocolate chip, oatmeal raisin, and chocolate peanut butter. Levain also produces plenty of other baked goods, including bread like baguettes, ciabatta, and country boules; brioche pastries, scones, and muffins; and loaf cakes like banana chocolate chip and sour cream coffee. The morning-to-evening hours mean Levain also serves hot and cold coffee drinks, hot chocolate, and tea to busy New Yorkers.

Los Angeles is a city that loves its carbs and baked goods, evidenced by numerous bakeries spanning the panaderias of East Los Angeles and Boyle Heights to the cake specialists of Sweet Red Peach and Cobblers, Cakes, and Kream in Inglewood/South LA. More European-style bakeries like La Tropizienne, Republique, and Chaumont draw lines daily while Asian-influenced Tous Les Jours and Paris Bakery are popular in Koreatown and beyond. Cookie bakeries like Milk Jar Cookies, Zooies, Deluscious Cookies, and Cake Monkey have also had success over the years, though Levain does bring its strong branding and reputation to LA.