Choc O Pain French Bakery and Café - JC Downtown

Downtown Jersey City · Jersey City · Steep Index 8.5/10 · Steep Pick

Choc O Pain French Bakery and Café - JC Downtown — Jersey City

A small French bakery cafe on Jersey Avenue with baguettes, croissants and tarts, and a pain au chocolat worth crossing town for.

The Steep Index

The pastry is the reason to come. The pain au chocolat was flaky and airy outside and moist inside, which is how it should be. The cortado was a little under-pulled, but the room is relaxed, the wifi works, and it is an easy place to sit alone.

  • Coffee / Drink Quality: 8.4/10
  • Atmosphere: 8.8/10
  • Solo-Friendliness: 9.0/10
  • Value: 8.2/10
  • Staying Power: 8.1/10
  • Overall: 8.5/10

Perfect for: reading, people watching

The Space

A small, relaxed room with a pastry case full of baguettes, croissants and tarts. Seating is limited, so a table is not a given.

The Coffee

The choco pain, the chocolate croissant locals queue for, was flaky and airy with a moist inside. The cortado I paired with it was a little under-pulled, which could be down to any number of things on the day.

The pain au chocolat was perfect.

The Vibe

Good vibes and a steady local crowd. There is wifi and some people work at the tables, though with so few seats it suits a short stay better.

The Verdict

Come for the pastry and stay for a book or a bit of people-watching. This is the Jersey City branch of a Hoboken institution, and the choco pain is why.

Practical information

  • Address: 530 Jersey Ave, Jersey City, NJ 07302, United States
  • Price: $
  • Type: french bakery cafe
  • Wifi available
  • Laptop friendly

Website

@chocopainbakery

More in Downtown Jersey City

  • Dames Coffee Espresso Bar Steep Pick
    Downtown Jersey City · Steep Index 8.7/10

    A tiny Jersey Avenue espresso bar with coffee-minded baristas and a backyard patio garden out back.

  • Dullboy Steep Pick
    Downtown Jersey City · Steep Index 8.6/10

    A dimly lit cocktail bar on Grove Street with a cocktail-minded crew, a long bar menu and a backyard patio out back.

  • Hidden Grounds Chai & Coffee House
    Downtown Jersey City · Steep Index 8.4/10

    A cozy Powerhouse Arts District chai and coffee house where the masala chai and the sense of neighbourhood camaraderie are both the real draw.

  • Lackawanna Coffee
    Downtown Jersey City · Steep Index 8.4/10

    A small basement cafe on Grove Street with a backyard patio, a ping pong table and a long drinks menu, popular enough to queue for on weekends.

All cafes and bars in Downtown Jersey City →

More in Jersey City

  • Semicolon Cafe Steep Pick
    Colgate Center · Steep Index 8.4/10

    A funky Hudson Street cafe built around brunch, sandwiches and a genuinely loyal local crowd.

  • The Archer Steep Pick
    Downtown Jersey City · Steep Index 8.4/10

    A dim, intimate speakeasy-style bar on Newark Avenue with table seating, a proper bar and a long cocktail menu.

  • Vis à Vis Cafe & Bistro
    Downtown Jersey City · Steep Index 8.2/10

    A rustic cafe on Newark Avenue with good wifi, front porch tables, and a long breakfast and lunch menu at fair prices.

  • Lackawanna Coffee Warren St
    Downtown Jersey City · Steep Index 8.2/10

    A bright Warren Street cafe with a high ceiling, tables upstairs and working wifi, easy to settle into alone.

  • Daily Provisions
    Downtown Jersey City · Steep Index 8.1/10

    An all-day neighborhood kitchen on Bay Street with plenty of seats, wifi, a long breakfast and lunch menu, and a salted caramel cold brew worth ordering.

  • The Hive
    Downtown Jersey City · Steep Index 8.1/10

    A bright, cozy Jersey Avenue cafe with a play space for little kids, a backyard patio, and the viral cinnamon buns.

The full Jersey City guide →