Sweets First Bakeshoppe & Cafe

Astoria, United States

3.6

Closed now

20 reviews

Accepts Credit Cards

Contacts

QR code, vCard

Telephone:
+1 347-617-1108
Website:
www.sweetsfirstnyc.com
Address:
35-04 35th St, Astoria, NY, 11106
Astoria
Nearby public transportation stops & stations:
0.2 mi36th Avenue
0.3 miSteinway Street (M,R)
0.3 mi36th Street (M,R)
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Bussiness info

Delivery
No
Take-out
Yes
Accepts Credit Cards
Yes
Parking
Street
Bike Parking
Yes

Today

Today 1:00 pm – 7:00 pm
Closed now
Local time (Astoria) 08:14 Thursday, 29 May 2025

Business hours

Monday –
Tuesday 1:00 pm – 7:00 pm
Wednesday 1:00 pm – 7:00 pm
Thursday 1:00 pm – 7:00 pm
Friday 1:00 pm – 7:00 pm
Saturday 1:00 pm – 7:00 pm
Sunday 1:00 pm – 7:00 pm

Description

Specialties

Sweets First Bakeshoppe & Café is a cupcakery and bakeshoppe opened by sisters and their cousin. Sweets First is all about satisfying your taste for sugary sweet goodness. We offer good ol’ traditional recipes with a twist, as well as new treats that will surely be one of your favorites. They’re not just ordinary sweets!

We are well known for our cupcakes, like our Breakfast Club cupcake, a French toast cupcake batter topped with candied bacon, the Seinfeld cupcake made with broccoli and cheese, and the Terminator cupcake, a Nutella-​Rocher cupcake. We’re constantly coming up with new sweet treats, so make sure to ask us what new treat we have for you to enjoy.

Sweets First also makes special occasion cakes available by pre-​order for every occasion, from birthdays to baby showers and weddings.

While you’re in our shoppe, make sure to order a coffee or bubble tea to enjoy with your sweet treat. During the summer we also make delicious sandwiches for lunch.

History

Established in 2013.

Our love for baking and sweets really is from our family. The name Sweets First is a nod to the large and close-​knit family’s tendency to skip dinner and go straight to dessert. We have a sweet tooth and we’d rather have our sweets first before the course itself. We have been baking together for years, and are used to experimenting with flavors based on unusual requests we get from the family. One of the reasons we were inspired to open up our shop was because of our «Seinfeld,» the broccoli and cheese cupcake! The story was, Charisse was pregnant and had a craving for broccoli and cheese. The next day Christine had a dream about whipping up a broccoli and cheese cupcake, and then viola! Sandy saw the potential and proceeded in opening the business!

Meet the Business Owner

Sandy N.

Business Owner

We started our family business out by selling our cupcakes right on the street. Eventually, due to our success, we found our current space and opened up here in Astoria on April 2013.

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Nearby

Near this location:
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ft
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35-12 35th Ave
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3502 35th St
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Calliope Callias, PhD
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20 reviews of Sweets First Bakeshoppe & Cafe

No registration required
Place rating: 5
Midtown West, Manhattan, NY
Went there yesterday 5÷11÷15 and they told me they were closing for good. So disappointed, there was nothing to buy and they were busy stacking the chairs.
Place rating: 2
New York, NY
Cupcakes are good. Nothing special. The card machine wasnt working. Very small bakery with just cupcakes n coffee.
Place rating: 1
ELMHURST, NY
Drove all the way from the other side of Queens to try their cupcakes. Got there at 7pm. Door was open, sign says open, so we walked in only to be immediately refused service because they close at 7pm.
It’s not like they had to go bake cupcakes specially for me, they were in the display case already packaged.
Which business in NY refuses to make a sale when it only takes a minute to ask, how may I help you and here you go, please come again.
Next time lock the door and turn your sign if you are closed.
Place rating: 1
Elmhurst, NY
You would think this tiny shop located off the main street would be grateful for customers. That is not the case. While I cannot attest to the tastiness of their treats, I can tell you their service sucks. We specifically went to this location on a Sunday evening looking for desert and arrived a few minutes to 7pm only to be told the store was closed. So why was the door still opened for business genius??? The manager was closing the register but I hardly doubt our business would have messed up his calculations. FYI parking is difficult to find in that area. Dude I hope you stay open for a long time but I doubt it with that attitude…
Place rating: 5
New York, NY
Highly recommended to me by a colleague, I came here to get a custom cake made for my cousin’s baby shower. They did a great job and the «blue» velvet cake with cream cheese buttercream filling was delicious. Big hit! I definitely recommend to others as well and will go to them again and again!
Place rating: 3
New York, NY
Pretty nice guy running the shop seemed really grateful for a customer to walk in. Cupcakes seemed to be the focus but opted for a salted caramel brownie, which was nice and chocolately, but the lack of popularity was clear as it seemed a bit old. No min for plastic, get an emailed receipt from their tablet.
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Sub Total $ 3.00
Sales Tax $ 0.27
Total $ 3.27
Place rating: 5
New York, NY
I first discovered sweets first bake shoppe after a visit to Kaufman studios and my daughter wanted a cupcake, we went in and the owner was working on a custom cake, I was mesmerized at the detailed work on the cake and told her I would def be seeing her for my daughters birthday ! Fast forward a few months later I pre ordered the cake 2 weeks in advance, sat down with the owner and told her what I wanted, we looked at pictures and I told her I wanted the cake to be similar to the picture but after seeing her work I trust that she adds her own style to the cake, I ordered a three tier, three flavor cake, the top was red velvet, the middle was chocolate Nutella and the bottom was vanilla flan .
First I’m going to talk about how amazingly gorgeous the cake was, the detail was beautiful, sheer perfection ! Now the flavor, the texture, the buttercream … All a perfect ten ! Everyone went absolutely crazy for the cake, it was beyond anything I expected, she did a great job, great service and they even opened one hour early today to accommodate my pick up since I had to drive the cake all the way to Long Island .
I will always order my cakes from sweets first bake shoppe, thank u guys so much
Place rating: 5
ASTORIA, NY
Okay, so I literally only bought a honeydew bubble tea while waiting to catch the bus, but it was absolutely AMAZING! They blend their teas and omg, it takes all I have not to go there every day and get another one!
Place rating: 5
Astoria, Queens, NY
This is my favorite place when I need a sweet fix. Not only is it a great local business, run by a lovely family, but the cupcakes are awesome! Perfect size and they are not too sweet. Tons of great flavors that are usually named after movies, relates great the the history of the area and Kaufman studio. Another plus is the punch card deal they have, buy 8 cupcakes get 1 free.
Place rating: 3
Garden Grove, CA
Food
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$ 17.82
$ 2.75 per cupcake plus tax, ½ a dozen cupcakes
$ 0 Small Coffee (Foursquare check-​in bonus)
The Seinfeld x 2
Pretty Little Liars
The Breakfast Club
The Terminator 2
Lost in Translation
I was buying the cupcakes as fun souvenirs for ma peeps back home so I can’t give the lowdown on all of ‘em (and the crowd pull, The Seinfeld), but I did try the Lost in Translation. What I hear a lot is that it’s not super sweet, which is actually quite enjoyable for adult taste buds that might have grown out the teen super sweet is super delicious phase. Lost in Translation was an easy eat but the store remains as a novelty stop for the brocooli & cheese cupcake, so uniqueness over quality/​taste. I wanted to try the flan bubble milk tea but knew that I wouldn’t have space attending the Coffee & Tea Festival afterwards. They did have a bubble milk tea cupcake that I would have gotten in a heartbeat, but the employee said it wasn’t that popular so stopped producing it.
Décor
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Easy to miss, it’s squeezed between two shops, next to Museum of the Moving Image. Two white tables w/​white chairs inside. Walls have quotes on them, 3 on the left side, one above the chalkboard; font is hard to read.
Service
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Nice staff. The only downside I saw was that it was 2:30pm and the selection was greatly depleted. I knew they closed at 5/​6pm and they opened at 12pm; the chefs only bake in the morning and so what they had out is all they would have, but if I had the choice I would have gotten 6 Seinfelds. It’s a mom and pop shop so they’re watching out on costs, but if you went to Magnolia or Sweet Sunshine or Sprinkles, I think you’d always be able to get what you came in for at the quantity you came in for.
Extra!!!
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— Wifi available
— Was not serving sandwiches onn my visit 03÷23÷14
Place rating: 4
New York, NY
The taro cupcake is amazing-​which I did not expect bc normally I’m used to savory prep. I wanted to try broccoli and cheese, but perhaps when I’m not so filled on lunch or maybe when I’m pregnant. I look forward to trying more in the future.
Place rating: 5
Long Island City, NY
I got six, assorted… AMAZING. The Seinfeld is great, they were all great. I would DEFINITELY try any cupcake they offer. I will absolutely be a repeat customer.
Place rating: 1
Astoria, NY
I saw this place after Museum of the Moving Image and decided to try their cupcakes. My first impression upon walking in was that it looked dingy, kind of dirty and a little sad. For instance, the tables looked like they had crumbs on it, the lighting is kind of dark making the pink walls look cheerless, and the stencils painted on the walls are less than exact. The cute, happy, pastel nuances of most bakeries are absent here. I wanted to walk out, but I had come too far.
I ordered the Seinfeld cupcake and the Terminator 1 (Nutella). The cake was extremely dry and tasted almost stale. I was hoping to get more Nutella flavor in the terminator but it just tasted like any generic frosting.
This place was a disappointment, and I left without any desire to give it a second chance.
Place rating: 2
New York, NY
Eh, I tend to try to eat healthy so when I eat sweets I expect to be impressed. The quality of the cupcakes is very Entenmann’s like. Nothing against Entenmann’s but when you buy it at the supermarket you already know what you are paying for. By buying a cupcake at a bake shop one would expect great taste and moist taste. The cupcakes I purchased here were neither.
Further, upon entering the shop it felt awkward because it was almost as if we were an inconvenience to the employees because we had interrupted their conversation. Not the friendly and cheery feel of every bakery I have ever been to and enjoyed. I will not be coming back.
Place rating: 5
Flushing, NY
Great cupcakes! Definitely try it! I tried the Envy and Seinfeld. Both were very tasty. Also had a chance to taste the Taro Bubble tea and it was awesome as well!
Great service too!
Place rating: 4
ASTORIA, NY
I have a thing for sweets! So when I heard about this spot I was excited to try it out! I finally managed this past week to walk over there. The store is small, it probably fits a max of 10 people & I was crazy to have a stroller with me but I made it work and the staff was super sweet about it!
The staff was superb, really sweet and knowledgable. Not at all irritates to answer questions, it was really refreshing. I tried 4 cupcakes: The Seinfeld (broccoli & cheddar), The Terminator (possibly the sequel but a chocolate Nutella), The Breakfast Club (French Toast), Little Rascals (s’more)
I’ll start with the s’more one ~ it was amazing! The cupcake was moist, it had just the right amount of gooey topping, it was perfect & my favorite. The Seinfeld: really just tastes like a vanilla cupcake, I saw broccoli but there was no taste of either. The Breakfast Club tasted like cinnamon which made me happy but that was about it for flavor, it was topped with a candied bacon that I didn’t try =/​& the frosting tasted like whipped cream. Te Terminator … Now this one confused me, it had me at Nutella, but there is not even the slightest hint of Nutella or hazelnut of any sort in there. Also just seemed like a chocolate whipped cream on top rather than frosting.
I did visit towards the end of the day but even so I was disappointed with how dry the cupcakes were (except for the Little Rascal one) and all of them cupcakes were really dense and fell short on the frosting level =(
I’ll give them another shot, maybe earlier in the day ~ but definitely I’ll be having me a Little Rascal!
Place rating: 3
ASTORIA, NY
Solid cupcakes and good bakery to have in Astoria. The storefront is small and I almost missed it. The service was friendly.
The size of the cupcakes are on the smaller end (which is a definite plus). Most adults will be able to eat two cupcakes in one sitting. Tried the Terminator 1 & 2, Lost in Translation and Envy. They all had some nice flavors and had the perfect amount of sweetness and ratio to cake/​frosting.
The cake part wasn’t as moist as some cupcakes I’ve had in other bakeries. But that could be because I picked them up at the end of the day. I will definitely be back if I have a craving and in the area.
Place rating: 4
Long Island City, NY
Stopped in here on a whim and was very surprised and pleased with this new little nook in Astoria.
What got my attention right from the beginning was their Seinfeld BROCCOLI AND CHEDDAR cupcake! Yes, you heard me right. A pretty little cupcake with pastel green buttercream dolloped upon yellow cake. I could definitely taste the cheddar — a subtle, yummy flavor. The cake was a little dense and doughy but I actually really liked the consistency. I do wish it were a little more broccoli-​esk but overall, it was my favorite cupcake.
Other cupcakes I tried were The Breakfast Club (French Toast flavor), Lost in Translation (Dulce de Leche) and Terminator 2 (Chocolate Nutella and Roche Chocolate). The chocolate cake for the Terminator 2 was excellent. The texture perfect and not too sweet. The other 2 cupcakes were good. The buttercreams, for my taste, I found a little too buttery but I tend to err on the side of more frosting-​like toppings.
The lovely women who own and run the shop explained that their goal was to make a cupcake that is sweet but not too sweet. I think they succeed. The flavors are subtle, buttery, and dense. There is a good dollop of buttercream on top but not the mountain you see on other store bought brands. Each cupcake is uniquely dressed. Each has a movie or tv title to go along with the neighborhood (it’s right next to Kaufman Studios). Very cute. The cupcakes are reasonably sized standard cups. $ 2.50 a piece is a little steep but you pay for originality and quality. You get a discount if you buy a dozen.
In a world where cupcakes are hitting a plateau, it’s exciting to see a little shop like this push the envelope with new and different flavors. I can only hope they go even further with their imaginations. We can always get a Crumbs or Magnolia but I can’t think of a place to get a broccoli and cheddar.
I wish them luck and I think, with a little more time, they will definitely make their mark in Astoria’s Foodie world.
Place rating: 5
SUNNYSIDE, NY
This place is amazing!!! The cupcakes are so moist and full of delicious flavor but not overly sweet! The Nutella cookies are amazing!!! The names of the cupcakes are movie themed its so fun and cute! Love this place I hight recommend them and will be going back!
Place rating: 4
Seattle, WA
Sweets First Bakeshoppe enters that very hotly contested market of gourmet cupcakes. So what separates them from the rest? Well, it’s a small mom and pop shop that not only serves up cupcakes but also sandwiches and breakfast items for a very reasonable price. They have a variety of unique flavors for their cupcakes such as broccoli and cheese and other fanciful names like the terminator.
Unlike most cupcakes that are made, these aren’t sickly sweet (although I do crave that sometimes). The sweetness is more muted and the size of the cupcakes are more normally sized than the gigantic portions at Crumbs. The cake portion itself is moist and overall everything was good. The seinfeld which features broccoli and cheese was definitely nothing I was expecting. The small bits of cheese adds a bit of richness to the sweetness of the cake/​frosting that actually worked much better than I expected. $ 3 can get you a sandwich and under $ 3.00 ($ 2.75 if I recall correctly) will get you a cupcake. Get a sandwich, cupcake, and a drink and you’ll get a special price for around $ 6.00.
They’re off the main drag and you’ll have to go a little bit out of your way from the movie theater and the beer garden, but stop on by and give em a shot. The owners are incredibly friendly and they do have a small dining area.