Top-7 Paninis in Bed-Stuy

Cafes across the America have adopted a new menu item– the Panini. It's like a grilled-cheese sandwich times ten; Add some meat or a few veggies and you've got bonafide gourmet grilled perfection!

As a foodie, really, there is no type of Panini that I prefer over another, and as long as it has good bread, good fillings, and a good price, I'm happy. I visited some of Bed-Stuy's Panini places, looking for a Panini that satisfied my cravings and warmed my belly for the walk home. It was also a great opportunity to hang out in some of the best coffee shops and bakeries in the neighborhood, all of which I recommend for good coffee and great people watching.

Here are my top 7 choices:

7. BreadStuy

403 Lewis Avenue

It's only $5 for a sun-dried tomato, prosciutto and mozzarella Panini. The sun-dried tomato is over-powering in flavor, since they use both the tomatoes themselves and a sun-dried tomato paste. The bread is perfectly toasted and not at all greasy, and the price is unbeatable.

6. Coffee Break Pizzeria Bakery 

683 Myrtle Avenue

This kosher bakery has a delicious tuna Panini for $5.50 that is simply tuna salad on thin flat bread. The tuna salad is packed with veggies- tomatoes, peppers, onions, carrots, and more, which makes it flavorful, even without the cheese. If you want to get away from cheese and heavier ingredients, this is the Panini for you. 

5. T-Cup Cafe

 627 Throop Avenue

I highly recommend the chicken cheddar Panini that comes with chicken, cheddar, bacon, and pesto. You can taste each ingredient equally, and neither the pesto nor the bacon is too dominant a flavor (a hard balance to create). The bread is a little hard for my liking, but it is high quality bread with a great taste. All of this plus chips for $6.50.

4. Bistro Lafayette

338 Franklin Avenue

There are so many fillings in this steak Panini that the Ciabatta bread could not contain it all. The steak itself is well cooked, and the sautéed onions and chipotle mayo create a delicious and filling combination. The bread is a little oily and the price is high-$8 for the Panini and a side salad, but if you want to have a nice, filling meal, this is the place to go.

3. Brooklyn Stoops

748 Myrtle Avenue

For a cafe that opened only a month ago, this place can make a Panini! My favorite part is the bread: a grilled Ciabatta with rosemary on top. The hint of rosemary in every bite is too good to be true! For 5.50, you can get a tomato, mozzarella, and pesto Panini with a side of chips. There is a lot of cheese, perfectly melted, and just the right amount of pesto. I'm a vegetable lover, so I would add more tomatoes, but overall this is a great deal.

2. Square Root Cafe

584 Myrtle Avenue

For $6.25, you can get a three-cheese Panini that I highly recommend. You get to choose your cheeses, so I went with mozzarella, goat, and cheddar. The bread is not too oily, as it often is when filled with this much cheese, and it has a great crunch to it. I'm a huge cheese fan, but it's easy to have too much, and this Panini surprisingly has the perfect amount. They add tomatoes to freshen it up, and it comes with chips and a small salad with balsamic vinaigrette on the side. Overall, a great lunch, and a great price!

1. Nero Doro

395 Classon Avenue

When I told Nero Doro that I was writing an article on the best Panini's in Bed-Stuy, they confidently responded that I came to the right place, and they were right. This upscale cafe located on Classon and Greene knows the Italian definition of Panini, and they pride themselves in making only the best. The waiter recommended their prized Piadine, which is similar to a Panini, and as far as I can tell, exactly the same. The bread on the Piadine is absolutely incredible— it's baked on the premises and you can taste it.  The fillings were also incredible. They were filled with simple ingredients and not too much spice, but everything tasted fresh and the flavor of each ingredient was noticeable (rather than covered up by too much sauce). All the Panini's are served with a delicious green salad, but that doesn't quite make up for the price. Most of the Panini's were at least $9, so consider it a nice lunch, not a coffee break.