Villani's Bakery

Review! Charlotte, North Carolina // New York-Italian-style Bakery // neighborhood favorite

The ELEVATOR PITCH

Villani’s Bakery is a Charlotte Classic that many locals will swear by (and by “classic” here, I mean like how a thing becomes equated with something else due to countless associations, versus the kind of “classic” you use when describing a chic & timeless aesthetic)—so much so that it was voted “best bakery in North Carolina” by Yelp¹ in 2024 based on the number of stellar consumer reviews on the website.

This was shocking news to me, because Villani’s Bakery had just quietly existed for most of my time in Charlotte, and wasn’t really a hot topic among food news channels. Since I was never locationally close to the bakery, my exposure to their products consisted of the treats my mother-in-law would frequently buy—specifically, their Triple Berry Muffins and very very red, Red Velvet Cake—and not much else…so, I thought it was high time I get to know one of Charlotte’s few Italian bakeries!

If Villani’s Bakery was a friend you’re meeting for coffee, she’d have an unassuming appearance that looks like she wasn’t overthinking her outfit: wearing worn white brick (that could use a good power washing), stained awnings, and a faded parking lot. And on the inside, she’s also down-to-earth, homey, and humble—not a lot of unnecessary extras, just refrigeration and pastry cases—ready to be the listening ears for the life updates you want to share between bites of pastries. There’s no question here: if you find yourself hanging out at Villani’s Bakery, it’s not for the vibes, but probably for the food.

And the menu really is what stands Villani’s Bakery apart from other dessert shops and bakeries in Charlotte. They offer a duo of New-York-Italian-style baked goods (tiramisu, rainbow & amaretti & spritz cookies, cannolis, etc.) and non-Italian treats like croissants, macarons, cookies, cakes, and more.

Paul and Amanda Villani started the business in 2015 in Concord, priding themselves in serving food and beverages that are authentically Italian (you don’t see words like “lungo” and “ristretto” thrown around on just any coffee menu) and making everything in-house and from scratch². In 2018, they decided to relocate to the Plaza Midwood-Elizabeth area to be closer to home, and surprised Charlotteans by bringing a lot of their faithful Concord fans with them³. If you ever are enjoying their outdoor patio space, you’ll notice the constant bustle of customers walking in empty handed and leaving arms full of boxed up goodies; the Villanis have definitely garnered eager patrons!

For all of hubbub about having a cult-following and many faithful fans, though, I’m surprised the Villanis haven’t pursued more locations in the Queen City…I’d also be excited to see them open up a larger storefront and offer a dine-in space. That said, the financial gymnastics to make any expansion work is probably a lot more complicated than a hopeful customer’s idealistic wishes. 🥲

So, how did their food measure up to these lofty expectations? Let’s review!

menu items

April 2025

honest reviews below 👇

CROISSANT

This looked smaller in the pastry case, so when I got it, I was shocked at the size! The croissant itself has a softer exterior that isn’t as crunchy as I prefer (zero-to-no flakes when you bite in), and the cross section is a denser crumb than others I’ve had. Overall the flavor is more toasty (I prefer buttery-sweet), the texture can be a smidge drying, and the experience is more like a dinner roll than a true croissant. (rating: 4.6/10)

ALMOND CROISSANT

(note: not twice-baked) The flavor is surprisingly decent even though the top didn’t have additional frangipane (which I’m used to), and I felt that the entire pastry was perfectly sweet enough. The almond slices were super toasted, which added a nice dimension to the filling and rest of the parts of the pastry that didn’t have any filling. The frangipane itself was a little too almond-extract-y for me, though, which made it feel sort of artificial-tasting in flavor. (rating: 6.5/10)

SFOGLIATELLE

I had one of these from Nino’s Bakery that was a STUNNER, so in comparison, the pastry layers here were really tough and stale, the ricotta cream was dense and sort of dry, and the citrus-cinnamon flavors just didn’t hit me as dreamily as the one from Nino’s. The shape overall was also a little flatter, like it was sitting there for awhile…all in all, it was disappointing and I am hoping this was just a bad batch (but if it was, I’m wondering why it was still served?). (rating: 2/10)

APPLE TURNOVER

I was full on expecting the crust on this turnover to be more like a puff pastry, but it was the texture of a dense shortbread pie crust (not too unlike commercial Poptarts!). I would’ve preferred the puff pastry texture more, but the pie crust still was well done, and gave the turnover more of that “hand held pie” feeling. The apple mixture was delicious—not too sweet, with a good balance of cinnamon and apple flavors. (rating: 7.5/10)

While this batch of their items didn’t blow my mind (I suspect their non-laminated pastries to shine more, but we’ll see), I’m looking forward to trying more of their other baked goods and will update this post with those reviews 😊 stay tuned!

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the RÉSUMÉ

address // 901 Pecan Ave, Charlotte, NC 28205

operations // Tuesday - Sunday, 7:00 AM - 10:00 PM; Monday, CLOSED.

logistics // free parking available in front of the building but also on the side

amenities //

• unisex bathroom

• accessible

• no indoor dining space

• outdoor seating options available, some covered (pet-friendly!)

vibes // mom-and-pop corner shop, no frills, just dishing out the baked goods and coffee

menu //

• beverages ($2.25 - $5.50): brewed coffee, espresso (doppio, macchiato, ristretto, lungo, cappuccino, latte, etc.), milk, bottled water, iced tea, chocolate milk, hot chocolate, juice

• baked goods ($2.00 - $4.50): turnovers (apple, nutella, etc.), biscuits, cookies, bars, cinnamon rolls, muffins, biscotti, Italian cookies (rainbow, spritz, etc.)

• breads ($2.00 - $3.75): babka, bialys

• viennoiserie ($5.00 - $6.50): croissants (plain, almond, chocolate, pistachio)

• desserts ($1.50 - $7.00): tiramisu, Napolean, cream puffs, sfogaliatelle/lobster tails, cannoli, cream horns, macaron, pies, cheesecake

  ⭐ custom cakes and cakes by the slice

recs // nothing from my first visit, but I’m looking forward to trying more of their other baked goods 😊

site // Villani's Bakery

1. Blackmon, Chyna. “Best bakery in North Carolina? According to Yelp, you can find it in Charlotte.” The Charlotte Observer. (March 5, 2024)

2. “About.” Villani’s Bakery.

3. Queen City Weekend. “The owners of this bakery just moved their business and cult following to ‘Chantizzlewood.” The Charlotte Observer. (October 13, 2019)