Bakeries are the perfect places for any meal. You can start off with a pastry for breakfast, a lovely cafe sandwich for lunch or dinner, a light snack throughout the day, or even a decadent dessert, maybe in the form of a rich, chocolatey brownie or cupcake.

Whatever your taste in bakery items is, every New Yorker should have that one bakery that they swear by and flock to regularly.

If you don't, then you should get one-- and we're here to help you with that.

Here are 10 tasty bakeries in NYC (in no particular order) that'll make you want to stuff your face.

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1. Levain Bakery (167 West 74th Street)

You'll love Levain Bakery's larger than life cookies, which are freshly heaped and baked each day. They promise to be nutty, chocolatey, and gooey-- really just generally amazing.

Another awesome Levain fact: they generously donate their leftover baked goods at the end of the day, which is the kind of thing that #givesmehope in this city.

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2. City Bakery (3 West 18th Street)

This Chelsea classic bakery has everything from pastries in the morning to lunch specials, including soups, sandwiches, and even a salad bar.

Their pretzel croissants are a city staple. Seriously, who would've ever thought that a combination like this would be so winning? Their hot chocolate is also seriously baller. It's thick, rich, and creamy, and the marshmallows are gigantic.

BTW, every February is hot chocolate month at City Bakery, with a new flavor of specialty hot chocolate on the menu each day. (Keep your eyes out for chili pepper hot chocolate-- it is eye-opening but incredible.)

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3. Baked (359 Van Brunt Street - Brooklyn)

Sea-salt brownies. Chocolate whoopie pies with buttercream filling. Apple pie. Biscotti. The list goes on and on, you know.

Because Baked has absolutely everything in the way of baked goods. No matter what you want, they've got it. Trust us. You will fall in love, we promise.

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4. Balthazar Bakery (80 Spring Street)

This beautiful little bakery specializes in the sweet and the savory.

You can get a kick-ass breakfast here that rivals your favorite brunch-- blasphemous, I know-- with dishes like prosciutto cotto on a brioche roll or smoked salmon tartine on pullman bread.

Balthazar also makes beautiful breads, including cranberry, raisin, and pecan bread and kalamata olive loaves. You can expect a killer cake from Balthazar, like the red velvet or the chocolate mousse to name a few.

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5. Sullivan Street Bakery (533 West 47th Street)

Sullivan Street Bakery is where the bread is freshly baked, authentic, and comes in a great variety of sweet and savory flavors.

You can also get a delicious thin crusted pizza that's homemade, fresh, and strictly Italian, and then wash your lunch or dinner down with a delightful Italian pastry.

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6. Egidio Bakery (622 East 187th Street - the Bronx)

Located in the Bronx's very own Little Italy, Egidio Bakery is your one-stop shop for Italian pastries. The display windows are stacked with colorful, chocolatey, and cream-filled treats, so you'll just have to try one of each, yeah?

Chocolate-dipped cannoli shells, nutty biscotti, and cookies adorned with colorful sprinkles will catch your eye-- and definitely your stomach as well.

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7. Patisserie Claude (187 West 4th Street)

This French bakery serves up treats reminiscent of cafes that line the streets of Paris.

If you love pain au chocolat (croissant filled with chocolate), then this is the place to be to get one.

The pastry is flaky and rich, truly a decadent delight.

If that's not the pastry for you, you'll definitely be seduced by eclairs, fruit tarts filled with cherry and apricot, and meringues. They're all lovely.

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8. Tu-Lu's Gluten Free Bakery (338 East 11th Street)

Gluten intolerance has gotten to be a big thing, and thanks to places like Tu-Lu's Gluten Free Bakery, gluten intolerants don't have to worry about enjoying baked goods and breads ever again.

Paninis are made on gluten-free homemade sunflower bread, and cupcakes are classic. Other treats may even be dairy free or vegan, but you'd never be able to tell!

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9. Clementine Bakery (299 Greene Avenue - Brooklyn)

Going vegan is no easy feat. It's a great and passionate cause, but it requires a lot of sacrifices and willpower, but that doesn't mean that it's impossible.

One of my favorite bakeries in my hometown is all vegan everything, and it's amazing, so that's why I wanted to find a vegan bakery to include on this list. Clementine Bakery in Brooklyn delivers exactly that and then some.

Classic sandwiches like the reuben and the BLT are made vegan using tempeh products in place of the traditional meats. Baked goods are plentiful, so try one of their cupcakes and cookies and be prepared to have your mind blown that they are vegan, as they taste just like the real deal.

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10. Veniero Pastry Shop (342 East 11th Street)

Veniero is both an NYC landmark and pastime, as this East Village hot spot has been turning out great Italian pastries since 1894.

With old school treats served in a stained glass setting, this bakery will charm the pants off of you as you enjoy slices of fresh cakes (tiramisu, I'm talking to you!) or cannoli stuffed to its crisp seams with fresh ricotta.

Mangia, New Yorkers!

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[Featured Image Courtesy: Mayo Studios]