NYC’s First Salt Bread Bakery Has Landed: Inside Justin’s Salt Bread in the East Village

Justin’s Salt Bread has officially landed in the East Village, bringing New York City its first bakery dedicated entirely to salt bread, from the team behind popular noodle spot Okiboru. Located at 58 Second Avenue, it is already positioning itself as NYC’s next carb obsession, centered around one buttery, salty, perfectly simple specialty.​​

A Seoul Craving Comes To NYC

Almost a year ago, I was on the other side of the world, in Seoul, eating salt bread for the first time at Artist Bakery, and my mind was blown! I asked for this to come to NYC, and Justin’s must’ve been listening!

Salt bread’s journey begins in Japan, where it is known as shiopan, before becoming a viral sensation in Korea as soggeum pang, and finally making its way to Manhattan through Justin’s.

The Space: Asian Minimalism In The East Village

The new build-out embraces a simple, calm, and welcoming aesthetic, with pronounced Asian vibes.

Instead of a cluttered pastry case, the room is organized around one hero item and a small curated drink menu, giving it the feel of a minimalist specialty café rather than a traditional New York bakery. The seating area is larger than expected, with a cozy, living room like vibe that makes it a natural meetup spot for friends or a place to linger over coffee and bread.​

The Bread: Butter, Salt, And Chew

At Justin’s, the move is to start with the plain salt bread, served warm so that the butter saturates the dough and slicks your fingers before the first bite. It is somewhere between a brioche and a croissant: buttery and rich, with a soft interior and just enough chew to keep each bite satisfying.​​

True to its concept as NYC’s first salt-bread-only bakery, Justin’s focuses on the original flavor and lets customization come from the three cream dips you can pair with it. You have plain, matcha, or chocolate! Each are a light and a little sweet, and my favorite was the matcha.

You also definitely want one of their salted drinks! I got both the Salt matcha latte: Matcha sourced from Uji, Japan, topped with vanilla-sweetened cold foam and a sprinkle of Himalayan pink salt.​ And the salt coffee which is an espresso-based drink, with the same vanilla cold foam and Himalayan pink salt, giving a contrast of strong coffee, light sweetness, and a distinct salty finish.​

I am both a coffee fiend and a salt fiend, the combination of robust espresso, creamy foam, and a sharp saline edge hits exactly the right note.​ I didn’t realize how much i wanted salt in my coffee until now!

Final Thoughts

Justin’s Salt Bread is opening into a neighborhood already dense with destination bakeries, yet it immediately stands out by dedicating itself to one very specific style of bread. The current menu leans hard into purity, one core bread, a few dips, and a couple of signature lattes. I think I would like to see more variety, what made Artist bakery so special was their dozens of flavors from the outside and the inside, giving you so many different sweet and savory options. I am also missing a little bit more of that CHEW that i really appreciated.

But to get a taste of salt bread, I am very thankful Justin’s is open!