Williamsburg's approach to the cinnamon roll mirrors its approach to most things: a mix of transplanted traditions and local reinvention. Bakeri, the Norwegian-owned café on Havemeyer Street, has been serving one of Brooklyn's best cinnamon rolls for years — cardamom-forward, airy, and noticeably less sweet than the American style.
Beyond Bakeri, Williamsburg has a strong supporting cast of cafés and bakeries with rotating seasonal rolls. Weekend mornings are worth planning around, especially in the stretch between Bedford and Driggs.
The neighborhood's food culture has always been early-adopter — if a new roll style is going to surface in Brooklyn first, it's probably here. Worth checking back: Williamsburg has a habit of producing the next thing before the rest of the city catches on.