Welcome to New Jersey’s Best Bakery!

Clinton Township’s Sweet Melissa Patisserie is known far and wide for being one of the most delicious bakeries, impressing even the most particular of food critics. The bakery has been awarded numerous accolades, including the Zagat award of “Best Tarts and Pies” in all of New York, and Food & Wine called the business “One of the best pastry shops in all of New York.” Talk about impressive!

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A local ‘gem’ wins N.J.’s best bakery showdown

Sweet Melissa's Patisserie in Lebanon NJ wins best bakery

December 21, 2017​ | Website: nj.com | By Peter Genovese It’s official – Sweet Melissa Patisserie in Clinton Township is New Jersey’s best bakery. The charming little cafe, with its delectable French-inspired cakes, pastries, tarts and cookies, bested nine other finalists in our epic month-and-a-half-long search. Melissa Murphy Rafano stood in shock as we walked … Read more

N.J.’s best bakery: These are the 10 finalists

A French chocolate pastry

Posted December 12, 2017  Melissa Murphy (at left in photo) and husband Chris Rafano operated three patisseries in Brooklyn for 16 years before moving to New Jersey and opening Sweet Melissa Patisserie just off Route 31 in Clinton Township. A whiff of baked wonder greats you as you walk into the bakery/cafe. Temptation is everywhere – … Read more

This tower of cream puffs takes pastry to new heights

A tower of cream puff desserts by Sweet Melissa Patisserie

by Peter Genovese I NJ Advance Media for NJ.com It’s the final round of our epic N.J.’s best bakery showdown, which means we’re down to 10 great bakeries, chosen from among our 50 semifinalists. This is the second of three final round trip reports. In the final round, we are joined by a crew of assistant judges whose opinions … Read more