[Photos: Robyn Lee]

Bread baskets are one of the greatest pleasures of dining out. Have you ever eaten a bread basket that was so delicious you couldn't stop eating it? Or one that even out-shined your actual meal? We have—and since New York City is a bastion of the impressive bread basket, we set out to determine our favorites.

Our criteria:

• The basket comes complimentary with dinner;
• it is baked in-house; and
• it is so exceptional you could eat the whole basket happily in lieu of a proper meal.

Some baskets impressed us with their diversity, others had a single knockout item, and still others were accompanied by unique spreads or dipping components. See our favorites in the slideshow above—and add your favorites in the comments.