Look, I’m well aware that if I were to stop spending half my income on expensive croissants and coffee; in twelve years time, I might be able to afford to buy a one-bedroom parking space in Zone 6. However, I respect the importance of doing the little things in life that brighten my day, and do you know what truly brightens my day? Pastries. And so here we are.
If you’re as addicted to TikTok as I am croissants, you will have most-likely heard about Arôme. Co-founded by French pastry chef, Alix André and Singaporean restaurateur, Ellen Chew; this bakery has blown up on social media for it’s unique fusion of French patisserie techniques and Asian-inspired flavours and ingredients. Now, I know what you’re thinking – just because people are raving about it on TikTok, doesn’t mean it’s actually any good. But how about if I told you that it has been hailed as one of the best bakeries in the entire country – as voted for by actual bakers. They must be doing something right, hey?
Baking fresh, seasonal products in-house everyday, Arôme offers an impressive spread of sweet and savoury pastries that perfectly marry Eastern and Western flavours. It will take a lot of will-power not to order one of everything, but the good news is – you can’t really go wrong with whatever you order. French classics like the humble crossiant and pain au chocolat are on offer, but you could also go for something a bit more outside-the-box like their Miso Bacon Escargot or the unanimously crowd-pleasing Arôme Honey Butter Toast – a thick and caramelised slice of Shokupan bread.
Items do tend to sell out and you’ll most-likely have to queue for a little bit, but we can confirm that the inevitable pastry-coma is well worth the wait. If you’re lucky enough to bag yourself one of the limited tables, you can enjoy your pastries within the modern and minimalist space (you might even get a sneak peek into the kitchen and see the magicians at work). However, there are very few things as wonderful as grabbing a coffee and pastry to-go and taking a leisurely stroll around central London.
Go forth and enjoy that expensive coffee and croissant – buying a house is overrated anyway.
9 Mercer Street, WC2H 9QJ & 27 Duke Street, W1U 1LE.
Nearest stations are Covent Garden and Bond Street.