The queues outside Arôme Bakery's London locations have become something of a local phenomenon—patient lines of pastry enthusiasts waiting for their fix of honey butter toast and miso bacon escargot. This spring, those queues might just get a bit shorter as Arôme opens its third London location in the heart of Chinatown.
The new bakery, situated on the corner of Shaftesbury Avenue and Macclesfield Street, will introduce something entirely new for the brand: seasonally changing soft serve ice cream. It's a first for Arôme in London and signals the brand's ambition to keep innovating while maintaining the quality that built their reputation.
"We've been overwhelmed by the response to our London bakeries," a spokesperson for Arôme shared. "The Chinatown location lets us be part of one of London's most vibrant food neighbourhoods while trying something new with our soft serve programme."
Arôme has earned devotion through pastries that bridge Asian and European baking traditions. Their honey butter toast—thick slices of pillowy bread, toasted golden and slathered with honey-sweet butter—has become an Instagram sensation. The miso bacon escargot, a savoury twist on the French classic, demonstrates the kitchen's willingness to play with convention.
The Chinatown site is compact, designed primarily for takeaway, but its location next to De Hems—the historic Dutch pub—creates interesting possibilities for those seeking an unconventional evening: Dutch beer and bitterballen followed by Asian-inspired pastries.
For the neighbourhood, Arôme's arrival adds another dimension to Chinatown's evolving food scene, where traditional restaurants now share space with innovative concepts drawing crowds from across the city.
The exact opening date will be announced closer to spring, but anticipation is already building. For Arôme devotees, the prospect of a new location—and that soft serve—is worth the wait.