Chestnut Bakery
Croissant (crossing) this bakery off our “to-try” list and you should too!
What better way to start your morning than to have fresh croissants for breakfast? Since the sun rises earlier these days, I decided to wake up early to grab some croissants for breakfast at Chestnut Bakery.
Tucked away in Floral Street at Covent Garden, Chestnut Bakery is where the award-winning croissant is served.
Chestnut Bakery is not hard to miss with their massive flower arches positioned outside its storefront, matching the street name where it resides.
Upon entering the bakery, I realized I was the first customer of the day, since I had gone before 9 a.m. (they open at 8:30 a.m.).
The staff was really friendly and welcoming. They seated me at the table by the window with their menu.
Before looking at their menu, I knew that I wanted to try their croissants because they had won the 2023 Best Croissant UK award.
It was quite interesting that such an award exists, but if a panel of croissant judges deems it the best in the UK, then it definitely is a must-try.
At first glance at the menu, the “Monthly Special Croissant” caught my eye; essentially, this croissant is a croissant where their bakers show off their creative side by having new flavors for the month.
It didn’t state this month’s flavor, so I decided to be spontaneous and not ask what the flavor was.
I also ordered a pot of my favorite tea, Earl Grey, to complete my breakfast.
I found this bakery interesting because, so far, in most bakeries/cafés I have visited, one has to walk up to the counter to place an order. But here, a server comes to you to take your order, which surprised me.
It saves me the trouble of having to leave my belongings at the table in fear of them being stolen.
As I waited for my order, I noticed that the place had a really cozy aesthetic; it felt like I was in a small-town bakery.
They had a wooden-glass display casing showcasing their range of pastries and bread.
I regret not buying their cinnamon swirl because it looked so good and sugary on the display, but it gives me a reason to go back.
Within a short time, my croissant, and pot of tea arrived, and I was in awe of the pretty croissant that was placed in front of me.
From this point, I still did not know what flavor this was because the croissant had cream piped on the top with almonds and butterfly pea flowers sprinkled over, so that wasn’t very telling.
When I started to cut a piece, the croissants were flaky, which is a good sign, and strawberry jam started spilling out. So I assumed that it was strawberry-flavored, and I thought it was a boring flavor for a monthly special.
However, the moment I popped the piece into my mouth, I could taste the buttery taste of the warm croissant and the sweetness of the jam, but what caught me off guard was the tangy taste of something else.
It was delightful. Upon further inspection of the croissant, I saw that pale yellow cream was paired with the jam. The tea was not as strong as I liked because it poured out clearly when Earl Grey is usually dark.
As I savored the croissant, I realized on the table there was a QR code, and being curious, I scanned it.
The QR leads you to the e-menu, but this is where I learned the flavor of the monthly special—Strawberry Lemonade Croissant—which was very befitting.
I guess the e-menu would make it easier to make edits and changes, so that’s where they update customers on their monthly specials.
Overall, the croissant lives up to its award-winning name and the atmosphere was relaxing, which allowed me to read as I indulged my breakfast.
Location:
24 Floral St, London WC2E 9DS
Written by Althea Scully