Aya Pastry is a hidden gem in West Town. Their almond croissant is flaky and buttery perfection. The kouign-amann is dangerously good, crispy on the outside, soft on the inside. I also grabbed a matcha coffee cake and a cinnamon roll to go. Everything was fresh and beautifully made. Prices are a bit on the higher side, but totally worth it for the quality. Ended up spending around $20, and I'll definitely be back for more.
Camille Traczek
I don’t usually go out of my way to write reviews, but I got several croissants for my family from here, and we all agreed that they were the best croissants we’ve ever had in the U.S. I’ve been trying to find an almond croissant close to the ones I had while I lived in Berlin, and this almond croissant is the closest I’ve ever gotten. Perfect amount of frangipane, no artificial almond flavor, crunchy brown toastiness. The plain croissants were also fantastic. Highly recommend to any croissant lover and I can’t wait to try the other flavors.
Sami Tsoflias
One of our favorite bakeries in Chicago!
Kelly Hajduk
The carrot cake is beautiful but also DELICIOUS! And the banana bread cake is the most amazing and delicious I’ve ever had.
Michael Rivera
Aya Pastry in West Town is a hidden gem for pastry lovers. Their almond croissant is a standout—flaky, buttery, and filled with rich almond paste. On my visit, I also tried the Kouign Amann, which was decadently sweet and caramelized to perfection. I spent about $10 for these two pastries, and they were well worth every penny. Highly recommend stopping by if you're in the area!
Chris Eyo
I cannot wait to come back! The apple galette and spinach, mushroom, and cheese croissant were delectable.
Austin Popham
Consistently the best bakery I've been to in this part of town (and almost anywhere in Chicago). The sliced sourdough is great for sandwiches throughout the week and the pastries are great for a bite on the weekend. The Samoa and Kouign amann are the most popular (and the banana bread is pretty great too).
Leah De Gabriel
Excellent customer service! My husband and I were in town just for the day and although we’ve been to Chicago many times, we wanted to try a new spot. Googled bakeries near me and this one caught my eye. We stopped in and ordered several things to go. After we paid, as they packed up our order, I inquired about what another pastry (one that we hadn’t ordered) was like. A minute later, when they handed over our box of goodies, they put one of the pastries I inquired about on top, on the house. Everything we tried was FANTASTIC. The peanut butter chocolate croissant was absolutely to die for. I wish we lived closer to be able to stop in more often, however, it’s probably better for my waistline if we don’t!! We’ll be back for sure.
I love this bakery, I only start my day after my chocolate croissant, the people are super nice and always super friendly with me. Tânia is always there when I go there, and she is always very attentive and she always knows what I want!! happy to have a great bakery so close to home. And please try the chocolate croissant, it’s the best one!!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Robert Dusina
Good pastry items. Don’t expect service with a smile… or anything to show that they appreciate your business.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 4
Service: 1
Afro Senpai
Japanese milk bread. Fire french toast.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Everything Bread, Bakery
Donnell Mata
A Cake Store Without Cakes—What a Concept!
Imagine walking into a cake store and being told, “Sorry, we need 48 hours’ notice for all cakes!” Okay, fine. I get it—good things take time. But then I asked if they had any standard cakes ready to go, like a normal cake shop might. Nope! Not a single cake in sight.
But here’s where it gets truly absurd. Apparently, the head pastry chef decides each morning what cakes might be made that day. So, it’s like playing cake roulette—except you always lose. No one in the store has a clue what's coming out of the oven until the chef rolls out of bed and consults their magic 8-ball. How does a cake shop not know what cakes they’re making? It’s like a pizza place saying, “We don’t actually have any pizzas right now, but check back tomorrow and maybe we’ll have decided to make one!”
And just when you think it couldn’t get more ridiculous, they drop this bombshell: Even if by some miracle they do have a cake, they won’t sell you the whole thing! Nope, they’ll only sell it to you slice by slice. So if you want the entire cake, they’ll charge you for each individual slice like it’s some kind of bakery ransom. Seriously, who does that?
If you’re into spontaneous, overpriced, slice-by-slice cake shopping, then maybe this is your dream bakery. But if you’re like me and prefer a cake shop that actually has cakes—and some common sense—I’d suggest taking your business elsewhere.
The chocolate truffles are to die for!
Aya Pastry is a hidden gem in West Town. Their almond croissant is flaky and buttery perfection. The kouign-amann is dangerously good, crispy on the outside, soft on the inside. I also grabbed a matcha coffee cake and a cinnamon roll to go. Everything was fresh and beautifully made. Prices are a bit on the higher side, but totally worth it for the quality. Ended up spending around $20, and I'll definitely be back for more.
I don’t usually go out of my way to write reviews, but I got several croissants for my family from here, and we all agreed that they were the best croissants we’ve ever had in the U.S. I’ve been trying to find an almond croissant close to the ones I had while I lived in Berlin, and this almond croissant is the closest I’ve ever gotten. Perfect amount of frangipane, no artificial almond flavor, crunchy brown toastiness. The plain croissants were also fantastic. Highly recommend to any croissant lover and I can’t wait to try the other flavors.
One of our favorite bakeries in Chicago!
The carrot cake is beautiful but also DELICIOUS! And the banana bread cake is the most amazing and delicious I’ve ever had.
Aya Pastry in West Town is a hidden gem for pastry lovers. Their almond croissant is a standout—flaky, buttery, and filled with rich almond paste. On my visit, I also tried the Kouign Amann, which was decadently sweet and caramelized to perfection. I spent about $10 for these two pastries, and they were well worth every penny. Highly recommend stopping by if you're in the area!
I cannot wait to come back! The apple galette and spinach, mushroom, and cheese croissant were delectable.
Consistently the best bakery I've been to in this part of town (and almost anywhere in Chicago). The sliced sourdough is great for sandwiches throughout the week and the pastries are great for a bite on the weekend. The Samoa and Kouign amann are the most popular (and the banana bread is pretty great too).
Excellent customer service! My husband and I were in town just for the day and although we’ve been to Chicago many times, we wanted to try a new spot. Googled bakeries near me and this one caught my eye. We stopped in and ordered several things to go. After we paid, as they packed up our order, I inquired about what another pastry (one that we hadn’t ordered) was like. A minute later, when they handed over our box of goodies, they put one of the pastries I inquired about on top, on the house. Everything we tried was FANTASTIC. The peanut butter chocolate croissant was absolutely to die for. I wish we lived closer to be able to stop in more often, however, it’s probably better for my waistline if we don’t!! We’ll be back for sure.
Apple pie is really delicious as well as crunchy.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
The scallion cheddar biscuit was incredible.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
I love this bakery, I only start my day after my chocolate croissant, the people are super nice and always super friendly with me. Tânia is always there when I go there, and she is always very attentive and she always knows what I want!! happy to have a great bakery so close to home. And please try the chocolate croissant, it’s the best one!!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Good pastry items. Don’t expect service with a smile… or anything to show that they appreciate your business.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 4
Service: 1
Japanese milk bread. Fire french toast.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Everything Bread, Bakery
A Cake Store Without Cakes—What a Concept!
Imagine walking into a cake store and being told, “Sorry, we need 48 hours’ notice for all cakes!” Okay, fine. I get it—good things take time. But then I asked if they had any standard cakes ready to go, like a normal cake shop might. Nope! Not a single cake in sight.
But here’s where it gets truly absurd. Apparently, the head pastry chef decides each morning what cakes might be made that day. So, it’s like playing cake roulette—except you always lose. No one in the store has a clue what's coming out of the oven until the chef rolls out of bed and consults their magic 8-ball. How does a cake shop not know what cakes they’re making? It’s like a pizza place saying, “We don’t actually have any pizzas right now, but check back tomorrow and maybe we’ll have decided to make one!”
And just when you think it couldn’t get more ridiculous, they drop this bombshell: Even if by some miracle they do have a cake, they won’t sell you the whole thing! Nope, they’ll only sell it to you slice by slice. So if you want the entire cake, they’ll charge you for each individual slice like it’s some kind of bakery ransom. Seriously, who does that?
If you’re into spontaneous, overpriced, slice-by-slice cake shopping, then maybe this is your dream bakery. But if you’re like me and prefer a cake shop that actually has cakes—and some common sense—I’d suggest taking your business elsewhere.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 3
Service: 1
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