Some of the better croissants I've had outside of France! Their Kouign-amann alone are with the trip!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Alex Gerasimov
It's a great small bakery with a varied selection of baked goods. It is worth giving a try, then decide if you would come back for more.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
April Lanford
The shokupan loaf is wonderful for toast. Highly recommend!Will be making French toast with our next loaf.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
LI c
I need to update my review, as management changed, product quality is so poor. Especially the croissant is def not the same as before. They have more cookies than pastries :(
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Dane Maodush-Pitzer
Stopped by today with a few friends and split a handful of thing.I only have 5 stars because 15 stars wasn’t an option.I’ve eaten many pastries in my life, and I must say that their cheddar scallion biscuit might be the best one gluten items I’ve ever had. My lord. My friends and I are leaving our church to praise at the alter of that delicious treat.Then came the banana bread. I used to tell my mom that hers was the best, but that’s now a lie. loved their take on banana bread. While slightly drier than some I’ve had, I thought the overall composition and flavor of it was excellent. A must try.Next, they currently have an onion and Gruyère danish….. I don’t believe I telling people how to live their lives, but if you aren’t eating that daily, your life is incomplete and full of sorrow. Go there now. Eat it. You’re welcome.Finally came the croissants. We tried the pb and chocolate and the ham and cheese. I could definitely appreciate the flavor, but they were crispier than what I typically preference. Still, my friend who likes them that way thought it was divine.Ok. Go to Aya now.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Adriana Sierra
Very delicious pastries and baked goods. The customer service was great and the store was clean.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Thomas G.
Aya Pastry was mentioned to me by a yelper I follow by the name of Melanie B, a black badge yelper out of Chicago, and the culprit as of late in my discoveries of dessert places throughout Chicago. Aya became an instant bookmark for a future visit once I saw their Samoa cake.The location of Aya itself sits along a highly trafficked W Grand Ave. The parking lot is privately owned which I found after doing a loop in the area in order to get an open spot outside of the bakery. During this visit, the mood inside was set with a song by Drake ft. Rihanna 'Take care of' played in the background. And the bakery itself appeared bright with very nice antique decoration. Atmosphere: 5 (Great)Once I walked in the door and up to the display to see what was offered, I was greeted by the employee. As visited for, I ordered the Samoa Cake, and a PB&J Dino Mac after nearly considering two Samoa Cakes. Being that I love peanut butter & jelly, the PB&J Dino Mac was very hard to pass up after browsing the display. Along with the Samoa Cake, and the PB&J Dino Mac, I ordered a Hibiscus Tea out of both the Hibiscus, and Jasmin Green which were mentioned by the employee as the tea options.Service: 5 (Great)I had a smirk on my face prior to opening the box in anticipation of something delicious. My mouth salivated in-between each bite of the PB&J Dino Mac, which appeared like a moon pie and had a slightly crunchy taste. And my oh my it was filled with peanut butter & jelly! It will surely be an option I purchase again on a future return to Aya. The soft feel of the Samoa cake made for a light approach, a light touch! Each flavorful bite felt as though it was melting in my mouth, tehehe. It was like a much softer, yet larger version of the Girl Scout - Samoas cookie! And I kid you not, I had the biggest smirk on my face after taking the last bite of it, wishing that I went on and purchased two along with the PB&J Dino Mac. Food: 5 (Great)Being that I had a great experience, I would surely re-visit and order from Aya Pastry again. Tehehe, I would say when in the Noble Square (West Town) area, but I know darn well that I will drive out solely for it. Atmosphere: 5 | Service: 5 | Food: 5Recommendations: Hibiscus Tea, Samoa Cake, Banana Chocolate Peanut Butter Slice, or PB&J Dino Mac~ Oh darling, let's be adventurers ~Thomas G
SG
Best cheddar biscuits! Coffee was alright. No space to eat there, but convenient to pick up and go.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 5
Service: 5
Katherine P.
I paid ~$5 for an inedible, rock hard peanut butter chocolate croissant. Even tried heating it up athome to soften, but it was still too hard.
Irene Liu
more like a pick up place! But it’s really good stuff! Highly recommended!
I just stopped in to purchase a cupcake but I couldn't just purchase one thing. I bought a fresh chocolate pumpkin cupcake , sweet apple danish and a creamy cup of Earl Grey!! All very yummy and fresh. The ambience was everything. No long lines no yelling. Clean everything and awesome customer service. The cashier was so nice and smiley. This is my new go to. I'll be back!! Thank you..
Angela Q.
I'm a huge sucker for bakeries and Aya is top of my list. They're dangerously within walking distance of my home, and I'm elated. Their day-to-day menu varies slightly but if you can get your hands on the matcha crumb cake, then go for it. It's delicious and I love to have it as a snack at work. The Kouigin Amann is lovely as well, and the banana bread is another hit. I do sometimes buy a Shokupan loaf which is very soft and perfect for jams. They do have occasional specials and I suggest snagging them up just to try something new. The staff are always friendly, helpful and happy to make some recommendations if needed. The store itself is small, but very cute and well organized. They also have a drive up window, which you can also walk up to during certain hours.
Z N
Great bakery with an amazing staff
Aesha E.
Running errands, I was looking for a bakery to maybe pick up some treats. Aya Pastry was about half a mile from where I was so that's where I headed and glad I did! I got there about an hour before they closed, but they still had a good selection of items left (I was actually expecting that I'd leave empty handed because it was so late in the day). I got several things: A coconut scone, kouign amann, Samoa cake, and apple galette. Oh, and I picked up an epi baguette and a regular baguette as well.The scone was for someone else, so I can't comment on that. I did have some of the others, though. Kouign amann is my favorite pastry and this was a delicious rendition. I'm glad to find another place in the city that has them--for a while I only knew of one place, and it was in Evanston. And Aya had them so late that I might be able to find them here past morning! The galette wasn't bad, though the crust was thicker than I probably prefer in that sort of pastry (not that it shouldn't be made that way, just that it's thicker than my taste). I also would have liked more apple in it. But the Samoa cake may have vied for first with the koign amann. It was so good! It was soft and fluffy; I wasn't sure if I was biting into a melty chocolate at first but it was just super airy and had a lot of chocolate flavor. I'm not a huge fan of coconut but this was finely shredded and it was even though it covered the cake (donut?) it was not overpowering. Anytime I visit Aya Pastry, a Samoa cake will be part of my order if they are available.When I'm at a bakery I like to get a baguette even if I'm not using it that evening so I can freeze it. I like to have some at the ready so that I when I'm making a pasta dish, we have some bread to go with it and I don't have to go to the store just for that if I don't want to. So although I didn't try the baguette, I did like that it was a smaller one (not two feet long like they sometimes are) and it was a bit more robust than I sometimes find--not quite as thin a loaf. It will make a perfect partner for pasta! And when they're available, I love to buy an epi baguette just because they're so whimsical, so I couldn't pass theirs up. And I'm glad I didn't because it's freaking delicious! Also really attractive. They make theirs with poppyseed, sesame, and maybe something else, and it's very flavorful. Couldn't eat it all tonight (which isn't to say it's not possible, just that we didn't) and so the rest is in a freezer bag on the counter waiting to get in my tummy the next few days.When I was here, there were a couple guys painting the side of the building. It appears that they have a parking lot. Aya Pastry isn't the closest to me, but I'll be visiting again.
s singh
It’s a small local bakery with small collection of pastries. Go in early as the good pastries sell out by 1pm. We had the Samoa cake and Apple
Some of the better croissants I've had outside of France! Their Kouign-amann alone are with the trip!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
It's a great small bakery with a varied selection of baked goods. It is worth giving a try, then decide if you would come back for more.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
The shokupan loaf is wonderful for toast. Highly recommend!Will be making French toast with our next loaf.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
I need to update my review, as management changed, product quality is so poor. Especially the croissant is def not the same as before. They have more cookies than pastries :(
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Stopped by today with a few friends and split a handful of thing.I only have 5 stars because 15 stars wasn’t an option.I’ve eaten many pastries in my life, and I must say that their cheddar scallion biscuit might be the best one gluten items I’ve ever had. My lord. My friends and I are leaving our church to praise at the alter of that delicious treat.Then came the banana bread. I used to tell my mom that hers was the best, but that’s now a lie. loved their take on banana bread. While slightly drier than some I’ve had, I thought the overall composition and flavor of it was excellent. A must try.Next, they currently have an onion and Gruyère danish….. I don’t believe I telling people how to live their lives, but if you aren’t eating that daily, your life is incomplete and full of sorrow. Go there now. Eat it. You’re welcome.Finally came the croissants. We tried the pb and chocolate and the ham and cheese. I could definitely appreciate the flavor, but they were crispier than what I typically preference. Still, my friend who likes them that way thought it was divine.Ok. Go to Aya now.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Very delicious pastries and baked goods. The customer service was great and the store was clean.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Aya Pastry was mentioned to me by a yelper I follow by the name of Melanie B, a black badge yelper out of Chicago, and the culprit as of late in my discoveries of dessert places throughout Chicago. Aya became an instant bookmark for a future visit once I saw their Samoa cake.The location of Aya itself sits along a highly trafficked W Grand Ave. The parking lot is privately owned which I found after doing a loop in the area in order to get an open spot outside of the bakery. During this visit, the mood inside was set with a song by Drake ft. Rihanna 'Take care of' played in the background. And the bakery itself appeared bright with very nice antique decoration. Atmosphere: 5 (Great)Once I walked in the door and up to the display to see what was offered, I was greeted by the employee. As visited for, I ordered the Samoa Cake, and a PB&J Dino Mac after nearly considering two Samoa Cakes. Being that I love peanut butter & jelly, the PB&J Dino Mac was very hard to pass up after browsing the display. Along with the Samoa Cake, and the PB&J Dino Mac, I ordered a Hibiscus Tea out of both the Hibiscus, and Jasmin Green which were mentioned by the employee as the tea options.Service: 5 (Great)I had a smirk on my face prior to opening the box in anticipation of something delicious. My mouth salivated in-between each bite of the PB&J Dino Mac, which appeared like a moon pie and had a slightly crunchy taste. And my oh my it was filled with peanut butter & jelly! It will surely be an option I purchase again on a future return to Aya. The soft feel of the Samoa cake made for a light approach, a light touch! Each flavorful bite felt as though it was melting in my mouth, tehehe. It was like a much softer, yet larger version of the Girl Scout - Samoas cookie! And I kid you not, I had the biggest smirk on my face after taking the last bite of it, wishing that I went on and purchased two along with the PB&J Dino Mac. Food: 5 (Great)Being that I had a great experience, I would surely re-visit and order from Aya Pastry again. Tehehe, I would say when in the Noble Square (West Town) area, but I know darn well that I will drive out solely for it. Atmosphere: 5 | Service: 5 | Food: 5Recommendations: Hibiscus Tea, Samoa Cake, Banana Chocolate Peanut Butter Slice, or PB&J Dino Mac~ Oh darling, let's be adventurers ~Thomas G
Best cheddar biscuits! Coffee was alright. No space to eat there, but convenient to pick up and go.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 5
Service: 5
I paid ~$5 for an inedible, rock hard peanut butter chocolate croissant. Even tried heating it up athome to soften, but it was still too hard.
more like a pick up place! But it’s really good stuff! Highly recommended!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
I just stopped in to purchase a cupcake but I couldn't just purchase one thing. I bought a fresh chocolate pumpkin cupcake , sweet apple danish and a creamy cup of Earl Grey!! All very yummy and fresh. The ambience was everything. No long lines no yelling. Clean everything and awesome customer service. The cashier was so nice and smiley. This is my new go to. I'll be back!! Thank you..
I'm a huge sucker for bakeries and Aya is top of my list. They're dangerously within walking distance of my home, and I'm elated. Their day-to-day menu varies slightly but if you can get your hands on the matcha crumb cake, then go for it. It's delicious and I love to have it as a snack at work. The Kouigin Amann is lovely as well, and the banana bread is another hit. I do sometimes buy a Shokupan loaf which is very soft and perfect for jams. They do have occasional specials and I suggest snagging them up just to try something new. The staff are always friendly, helpful and happy to make some recommendations if needed. The store itself is small, but very cute and well organized. They also have a drive up window, which you can also walk up to during certain hours.
Great bakery with an amazing staff
Running errands, I was looking for a bakery to maybe pick up some treats. Aya Pastry was about half a mile from where I was so that's where I headed and glad I did! I got there about an hour before they closed, but they still had a good selection of items left (I was actually expecting that I'd leave empty handed because it was so late in the day). I got several things: A coconut scone, kouign amann, Samoa cake, and apple galette. Oh, and I picked up an epi baguette and a regular baguette as well.The scone was for someone else, so I can't comment on that. I did have some of the others, though. Kouign amann is my favorite pastry and this was a delicious rendition. I'm glad to find another place in the city that has them--for a while I only knew of one place, and it was in Evanston. And Aya had them so late that I might be able to find them here past morning! The galette wasn't bad, though the crust was thicker than I probably prefer in that sort of pastry (not that it shouldn't be made that way, just that it's thicker than my taste). I also would have liked more apple in it. But the Samoa cake may have vied for first with the koign amann. It was so good! It was soft and fluffy; I wasn't sure if I was biting into a melty chocolate at first but it was just super airy and had a lot of chocolate flavor. I'm not a huge fan of coconut but this was finely shredded and it was even though it covered the cake (donut?) it was not overpowering. Anytime I visit Aya Pastry, a Samoa cake will be part of my order if they are available.When I'm at a bakery I like to get a baguette even if I'm not using it that evening so I can freeze it. I like to have some at the ready so that I when I'm making a pasta dish, we have some bread to go with it and I don't have to go to the store just for that if I don't want to. So although I didn't try the baguette, I did like that it was a smaller one (not two feet long like they sometimes are) and it was a bit more robust than I sometimes find--not quite as thin a loaf. It will make a perfect partner for pasta! And when they're available, I love to buy an epi baguette just because they're so whimsical, so I couldn't pass theirs up. And I'm glad I didn't because it's freaking delicious! Also really attractive. They make theirs with poppyseed, sesame, and maybe something else, and it's very flavorful. Couldn't eat it all tonight (which isn't to say it's not possible, just that we didn't) and so the rest is in a freezer bag on the counter waiting to get in my tummy the next few days.When I was here, there were a couple guys painting the side of the building. It appears that they have a parking lot. Aya Pastry isn't the closest to me, but I'll be visiting again.
It’s a small local bakery with small collection of pastries. Go in early as the good pastries sell out by 1pm. We had the Samoa cake and Apple
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5