Chinatown Bakery

Chinatown Bakery is one of the neighbourhood's best-loved stops for Hong Kong-style bakes, a small counter on Newport Place where the golden, glossy buns fly off the shelves almost as fast as the staff can restock them. It is a proper grab-and-go operation, turning out a huge range of sweet and savoury snacks with a distinctly Cantonese accent.

For an authentic Hong Kong bakery in Soho, this is the go-to. The line-up runs from custard tarts and pineapple buns to youtiao, the churros-style fried dough stick, and pillowy BBQ pork buns, all freshly baked and keenly priced. It is so popular there are two branches within a couple of minutes of each other, and there is often a queue.

What to expect from this Hong Kong bakery in Soho

Expect a glass counter stacked with Cantonese bakery classics: egg custard tarts, char siu bao, pineapple and cocktail buns, sponge cakes and youtiao, plus sweet and savoury pastries to take away. It is cash-friendly, quick and cheap, ideal for a snack on the move or a box of buns to share. Turnover is fast, so the bakes are reliably fresh.

The bakes and the setting

Chinatown Bakery has become a fixture for HK-style baking in the middle of the neighbourhood, with a devoted local following. It sits on Newport Place near Japanese stalwart Tokyo Diner, with more of the area's cafes and bakeries in our Soho coffee shops listings.

How a visit works

Chinatown Bakery is a walk-in counter for buns, tarts and pastries on Newport Place, open through the day; expect to queue at busy times. It is listed on the official Chinatown directory, with more on the bakery's own website.