Bakehouse Hong Kong: The Egg Tart Worth Queuing

The Bakehouse Phenomenon

There is a bakery in Hong Kong where the queue starts before the doors open and the signature item sells out before lunch. Bakehouse, founded by Swiss pastry chef Gregoire Michaud, has become one of the most talked-about food destinations in the city, and the reason is a single pastry: a sourdough egg tart that has redefined what this classic Hong Kong treat can be.

What began as a wholesale operation supplying hotel kitchens in 2013 has grown into a chain of nine shops across Hong Kong, from a flagship restaurant in Wan Chai to a cafe at The Peak. The numbers tell the story. Bakehouse has sold over 21 million egg tarts since opening its first retail shop in 2018, and the queue outside the Soho branch on a Saturday morning has become as much a part of the Central streetscape as the Mid-Levels escalator.

But Bakehouse is not just about one pastry. The display cases are packed with croissants, Danish pastries, sausage rolls, scones, and seasonal creations, all built on the same sourdough foundation. It is a proper artisan bakery that happens to have produced a viral hit.

The Man Behind the Oven

Gregoire Michaud grew up on a farm in the French-speaking part of Switzerland, where flour, eggs, sugar, and milk were always within reach. He started baking crepes as a child, moved on to cakes and chocolates, and was training professionally by the age of 15. His career eventually brought him to Hong Kong, where he served as Executive Pastry Chef at the Four Seasons Hotel. In 2013, Tatler recognised him as the Best Pastry Chef for Hong Kong and Macau.

That same year, he launched Bakehouse as a wholesale bakery, supplying handcrafted sourdough bread and fine pastries to restaurant kitchens across the city. The first retail shop opened on Tai Wong Street East in Wan Chai in 2018, and demand quickly outpaced the small space.

The sourdough egg tart, now the bakery’s most famous creation, was born almost by accident. After six months of accumulating leftover croissant dough trimmings, the team decided to repurpose them as tart shells. The result was a flaky, laminated crust with a subtle sourdough tang, filled with a wobbly, just-set egg custard. It was unlike any egg tart Hong Kong had seen before, and word spread fast.

What to Order

The sourdough egg tart is the obvious starting point. At HK$14, it is remarkably affordable for what you get: dozens of buttery, hand-laminated layers wrapped around a silky custard that trembles when you tap the shell. The pastry shatters on the first bite, leaving crumbs everywhere, which is exactly how it should be. Each batch is baked fresh throughout the day, so if you time it right, yours will still be warm.

Beyond the egg tart, the croissant (HK$25) is the item that built Bakehouse’s wholesale reputation. It is made with a 72-hour sourdough fermentation process that gives it a deeper flavour than a standard butter croissant. The pain au chocolat (HK$38) uses the same dough wrapped around dark chocolate batons. Both are best eaten within an hour of purchase.

The savoury side is equally strong. The sausage roll (HK$48) wraps seasoned pork in flaky sourdough pastry. The ham and cheese croissant and the quiche are reliable lunch options at the Wan Chai flagship, which has a full dine-in menu with brunch items, salads, and sandwiches.

Seasonal specials rotate regularly. The strawberry cheesecake tart (HK$42) has become a recurring favourite, and the cinnamon pecan roll and apple crumble Danish are worth trying when available. For taking something home, the sourdough loaves (HK$42 to HK$50) are excellent and keep well for a couple of days.

The Wan Chai Flagship

The original Wan Chai shop at 14 Tai Wong Street East remains the best Bakehouse experience. It is the only branch (along with the newer Sha Tin location) that offers full dine-in service with a restaurant menu, so you can sit down with a flat white and work through several pastries at a civilised pace rather than eating a croissant on the street.

The exterior is hard to miss. A large, colourful street mural wraps around the ground floor, and the Bakehouse signage in dark grey sits above a glass-fronted shopfront that lets you see the pastry cases from outside. Inside, the space is compact but well designed, with counter seating and a handful of tables.

Here is the counterintuitive tip: the Wan Chai flagship often has shorter queues than the smaller takeaway-only branches. The Soho and TST locations draw heavy foot traffic from tourists and weekend crowds, while Wan Chai sits on a quieter side street that requires a deliberate visit. On a weekday morning, you can often walk straight in.

If the egg tarts have sold out when you arrive, do not leave. You can place an order at the counter and come back at the assigned collection time. The staff bake fresh batches throughout the day, so the wait is usually under an hour.

All 9 Locations: Which One to Visit

Bakehouse now has nine shops across Hong Kong, each with a slightly different character. Here is a quick guide to choosing the right one.

All branches stock the core range including egg tarts, croissants, and sausage rolls. Only Wan Chai and Sha Tin have the full dine-in menu. The Peak has limited cafe seating. All other branches are takeaway only.

How to Beat the Queue

The queue is real, but it is manageable if you plan around it. Here are the strategies that work.

Go early. Arriving between 8am and 9am on any day means little to no wait at most branches. The egg tarts are freshly baked and plentiful at opening time.

Go on a weekday. Saturday and Sunday mornings are the worst, especially at the Soho, TST, and Causeway Bay branches. Weekday visits are dramatically quieter.

Go when it rains. This sounds odd, but Hong Kong’s fair-weather queuers drop off significantly on rainy days. A wet Tuesday morning is the easiest time to get everything you want with zero wait.

Choose Wan Chai over Soho. The flagship store has more capacity and draws fewer casual passersby than the Central Soho branch. If you are making a deliberate trip, Wan Chai is almost always the faster option.

Pre-order if sold out. If the egg tarts are gone when you arrive, pay at the counter and they will give you a collection time for the next batch. This works at all branches and saves you from leaving empty-handed.

Avoid the 12pm to 2pm lunch rush. The queue peaks around lunchtime at CBD locations (Soho, TST, Causeway Bay) when office workers come out for pastries.

Quick Info

Read More

• Tai On Building Food Guide: Best Street Eats in Sai Wan Ho
• Hong Kong’s Best Siu Mai: Where to Find the City’s Favourite Street Snack
• Hidden Eats in Tuen Mun: Six Local Spots Worth the Trip
• Best Hotel Buffets in Hong Kong: A Guide for Every Appetite