Newly adorning the hallway of Tribeca’s 1927, neo-classic Merchant’s Square Building is Arcade Bakery. Blink and you might miss it, take a deep breathe and you won’t. This bakery is cleverly retrofitted to the original architecture, and perfectly aligned with the elegant culture of its time — freshly baked bread and all!

While famed owner and baker Roger Gural is responsible for Arcade’s limited racks of fresh pastries, you might not be surprised to learn that it is none other than Brooklyn-based design house, Workstead (designers of Williamsburg’s The Wythe Hotel), who are responsible for crafting their timeless shop.

The bakery exists as a series of alcoves, each with it's own unique purpose. The palette is simultaneously new and old. Like many of Workstead’s creations, the beauty is defined deep in the old world details. Creating seating and tables where there was none, Workstead enhanced the walls by carving benches into the wall and building fold-down tables to accommodate guests. The mahogany tabletops rest on solid brass bars, and when unused, the tabletops are pushed up, secured against the wall. The bakery itself is inset into an alcove with a wood and glass façade, where bread and pastries are delightfully showcased in front of shiny, white-tiled walls and an early century hand-carved credenza. Finally, the bakery illuminates with a warm amber glow, thanks to an array of Workstead’s custom designed globe light fixtures.

Tribeca is field, full of beautiful bakeries and cafés, but Arcade is an experience you won’t want to miss.

Photography courtesy of Workstead