The best bakeries in London: 34 spots we can't get enough of
While the best bakeries in London were once falling behind when you compared our fine capital’s pastry credentials to those of, say, New York or Paris, but these days it seems every borough and neighbourhood has its own cult-favourite spot, with lines snaking around the block at all hours of the day. And in the past 15 years, Londoners’ favourite treats have evolved from classic iced doughnuts and neon-hued American-style cupcakes to minimalist Japanese delights, authentic Italian puddings and organic breads – which means whatever kind of sweet tooth you’ve got, you can satisfy it here.
So, what are the must-try baked goods in London going into 2026? Social media Bloomsbury darling Fortitude Bakehouse’s cream-filled beignets (a rare thing: they’re as good as they look on TikTok); Hackney’s Forno and its Italian-inspired treats; and the chewy, crunchy milk toast from Arôme Bakery in Covent Garden top our list right now. Then there’s the ever-changing seasonal treats you’ll find people waiting hours for at the likes of Chatsworth Bakehouse in Crystal Palace or Toad Bakery in Peckham. And we must not forget our bready forefathers – think Covent Garden's St John Bakery, Borough Market's Bread Ahead, and Hackney's E5 Bakehouse.
We think fondly of the below as a bakery bucket list – a checklist of spots to visit in all corners of the city. If you're looking for a specific bakery to visit right now, we have a few pointers on where to go depending on what snacks you're after:
- The best bakery for classic French patisserie: Cédric Grolet at The Berkeley,
- The best bakery for sandwiches: The Dusty Knuckle, Dalston
- The best bakery for sourdough: Sourdough Sofia, Crouch End
- The best bakery for cupcakes: Violet Cakes, Dalston
- The best bakery for doughnuts: Bread Ahead, Borough Market
- The best bakery for savoury pastries: Pophams, Islington
- The best bakery for seasonal ingredients: Toad, Peckham
How we choose the best bakeries in London
The best bakeries in London are the places across the capital which our editors and writers rate for on-the-go pastries and weekend treats. All of the bakeries listed below have been tried (many times) by our team, and rank highly for their baked goods – from classic patisserie to unusual creations.
Pophams Bakery, Islington
Take-home treat: laminated maple-bacon croissant
When it opened in October 2017, Pophams quickly won the heart of local Islington-ites with its laminated pastries (the most infamous of which, the marmite, schlossberger and spring onion swirl, is still a mainstay on the menu). Almost a decade on, there are now Pophams outposts in London Fields and Victoria Park, and the team has branched into ultra-chic homeware (the pastry bauble is firmly on my Christmas list) and pantry items like bougie olive oil, peanut butter and tinned fish (swing by the Pophams Home dedicated outpost in London Fields to stock up).
Address: 19 Prebend Street, Islington, London N1 8PF
Website: pophamsbakery.com
Other locations: London Fields, Victoria Park
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St John Bakery
Take-home treat: raspberry-jam doughnut
St John Bread and Wine – the 31-year-old lovechild of Fergus Henderson and Trevor Gulliver in Spitalfields – has long been a favourite of the London foodie scene for its nose-to-tail menu. Fergus Henderson’s St John Bread and Wine in Spitalfields is a classic London restaurant. Regulars visit for the nose-to-tail menu: expect bone marrow, terrine and cuts of the highest quality meat. The first stand-alone bakery opened 15 years ago under an arch on Druid Street – there’s now an outpost around the corner in Bermondsey, as well as in Covent Garden and next door to the London Review Bookshop in Bloomsbury. The ingredients are sourced from local suppliers, with dairy from Neal’s Yard just around the corner from the Covent Garden bakehouse. Be sure to get your hands on their doughnuts, the jam filling changes seasonally, and when Easter comes around, their hot cross buns are some of the best in the city.
Address: 3 Neal’s Yard, Covent Garden, London WC2H 9DP
Website: stjohnrestaurant.com
Other locations: Bermondsey
Fortitude Bakehouse, Russell Square
Take-home treat: cream-filled beignets
You'll spot the queue here before you spot the bakery itself – winding along a cobbled Bloomsbury street, punters patient but eager to pick their poison from the vast counter of sourdough cakes, hand-baked bread and artisan pastries. This drafty but buzzy space was founded by Dee Rettali, who oversees a crack team of bakers who start at 4am each morning. We even named the team's cream-filled beignets one of the most iconic dishes in London.
Address: Fortitude Bakehouse, 35 Colonnade, London WC1N 1JD
Website: fortitudebakehouse.com
Toad Bakery, Peckham
Take-home treat: iced fingers
Toad seems to be the bakery on everyone’s mind right now, and for good reason. The menu celebrates the UK’s seasonality, focusing on low-mileage ingredients that can bring their recipes to life. The sight of delectable goodies, baskets overflowing with treats and freshly baked sourdough is a welcome oasis from the bustling high street. This place oozes warmth and abundance, the intoxicating scents making it clear that you are in for a delicious treat. The decision is difficult, so I go home with a plum and marzipan sun bun, anise and orange blossom iced finger and a chocolate chip and soy sauce cookie. I’m taken with the fun risks they take with classic baked goods – and no doubt it pays off. The iced finger is perfectly bouncy, and the icing is thick with sweet notes of liquorice and hints of floral from the orange blossom. The cookie is a perfect balance of sweet and salty, while the sun bun is both tart and rich with nutty marzipan - a perfect balance of sweet and sour.
Address: Toad, 44 Peckham Road, London SE5 8PX
Website: toadbakery.com
Layla Bakery, Ladbroke Grove
Take-home treat: sausage rolls
West London has been somewhat lagging behind East London when it comes to bakeries. Enter Layla, which opened its doors in March 2021 bringing made-on-site sourdough to Portobello Road. There’s no delivery service, but it’s worth making the pilgrimage for the perfect croissants, sausage rolls and focaccia sarnies that change weekly but might be filled with roast celeriac, pickled radish, tahini and chard. Freshly squeezed blood-orange juice and coffee from Brixton’s Assembly roasters can be sipped in the sunshine when deckchairs and tables spill out onto the pavement in front of the bakery.
Address: 332 Portobello Road, London W10 5SA
Website: laylabakery.com
Kuro Bakery, Notting Hill
Take-home treat: chausson aux pommes
This minimalist little bakery fits right into Notting Hill Gate's pretty streets, with its creamy façade and picture-ready bench outside. Thankfully, the baked goods prove that Kuro is in no way style over substance. The team piles shelves with traditional sweet treats, including slices of banana bread, bread and butter pudding, indulgent brownies, and savoury snacks well worth swinging by for on a bakery crawl through the capital. Whatever you choose to devour, be sure to pick up a signature sakuro flavoured with vanilla, pistachio or raspberry and coconut. The bakery is just one part of the Kuro family – there's also Kuro Coffee and, new for 2025, Kuro Bagels.
Address: Kuro Bakery, 95 Notting Hill Gate, Notting Hill, London, W11 3JZ
Website: kuro-london.com
Toklas, Temple
Take-home treat: Basque cheesecake
Cosy in winter, cool and airy in summer – there's never a bad time to tuck in at Toklas. Head straight to the street-level bakery's Italian-style marble and wood counter (tick the restaurant off the bucket list another time) or find a corner for iced coffee sipping alongside a flaky spread. Croissants, buns, and Danishes decorate the counter first thing in the morning before sandwiches made with Toklas' freshly baked bread appear at lunchtime alongside crunchy salads and sweet treats such as slices of Basque cheesecake and chunky cookies. It's also a great spot for foodie gifts, with biscuits and homemade jams adorning the shelves.
Address: 1 Surrey Street, Temple, London WC2R 2ND
Website: toklaslondon.com
Maison Bertaux, Soho
Take-home treat: scone
The blue-and-white striped awning outside of this Soho bakery is part of the fabric of the neighbourhood, as woven into its lore as Bar Italia’s flickering neon sign or Algerian Coffee Stores’ cheery red façade. Opened as a tearoom by Monsieur Bertaux in 1871, over its 150 years in business, the likes of Virginia Woolf, Alexander McQueen and Karl Marx have popped in for a cuppa and a slice of cake. The bakes here still skew fairly traditional: chubby scones, frilly cream cakes, glassy fruit tarts, marzipan figs. For a reassuringly old-school treat in London, this is the place to go.
Address: 28 Greek Street, London W1D 5DQ
Website: maisonbertaux.com
Little Bread Pedlar, Primrose Hill
Take-home treat: Everything Swirl
Little Bread Pedlar’s MO is, naturally, its bread – tangy sourdough, glossy challah loaves, oaty porridge bread, you’ll find it all stacked on the shelves in Bermondsey, Primrose Hill and Chalk Farm. Perfectly buttery and gorgeously flaky classic patisserie (croissants, pain au chocolats, pain aux raisins) rule supreme here, as the line that snakes out of the door on weekend mornings attests. But there’s also delightfully umami pastries, like the ever-changing Savoury Danish and the salty Everything Swirl, which would get my vote every day of the week (and twice on Sundays). Whichever part of London you’re travelling from, we recommend making the journey to the Primrose Hill outpost – stock up on pastries, order coffees to go and take a stomp up the park to dine with London’s prettiest view.
Address: 91 Regents Park Road, London, NW1 8UT; 6 Erskine Road, London NW3 3AJ; Arch 4-6, Spa Business Park, Dockley Road, London, SE16 3FJ
Website: lbpedlar.com
Milk Run, Tooting Bec
Take-home treat: mac and cheese toastie
Balham brunch spot Milk has been a stalwart on the scene for more than 10 years. So our ears pricked in 2024 when we heard the group was opening a little sister bakery, Milk Run. Set just up the road from the OG Milk, closer to Tooting Bec than Balham, here it's all about the team's famous pastries on-the-go – think combos like pecan and coffee pain au chocolat, creme brûlée pastries with a perfect crack, and banana cheesecake cruffins. For those who prefer savoury to sweet treats, there's a sandwich menu including pili pili chicken, pickled slaw and sriracha mayo in a sesame bagel dough bun.
Address: Milk Run, 16-18 Ritherdon Road, London SW17 8QD
Website: instagram.com/milkrunldn
Cédric Grolet at The Berkeley
Take-home treat: fruit “trompe l’œil” (changes seasonally)
Cédric Grolet won best pâtissier in the world in 2018 for his iconic trompe-l’œil artistry – ultra-realistic desserts created to mimic flowers and fruits that are almost too pretty to eat. For his first venture outside of France, Grolet blessed Londoners with a Belgravia bakery at The Berkeley hotel. Only steps from Hyde Park, it’s the perfect spot to tuck into a fresh batch of flaky, buttery croissants, creamy vanilla flan and pain Suisse au chocolat – which should always be dipped in a cappuccino. The al-a-carte style Berkeley café inside stocks a variety of his sweet treats, from intricate waffle flowers topped with chantilly cream to viennoiseries galore. The marigold and lemon flower tart is a winner, but it’s the signature fruit trompe-l’œil that steals the show. Both delights for the eyes and the palate, the strawberry, peach and lemon creations are individually displayed in a glass cloche, showcasing the brilliant mastery of the Frenchman and his team. Plus, it makes for a picture-worthy shot when sliced open. To get a taste of everything, book their unforgettable pastry lab experience. An eight-seater, eight-course, seasonally changing line-up of cult classics, bespoke additions and a mix of small savoury dishes to tame the sugar rush. If you’re in Paris, pop by his other two patisseries in Le Meurice and Opéra. Zahra Surya Darma
Address: Wilton Place, London SW1X 7RL
Website: the-berkeley.co.uk
Arôme Bakery, Covent Garden
Take-home treat: pain au chocolat
It's all about time-honoured French baking techniques at Arôme Bakery's two central London spots, and it's a philosophy that works, judging by the hordes of ravenous foodies that pile in for their fix day in, day out. Expect the occasional Asian spin on a classic, for instance, flaky croissants stuffed with cheese and bacon drizzled in Japanese BBQ sauce, but come for the evergreen goodies. The buttery pain au chocolats aren't to be scoffed at – it's their simplicity that makes them so damn tasty.
Address: Arôme Bakery, 9 Mercer Street, London WC2H 9QJ; Arôme Bakery, 27 Duke Street, London W1U 1LE
Website: aromebakery.co.uk
Bageriet, Covent Garden
Take-home treat: butterknot
This sweet little Swedish coffee shop in Covent Garden has all the hallmarks of a top-of-class bakery: squirrelled down a cute side street away from the crowds of surly teenagers on school trips; a simple, unshouty façade; the scent of vanilla wafting enticingly from the door; and a small but determined queue of people seeking their next pastry-shaped treat whenever I pass. The team make use of every available surface in the diminutive interior, stacking shelves, glass cases and even the windowsill with glossy Swedish treats. Cardamom buns, traditional cinnamon buns and gooey chocolate scrolls are piled high, while one of the team makes coffees and hot chocolates to be taken to the few tiny tables inside and out. My favourite order: the butterknot – a classic Swedish bun filled with vanilla buttercream that perfectly toes the tightrope between deliciously sugary and sickly-sweet.
Address: 24 Rose Street, London WC2E 9EA
Website: bageriet.co.uk
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Bunhead Bakery, Dulwich
Take-home treat: cinnamon buns
Bunhead Bakery has gained quite the following since its humble beginnings, born during the pandemic by self-taught baker Sara. As normal life resumed, Sara called on best friend Georgia to take the concept out of the home kitchen and into a brick-and-mortar site, leaving the corporate world behind to cook up a storm. The menu is entirely vegetarian and halal-friendly, while around half of the treats are vegan. The team will happily guide you through the day's treats, all chalked up on the board in-store; expect a range of Palestinian-British combos, from date and pistachio buns to sour cherry and chocolate cookies.
Address: Bunhead Bakery, 145 Dulwich Road, London SE24 0NG
Website: bunheadbakery.com
Margot Bakery, East Finchley
Take-home treat: tahini and halva babka
The brainchild of two locals (a baker and a designer), where Muuto lamps and handmade patterned tiles cover the floor. Sourdough is the speciality, and a small team of bakers take three to four days to bake each of Margot’s signature breads: sourdough staples and takes on classic ryes. This is a destination bakery with a focus on ingredients. Make your way over to East Finchley to taste the tahini and halva, chocolate and cinnamon babkas and the changing sourdough pastries (twice-baked apple croissants).
Address: 121 East End Road, East Finchley, London N2 0SZ
Website: margotbakery.co.uk
Luminary Bakery, Camden and Stoke Newington
Take-home treat: A chunky cookie
Few bakeries in London have origin stories as heartwarming as Luminary Bakery. Luminary's founder, Alice Williams MBE, set on a mission to empower women who have experienced homelessness, domestic abuse, violence, or sexual exploitation, helping them rebuild their lives through training and valuable employment opportunities. You name it; they'll (probably) bake it – just take a peek at their online shop or get in touch about corporate and wedding catering. Alternatively, swing by the Chalk Farm or Stoke Newington stores and pick up cakes, brownies, tray bakes, and other tasty bites.
Address: Luminary Bakery, 47 Chalk Farm Road, Chalk Farm, London NW1 8AJ; Luminary Bakery, 71-73 Allen Road, London N16 8RY
Website: luminarybakery.com
The Dusty Knuckle Bakery, Dalston
Take-home treat: house sourdough
Two words: the sandwiches. What used to be housed in an old shipping container behind the Arcola Theatre in Dalston is now just across the lot in an airy brick and steel café. There is a cult following for lunchtime made-to-order sandwiches so we recommend heading there before 1pm. The fillings are inventive and favourites include porchetta, salsa verde, braised spring onion and purple sprouting broccoli, chard, olives, feta and almonds on doughy focaccia bread. Morning buns, turnovers and savoury breads are also on the menu. Look out for their recently set-up baking school, and get your hands rolling.
Address: Abbot Street, Dalston, London E8 3DP
Website: thedustyknuckle.com
Jolene, Newington Green
Take-home treat: fruit danish (changes seasonally)
From the team behind restaurants Primeur and Westerns Laundry comes Jolene, a bakery but also an all-day dining spot in leafy Newington Green. The focus here is on the grain, which is chemical-free. With a stone mill onsite, they make their own flour in-house using 100 per cent unaltered grains grown sustainably on farms in Sussex and Norfolk. The line-up includes raisin bread, sausage rolls, financiers, chocolate and Guinness cake and cinnamon buns. For brunch, the fried eggs with jamon and potatoes prove very popular.
Address: 22 Newington Green, London N16 9PU
Website: jolenen16.com
Other locations: Harringay, Highbury Fields (van)
Bread Ahead, Borough Market
Take-home treat: doughnuts and cinnamon rolls
Bread Ahead made its name by serving bread to local fruit and veg suppliers in Borough Market. They are best known for their fluffy, sweet-filled doughnuts (salted caramel, jam, Nutella), but they also make an extravagant cinnamon roll and soft powdered amaretti that are nothing like the store-bought rocks. Head to their Soho outpost for a taste of brioche French toast and a cheesy croque monsieur, or take a course at the Bread Ahead baking school in Borough Market and learn their sourdough secrets.
Address: Borough Market, Cathedral Street, London SE1 9DE
Website: breadahead.com
Other locations: South Kensington, Hampstead, Chelsea, Wembley
Forno, Hackney
Take-home treat: maritozzi
Forno is East London’s hottest bakery, pastificio and deli dreamed up by the founder of the critically acclaimed Italian restaurant, Ombra. On an unassuming alley off the bustling Mare Street, Forno is a magical fusion of the most indulgent Italian-inspired eats and that signature East London cool aesthetic. Set in a converted railway arch, Forno stretches deeper than you expect at first glance into the archway with ample seating (much needed due to the inevitable weekend rush). If lucky enough to bag a seat, settle in and feast on the creamiest and fluffiest maritozzi or sugar-encrusted pastries oozing with the zingiest lemon curd. For a more savoury affair, enjoy fuss-free sandwiches made fresh for the day, cold cuts, fresh bread and handmade pasta to take home. Plus, it wouldn’t be an East London deli without the option to drink in or take home one of the carefully curated bottles of wine, of course.
Address: Forno, 322 Andrews Road, London E8 4RP
Website: forno.london
Don't Tell Dad, Queen's Park
Take-home treat: brown butter hazelnut croissant
Lonsdale Road, a pretty, cobbled street in Queen's Park, is the place to be for Northwest Londoners on a Saturday morning, thanks to its indie cafés, shops, breweries and farmers' market. New for 2025 was Don't Tell Dad, a bakery-slash-restaurant. From afternoon to evening, the restaurant is packed out with diners eagerly ordering from the open kitchen. But the mornings are when the in-house bakery, overseen by Keren Sternberg (previously of Coal Office and Hide), shines. Pastries are seasonal and, in the teams' own words, change randomly – but might include chunky sausage rolls, gruyere puff pastry and tahini chocolate chip cookies, alongside classic patisserie. Before lunch service begins, you can pitch up at one of the tables inside to enjoy your goodies, or take them down the road to leafy Queen's Park. One time: go early, the team often sells out by mid-morning on a weekend.
Address: Don't Tell Dad, 10-14 Lonsdale Road, London NW6 6RD
Website: donttelldad.co.uk
E5 Bakehouse, Hackney
Take-home treat: the Hackney Wild
Crowds flock to this Hackney hotspot for the mistake-turned-speciality bread, the Hackney Wild, a blend of heritage and modern wheat grains, which apparently is chef Michel Roux Jr’s favourite in the city. Housed in a Hackney railway arch, the café/school is completely committed to sustainability and high-quality goods. All the bread is made by hand with organic and locally sourced ingredients and packaged in biodegradable products. The menu changes daily: from sausage rolls and spanakopita to sourdough pizzas and lemon drizzle cakes.
Address: E5 Bakehouse, Arch 395, Mentmore Terrace, Hackney, London E8 3PH
Website: e5bakehouse.com
Violet Cakes, Hackney
Take-home treat: whoopie pies
Violet has risen to serious fame after head baker and owner Claire Ptak was chosen to bake the lemon and elderflower wedding cake for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s wedding. Yet with all of the attention, Violet has kept its sweet Dalston charm since its days as a stall in Broadway Market. Cakes can be made to order but we suggest heading over to Ptak’s East London shop for her cupcakes and whoopie pies, two biscuity cake sides topped and filled with seasonal buttercream (salted caramel, melted Valrhona dark chocolate, fresh fruit purée) – all made with organic and low intervention ingredients.
Address: 47 Wilton Way, Dalston, London E8 3ED
Website: violetcakes.com
Sourdough Sophia
Take-home treat: the N8 sourdough
In April 2020 Sophia Sutton-Jones seized the moment, turning her dining room at home into a micro-bakery and sending her husband out pedalling fresh sourdough loaves around Crouch End. Spurred on by an almighty Instagram following (100K and counting) she’s since opened the doors to a perfect pink bakery, Sourdough Sophia. From Wednesday to Saturday, she makes a roaring trade in baked-on-site bread, Basque cheesecake, salted pecan rye brownies, chocolate babka croissant loaves, sourdough pretzels and ‘nduja croissants. Get there as early as possible, or pre-order online as everything tends to sell out. In-person baking workshops will follow later this year, but for now you can sign up to her online courses and find tips and tutorials @sourdoughsophia.
Address: 24 Middle Lane, Crouch End, N8 8PL
Website: sourdoughsophia.co.uk
Pavilion, Victoria Park
Take-home treat: almond croissant
This always-bustling lakeside café dishes up an all-day breakfast menu, in which full fry-ups, Sri Lankan hoppers and classic avocado toast are among the staples. This is a place for a long weekend morning in Victoria Park, but if you’re on the go, head to their two other East London bakeries, on Broadway Market and Columbia Road, for fresh bread and flaky pastries. If you find yourself in Cornwall, their Newquay location is a pilgrimage for loyal followers.
Address: Old Ford Road, London E9 7DE
Website: pavilionbakery.com
Lily Vanilli, Hackney
Take-home treat: a slice of one of the epic, frosted cakes
Baker Lily Vanilli is hotter than ever. Since founding her eponymous bakery while on the brink of unemployment, she's become the A-list set's go-to for everything from birthdays to brand launches to weddings thanks to her signature style: intricately piped, pastel-hued, maximalist cakes. Her bakery, just off Columbia Road, is a dinky little spot to get a slice of the action without requiring an invitation to Kylie's birthday party. Stock up on regularly changing cupcakes, cookies and pastries – bonus points if you visit on a Sunday so you can stroll along Columbia Road Flower Market afterwards. But the treat you should really be taking home is a slice of one of those tiered, frosted cakes Lily is now famous for.
Address: Lily Vanilli, The Courtyard, 18 Ezra Street, London E2 7RH
Website: lilyvanilli.com
Miel, Fitzrovia
Take-home treat: classic croissant
Female-owned Miel is the brainchild of baker Shaheen Peerbhai, who trained in France before opening her own spot in Fitzrovia. Each morning, the team here fire up the ovens to meticulously hand-bake patisserie, breads and other baked treats. The point of difference, Peerbhai says, is in the ingredients used – flour traditionally milled in Normandy, Valrhona chocolate; butter from Poitou-Charentaise and free-range, British eggs. The menu changes seasonally, but will always include classical Viennoiserie, plump sausage rolls, and buttery brioche rolls. Seasonal specials, meanwhile, run from summery nectarine and elderflower tarts to autumnal tarte tatin and festive saffron buns and spiced cookies.
Address: 60-61 Warren Street, London W1T 5NU
Website: mielbakery.co.uk
Buns From Home, Notting Hill
Take-home treat: cinnamon buns
Having launched from a private kitchen during the first lockdown, Buns From Home is now a buzzing bakery just off Portobello that sees the Notting Hill crowd queuing along the street, waiting patiently for their chance to buy the house speciality: cinnamon and cardamom buns. There’s plenty more besides, and it’s worth visiting in person to see the counter piled with tempting buns in flavours such as tiramisu, cheesecake pistachio and coconut, as well as savoury Croque monsieur focaccia. Alternatively, you can order a box straight to the door.
Address: 128 Talbot Road, Notting Hill, London W11 1JA
Website: bunsfromhome.com
Other locations: The crew now have locations across London - check online for the full list of stores
L’ETO, across London
Take-home treat: basque cheesecake
L’ETO is a London favourite bakery, café, and all-day dining spot: a place where indulgence feels effortlessly chic. With nine branches across London, it has become a go-to destination for foodies seeking lip-smacking comfort. Their vast window display of colourful cakes is legendary, with bestsellers like the basque cheesecake, pistachio rose cake, and dulce de leche stealing the spotlight (and your heart) in equal measure. Each slice is as beautiful as it is decadent, the kind of dessert that lingers in your memory long after the last bite. The coffee here is exceptional, too, with beans roasted in L’ETO’s own roastery in Dubai, Memories Coffee, ensuring every cup is rich, smooth, and perfectly balanced. While the sweet treats may draw you in, the all-day menu, from vibrant breakfasts to satisfying lunches, will convince you to stay a little longer – or return.
Website: uk.leto.delivery
Reemies Cakes, Chelsea
Take-home treat: banana mini bundts
Reem Abu Samra’s first bricks-and-mortar site among south-west London’s leafy suburbs has been a long time coming. Rather than jumping headfirst into setting up a bakery, Reem found her calling in 2018, spending long days and nights crafting indulgent bakes in her London flat. “All about the taste, no frills”, reads Reemie’s website – but devotees certainly agree there’s thrills in the flavour. These are home-baked treats, crafted with love, for special occasions. The signature banana cake is why long-time fans swing by - a moist, dairy-free sponge made using a mix of ripe and fresh Fairtrade Class One bananas for the most decadent flavour. However, there’s plenty more to enjoy, with new arrivals spilling out of the kitchen – we’re salivating just thinking about the chocolate and Nutella buttercream fudge cake.
Address: Reemies Cakes, 137 Fulham Road, London SW3 6SD
Website: reemiescakes.com
Common Breads, Belgravia
Take-home treat: courgette and halloumi manouche
Savour Lebanese flavours at Belgravia’s hottest bakery, Common Breads. Co-founders and childhood friends Abbas Fawaz, Abbas Zein, and Kamal El Zein are the brains behind the operation, setting up shop to share Beirut’s street food classics with ravenous Londoners. The menu centres around ka’ak, a biscuity seasoned bread, and manouche flatbreads. The latter has our vote, from a courgette and halloumi manouche drizzled with hot honey to those adorned in tangy cheese and za’atar. Pop in-store or check their Instagram ahead of time to see what new treats the team have devised – we’ve now got our eye on the chocolate tahini brownie. On a sunny summer's day, it's in the perfect location for stocking up on picnic treats before heading to St James's Park.
Address: Common Breads, 110 Buckingham Palace Road, London SW1W 9SA
Website: commonbreads.com
Fabrique Bakery, Shoreditch
Take-home treat: levain with Gruyère and Kalamata olives
At this Swedish bakery, fika comes more than recommended. The buns are the speciality: cinnamon, cardamom or saffron – all of which come with gooey warm centres. The sourdough and organic rye breads are also excellent, as is the cranberry and Gouda loaf. The original outpost is tucked away below Hoxton Overground station on a perfectly picturesque cobblestoned street – a great spot to enjoy a cup of Johan & Nyström coffee and a beautifully knotted bun before work.
Address: Arch 385, Geffrye Street, Shoreditch, London E2 8HZ
Website: fabrique.co.uk
Other locations: Fitzrovia, Notting Hill, Covent Garden, High Holborn, Chelsea
Willy's Pies
Take-home treat: the roast chicken pie
Will Lewis decided lockdown was the time to set up a pie-delivery service. A new weekly menu drops every Sunday at midday with limited numbers of pies that sell out in a flash, so you better be quick. The fillings are classic: roast chicken, wild garlic and leek; cauliflower cheese, spinach and ricotta; plus sweets such as treacle tarts and apple pies. Delivery to North and East London happens by bicycle on Wednesdays and to South and West London on Thursdays. If launching a business in lockdown wasn’t enough, Lewis now hopes to tackle the football market and revolutionise stadium food for good. Watch this space.
Address: Willy's Pie, Railway Arch, 352 Westgate Street, London E8 3RL
Website: willyspies.com
Chocolate Dino Company, Lambeth
Take-home treat: Millionaire's shortbread brownie
This Lambeth bakery is best known for its order-online treats, especially the chocolate brownie gift boxes (which have won awards, and which won over our team when they were delivered to the office) – with flavours including Biscoff, peanut and salted caramel. The cookies – enormous, Levain-style New York-inspired treats – were my personal favourite, thanks to the chewy, soft texture. At the café itself, there's a reasonably priced weekend brunch, but we recommend ordering a couple of boxes of brownies and cookies for your next get-together, and leaving as the most popular guest of them all.
Address: Chocolate Dino Company, 36 Kennington Rd, London SE1 7BL
Website: chocolatedinocompany.co.uk