Luckily for us Londoners, our beloved city is chock-a-block full of places where you can indulge in a cinnamon roll, some sourdough or a delectable brownie – and most are open all throughout the week. Here’s our rundown of 14 of the best bakeries in London where you can satisfy all those sweet and savoury cravings you may have.
1. Bread Ahead
Here’s a top tip on a Saturday morning: go to Borough Market and make a beeline for the Bread Ahead stall, pick up a couple of their olive and cheese breadsticks and munch away while perusing the other delectable delights that the market has to offer.
Then, make your way back for one of their decadent doughnuts and face the hard decision of choosing between flavours like jam, classic vanilla and caramel, sea salt and honeycomb – to name but a few. Yum, yum. Alternatively you can gorge yourself silly on their delicious sourdough pizzas or herb-infused foccacia. Just the thought has got us salivating…
You’ll find Bread Ahead at various locations across London. You can find out more here.
2. Kova Patisserie
This Japanese patisserie specialises in those intricate looking mille crepe cakes as well as cake rolls, tarts and a whole host of teas – including tasty bubble tea. Their signature mille crepe cakes are handmade and sandwiched together with light custard cream in flavours such as coconut, vanilla, matcha and chocolate.
The three branches of Kova Patisserie – one in Soho, one in Chinatown and one in South Kensington – also rustle up some melt-in-the-mouth lava cakes and some pretty bloody lovely cheesecakes. Definitely a cute trip that’s worth putting on the old ‘gram we say, and well deserving of its place on this list of the best bakeries in London.
You’ll find Kova Patisserie in three locations across London. You can find out more here.
3. Cutter and Squidge
If you’re looking for a birthday cake to impress, Cutter and Squidge is the most adorable place to go and get one. As well as offering lots of in-house baked goods, this bakery also puts on the occasional themed afternoon tea that may or may not include cute themes like Hello Kitty or Aladdin.
They also whip up a whole host of decadent brownies, biscuits and cupcakes to satisfy all those with a sweet tooth. So, if you’re looking for a sugar rush in Soho, then this is the place for you.
You’ll find Cutter and Swidge at 20 Brewer Street, London, W1F 0SJ. Nearest station is Piccadilly Circus.
4. E5 Bakehouse
This London bakery is spread out over three railway arches in Hackney and offers up lots of yummy and freshly-made bread options, exclusively whipped up using only UK grains. As well as serving up delicious pastries and white, sourdough and wholemeal loaves, they also have a Millhouse section where you can get your dried goods like lentils and grains by weight, and be part of the package-free movement.
Everything at the E5 Bakehouse is locally-sourced from farmers within the United Kingdom, and they have an ethos of ‘sourcing products that are grown in systems which benefit the ecological health of the planet’. Sounds pretty darn good to us and a strong reason why we included this one on this list of the best bakeries in London.
You’ll find E5 Bakehouse at 396 Mentmore Terrace, London, E8 3PH. Nearest station is London Fields.
5. Layla Bakery
Opening just last year, Layla Bakery is the spot to come if you’re looking for some sourdough and fresh coffee. An artisan spot right on Portobello Road, the emphasis here is on sourcing quality seasonal ingredients, using wild grains and ancient traditions throughout their baking processes.
The result is some pretty bloomin’ fantastic flavours if we say so ourselves, and they also rustle up some cinnamon and cardamom rolls and pistachio cream brioches at the weekends. Now, if that sweet, nectary goodness doesn’t tempt you, we don’t know what will!
You’ll find Layla Bakery at 332 Portobello Road, London, W10 5SA. Nearest stations are Ladbroke Grove and Westbourne Grove.
6. Bread A Manger
Smack-bang right in the heart of Bermondsey, this French-style bakery has recently made the news because Pret A Manger is trying to force a name change. We for one think it should be making the news for something else – its extensive array of baked goodies which secured its place on this list of the best bakeries in London.
From pistachio-sprinkled carrot cakes to boxes of crunchy macarons and everything in between, these guys really don’t hold back when it comes to their baked goods. Everything on sale at Bread A Manger is pretty as a picture, and their bread ain’t bad either – the brioche in particular is something that we can’t help but write home about.
Plus, as you’d expect with the French influence, the flaky pastries are well worth the journey here.
You’ll find Bread A Manger at 3 Market Place, London, SE16 3UQ. Nearest station is Bermondsey.
7. Pophams Bakery
If you amble down Richmond Road near London Fields, chances are you will smell the lovely aroma of freshly-baked bread and pastries emanating from Pophams Bakery. Decked out in a Scandi-style decor, this stylish spot is very popular during the weekends – and it’s easy to see why.
It’s dog-friendly, serves some pretty bloody great coffee from Ozone, and has some pretty incredible pastries. While you can’t really go wrong with any of them, the rosemary and sea salt twist and fig leaf custard, roasted fig and candied walnut pastry are both out of this world. That may sound dramatic, but why not go and see for yourself?
You’ll find Pophams Bakery at 197 Richmond Road, London, England, E8 3NJ and at 19 Prebend Street, N1 8PF. Nearest stations are London Fields and Essex Road.
8. Lily Vanilli
This little gem of a bakery is tucked just off Columbia Road in Hackney and was a must-add to this list of the best bakeries in London. Prepare for all your pastel and floral dreams to come true in this bakery, as the cakes here are painted pink, adorned with pretty flowers and most definitely have that wow-factor.
Lily Jones, the baker behind all the gorgeous, elegant cakes found here – and nicknamed the ‘queen of baked goods’ – bakes to order and has worked on some pretty amazing projects with the likes of Fortnum and Mason – very fancy indeed!
You’ll also be able to tuck into a weekly changing menu of sweet treats, pastries, sausage rolls and locally-roasted Coleman coffee. Lily Vanilli also runs baking classes for all you Mary Berry wannabes – and no soggy bottoms here either!
You’ll find Lily Vanilli at 6 The Courtyard, Ezra Street, E2 7RH. Nearest station is Bethnal Green.
9. Weirdough Bakery
This neat little spot near St James’ Street Station in E17 is a relatively new addition to the London bakery scene. But since opening in August 2021, it’s sure as hell made a good impression.
Born out of a love of making sourdough bread – and didn’t we all bloody love that in lockdown – the friendly team here have created a part-bakery, part-deli atmosphere that is just shouting out post-Sunday-morning-stroll treat vibes. Everything at Weirdough Bakery is handmade on site, and you can tuck into an array of goodies, from pain-au-chocolat to veggie pizzas and even their own range of brewed kombucha!
You’ll find Weirdough Bakery at 20 Station Road, London, E17 8AA. Nearest station is St James’ Street.
10. Ararat Bread
Taking its name from a snow-capped volcano in the extreme east of Turkey, Dalston’s Ararat Bread certainly more than packs a punch. Unassuming from the outside, this hidden (and tiny) gem is one of London’s best-kept secrets.
Tucked down the bustling Ridley Road Market, the friendly staff here specialise in naan-style flatbreads, topped with an array of lip-smackingly good flavours. They’re also super inexpensive too – add a bubbling layer of cheese and garlic for just a quid, and a mince meat mixture is just a quid more. Since you’re here, why not go for the whole shebang and add a cracked fried egg on top?
You’ll find Ararat Bread at 132 Ridley Rd, London, E8 2NR. Nearest stations are Dalston Junction and Dalston Kingsland.
11. Gail’s
We couldn’t compile a roundup of the best bakeries in London without mentioning this one. Fancy loaves of bread, maple bacon brioche and afternoon tea treats line the walls at Gail’s, and we can’t think of a better place to fall into a food coma to be honest.
With a seasonally-changing menu consisting of goodies including chocolate and hazelnut buns, mozzarella, tomato and pesto focaccia and sticky date and coconut babka buns, there’s plenty to satiate all manner of both sweet and savoury teeth. Plus, they even have their own house blend of coffee beans to help you wash down those artisan sourdough rolls. How fancy.
You’ll find Gail’s at various locations in London. You can find out more here.
12. Knead a Little Love
Knead a Little Love is a bakery born out of lockdown in 2020 which specialises in vegan doughnuts and desserts. Run by two sisters, Jess and Becca, they opened up their doors at 253 Bethnal Green Road, East London in June of this year – and haven’t looked back since.
Everything here is handmade on site by a small and dedicated team headed up by Le Cordon Bleu trained Pastry Chef – and younger sister – Jess. All their products are available in-store at the bakery as well as online. You can check out their website here.
You’ll find Knead a Little Love at 253 Bethnal Green Road, London, E2 6AH. Nearest station is Bethnal Green.
13. Cable Bakery
Our penultimate entry to this list of the best bakeries in London is this really cute little spot, located near Oval on the way to Camberwell. Founded in 2016, they’re famous for their sourdough breads and pizzas – and also serve craft beer to wash it all down. You may need to wait to visit this until after 12pm then – though as the saying goes, it’s five o’clock somewhere…
The sourdough at Cable Bakery is made by John ‘The Kennington Baker’ – a pretty apt moniker we might add – and the team can whip up a mean toastie for just a fiver. The jalapeno and cheese one in particular will settle any hangover you may have, and there’s an on-site coffee roastery too for when you want that cup of joe. Come on a Tuesday evening and you’ll be treated to some jazz. And the best part? It’s only bloody free! Winner, winner.
You’ll find the Cable Bakery at 8 Brixton Road, Oval, SW9 6BU. Nearest station is Oval.
14. Charles Artisan Bread
Specialising in Danish artisan sourdough bread and pastries, each loaf and pastry at Charles Artisan Bread is made with natural ingredients without any additives whatsoever. Using a slow 24-hour fermentation process, this neat little bakery in fashionable Clapton produces a finite number of goods daily, maintaining high quality standards and a great taste to boot too.
All the ingredients used here are locally-sourced, and they do a whole host of yummy pastries too – including many vegan ones.
You’ll find Charles Artisan Bread at 51 Lower Clapton Road, Lower Clapton, London, E5 0NS. Nearest station is Hackney Central.