If diamonds are forever, then bagels are 24…or at least these London bagel spots are 24-hour. The humble bagel might most commonly be enjoyed as a breakfast option. But what if I told you it was actually drunk food. Think about it – carbs, delicious filling, cheap, and it’s a pretty healthy choice. Plus, even though New York City bagels are arguably the king of bagels, London Town gives it a bit of a run for its money. So, without further ado, here’s our roundup of where to pick up 24/7 bagels in London. East, South, West or North – they’ve all got some pretty fine options!
East London – Beigel Bake, Brick Lane
You knew this was coming, so let’s get it out the way. Beigel Bake is a pioneer in the 24 hour beigel game, and it’s stood the test of time for good reason. Note the use of ‘beigel’ and not ‘bagel’ here, this is more than just a stylistic spelling or pronunciation choice they are actually slightly different things. A beigel is the bagel’s forefather. It’s cooked in the traditional method which means it’s boiled before it’s baked which gives it the distinct chewy texture that separates it from the bagel.
But saying that depending on where you are your baker might be boiling your bagels before baking, in which case it’s nothing but semantics. But tangent aside, Beigel Bake is bloomin’ great and is famous for their signature hot salt beef beigels and for good reason. It’s a showstopper and once you try it you’ll start to develop a craving for it. Aside from the solid variety of filled bagel options are all the things you’d expect of a bakery: fresh bread, pastries, cookies and more – and if you picked an item blind 9/10 times you’d pick something absolutely delicious.
📍You’ll find Beigel Bake at 159 Brick Lane, London, E1 6SB.
🚇 Nearest station is Shoreditch High Street.
South London – Bagel King, Elephant and Castle
A South London institution, Bagel King resides at the top of the pile when you find yourself south of river. Granted for some of you, being south of the river might be a foreign concept but if you do happen to cross over the bridge be sure to stop by Bagel King. It’s a non-traditional bagel shop, and is less bakery and more takeaway food shop with it offering meals, desserts, slushies and more alongside the signature bagels.
Its staple offerings are the: jerk chicken bagel (cheese and bbq sauce are a must), apple crumble and custard, and slushies. You won’t be disappointed going there so long as you’re prepared for the mix of cuisines and not just the traditional bagel shop/bakery combination. Also, just be prepared for there to be a queue – especially if you head down there for a late night bite. Go on… you know you want to!
📍You’ll find Bagel King at 280 Walworth Road, London, SE17 2TE.
🚇 Nearest station is Elephant and Castle.
West London – Bagel Bite, Shepherd’s Bush
Speaking of bites, next up, we have the Shepherds Bush-based Bagel Bite. It’s newer to the scene than the previously mentioned shops and aligns itself closer to ‘Bagel King’ than ‘Beigel Bake’. It offers all the bagel flavours you could want, from the traditional cream cheese through to tandoori or jerk chicken. But don’t let its name deceive you, there’s a lot more than just bagels (it’s starting to become a theme clearly) at Bagel Bite.
If bagels don’t happen to tickle your fancy and you for some reason find yourself in Bagel Bite, you can chow down on home-made lasagne, shawarma, kebab, a jacket potato, or even biriyani! If you need something to sweeten the deal they also have a range of cakes and desserts for you to round off your meal with.
📍You’ll find Bagel Bite at 22 Shepherd’s Bush Green, London, W12 8PH.
🚇 Nearest station is Shepherd’s Bush.
North London – The Bagel House, Stoke Newington
Now this one is probably going to be contentious for a number of reasons, not least because of its location. The Bagel House is based in Stoke Newington, N16 – but is Stoke Newington North or East London I hear you ask dear reader? Well, we’re going to side with North on this occasion. Mainly because East has things well and truly covered on the bagel front. The next reason it’s contentious is because this is one where you have to kind of make the decision for yourself if it’s really good. It’s a marmite kind of shop after all… Some people rave about it while others visit it once and despise it. However, it is open 24 hours so therefore it meets the true defining criteria for this list.
The bagels themselves, as well as the fresh breads, are delightful. In terms of bagel fillings The Bagel House has pretty much the most complete menu of all the shops on the list boasting the hits of all the other shops – think salt beef, salmon and cream cheese, jerk chicken – as well as the basics like tuna, cheese, or even simply buttered or plain. If you order, do be careful to pay attention as many people have fallen foul of answering yes without paying attention and ended up with a warmed (in the microwave) salmon and cream cheese bagel, which we wouldn’t recommend for obvious reasons…
📍You’ll find The Bagel House at 2 Stoke Newington High Street, Stoke Newington, N16 7PL.
🚇 Nearest station is Rectory Road.
So there you have it – a roundup of the best places for 24/7 bagels in London all around town. So there’s no excuse if you’re craving a bagel during the wee hours – you now know exactly where to head!