Whether you’re a bread lover, a pastry connoisseur, or a cinnamon swirl-a-holic, London is filled with incredible bakeries to cater to every taste. Every London neighbourhood has its own standout spots, so you’ll never be far from a good bakery on a visit to the city. Read on for my top recommendations of the best bakeries across London.
The Dusty Knuckle
Tucked away in a courtyard behind Dalston Junction station, the Dusty Knuckle is well worth seeking out – serving some of the best bread in East London. With a focus on bread and pastries, the menu also features hearty sandwiches with appetising fillings – like roasted beetroot, whipped goats cheese, mixed seeds and salsa verde – served in their incredible sourdough focaccia. If you’re an aspiring baker, the Dusty Knuckle Bakery School runs regular masterclasses – you can hone your skills and take home your own sourdough starter to kick start your home bread baking. Top tip: if you’re planning a visit to the shop, aim for an afternoon that a masterclass is running and you may just bag some extra treats for free.
Where to find it: Abbot Street, Dalston, E8 3DP,
Pophams
Pophams is an Islington institution, with newer branches now open in Hackney and Victoria. Pophams serves up incredible pastries full of inventive and unexpected flavour combinations – think sweet and sticky pastries coming to life with a twist of ginger or cardamom, or, for savoury lovers, the marmite and cheese swirl is out of this world. (Sidenote: if you’re not familiar with marmite, I’d highly recommend giving it a try on any trip to the UK. Famously polarising between those who love and hate the taste – it makes for a fun experiment you might just fall in love with, and swirled into a Popham’s pastry is one of the greatest, most indulgent ways to experience it) The coffee at Pophams is an excellent accompaniment to any baked goods, sourced from local Shoreditch roaster Ozone. The Hackney branch is also open into the evening with a fantastic filled pasta menu.
Where to find it: 19 Prebend Street, Islington, N1 8PF; and 197 Richmond Road, Hackney, E8 3NJ
Fabrique Bakery
Anyone who’s checked out London on Instagram will have almost certainly come across the marble table tops and turquoise cups of perfectly poured coffee at Fabrique Bakery. Fabrique is a collection of bakeries across London, originating from Stockholm, Sweden. With 19 shops in Stockholm the expansion to London has brought 6 locations throughout the city (plus more in NYC). The Shoreditch branch is my personal favourite as a former East London resident, but all are equally excellent, serving classic cinnamon buns, banging sourdough, and of course, top notch coffee to go with it.
Where to find it: Various locations.
E5 Bakehouse
Another East London gem – E5 Bakehouse is an artisan bakery with a focus on using locally sourced and organic ingredients to create their daily baked breads and cakes. I highly recommend their sourdough and the magnificent bakewell tart. E5 also serves excellent coffee from its own roast house. Budding bakers should look out for the bread courses run by the head baker – courses run weekly but booking ahead is essential to secure a space.
Where to find it: 395 Mentmore Terrace, London Fields, E8 3PH
St John Bakery
St John is a legend of the London food scene. The acclaimed nose-to-tail restaurant redefined modern British cooking (indeed, you’ll find it firmly fixed in my list of Unmissable Restaurants in London) and the team have branched out to open sister restaurants and bakeries across the city. The flagship bakery, nestled in the picturesque Neal’s Yard, is well worth a visit serving sourdough and speciality loaves, mind blowing doughnuts, pastries and eccles cakes. The Bermondsey branch is focused on baking all of the bread and pastries for the restaurants, but opens daily to pick up loaves and doughnuts.
Where to find it: 3 Neal’s Yard, Covent Garden, WC2H 9DP; and 72 Druid Street, Bermondsey, SE1 2HQ
Pavillion
The Pavilion location, quite literally housed in the pavilion on the edge of the lake in Victoria Park, makes it one of London’s most picturesque bakery locations. It is part of the fabric of Hackney life – even keep locals stocked throughout the pandemic with deli essentials and serving coffee and fresh loaves outdoors from a vintage milk float. Victoria Park is the original location, ideally placed for a takeaway treat to enjoy on a stroll through the park, there are further branches on Broadway market and Columbia Road – worth checking out if you enjoy a Saturday street market or a Sunday flower market respectively. The coffee here is also great, and the warming spiced Chai and the velvety hot chocolate both offer some tough competition.
Where to find it: Various Locations
Jolene
As the newest bakery on the block (ie. on this list of London bakery big-hitters) you can be assured Jolene is something special to make the cut. That, and the fact it was opened by the team behind Western’s Laundry should fill you with promise. Jolene opened its Newington Green doors in 2018, with further locations opening more recently in Shoreditch, Islington and Hornsey. A standout bakery throughout the day, it takes on a new life in the evening from Thursday to Sunday, transforming into a small plates restaurant. If you’re there to get your hands on baked goods, make a beeline for the cardamon buns, lemon tarts or filled croissants.
Where to find it: Various locations
Kova Patisserie
A twist on the classic London bakery – this patisserie focuses on Japanese treats – including sea salt lava cheese gateaux, matcha roll cakes and mille crepes (layers of French crepes with light custard cream nestled between each layer). It also serves up matcha lattes and organic teas in locations across London, having branched out from its original soho site to locations in South Kensington, Chinatown and Battersea Power Station.
Where to find it: Various locations
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