CAKES & BAKES
Sink your fork into the fluffiest carrot cake in town, or bite into a crisp, buttery croissant (that’s easily as good as its Parisian counterparts), at one of these incredibly good cafés, cake shops and bakeries.
HUMMINGBIRD BAKERY
Residents of well-heeled South Kensington are used to the best of everything. A stone’s throw from the Natural History Museum, and a few doors down from a vast Lamborghini showroom, the Hummingbird Bakery is eminently worthy. Whether you fancy its renowned red velvet cake (people travel halfway across the world for this one), bubblegum-frosted rainbow cake or the frankly awesome humble pumpkin pie, you’re assured a high-calibre sugar rush like no other. The attractively-tiled interior is inviting, but often chock-full. To minimise the stress of the hustle, arrive expecting to wait and hold out for a seat on the cute ballustraded front patio, the perfect spot for a post-museum breather.
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47 Old Brompton Road, SW7 3JP.
020 7851 1795
South Kensington tube.
BRANCHES: Angel EC1V 4AB; Notting Hill W11 2DY; Richmond TW9 1BP; Soho W1F 8WG; Spitalfields E1 7HS.
BAGERIET
This chic, serene and tiny Swedish café is located in a peaceful alley altogether removed from Covent Garden’s unending bustle. Inside, neat rows of cinnamon- and caraway-laden cakes decorate the otherwise simply designed space, with its white-wood panelling and shelves stacked with crispbreads and jams. Among the sweet treats baked by Ottolenghi alumnus Daniel Karlsson are neat swirls of cinnamon buns, puffy sugared pretzels and icing-topped, almond-filled mazarin tarts. The choice stretches from the front door to the back counter, where princess cakes – domed, featherlight sponges filled with fresh cream and jam, a Nordic riff on Victoria sponge – take pride of place. In summer, the two outside tables are a secluded sun-trap where you can make-believe you’ve got London all to yourself.
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24 Rose Street, WC2E 9EA.
020 7240 0000
Covent Garden tube.
LA PÂTISSERIE DES RÊVES
The nicest thing about this boutique Parisian pâtisserie import, save perhaps for the incredible hazelnut Paris-Brest, is its authenticity: all the staff and at least 50 percent of the customers are French. An unassuming interior is dominated by a central table of pastries covered by glass domes. The old-favourites are there year-round, including millefeuille, chocolate-wrapped éclairs and seasonal fruit tarts, while ‘collections’ change throughout the year. Kids will love the Breton kouign amann, a caramelised, buttery pastry, which here is served on a stick – perfect for munching on the go (seating is outdoor only). Head down early on the weekend to be in with a chance of getting a croissant.
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43 Marylebone High Street, W1U 5HE.
020 3603 7333
Baker Street or Regent’s Park tube.
BRANCHES: South Kensington SW7 2HE.
BALTHAZAR BOULANGERIE
This little gem is often overlooked for its louder and roaringly popular elder brother, Balthazar Brasserie, next door. And what a shame that is. From the brushed gold walls and mosaic floors to the soft jazz soundtrack, the Boulangerie feels like a step back in time to 1920s Paris – albeit via a slightly circuitous route, since Balthazar is in fact an import of a French-inspired New York restaurant. The counter is laden with pastries and tarts, the best of which is the apple and hazelnut galette, and the coffee is dark and invigorating. Seating is limited to a small bar at the window. A little haven from the tourist rush of Covent Garden, and with far more heart than its sibling restaurant.
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4-6 Russell Street, WC2B 5HZ.
020 3301 1155
Covent Garden tube.
ST JOHN MALTBY
In a characteristically straightforward style, the bakery set up by the St John group to supply its restaurants (and others) with bread, old-school baked desserts and cakes, sells direct to in-the-know foodies from a heaving trestle table located at 72 Druid Street (the St John Bakery) every Saturday morning. Around the corner, you’ll also find Maltby Street’s weekend market and St John’s second local destination, St John Maltby, open Wednesday to Sunday. Here, the aforementioned cakes are served alongside coffee, by-the-glass wines and snacky savoury dishes in a pared-back setting. What you’ll hear people chatting about (and queuing for) at both locations, though, are St John’s signature doughnuts (generously filled with fresh vanilla custard or seasonal fruit jam), sensational Eccles cakes and madeleines so popular that fresh batches are baked every hour.
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41 Maltby Street, SE1 2PA.
020 7553 9844
London Bridge tube.
MAISON BERTAUX
Established in 1871, Maison Bertaux has stubbornly refused to modernise and is all the better for it. The coffee is old-fashioned, but decent, the gateaux St-Honore heavenly, the fruit tarts some of the best in London, and it’s as far from a coffee chain as is humanly possible – all of which more than excuses the chaotic service and décor that is more shabby than chic. The striped blue awning and tables on the pavement (come rain or shine) look thoroughly European and its slightly shambolic eccentricity gives it a feeling of being off the beaten track, despite its location firmly wedged between Theatreland and the chaos of Oxford Street. This is a little slice of timelessness in ever-evolving Soho.
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28 Greek Street, W1D 5DQ.
020 7437 6007
Leicester Square tube.
KONDITOR & COOK
If a cake could ever be described as ‘cult’, Konditor’s Curly Whirly Cake would surely be it: a dark chocolate sponge layered with vanilla buttercream and decorated with frosting and signature dark chocolate ganache swirls. Other treats include a moist and not-too-sweet lemon chiffon and the incredible wheat-free chocolate noisette cake: chocolate and hazelnut sponges layered with gianduja mascarpone icing. The Waterloo branch is where founder Gerhard Jenne first started the mini-chain in 1993 and it has plenty of character, including a beautiful purple Victorian shopfront and charmingly uneven wooden floors inside. The coffee is good, but the hot chocolate – with double cream and the finest Callebaut – is truly wicked.
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22 Cornwall Road, SE1 8TW.
020 7633 3333
Waterloo tube.
BRANCHES: Borough Market SE1 9AD; Chancery Lane WC1X 8LR; The Gherkin EC3A 8BF; Goodge Street W1T 2PX; Spitalfields E1 6DT.
SOUTHERDEN
Next to the towering heights of the Shard, the modest proportions of foodie mecca Bermondsey Street feel almost quaint. Southerden stands out, not least for its optical illusion-like wallpaper, designed by Eley Kishimoto. The menu here is in a constant process of reinvention (owner Mel’s Michelin-starred roots are clear) and you’ll find some exceptionally forward-thinking cakes among the classics. Start with a Chouxmert Bun – a choux bun filled with crème pâtissière and finished with a crumble topping, which is Mel’s own mad and mouthwatering invention – then grab a cup of Monmouth and keep on eating. The unlikely-sounding devilled egg and avocado éclairs are incredible, as is the timeless lemon meringue tart. While you’re in the area, the St John Bakery and Bakery Rooms (see here) is the place for a fat jam doughnut.
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72 Bermondsey Street, SE1 3UD.
020 7378 1585
London Bridge tube.
VIOLET CAKES
A cosy, homey aesthetic belies the calibre of cake on offer at this Hackney-based café, owned by Californian Claire Ptak, previously at Chez Panisse in the US. The ground floor is dominated by the open kitchen and bags of flour crammed into every available space, with seating largely on the pavement and upstairs on large communal tables. Commuters pile in for cinnamon buns at breakfast and a slice of the daily quiche or sandwich at lunch, but the real stand-out are the cakes. The salted chocolate caramel is delicious, as is the buttermilk banana bread, and the icing on the vanilla cupcakes changes with the seasons: rhubarb in the spring, fragola grapes in the autumn and red berries in the summer.
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47 Wilton Way, E8 3ED.
020 7275 8360
Hackney Central Overground.
PRINCI
The sleek elegance of Alan Yau (Hakkasan, The Duck and Rice) and Italian baker Rocco Princi’s all-day café-pizzeria – which combines acres of marble, high communal tables, plate-glass frontage, and even a trickling water feature – make it ideal for informal meetings, casual dates or an unhurried lunch with the girls. Although the extensive menu includes Italian-style cooked breakfasts, pizza by the slice, filled focaccia and multi-coloured salads, Princi’s pièce de résistance is its long counter displaying tray upon tray of picture-perfect pâtisserie: hazelnut-and-chocolate sponge topped with creamy praline; jewel-like fruit tarts; sugar-dusted, custard-filled millefoglie and individual tiramisus, plus freshly baked breads. The chic continental vibe is heightened by efficient, uniformed staff in jaunty white caps. To drink, try a glass of wine from the sizeable all-Italian list. Just bear in mind it gets busy in here. Really busy.
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135 Wardour Street, W1F 0UT.
020 7478 8888
Oxford Circus tube.
PRIMROSE BAKERY
What Carrie Bradshaw and the Magnolia Bakery did for cupcakes in New York, the Primrose Bakery did for London. The original branch is small, but undisputedly the best. It has everything you could want from a seller of sugar and sprinkles: a combination of American diner and English tea room that is neither tacky nor twee; mint green walls that match the beautiful jadeite milk glass cake stands; and sponges with just the right cake-to-icing ratio. The chocolate bar-inspired cupcakes are the best (when available), while the peanut butter flavour is without equal. If you want to get a look-in (and a seat), avoid the school-rush hours, when kids from the local primary school descend to cover their faces in chocolate cake.
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69 Gloucester Avenue, NW1 8LD.
020 7483 4222
Chalk Farm tube.
BRANCHES: Covent Garden WC2E 7PB; Kensington W14 8NZ.
PEGGY PORSCHEN
Peggy Porschen’s cake emporium is easy to spot on Ebury Street – its bubblegum-pink façade stands out amid the grown-up shops and smart townhouses, and the windows showcasing its stunning three-tiered cakes (posh wedding towers are a speciality) draw oohs and aahs from passers-by. The interior can only be described as ‘girly’: a sea of pink and white with pastel-coloured crockery, jars of floral teas and decorative tissue-paper pom-poms. Exquisite cakes range from banoffee cupcakes with perfectly piped icing, walnut-flecked sponge and a liquid caramel centre to regal three-layer sandwich cakes such as strawberry and champagne (topped with pink truffles), or darkly glossy salted caramel. Staff are as sweet as the delicacies they serve. For true enthusiasts, Peggy Porschen’s cake academy – pink, naturally – is across the street.
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116 Ebury Street, SW1W 9QQ.
020 7730 1316
Sloane Square tube.
E5 BAKEHOUSE
Clapton-dweller Ben Mackinnon swapped a corporate career for baking back in 2011, and soon found himself running a much-loved café and bakery school. Tucked under a railway arch by London Fields station, E5 Bakehouse has shelves stacked with loaves and a huge selection of cakes and pastries which have all been baked that day, from carrot cake to croissants. For a peek behind the scenes, head to the loo – you’ll have to meander through the kitchen, where you can see dough being kneaded and huge trays of baguettes being proved. The compact café only has a few tables and does tend to get busy, so if you can’t find a space, opt for takeaway and enjoy it alfresco in London Fields.
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Arch 395, Mentmore Terrace, E8 3PH.
020 8986 9600
London Fields Overground.
FABRIQUE
Cinnamon buns are a Swedish institution, and London’s best can arguably be found at Fabrique, along with their delicious close cousins, cardamom buns, and an array of sweet treats and breads fresh from the stone oven. Fabrique started out as a bakery in Stockholm’s hip Södermalm district and extended to a chain of 11 before hopping across the North Sea for its London debut under a railway arch in Hoxton. This outpost is more than a little reminiscent of E5 Bakehouse, with its rustic bare brick, tin roof and just a handful of tables, but inexplicably, it’s not nearly as busy. So you’ll be able to enjoy your fika (coffee break) in peace, complete with a brew made using beans from Swedish roasters Johan & Nyström.
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Arch 385, Geffrye Street, E2 8HZ.
020 7033 0268
Hoxton Overground.
BRANCHES: Covent Garden WC2H 9RY.
LILY VANILLI
Hidden away in a pretty courtyard behind Columbia Road, this artisan bakery opens for just eight hours a week to coincide with the flower market on a Sunday. Lily is known for her sculptural and at times macabre bespoke cakes, and her offering is a much-needed antidote for those who have been out-butter-creamed and out-cutesied by the never ending cupcake craze. The bakes here are a brilliant balance of sweet and savoury, with flavour combinations including pear, thyme and olive oil, and courgette and beetroot, with extra lunch options including crisp and fat sausage rolls. String lights and a thick wood counter lend a rustic feel, but space is tight with just two communal tables (one inside, one out) and a bar, so expect to wait.
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6 The Courtyard, Ezra Street, E2 7RH.
No phone.
Hoxton Overground.
MOUSE & DE LOTZ
Owners Nadya Mousawi and Victoria de Lotz bake the kind of cakes and biscuits you wish your nan could whip up, and they serve them in what could be your nan’s ultra-chic farmhouse. Settle in with a perfect flat white and a toasted teacake, or go for a white chocolate and raspberry tart, or a slice from one of the soft and bouncy sponges. There are vegan and gluten-free baked options too, and the lunch and brunch menus are equally thought through. Lovely things on toast (smoked salmon and horseradish; roast mushrooms and warm goat’s cheese) join bright salads and fat sandwiches. A calm and cosy place to spend an afternoon.
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103 Shacklewell Lane, E8 2EB.
020 3489 8082
Dalston Kingsland Overground.
WA CAFÉ
If you thought the French were the undisputed masters of fancy-pants pâtisserie, think again – the Japanese have become adept at applying French techniques to Far Eastern flavours with typical precision and perfectionism. This Ealing independent – a light-filled, minimalist space decked out in creamy shades of cappuccino with the odd glint of gold – is a prime example. The most popular cakes are airy choux pastries filled with ‘shu cream’ (crème pâtissière flavoured with, say, sesame or green tea). However, find room for savoury bakes such as deep-fried doughnuts filled with subtly spiced Japanese curry, or glazed bread rolls topped with teriyaki chicken. Wa is a one-off – for now – that has been embraced by locals, particularly mums who need a matcha latte pick-me-up before the school run.
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32 Haven Green, W5 2NX.
020 8991 7855
Ealing Broadway tube.
NORDIC BAKERY
‘Dark rye bread’, ‘cinnamon buns’ and ‘coffee’ are the trio of enticers emblazoned on the window of this café – coupled with the cinnamon aroma wafting out of the door, they succeed in luring you in. Once inside you’ll feel like you’ve travelled to one of the Nordic countries: there’s the calming blue-grey colour scheme, stylish hardwood furniture by regional designers and an effortless sense of cool. Sandwiches are earthy and authentic, including pickled mustard herring with eggs and a richly smoky salmon on rye. And those wonderful, heavy, filling cinnamon buns are made using a Finnish recipe that’s so good the brick-sized rolls tend to sell out by 11am. If you happen to be near the Soho branch on a nice morning, get one to go and perch outside in Golden Square.
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37b New Cavendish Street, W1G 8JR.
020 7935 3590
Baker Street or Regent’s Park tube.
BRANCHES: Marylebone W1U 7NE; Soho W1F 9JG.
