A guide to the best bakeries in London
When it comes to baked goods, Londoners are really spoilt for choice. There’s a wealth of great patisseries, cafés and bakeries spanning the length and breadth of the city. The only problem is deciding on which one to try next. To save you needing to sift through the much lengthier long-list, here’s an abridged version of the best bakeries in London.
Jolene
Jolene is not only a cherished neighbourhood restaurant. It’s a bakery that means business too. With a mill on site to produce its own flour, the team uses grains grown in Sussex and Norfolk to serve up a variety of seasonal sweet and savoury bakes. From a rhubarb and custard danish to a seriously good sausage roll, make sure to bring a friend or two along. You’ll want to taste the lot.
21 Newington Green
Monday: 8am til 3pm (takeaway only) / Tuesday-Friday: 8am til 4pm / Saturday & Sunday: 9am til 4pm
Buns From Home
A glorious product of lockdown, Buns From Home started in its founder’s mother’s kitchen and has gone from strength to sticky cinnamon strength ever since. There are now a total of nine sites across London baking these unbeatable buns – this rapid rise affirming its reputation as one of the best bakeries in London. In terms of the offering, the classic cinnamon bun never, I repeat, never disappoints. And make sure to keep your eye on their Instagram feed, where iconic weekend specials like carrot cake or apple and tahini are announced.
Various locations and opening hours
Toklas Bakery
Adjacent to its sister restaurant of the same name and housed within 180 Strand, Toklas Bakery might be a little off the beaten track but thanks to the quality of its bakes, there are often queues out of the door. If you’re after a classic, try the perfectly layered pain au chocolat. Or for a real objet d’art, it has to be the laminated brioche filled with pistachio cream.
1 Surrey Street
Tuesday-Friday: 8am til 4pm / Saturday: 10am-4pm
Arôme
Blending classic French techniques with Asian ingredients, head to Arôme to find beautiful looking and even better tasting pastries. The pain au chocolat is a firm favourite, as is the signature honey butter toast. They have two spots in central – along Mercer Street and Duke Street – which are always bustling with visitors and locals alike. Often cited as one of the best bakeries in London, pay a visit and you’ll soon understand why.
Various locations and opening hours
Layla
A neighbourhood bakery that has taken Portobello Road by storm ever since opening its doors in 2021, head west for a taste of Layla’s wonderful selection of baked goods and artisanal loaves. Showcasing the best of each season, there’s a constantly changing array of glistening pastries, sweet treats and sandwiches to choose from. On my most recent visit, I opted for a delightful pistachio chocolate pain suisse.
332 Portobello Road, Notting Hill
Monday-Sunday: 8am til 4pm
