This list is a full Bakers Dozen of the best bakeries around London. In a city like London, there is no shortage of food choices and the best part is the ethnic variety within your reach. You can find any type of food in London and my goal on my last trip there was to try them all.
Well, that’s just not possible with the sheer size of the city and the number of restaurants and bakeries available.
So I will list my favorites as of 2020, after four visits to London. There are so many more that I would like to try in London and plan to return as soon as possible. When I do, I will add to this list!
L’eto Cafee
When I decided to put together a list of my favorite London bakeries, I knew L’eto would be near the top! I went to the L’eto located in Soho, which is the original. They have 5 locations in London and more around the world and it is easy to see why they are thriving. My friends Carlos and Bianca took me there and I immediately fell in love. Multiple types of opera cakes, mille-feuille, macarons, fruit tarts, and on and on. Their selection of pastries was impressive and trying to decide what I wanted was impossible. So I bought a selection of 3 items. And I ate them for dinner. We were not able to get a table so we ordered our pastries to go. That actually worked out really well for me because no one knows that I ate cheesecake and brownies for dinner that night in my hotel room!
L’eto Cafee, 155 Wardour Street, London, W1F 8WG
Visit their website to find other locations and view their menu. Order online as well! https://letocaffe.co.uk/our-locations/
Baban’s Naan
I love naan. Fresh, hot naan smothered in garlic butter, za’atar, cheese or wrapped around falafel…you just can’t beat it. And Baban’s does it better than anyone else. It’s a small place but so worth the trip! I honestly don’t know how they sell them so cheap and stay in business but they have somehow figured it out. The naan is made in a traditional tandoor oven on-site, all day long.
Baban’s Naan 51A Blackstock Rd London N4 2JW
Violet
Maybe it’s the fact that Claire Ptak, the owner of Violet, is from California like me. Maybe it’s the royal connection of Violet being selected to make the wedding cake for Prince Harry and Megan Markle in 2018. Or maybe it’s the fresh, seasonal ingredients that make their way on to the shelves every day. Whatever it is, Violet bakery is one of my favorites. Violet offers familiar favorites that are made with premium ingredients. There are sweet treats galore that you just can’t get enough of but there is also a savory selection that will make your mouth water. Luckily, Claire is planning to open a second location, making it even easier to spread the delicious joy to the people of London!
Violet, 47 Wilton Way, Hackney, London E8 3ED
www.violetcakes.com
Wa Japanese Patisserie
On my last visit to London, I was staying in a hotel on the East side of London in Hayes for over a month. Luckily, there was a train station right in front of the hotel so I was easily able to jump on the train at a moment’s notice to explore any part of the city. Hayes is just a short 8-minute train ride to Ealing Broadway and I found that this area afforded endless exploration without as many tourists and crowds as the center of London. When I found out that a Japanese Patisserie was so close, I just had to go. Wa quickly became a hangout for me because of their selection of coffee and tea as well as savory dishes and inventive pastries with a twist. Their choux trio has seriously inspired so many recipes for me! A must-see London bakery for sure!
Wa Cafe, 32 Haven Green, London, W5 2NX (There is a second location in Covent Garden if you are in that area!) https://www.wacafe.co.uk/
Balthazar Covent Garden
Roaming around Covent Garden provides so much eye candy and inspiration. A plethora of shops, restaurants, and more than 60 pubs, as well as historic sites that span centuries. But when you get hungry and need a rest from all that sightseeing, a stop at Balthazar is a must. Or just make a beeline for Balthazar first! Technically, Balthazar is a full-fledged restaurant and I’m sure you are wondering why I have put them on this list of bakeries. Well, I’ll tell you. It’s comfortable, quaint, and a full boulangerie is right next door to satisfy every bread craving. Oh, the bread. The bread at Balthazar is to die for! And, again, pain au chocolat is on the menu so I MUST STOP! Breakfast, lunch, brunch, and dinner are amazing at Balthazar but I highly recommend their full tea!
Balthazar London, 4-6 Russell Street, Covent Garden, London, WC2B 5HZ www.balthazarlondon.com
Bread Ahead
I have followed both Bread Ahead Bakery and Borough Market on Instagram for ages and always wanted to visit. Luckily, I had a couple of friends that knew exactly how to get there (I was a little intimidated by the massive train system at first) and they were up for a trip to the market, even though they had already been there a few times. Borough Market is absolutely incredible (read more below) but the doughnuts at Bread Ahead have been calling my name from across the pond for as long as I can remember! I recommend going to the market early in the day if you want doughnuts. By the time we got there, it was about 11 am and the selection was getting slim. We still bought a box and shared them so we could each have a taste of each doughnut.
I won’t lie – I kind of wanted the whole box to myself. But I consoled myself with the fact that we would be stopping at numerous bakeries and coffee shops after leaving Bread Ahead and I knew I needed to save some space in my belly! Bread Ahead definitely did not disappoint. The doughnuts were fluffy and perfectly fried and the fillings were creatively delicious. Oh yeah, they also have bread galore and classes to boot! This place is a firm favorite for every visit! Thank you for taking me to Bread Ahead Carlos (https://www.tripsscribblescrumbs.com/) and Bianca (http://www.biancabakes.com/)!
Bread Ahead, Borough Market, Cathedral Street, London SE1 9DE (Three other locations as well – check their website!) https://www.breadahead.com/
Bakedd
The people at Bakedd have a passion for good food and pleasing their customers. The passion is clear to see from outside their picturesque bakery windows. Then you take one bite of the croissants, pastries, quiche, muffins and bread and you can taste their passion. Everything that I tried at Bakedd was beyond perfection. Finish those off with their selection of amazing coffee, teas and wine and you have the perfect afternoon treat. I highly recommend the Swiss Paillasse – a bread with a long fermentation that creates a TON of flavor. The train ride was about 20 minutes to get from Hayes to Maidenhead and is only about 30 minutes if you are coming from Paddington Station. I learned to love my downtime on the trains while in London!
Bakedd, 1a High St, Maidenhead, SL6 1JN https://www.bakedd.co.uk/
Heidi Bakery
Tucked inside Daniel department store, I stumbled on Heidi while wandering aimlessly around Windsor. As far as London bakeries go, this one is a classic. When you get off the train at Windsor & Eton, you are inside a shopping complex. I think I visited almost every store in that complex at least once. Luckily, I stumbled into Heidi Bakery more than once! Pain au Chocolat is an all-time favorite of mine and I may have purchased several at Heidi’s, along with a few other treats. Every bite was absolutely worth the calories and that’s the big test, isn’t it?!
Heidi 120-125 Peascod St, Windsor, SL4 1DP https://www.heidibakery.co.uk/
Borough Market
OK, hear me out! I know that Borough Market is a market place and not a bakery! BUT…you will find the most amazing baked goods while you stroll through the stalls and booths! This place is a mecca for foodies! Incredible aged cheeses, olive oil, breads, spices, cakes, pastries, and entire meals! You name it, they got it!
Besides, how cool is it that Borough Market began in the year 1014 (or possibly before). Yep, that means that it is over 1000 years old!! It’s true that the location was moved just a bit (it started closer to the Tower Bridge). The last time I was there, I wandered for hours and still didn’t want to leave! So this isn’t one bakery – it is a conglomeration of top-notch vendors that will satisfy any whim!
Borough Market, 8 Southwark Street, London, SE1 1TL https://boroughmarket.org.uk/
Dominique Ansel Bakery
Who can resist the chance to go to the incredible Dominique Ansel’s Bakery, the creator of the Cronut?! With two locations in LA and three in New York, he has expanded pretty far but since I was close to the London location, I had to go! I don’t know when I will have a chance to go to New York or LA again so I grabbed my chance. The bad thing about Dominique Ansel’s?? The choices! There are so many offerings it was impossible to decide so I grabbed a selection. I don’t regret a single one of them.
17-21 Elizabeth Street, Belgravia/Victoria London, SW1W 9RP https://dominiqueansellondon.com/
The Hummingbird Bakery
This cute little bakery in Notting Hill (and several other locations) has been an inspiration to me for a few years. I came across their instagram feed a few years ago, ended up buying one of their cookbooks and have been hooked ever since. They sell American treats and barista coffees all over London. Why do they inspire me? Well, I never thought that an American bakery could do well in London. American and British tastes tend to be pretty different. Hummingbird believes that baking the same way that a home baker would (aka like me!) produces the best result and they stand out because of their dedication to that principle. Everything is baked fresh every day at each location. Hummingbird Bakery just proves that if you follow your passion and work hard, you can succeed. (I’m sure that you’ve noticed that there are two American bakeries on this list and they are both thriving!) So don’t just be like ‘the other guy’ and do what is expected. Find your niche and thrive! And have a cupcake at Hummingbird on the way! If you are going to visit London bakeries, do not miss this one!
Hummingbird Bakery, 133 Portobello Road, London, W11 2DY https://hummingbirdbakery.com/
Ben’s Cookies
Sometimes you just need a cookie. Eating a cookie makes me feel like a kid again and some of the best I’ve ever had were from Ben’s Cookies. The cranberry & white chocolate and the peanut butter were my favorites but there are so many more flavors that I didn’t get to try! These cookies are huge and thick and ooey-gooey, just the way a cookie should be. Each and every cookie is packed with fillings and flavors. I highly recommend taking a bag or a tin home with you after enjoying a few in the store! Since they are baked fresh every day, you know they will still be soft and delicious when you get home!
Ben’s Cookies, 355-361 Oxford Street, London W1C 2BU www.benscookies.com
Laduree
A visit to London and a tour of bakeries wouldn’t be complete without a stop at Laduree at Harrods. I was lucky enough to go with my daughter Haley and my friend Sally (https://bewitchingkitchen.com/). Maybe it was the company or maybe it was the atmosphere, but this was my favorite stop. There is an impressive array of desserts to choose from. The attention to detail is incredible as each dessert is perfectly presented. You really feel pampered while you are there. Each dessert is composed of perfect components and enticing flavor profiles. I had a strawberry pistachio mille-feuille that I plan to (attempt) to replicate at home someday.
87/135 Brompton Rd, Knightsbridge, London SW1X 7XL https://www.laduree.co.uk/
Now that I have written this list of bakeries out, I am longing for a return trip to London. There is so much to explore in this city whether you enjoy food, history, or meeting new people. London is a must-see!
Which London bakeries do you recommend? Which ones are your favorite? Share them in the comments!
I want to go to all of these places!
I’ll go with you! We’ll make it a girls trip!