I grew up in Brazil where bakeries and bread is important, really important.
So, since moving to London, I’ve spent hours of my time scouring the city’s bakeries for the best loaf, seeking out the ultimate antidote to supermarket bags of floppy sliced bread.
This hobby/obsession has not only shown me that London is a hotbed of great bread – it’s also opened my eyes to the fine cakes and pastries of the capital.
Here are my top five London bakeries…
1. Spence Bakery
I love cycling past here in the morning when the smell of their fresh-baked breads fills the street – great texture, dense doughs and full of flavour. I recommend the dark rye, sunflower rye, and tomato and pesto bread. If you’re after something sweet, go for a Russian Snowball (shortbread dusted with icing sugar) or orange brioche. Good coffee too!
161 Stoke Newington Church Street, N16 0UH; Open Mon–Sat 8am–6pm; Sun 9am–6pm
2. Paul Rhodes
After establishing a great reputation at Borough Market, Michelin- starred Mr Rhodes opened two bakeries (Greenwich and Notting Hill) and has a brilliant range of speciality breads. Among my favourites are apricot, fig and rosemary bread, banana and muesli bread for breakfast, and the very dark rye sourdough and caraway. Just laugh off the slightly snooty French service.
Find your nearest Paul Rhodes bakery at rhodesbakery.co.uk
3. Dunn’s
Owner Christopher Freeman’s family have been baking in north London since the early 19th century, so it makes sense that Dunn’s is brilliant at old-school British tea-time favourites like Battenburg cake, Eccles cakes, parkin and ginger cake. But its breads are also outstanding, from the more traditional seeded plaits and wholemeal stoneground loaves to Bavarian rye, Low-GI cranberry (amazing), oat and barley or spelt and honey breads. If you’re not after stodge, stock up on their airy meringues or delicate Florentines.
6 The Broadway, Crouch End, N8 9SN. Open Mon-Sat 6am-6pm, Sun 9am-5pm.
4. Belle Epoque
Husband-and-wife team Eric and Hulya Rouseau run this pretty patisserie which is great for hand-made French breads as well as tarts, macaroons and pastries (their almond croissants are heavenly). Eric is a qualified pastry chef and baker who holds the Guinness World Record for creating the world’s largest Croque en Bouche cake (a tower of cream-filled choux buns wrapped in fine-spun caramel) with his team in Paris. Sample his creations in their lovely café and garden.
37 Newington Green, N16 9P; Open Tue-Fri 8am-6pm; Sat 9am-6pm; Sun 9am-5pm
5. Konditor & Cook
Originally trained in Munich as a pastry chef, Gerhard Jenne’s Konditor and Cook is famed for its quality cakes – their Boston brownie, plum and custard crumble and parmesan muffin are my favourites. But they do very decent bread too in their Gray’s Inn Road and Borough Market branches. Focaccia and rosemary wholegrain bread is the best.
For more recommendations like this view my London travel tips page. I have also written some similar to articles to this recently which you might want to check out, including:
• Best brunch in London
• Best street food markets in London
• What to do in Camden
