I love a good bakery, and when that bakery lives up to its reputation I love it even more. London has an abundance of them, and a handful stand out for their quality and creativity. I find myself walking all over the city to seek them out and let my taste buds be tempted by what’s on the counter. If you want to do the same, read on for my guide to the best bakeries in London. I’ve included a map, too.
Best Bakeries in London
First, my methodology. I’m a sucker for a famous croissant or morning bun, but the flavors have to live up to their reputation. I care more about how the food tastes than whether the bakery has an Instagrammable facade (although I don’t mind if it has both!).
Second, I’m a fan of bakeries that push the boundaries of flavors and textures. While classic viennoiserie is hard to beat, I love pastries that make me go “ooh, I’ve never seen one of those before”.
Third, I’m not trying to cover every single bakery in London. I wish I could, but I’d be so full of butter and sugar I’d probably be unable to walk!
I’m sharing my list of places I love, and I’ll add to it as I discover more. You can bookmark this blog post or pin it on Pinterest so you can check back for easy reference.
If you want a guided tour, there are plenty to tempt you. From a Notting Hill bakery tour to a tea and doughnuts tour and a West End sweet treats tour, you’re spoiled for choice. You can see options and book one here.
1. TOAD Bakery
TOAD Bakery tops my list of the best bakeries in London. Set back from the bustling Peckham Road in Camberwell, this place has the best pastries I’ve found in the UK capital.
It’s worth a special trip to south London to try the food at this famous neighborhood spot. Its open-plan bakery produces all kinds of creative breads, pastries, cakes, sandwiches, and filter coffee every day.
The team leans into seasonal produce, ensuring there’s always something new to try. There are staples, too. Croissants, chocolatines, cinnamon buns, and sweet and savory danishes anchor the menu (the danishes are my favorite).
If you’re tempted, I recommend going on a sunny day and arriving around 10 to 15 minutes before TOAD opens. It’s a popular place, and there’s no indoor seating. It’s worth it for the delicious food and coffee.
2. Common Breads
On the border of Victoria and Belgravia, Common Breads is another of my favorite bakeries in London. Not only is the food delicious, but the staff is also incredibly welcoming and friendly.
Common Breads brings Lebanese street food to London. From its modern shop on Buckingham Palace Road, it offers everything from traditional purse-shaped ka’ak bread to flatbreads, drinks, and sweet treats.
If you go, I recommend getting a stuffed ka’ak. There are plenty of flavors to choose from, but the real star is the bread itself. Freshly baked on site daily, it’s light, pillowy, and goes down a treat.
3. Arome Bakery
Right in Covent Garden, Arome sits in a passageway leading from St Martin’s Courtyard (aka The Yards) to Mercer Street. Along with its sister location in Marylebone, this beloved place is another of the best bakeries in London.
Arome is known for blending classic French techniques with Eastern flavors. The Pain Suisse and Matcha Croissant are the stuff of legends. For traditionalists, they also do a classic croissant and a pain au chocolat.
If you’re tempted, I recommend going on a sunny day, getting your order to take away, and sitting outside in the deck chairs dotted throughout St Martin’s Courtyard. If it’s not sunny, there’s indoor seating as well.
This place is also on the route of my free self-guided Covent Garden walk, so you can stop here along the way if you want to.
4. Fortitude Bakehouse
Tucked away on a side street near Russell Square in Bloomsbury, Fortitude Bakehouse is another of the best bakeries in the UK capital. Whether you’re in the mood for a hand pie or a sweet bun, you’re spoiled for choice.
This place is known for its giant beignets, which come out at 11am and sell out quickly. It also offers a range of other pastries and light fare.
Given there’s no indoor seating, I recommend going on a sunny day and sitting outside on the long benches in the street the bakery is on. Make sure to be prepared for a wait to order, too.
Fortitude Bakehouse is on the route of my free self-guided Bloomsbury walk, so you can use it as a rest stop along the way if you want to.
5. Toklas
Next on my list of the best bakeries in London is Toklas Bakery. Situated on a side street near Somerset House in Temple, this unassuming place serves excellent pastries. The staff is friendly, too.
Toklas is versatile. In the morning you can find classic viennoiserie alongside cinnamon and cardamom buns. In the afternoon you can get sandwiches served on freshly-baked breads. There are sweet treats and cakes, too.
If you go, I recommend ordering one of their unique cardamom buns for breakfast. They’re made from leftover croissant dough, dusted with cardamom sugar, and dipped in vanilla syrup.
They’re delicious, and you can enjoy one in the spacious indoor dining area. In fact, if you’re looking for a bakery with indoor seating in central London, this is a good choice.
6. Lever & Bloom
When I’m on the go, my favorite bakery in London is Lever & Bloom. Housed in a red food truck in front of an eye-catching row of red phone boxes in Bloomsbury, this place scores points on both flavor and aesthetics.
Along with its sister location on Shaftesbury Avenue in Covent Garden, Lever & Bloom serves delicious morning buns and coffee. They even have a giant cinnamon bun you can pre-order.
If you’re tempted to try Lever & Bloom, I recommend going on a sunny day, ordering a handmade cardamom bun and coffee, and enjoying them on one of the benches by the food truck or in nearby Gordon Square or Woburn Square.
This place is on the route of my free self-guided Bloomsbury walk, too, so you can use it as a rest stop along the way if you’d like to.
7. Bageriet
Back in Covent Garden, another of my favorite bakeries in London is Bageriet. Tucked away on a narrow lane between Floral Street and Long Acre, this place is known for its Scandinavian pastries.
A cute hole-in-the-wall spot, Bageriet is famous for its cinnamon buns. It also offers Swedish pastries, biscuits, cakes, and bread. Everything is made fresh in the downstairs bakery.
If you go, I recommend ordering a cinnamon bun and enjoying it while strolling around Covent Garden. This place is on the route of my Covent Garden walk, so you can head here along the way if you want to.
Bakeries in London
There are plenty more bakeries in London, but these are the ones I’ve fallen in love with. I hope you find them as delicious as I do. If you want more inspiration, take a look at my blog posts about pretty cafes in London and the best restaurants in London.
London Bakery Map
As promised, I created an interactive Google map of all the bakeries I mentioned in this blog post. You can find it here. I hope it helps you plan a pastry crawl of your own.
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