Going out to get a nice coffee is one of the few things you can look forward to during lockdown. And do you know what goes with a coffee (or tea or whatever takeaway beverage you choose)? A pastry. London’s bakeries are turning out some absolute crackers at the mo and we’ve rounded up the best ones below. And remember, if you don’t post your pastry on the ‘gram, does it even exist?
Cut The Mustard
Tooting’s Cut The Mustard has a small but very delish line up of pastries. We’re big fans of their OG chocolate hazelnut croissant, but when the pecan & nutella swirl or rhubarb & custard danish make a guest appearance on the counter, we have been known to take all three. South Londoners have got a proper hidden gem on their hands here.
Wild Goose Bakery
Wild Goose is London’s first South African inspired bakery, offering locally sourced and seasonal goods. Husband and wife duo, Vernon and Kristin, founded Wild Goose after building respective careers in the hospitality industry and together they’ve built this community bakery in Leytonstone. Expect the likes of passionfruit yservarkie (South Africa’s lamington); pork, apple and paprika sausage rolls; and apricot bread and butter pudding. These guys are a social enterprise too, giving at least 360 eggs to a local food bank every week.
Fortitude Bakehouse
This craft bakery is churning out a seasonal menu of sourdough cakes and slow fermented bakes. Some of the goodies on offer include blackberry & custard morning buns, honey & almond block, apple & thyme crumbles and the classic OG sticky bun.
Brunch Buns at Buns from Home
Brothers Barney and Gabriel set up their bakery biz just a month into the first lockdown and now they’ve got their very own shop off Portobello Road. And their savoury buns feature some of faves stuffed into a buttery croissant bun. Think the brunch classic of eggs royale and a chicken caesar lunchtime staple, to a taco bun fully loaded with chipotle pulled chicken, guacamole and sour cream.
Marmelo Kitchen
Leyton’s Marmelo Kitchen offers a weekly changing menu inspired by the best seasonal produce they can find. So even though their seasonal specials don’t hang around for long, you’ll always be able to get your hands on something delish – like this blood orange and custard brioche.
Carbonara Swirl at Trullo
Trullo went from restaurant to shop during lockdown and as well as selling soups, pasta, bread, booze and deli items, they’re doing a very strong line in pastries, including this carbonara swirl. It’s a frankly inspired mashup of pasta dish and pastry with some serious #yolkporn action.
Miso Bacon Escargot at Arome
Arôme, which has just opened its first permanent bakery in Covent Garden, is all about blending French patisserie techniques with Asian flavours. Et voila, the Miso Bacon Escargot. There are no actual snails in this (it’s just in a snail shape you see) but it has got saltiness and savouriness from miso and bacon, with a load of spring onions rolled up in there for good measure.
Flakey Flap at Pophams
After bringing us the divine sticky toffee croissant pudding at the end of last year, Pophams is continuing its croissant experimentation series by crossing it with a flapjack. The name may need work but the pastry is perfect.
Rhubarb Danish at Jolene
It’s rhubarb season and Jolene is celebrating with these picture perfect rhubarb danishes, which you can get at both the OG Newington Green spot and the new Big Jo in Hornsey. Double trouble.
Mandarin Mont Blanc at Café Kitsuné
The first perm outlet of Café Kitsuné in the UK has opened inside Japanese/Nordic mega-building Pantechnicon in Belgravia and it’s coming through with the pastry goods. As well as those signature fox cookies and melon pan (if you know, you know), you can get your hands on specials like the festive Mont Blanc given a twist with the addition of mandarin.
Pop Tarts at Milk
Remember those pop tarts from your childhood? Well Milk has given them a 2021 update with a two-pack of French kiwi & pineapple with black lime & coconut icing and rhubarb compote & lavender with treacle. YUM. These are only on at weekends and in limited numbers so you gotta get ’em before they’re gone.
Crullers at Corner Store
Crullers are essentially twisty doughnuts – so yes they’re deep fried – and Corner Store in Camberwell is doing a whole rainbow assortment of them with different toppings and glazes. Get one in every colour, you know it makes sense.
Rosemary Pear Tarte Tatin at Miel Bakery
You can’t beat a good tarte tatin but they normally come in sharing sizes, which isn’t great if you’ve got a real craving for one and you’re alone (if you can take on a big one by yourself and still function for the rest of the day then we salute you). French bakery Miel has answered our prayers with these individual pear tarte tatins – all the goodness and no need to share.
Orange & Poppy Seed Swirl at Dusty Knuckle
Dusty Knuckle has become famous for those monster sarnies but the team does way more than stuff things in between doorstop slices of bread and sling ’em from a milk float. They also make elite level pastries, including this sweet orange & poppyseed swirl.
Chocolate Babka Cruffin at Sourdough Sophia
Why combine two baked goods together when you could do three? That’s exactly what Sophia Sutton-Jones aka Sourdough Sophia has done at her Crouch End microbakery with the chocolate babka cruffin. All the flavours of a chocolate babka wrapped into a croissant-muffin hybrid….yes, yes and yes.
Chorizo Cheese De Sal at Kapihan
Kapihan in Battersea celebrates the best of Filipino cafe culture, so as well as brewing speciality coffee sourced from the islands it serves up traditional bakes too. Pandesal is a classic bread and this version has chorizo and a blend of three cheeses in it, with some extra pecorino on top for good measure.
Creme Brulee Croissant at Elliot’s
Elliot’s is continuing the great tradition of mashing up two sweet items into one super hybrid treat with this creme brulee croissant, adding the creme inside the pastry and the brulee on top of it. It’s only available at weekends so you have all week to build up the anticipation.