London is a paradise for anyone with a sweet tooth or a craving for comforting savouries. The city's bakery scene is buzzing with incredible treats – you just need to know where to look. The options are endless, tempting you with everything from award-winning doughnuts to intricate cookies and marvellous meringues.
Get ready to feast with our expert guide to the ultimate bakeries and bread bakers in London right now.
Cutter & Squidge
Cutter & Squidge, the London cult bakery and modern gifting brand with nationwide delivery, has once again raised the bar with its beautifully curated Ramadan and Eid collections. This year, the limited-edition range draws inspiration from classic Middle Eastern flavours - think dates, pistachio, rose, tahini, cardamom, and honey - infused across an array of handcrafted bakes. The collections are designed for two purposes: show-stopping, low-effort table centrepieces and thoughtful, beautifully presented gifts.
Highlights from the Ramadan collection include the Sweet Table Ramadan Selection Box, the indulgent After Iftar Brownie Box, and the Golden Crescent Shortbread Tin. For those looking to impress at larger gatherings, Cutter & Squidge has created generous Ramadan Sharing Boxes and Midnight Feast Hampers, filled with rich brownies, cookie bites and savoury za’atar snacks. The show-stopping Honey & Rose Basbousa Cake is a definite centrepiece contender. The Eid collection builds on these favourites with three celebratory hampers alongside brownie boxes and luxury stuffed dates sourced from ethical producer Zaytoun. This year, Cutter & Squidge is also debuting new indulgent desserts for Eid, including the Chocolate & Raspberry Falooda Cake, Spiced Sticky Toffee Date and White Chocolate Roulade and the Melting Pistachio Cookie Tin—perfect for marking the end of Ramadan with family and friends.
Reviewed by Sharnaz Shahid, Deputy Online Editor
Borough 22
Introducing doughnut sensation Borough 22 – they are gluten-free, 100% plant-based, dairy-free, halal and kosher. The must-try fried doughnuts are praised for their chewier and slightly denser bite than traditional creations. Choose from an array of delicious flavours including the cinnamon sugared ring; vanilla bean glazed ring; jam filled; award-winning plant-based custard; and chocolate cream filled. The Strips + Dips Box is the newest addition to the fried range, offering five strips of signature doughnuts rolled in caster sugar, served with both plant-based caramel and chocolate dipping sauce. For those craving a more traditional cake-like experience, try Borough 22's oven-baked doughnuts in classic flavours such as red velvet, cookies + cream and salted caramel, as well as S'mores and Jaffa.
Reviewed by Nicky Morris, Acting TV and Film Editor
PAUL Bakery
For a standout Mother's Day dessert, PAUL Bakery is offering its Macaron Fraisier Cake - a classic French patisserie reworked for the occasion. The cake layers light Genoese sponge with velvety mousseline cream, fresh strawberries and a thin sheet of almond marzipan. It's finished with a ring of PAUL's signature macarons, adding colour and a little extra indulgence on top. Designed to serve six to eight people, it's an easy centrepiece for a Mother's Day gathering — with the option to add a complimentary personalised message. The Macaron Fraisier Cake is priced at £56 and is available for delivery to select London postcodes, as well as Click & Collect from PAUL Bakery stores in London, Reading and Oxford.
Donutelier
I love Donutelier - it's right up there with all my favourites. Every doughnut is packed with flavour and always hits the spot. Every doughnut is full of flavour and really hits the spot. I love watching the action in the "decoration theatre" windows at their London locations - Carnaby Street, Charing Cross Road, Strand, and Oxford Street - as the pastries are piped, glazed, and finished by hand.
Some of my favourites? The Pistachio, with Chantilly cream, pistachio ganache, and raspberries; the St Honoré, combining toffee caramel, blonde chocolate ganache, and a caramelised cream profiterole; and the Vanilla Pecan, with vanilla ganache and caramelised pecans. The savoury options, like the Butternut & Goat's Cheese Suisse and Caprese Croissant, are perfect with their house-blend coffee.
La Maritxu
We've been loving the Earl Grey Cheesecake from La Maritxu, London's Basque cheesecake specialist. It's their signature creamy, caramelised Basque cheesecake with a subtle Earl Grey twist, finished with a topping that perfectly balances the flavours.You can grab it from all three London stores with the medium size worth £17, and it's also available at Duke of York Market on Saturdays and Chiswick Cheese Market on Sundays. It's one of those desserts you can keep coming back to - rich, fragrant and seriously indulgent.
Blushing Cook
Created by ex-Le Gavroche pastry chef Sammi Gascoyne, Blushing Cook is beautiful treat for Londoners. Their special floral brownies are made with the finest ingredients and decorated with organically grown edible flowers grown in Devon - each one is completely unique. The beautiful indulgent, rich fudgy double chocolate brownies are hand-baked and made from 100% sustainable cocoa.
Sammi has combined her passion for baking, and all things floral to create truly unique brownies and biscuits decorated with edible flowers. She studied patisserie at Le Cordon Bleu Culinary School, worked at Le Gavroche as pastry chef, and for renowned cake designer Peggy Porschen. Her unique and delicious collections include themed brownies for special occasions, eg Baby Showers, Thank you Teacher, Birthdays etc and the range of floral designs are created by renowned illustrator Emma Block and decorated by hand with celebratory messages.
Crosstown
Crosstown is a scratch bakery in London specialising in sourdough doughnuts, small-batch ice cream, homemade cookies, extraordinary chocolate, and speciality coffee. The company, founded in 2014 by JP Then and Adam Wills, started as a street food stall and has since grown into an omnichannel retailer and currently has 27 sites across the UK, a delivery hub in Cambridge, as well as online nationwide ordering, events, catering, and wholesale segments. They sell a delicious range of vegan sourdough doughnuts, made with alternative ingredients such as chia seeds, coconut butter and silken tofu.
In 2020, the brand extended its offering to include homemade cookies and ice cream. Crosstown Ice Cream is made in small batches, using traditional methods and the finest seasonal ingredients to develop real flavour and a smooth, silky finish. Each flavour can be paired with homemade toppings inspired by the brand's award-winning doughnuts or served with dairy or oat milk for a refreshing shake.
Reviewed by Sharnaz Shahid, Deputy Online Editor
Heavenly Desserts
Visit one of Heavenly Desserts' 42 restaurants across the UK - including the Walthamstow store - and sample the very finest delectable chocolate treats. Founded in 2008, the luxury dessert parlour offers exciting experiences and delicious creations that are crafted to perfection. From croffles and waffles to tasty cheesecakes and cookie dough, there is an option to satisfy any sweet craving. The new vegan menu guarantees that no dessert lover will get left behind.
Innovation and creativity are the beating heart of Heavenly Desserts, providing its customers with an unforgettable and unrivalled dining experience. However, if you decide to remain in the comfort of your own home as the colder nights draw in, all products are available to order online through Uber Eats or Deliveroo.
GAIL's
In the 1990s, Gail Mejia brought the best bakers in town together to bake for London's top chefs and restaurants. The first GAIL's bakery opened in London's Hampstead High Street in 2005. Today, they have 79 bakeries in neighbourhoods in and around London, Oxford, Brighton and beyond. They bake fresh, handmade bread, pastries and cakes every day, served with a carefully-sourced house blend specialty coffee.
This summer, GAIL's launched their Picnic on the Green Hamper filled with delights including the Strawberry and Ricotta Cake, which is now available across bakeries. Freshly baked throughout the day the polenta & ricotta cake is topped with sliced fresh strawberries. Nothing says British summertime like strawberries. They team perfectly with the ricotta and polenta cake, for a light, summery sweet treat that I can't get enough of, not to mention their incredible sausage roll that I enjoy all year round!
Reviewed by Katie Daly, Lifestyle Writer
Doughnut Time
Doughnut Time is a disruptive bakery brand paving the way for social-media led small-businesses. The Doughnut Time Creative Chefs draw inspiration from what's trending, celeb gossip and the latest buzz-worthy confectionary, to create an ever-changing menu. The hand-crafted doughnuts are made fresh daily by a team of doughnut designers who work around the clock to make the biggest and boldest doughnuts.
The London-famous doughnuts can be purchased from their 13 stores around the capital, as well as in Reading, Bracknell, Basingstoke and Wokingham, and online with nationwide next-day delivery! Expect a colourful selection of ginormous doughnuts, a vast Vegan range and Baked, their gluten-free collection made in a dedicated kitchen!
Patisserie Valerie
One of Britain's best-loved bakeries, Patisserie Valerie - which was founded in 1926 by Theophile Vermeirsch - is known for its signature cakes, pastries, afternoon teas, and fresh artisan sandwiches, wraps. All products are lovingly handmade by a highly skilled bakery team using traditional baking methods and fresh, quality ingredients. Patisserie Valerie also offers a selection of its famous cakes and gateaux for nationwide delivery, including the new Ice Cream Cone Drip Cake.
Beautifully iced and exquisitely flavoured, this summer, Patisserie Valerie is here to elevate those all-important summer celebrations with its new luxury Signature Collection of cakes. With seven impressive handmade designs, from modern ombre effect to showstopping two-tier rosette cakes, there’s something for every special occasion, including weddings, birthdays, baby showers and garden parties. Each cake within the Signature Collection can be ordered with vanilla sponge with a strawberry compote filling, or chocolate sponge with a chocolate cream filling. For a complete celebration in a box, include free personalised inscription, or add glitter cake toppers, candles or balloons.
Visit, patisserie-valerie.co.uk
