30 best bakeries in London, all lovingly tested by our team

Toad seems to be the bakery on everyone’s mind right now, and for good reason. The menu celebrates the UK’s seasonality, focusing on low-mileage ingredients that can bring their recipes to life. The sight of delectable goodies, baskets overflowing with treats and freshly baked sourdough is a welcome oasis from the bustling high street. This place oozes warmth and abundance, the intoxicating scents making it clear that you are in for a delicious treat. The decision is difficult, so I go home with a plum and marzipan sun bun, anise and orange blossom iced finger and a chocolate chip and soy sauce cookie. I’m taken with the fun risks they take with classic baked goods – and no doubt it pays off. The iced finger is perfectly bouncy, and the icing is thick with sweet notes of liquorice and hints of floral from the orange blossom. The cookie is a perfect balance of sweet and salty, while the sun bun is both tart and rich with nutty marzipan – a perfect balance of sweet and sour.

Address: Toad, 44 Peckham Road, London SE5 8PX
Website: toadbakery.com

Layla Bakery, Ladbroke Grove

Take-home treat: sausage rolls

West London has been somewhat lagging behind East London when it comes to bakeries. Enter Layla, which opened its doors in March 2021 bringing made-on-site sourdough to Portobello Road. There’s no delivery service, but it’s worth making the pilgrimage for the perfect croissants, sausage rolls and focaccia sarnies that change weekly but might be filled with roast celeriac, pickled radish, tahini and chard. Freshly squeezed blood-orange juice and coffee from Brixton’s Assembly roasters can be sipped in the sunshine when deckchairs and tables spill out onto the pavement in front of the bakery.

Address: 332 Portobello Road, London W10 5SA
Website: laylabakery.com

Kuro Bakery, Notting Hill

Take-home treat: chausson aux pommes

This minimalist little bakery fits right into Notting Hill Gate’s pretty streets, with its creamy façade and picture-ready bench outside. Thankfully, the baked goods prove that Kuro is in no way style over substance. The team piles shelves with traditional sweet treats, including slices of banana bread, bread and butter pudding, indulgent brownies, and savoury snacks well worth swinging by for on a bakery crawl through the capital. Whatever you choose to devour, be sure to pick up a signature sakuro flavoured with vanilla, pistachio or raspberry and coconut. The bakery is just one part of the Kuro family – there’s also Kuro Coffee and, new for 2025, Kuro Bagels.

Address: Kuro Bakery, 95 Notting Hill Gate, Notting Hill, London, W11 3JZ
Website: kuro-london.com

Toklas, Temple

Take-home treat: Basque cheesecake

Cosy in winter, cool and airy in summer – there’s never a bad time to tuck in at Toklas. Head straight to the street-level bakery’s Italian-style marble and wood counter (tick the restaurant off the bucket list another time) or find a corner for iced coffee sipping alongside a flaky spread. Croissants, buns, and Danishes decorate the counter first thing in the morning before sandwiches made with Toklas’ freshly baked bread appear at lunchtime alongside crunchy salads and sweet treats such as slices of Basque cheesecake and chunky cookies. It’s also a great spot for foodie gifts, with biscuits and homemade jams adorning the shelves.