Best Bakery and Cake Shops in Eel Pie Island

"If you gave a bunch of five year olds a box of crayons and told them to draw birthday cakes, you’d probably end up with something that looks quite a bit like the celebration cakes at this Soho bakery and café. That’s not a bad thing. Cakes with names like “Strawberry Eat-On Mess”*, “S’Mores”, “Apple Pie” – as a cake, and “Popcorn Drip” are short on cake and very long on globs of frosting, fillings, toppings and childlike humor."

"The menu at this Soho dessert stop features a lot of the delicious treats mentioned on this blog, but most famous are their biskies – a biscuit/cookie/cake hybrid filled with tasty buttercream, jams and caramels. Flavours include passion fruit and salted caramel, apple crumble, chocolate lava and miso caramel. If you’re feeling extra naughty, order one of their indulgent freakshakes to go with it."

"Cutter & Squidge are bringing the latest in hybrid desserts to London. Here, they have invented the Biskie. This is a biscuit-cookie-cake creation filled with buttercream, jam or caramel."

"With multiple locations across the city and an impressive range of flavours rotated daily, Crosstown’s handmade fresh doughnuts are not to be missed. For a seasonal snack, the Pumpkin and Nutmeg Custard Doughnut is full of wintry flavour, including pumpkin sourdough, cream cheese icing, pumpkin seeds, and orange zest. Similarly, the Spiced Apple and Pear Crumble Doughnut is bursting with the taste of maple, pecan, and autumn fruits."

"Having started out as a small street food stall, its innovative use of tangy sourdough has turned its sweet treats into a London must-try. There are now 20 Crosstown locations across the capital, selling doughnuts in exciting flavours including pomegranate with orange blossom, caramel with banana cream and peanut butter with blackberry compote. Various locations, crosstowndoughnuts.com"

"You don't actually have to cross town for these, not now they've got vans, bars and stockists all over the place. You would, though, if you had to — for somewhere among the Standards, the Mini Bites and the Seasonal Specials is the doughnut of your dreams. They use sourdough for a denser, chewier doughnut at Crosstown, one thing which sets them apart from the doughnut masses."

"Flor’s baking, now spearheaded by Emma Tillyer, Helen Evans, and Rihito Maruhashi after the departure of Anna Higham, puts a London accent on the exacting tradition and relentless experimentalism that make Paris and Copenhagen two of Europe’s most formidable cities for pastry. On the fringe of the city’s oldest food market, croissants and pain aux chocolats shatter into perfect layers, but carry the austere depth of fresh wheat and a deeply caramelised, savoury sheen; blackcurrant danishes — with blackcurrant leaf custard — and fig danishes — with fig leaf custard — possess seriousness of flavour and imagination to match their beauty. Currently open all day from Thursday — Sunday, it’s offering sandwiches and pizza alongside its outstanding pastries and breads."

"Let the bodies hit the floor, let the bodies hit the floor, let the bodies hit the floor.” Right, okay, now I’ve got that out of my system let’s talk about why Flor is one of the best bakeries in London. Created by the same team behind the highly acclaimed Lyle’s, Flor was a fully-fledged wine bar and bakery in its pre-pandemic heyday but has pivoted to operating solely as a hatch flogging pastries, bread, and sandwiches since lockdown took hold. We’re just grateful that’s been open at all, really."

"The second restaurant from Lyle’s chef-patron James Lowe, Flor, offers a more informal style of eating. This compact two-storey wine bar-restaurant-bakery sits on the edge of busy Borough market. Small sharing plates like the mussel flatbread with Spenwood cheese and garlic have had customers flocking since its opening in 2019."

"We've been passionate about baking our fresh bread, cakes and pastries since 1929 and with the business now run by the third generation of the Cavan family, we are just as dedicated to providing our customers with great tasting food and excellent customer service."

"Parked in Sheldon Square, Paddington, The Cheese Truck is the perfect place to meet friends for a spot of al fresco wine and cheese. Enjoy canalside views as you sample natural wines and their signature grilled cheese sandwiches, including the likes of Cropwell Bishop Stilton with Swaledale smoked bacon and spiced pear chutney."

"It’s always good to find different and unique views of iconic locations and the third location in my top 10 spots to photograph London provides just that. You get a fantastic view looking down the River Thames and being slightly behind the London Eye provides a different perspective. This location is also fantastic for long exposure shots as shown in my blog post My Top 5 Long Exposure Locations in London."

"Waterloo Bridge provides a great photography spot allowing you to capture postcard-perfect pictures towards the Houses of Parliament and the London Eye. For a good square Instagram worthy photo try zooming in to compress the different elements together. Best time for pics: Blue hour/nightCost: FreeLocation: Waterloo Bridge, A301, Lambeth, London SE1 8"

"Waterloo Bridge is a great spot to take picture-postcard snaps of the city. You can capture a dramatic IG shot of the River Thames with the Houses of Parliament and The London Eye on either side. During sunrise and sunset, this scene looks especially magical."

"Cuisine: IndianHalal Options: All meat HalalAddress: 1 Kensington High St, Kensington, London W8 5NPWebsite: http://www.zaika-restaurant.co.ukNearest Tube Stop: High Street Kensington"

"Mukaddes Yadikar’s acclaimed Uyghur restaurant, is Walthamstow’s finest neighbourhood restaurant. It remains open for takeaway and is delivering through Deliveroo. A great option both for smaller and larger households with dishes such as chaomian, a stir-fry of short, cut lengths of noodle wokked with chunks of of beef, spring onion and tomato; and the trademark da pan ji (‘big plate chicken’): a remarkably deep, savoury, and spicy chicken and potato stew, teeming with Sichuan peppercorns, served with flat hand-pulled noodles."

"A worldwide chain with a serious presence in London, Rossopomodoro has also stayed true to its Neapolitan roots. Wood-fired pizzas are made with flour from Naples and many of its pasta plates pay homage to the home city, while affogato al caffè provides the final authentic thrill. Flagship site: John Lewis Shopping Centre, 300 Oxford Street, W1A 1EX"