Pastries/Bakeries in London
 

I'm planning my first trip to London in the fall. It's a food tour! I have lists of tea rooms, bread bakeries, chocolatiers and cafes to try. I've only found a handful of pastry shops/ bakeries though. Anyone have any they can recommend? Restaurants with great desserts would be great too! There are just so many of those, I don't know where to start! Thanks for your help!

Good bakeries or pastry shops are in very short supply in London. You could try the chain Le Pain Quotidien, they have great food, including cakes. Try the Tarte Tartin.

Kay

Thanks! I'll add those to my list. Haven't heard of them.

Patisserie Valerie, 215 Brompton Road, SW3.

Thank you Tod!

This might do you:

http://www.urbanpath.com/london/bakers/

I hope you are making Marylebone High Street a destination

http://www.lfm.org.uk/markets/marylebone/

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/477929

and this


http://www.qype.co.uk/place/83914-Ol...-Bakery-London

To add on to tod's suggestion, Patisserie Valerie is a chain with a couple of dozen locations in London.

http://www.patisserie-valerie.co.uk/cafes.aspx

There is also a Lauderee (famous Parisian pastries) in Harrod's.

Ottolenghi has 4 locations. They do pastries, but also yummy take away food.

If Melt isn't on your chocolate list, it should be! It's on Ledbury Rd, down the street from one of the Ottolenghi locations.

http://www.meltchocolates.com/

If you get tired of all the fancy treats, you can always visit the Hummingbird Bakery in Portobello Market. They sell "American" style cakes and cupcakes.

http://hummingbirdbakery.com/

In fact, if you feel like a nice walk, you can visit Hummingbird, an Ottolenghi and Melt all in one go!

Have fun!

London does not specialize in pastries. IMHO many British desserts are somewhat odd - a lot of pudding-like things - or cakes with cream (not whipped, just plain cream) poured over them.

Even if you have a fou fou tea the "pastries" are often nothing more than petite fours - rather than the incredibly deilicious pastries you can find in many countries. France and Austria (oh that schlag!) have much more in the way of pastries.

Funnily enough, British baked goods are one of the few things I like about British cuisine, along with British cheeses.

British butter is really delicious, as is British cream, clotted or plain. I sometimes think British cows must be the happiest in the world -- all that grass! -- and what they produce is just fanstastic (reflected in their cheeses).

Wholemeal biscuits, oat cakes, sponge cakes, shortbreads, savory breads, ginger biscuits, buns with butter and jam, and scones -- with or without cream -- to me are just delicious.

I'm sorry I don't know London well enough to tell you where to track down this fantastic things, and I'm even sorrier every one is steering you to French patisserie. It's true that some of pastries made on the continent are memorable, and maybe to most American palettes British baked goods are too plain or "weird", but if you can find the real deal in artisinal bakeries, they are lovely!

Also remember that Britian inspired the French to creme anglaise (and the Italians to zuppa inglese). I think Britain has a remarkable desserts cuisine, especially when it utilizes fruits and creams. And the UK is the home of addictive butter and sugar concoctions -- toffee, butterscotch, caramels. Just fantastic.

Harrod's Food Hall has almost anything you could want to eat.

Also Fortnum Mason pastry...and if you have a passion for ice cream, their soda shop is marvelous.

IMHO many British desserts are somewhat odd - a lot of pudding-like things - or cakes with cream (not whipped, just plain cream) poured over them.


What's odd about that. I think it's wonderful Sticky toffee pudding with cream HEAVEN!!

And there are several PAUL for French style pastries

patisseries valerie , which was great, is i believe, no longer in their brompton rd location. there may be another one near kings cross. worth checking