LDNReview
photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch
Bake Street
Included In
Bake Street makes brunch for people who wake up craving dinner. Say goodbye to boring poached eggs and hello to eating one of London’s best smashburgers at 11am. If this Hackney spot is your local, you should be here at least once a week—and if it’s not, make sure you come on the weekend.
On an otherwise calm residential road, there’s always a buzz around the handful of tables out front, spilling on to the pavement, and the smell of coffee beans in the air. If you’ve got company, make sure one of you snags an outside table if it frees up. Bake Street needs a conquer and divide mentality. One person gets the goods, the other secures the table.
photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch
photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch
photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch
photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch
From the moment they open on Tuesday morning to their final crème brûlée cookie sold on Sunday afternoon, you’ll overhear Birkenstock-clad regulars deciding between which special to get, and change your mind five times as you get closer to the till. Unless it’s a particularly sunny day, in which case locals flock in like pigeons to a Greggs sausage roll for soft serve, weekdays are always a little quieter so you might get a spot to sit. Even so, it’s the weekend when you should make an effort to travel here.
photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch
photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch
photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch
The weekend-only specials make that slightly longer queue totally worth it. Focus on things between shiny, memory foam-esque brioche buns. Namely the softest beef patty known to man, unbelievably crispy chicken dipped in hot cayenne, and a Bajan-spiced fried fish fillet (think a classic Maccies Filet-O-Fish and put it in a made-to-order spicy tuxedo). We told you—at Bake Street, brunch has a whole new meaning.
Food Rundown
photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch
Smashburger
This is more than just a burger. The elements that are soft are unbelievably soft (cc: meat, brioche bun) and the other parts are perfectly crisp (cc: pickles, fried shallots). The whole thing is a five-biter that’ll leave you wanting more. It’s a perfectly done job, the kind that deserves a promotion or the title of one of London’s best burgers.
photo credit: Giulia Verdinelli
Chicken Bun
A crispy, perfectly good version of a chicken bun, with a nice thick batter on the meat. While it’s great—with homemade slaw and sriracha mayo—the other buns upstage this one.
photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch
Nashville Hot Chicken
Our favourite of Bake Street’s fried chicken sandwiches. We’re pretty sure this chicken grew up taking baths in spicy oil. The crispy batter is a deep cayenne-red colour and the slice of American cheese is a welcome addition. Make sure to mop up any of the tangy, spicy mayo that drips out—it’s excellent.
photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch
Tom Yum Chicken
The tom yum sauce doesn’t quite work with the chicken. It’s the same fried chicken that features in the other buns, with a creamy, part sour, part spicy sauce that can get a little sickly after a few bites.
photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch
Fish Cutter
Imagine a Filet-O-Fish, except instead of a beat-up bun that looks like it’s been thrown around the back of an ASOS delivery van, it’s soft brioche, with a piece of fish that’s entirely too big for the bun. The tender Bajan-spiced fish is peppery and lemony, and pairs perfectly with the spicy pepper sauce.
photo credit: Giulia Verdinelli
Birria Tacos & Consommé
These birria tacos are pretty satisfying. Packed with extra soft, stringy lamb and citrussy radishes, you’ll dip (it’s worth getting the additional consommé), bite, and repeat until you're sad it's all gone.
photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch
Soft Serve
The soft serve flavours change pretty often, so depending on the time of year, you could get excellently refreshing Solero-inspired swirls of mango and mandarin sorbet, or a nutty praline and pineapple mix that doesn’t quite hit the spot. It's always silky smooth so it's worth getting if you know you'll like the flavour. But when the combination sounds a little strange, it’s because it probably is.
photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch
Crème Brûlée Cookie
Snapping one of these cookies in half is just as satisfying as eating it. The burnished exterior mimics its crème brûlée namesake, making for a pleasing crack and super sugary bite. Inside, it's creamy and gooey. The perfect post-brunch dessert.