Chalk Hills Bakery was a spontaneous stop for coffee on the way home. We were greeted by two young…read moreboys which seemed to be brothers- it gave a very family and homey-feeling which I love. I ordered a macchiato and my husband got an almond croissant which he very much enjoyed. The macchiato was strong but I liked it very much. It is a bit pricey as far as breads and pastries go- but the coffee was good enough to bring me back.

Went here for the 2nd time today with a friend. I would not have stayed when I saw a notice saying…read morethey do not take cash but didn't want to cause a problem for my friend. Was told by the person who served us that there was new management who had implemented non- payment of cash. I asked the staff member to relay my thoughts to the manager and she said there had been plenty of complaints. I told her that I would definitely not visit this place again. Appalling to be told how to pay for goods and hope they have more complaints. Cash is still legal tender and I do not understand how it is legal to refuse any form of payment.

This small but perfectly-formed bakery is the antidote to the mass-produced horror that is Greggs…read more All the stuff is made on the premises, so you're guaranteed the freshest bread around, made by experts. The bloomers are (excuse me) bloomin' marvellous but Chalet also have speciality breads, like spelt, and will also make you sourdough bread if you order in advance.. The only problem with this place is the array of other tempting baked goods on offer. I'll often go in for a bloomer and end up leaving with a load of cornish pasties, sausage rolls, doughnuts, chocolate loaves...

The aroma alone is worth 4 stars. I walked past this place every morning on my way to the bus stop…read moreand every morning I would have to fight the urge to go in. I did on occasion and the baked goods were every bit as good as they smelled. Try the sausage rolls.

Good customer service, always nice and friendly. Food is always pretty good as well. Decent choice…read moreof baguettes and sarnies with plenty of cakes and pastries.

It had been quite a while since we had visited Artisan, though we remembered it to be a really nice…read moreplace with amazing croissants and coffee. My husband decided we should go for breakfast on our anniversary since we were looking for something light that we could walk to. Their opening time was listed as 9:30am (Sunday) on their website, but we arrived at 9:30 only to find out it didn't actually open until 10am. We waited around half an hour while we watched some employees fiddle around inside. When they finally opened, we ordered some croissants and coffee and a smoothie. We were informed that none of the croissants were baked yet, and that it would take 10 minutes. We decided to go ahead and wait a bit longer for them since we had already invested 30 minutes into this plan. It took 10+ minutes to get the drinks out to us, and I ended up having to walk home with our baby (it was naptime) and leave my husband to bring the croissants home. Well, 45 minutes later, he finally received the croissants, one of which was black from being burned. We were pretty dissatisfied we the the whole experience. The only redeeming factor was that the drinks at least did taste good.

Stopped off for a coffee and carrot cake, lovely seating outside on a warm day to watch the world…read morego by, coffee was smooth and the orange and carrot cake was the best so far. Staff were happy and helpful.

Strudels and stritsels and pastries, oh my!…read more When I walk into Bachmans Patisserie, I always revert back to being 5, when being given a sweet treat was a pleasure unrivaled by anything. Bachmans is quietly nestled in a row of shops which are situated along a busy road - you might not give it a second thought when you wizz past, but if I told you that this unassuming little place was voted Best Patisserie in the UK (2007) - would you stop the car then? This is not your bog standard bakery, there are 5 full time pastry chefs on the premises working on sweet concoctions. Being half Austrian, this is the only place that I buy Stritsel (it's a sweet brioche bread stuffed with raisins and currents). The owners are Swiss so they know how to make it properly. The cakes and pastries are almost too beautiful to eat, but don't let that stop you from tucking in. They also make bespoke cakes for weddings and parties - although if I were to get married and got the cake from here, I would be thinking less "I do", and more "When do I get to eat the cake?"

Ordered a bespoke cake for the local cancer unit, and was served by a charming and helpful young…read morelady at Bachmann's. The cake was a lovely chocolate one, and so heavy! Comments from the cake's recipients state it was one of the best they'd tasted.

I was so lucky to have stumbled into this place! I didn't plan to come here but it was an absolute…read moretreat to eat some of their tasty macarons! This is the 2nd time I've tried Laduree; the 1st time I tried it was when I was in Hong Kong, but it wasn't that great then. Here it was fresh and at the perfect temperature, since I had it in the morning. I had the rose, salted caramel and the vanilla flavor and they were all so delicious. Great, well balanced taste and perfect soft, melting in your mouth, fluffy texture. Each bite was so amazing, not too sweet either! I love how consistent their macarons are. Each macaron was 1.8£ which isn't too bad when comparing to other macaron places I've been to around North America. The service wasn't too friendly to me though because they knew I was a tourist, so that was kind of unfortunate and didn't make the experience that great. They had this "too busy" kind of attitude even though there was nobody there. I do have to say that the decor and interior design is on point, it has this classic, british cafe look but with the signature aqua color of the Laduree brand. It was nice as they had a small sit-down area, so I was able to enjoy my 3 macarons while catching a break from walking around!

It's macaroon time! I first discovered Laduree in Paris as so many do, wandering the streets in…read moresearch of sweet treats. The store is a almost an assault on the senses with brilliant colours, delectable smells, and countless combinations just hinting at the virtually unlimited pleasures to be tasted. Over the last year, Laduree has made it's mark on London, opening a number of stores across town. Fortunately (or perhaps not), this particular store has opened up right below my office and provided a steady, albeit expensive, supply of fine Parisian delights. As to be expected, the displays are as pleasing to the eye as the tastes are to the palate. Pyramids of macaroons, elegantly arranged boxes of chocolates, and rows of intricately designed truffles adorn the shop. The staff are very helpful and friendly, quick to offer advice when you stare dumbfounded at the number of options presented to you. My usual favourite is the simple box of 8 for just under 13 squids. I can never choose but if you ask them for a random selection they will pick them for you, seemingly at random but I assume based on the more popular trends. I've always been quite happy with the range provided which usually includes some salted caramel, chocolate, a few flower-based flavours, and a citrus or two. Something to make everyone happy! As a note, I've heard that Laduree makes all their macaroons in Paris and ships them freeze-dried around the world. Now to London, I assume they stick them on the first Eurostar or fly them over and the taste is still fresh but this could be a problem for their further afield stores. I haven't tried it out in person, but something to keep in mind.

Back in June I ordered a cake for my son's 10th birthday. When I saw the cake, it looked amazing…read moreand it tasted great too! The lady who works in the bakery is very talented and helpful. I was very happy. I will be back soon.

Lovely little crazy-cheap bakery…read more Went in there last night right before closing, after being enticed by their wonderful window display of cakes. We were served by a very helpful lady that spent time explaining what the different choices of Eastern European biscuits and cakes where, before loading us up with 6 cookies and 2 slices of homemade baklava, all for only £1.80!!! And on the way out, she offered us free sandwiches! So we walked away very happy indeed with a feast for two. The food itself was tasty, especially the coconut cookie and pistachio baklava. Delicious. Next time I'm in the neighbourhood I want to try a slice of their cakes - the carrot fudge cake looks amazing!

Great bakery - open really early (I've hit it at 0630 and been served with a 'sleepy' smile. Get…read morethere before 1500hrs - they really start running out of fresh bread by then. Great for lunch too - pizza, fresh sandwiches. ...there Saturday morning sausage rolls are pretty great too.