I've had this place bookmarked forever (let's be real, I probably added it when the owner did the royal wedding cake) and finally made it here in April 2024. I tried a Strawberry rhubarb cupcake, chocolate chip cookie and vanilla almond Sheet cake slice. I really liked the flavor of the frosting on the cupcake but it was a little chalky. The rhubarb but was amazing. The chocolate chip cookie was the best thing I ate - really good. The vanilla cake slice was solid. Overall, I wanted it to be better, and I'm sure it was a few years ago. But it was decent enough and outdoor seating in great weather was a vibe! read more

Violet Cakes - Pastries - Coffee & Tea Near Me - London, XGL

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absolutely beautiful & charming! and wow, one of the best chocolate cookies i've ever had! also had a wonderful avocado toast with perfectly cooked egg... one of the best things i ate in london (maybe because the chef is american? ha!) read more

We took 45 minute Uber rides to and from Violet Cakes because one of us was so excited to try it after getting a cookbook a few years ago. What an epic disappointment this visit ended up being. From the menu, we ordered the Franny's breakfast, the toastie, and the quiche with salad, as well as a few sweet treats from the case. The food took FOREVER to come out--so long that we ended up missing the first chunk of our tour of Westminster Abbey even though we had given ourselves plenty of time to get back. The biggest insult about this place is the fact that they give you a wooden knife and fork to eat their food with, both of which are completely useless and you ended up having to use your hands. Such an insult to the customer! You really can't afford normal cutlery?? Go to Ikea and get some! Nothing would go through the quiche's crust and it was impossible to cut at OR spear the greens. The quiche was overly wobbly and the consistency was not right; side of leaves were fine other than the process of trying to consume them. We loved the flavors of the blue cheese and kimchi for the toastie, but the bread became so soggy from everything that it was beyond a mess trying to eat it. Finally, the Franny's breakfast is literally just a piece of toast, an egg, and some avo. We thought it would be assembled or...something, anything but no. Just some ingredients on a plate, enjoy! We did like our baked good much better. The polenta-apricot muffin tasted had a wonderful crumb and corn flavor. The chocolate chip cookie was thin, but delicious, and the blueberry-chocolate cake was an interesting combination and super moist. In hindsight, we should have just gotten a few of these to go, but we wanted to make the most of the experience of schlepping out there. The woman at the register was very sweet but that's all you'll see as far as service. The coffee is decent and this is a pleasant place to sit outside on a warm day. But bottom line: we were expecting more. Maybe this place is ideal if you live in the area or don't mind sacrificing several hours to venture out to, but we would not recommend making an effort to go to Violet Cakes. read more

Maybe the best bakery I've ever visited. So much to love. We waited in a short line to place our order and the gentleman working was delightful and kind and helpful. The customers in line were also kind and helpful. We both got victory cakes and cupcakes (for later). I will dream of what we ate for a long time! read more

Violet Cakes - Everything was amazing!! Inset Beyoncé music playing and my excitement because we are in town to see Beyoncé - Coffee & Tea Near Me - London, XGL

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I traveled all the way from Southeast London as well to go to this cute, little bakery. Lovely staff, and delicious, salted chocolate chip cookie that was both crunchy and soft. I'm a % cookie snob so was quite pleased with the purchase. Standard £3 price. Lots of seating outside. Lots of other treats available including some luscious-looking cupcakes, brownie bars and other cookies. read more

Violet Cakes - At the end of the day - Coffee & Tea Near Me - London, XGL

Their cupcakes are just dull sponge with nauseautingly sweet frosting on top. The only nice thing about this place is the building and atmosphere. read more

Violet Cakes - I couldn't eat the frosting. Way too sweet. - Coffee & Tea Near Me - London, XGL

Violet is a little gem of a bakery that can be tricky to find for someone who doesn't know the area, but that makes it even more worth it. It was my final destination after a memorable afternoon cycling around East London, and even though I had to backtrack a few times to find Wilton Way, I am very glad that I did. It's teeny tiny place, with a cafe table out front on the sidewalk, two inside and then a few more in the garden area out back. In fact, I would say it's more of a country kitchen with seating, because you can see the kitchen, and all the baking equipment while you are sampling the cupcakes. I had just two mini cupcakes - coconut and violet. Both were delicately-flavored, and just plain good. I ordered 6 more to take with me to sample with friends at home tonight. Violet is a lovingly-designed space with delicious treats, and the next time I visit London, I will definitely go back. read more

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Great coffee and yummy cakes! It is an amazing bakery. Really cool because you can actually see how they bake everything. You can have your coffee and treats while checking how they bake their amazing cakes. They are really good. I was eager to try this place (I hear so much about it) and it did not disappointed me at all. Besides, the place is really cosy and cute. Quite small but treats and sweets are totally worth it. It is mostly take away but if you are luck you can grab a seat inside. They serve Allpress coffee, which is amazing. I could not complaint of anything! I don't live nearby but I'll come back for sure. It is worth it. read more

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I think I may have just discovered the best cupcakes in London. To be upfront with the information that goes into making this audacious statement, I should probably mention that I haven't really had many other cupcakes in London. But I've sampled the wares of nearly every four- and five-starred cupcake shop in New York and...I think these are better. Gasp! Oh my lord. These cupcakes are incredible. I had rhubarb and rosewater, salted caramel, and elderflower. Don't worry, they were mini, but they were so good I would have considered eating a full-size one of each. That would probably put me in the hospital with a massive blood sugar overdose, but I would risk it for these cupcakes. They're all-natural and organic, made with fruit purees and flower essences and espresso and good chocolate, not gross chemicals or scary artificial colors or a massive overload of unnecessary flavoring. They're subtle but still manage to pack a serious punch of flavor in the buttercream frosting. And they're adorably cute too. In order to confirm the ultimate dominance of these cupcakes, I'll just have to try more. Lots more. All the time. Sadly, they only appear to be at Broadway Market every Saturday. I'll just risk the sugar overdose once a week then... read more

Violet Cakes - Gorgeous minicupcakes from Violet - Coffee & Tea Near Me - London, XGL

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I have followed the owner on instagram and read her articles in the Guardian for quite some time. I went out of my way to come try her famous desserts early in the morning to make sure I had my choice and freshness. I ordered a lemon vanilla cupcake. What a disappointment! I could barely cut my fork through it without a struggle. It was the most dry and dense cupcake I've ever had. I asked the server if they had been baked today and he had no idea so I then asked if I could switch to something else. The barista recommended the chocolate caramel icing slice. It was moist and the crumb was right, but it lacked any real depth of flavor. Not worth the calories. Into the bin it went. The reason for the extra star was the comte toasty was tasty. Perfectly caramelized and on yummy bread. Very sad indeed. read more

I had a sea salt chocolate cookie. It was good as all their creations. However, it seems a little bit pricey given the area (even if they do everything there from scratch in-house). Anyway, the place is nice and the service is extremely friendly. read more

Violet is fantastic! Even if you didn't know that the owner studied with Alice Waters at Chez Panisse, you would be charmed by this little slice of heaven. We took 3 subways (the underground) to get here and it was one of the highlights of our time in London. The folks who work here are terrific and the cupcakes fantastic. We had a violet with choc cake, a salted caramel with choc cake and an almond polenta with plum. All fantastic but I think the almond polenta took the cake (so to speak). Did you see the pics I posted. A picture's worth a million words! But why does Violet have two profiles on Yelp? Is it because it is twice as good as everywhere else? Could be. I guess I will just have to post this twice. read more

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Cake. I'm a cake expert. Some might go as far as to say that I am The Queen of baked goods. This might be because I'm a girl who loves, (and I mean LOVES) sweet treats, or it could be that I grew up with a Mother who made a mouthwatering array of cakes on a daily basis growing up. I had friends around after school most days and I was the ginger kid wearing socks and sandals with a mono-brow, I should not have been this popular, but my Mother helped. When my sister was sent off to university, Mum baked her a tin of muffins and said, "that I'll get you started." She was right. Only 4 hours after we left her in the dorm, we got a phone call from her saying that she now had 2 new friends and they were all eating muffins with tea in her room. My Mum, she's a clever woman. I digress, as I was saying - I know a good cake when I see one. Violet is so cute, it could give you cancer. Okay maybe not, but someone just said that and I had to include it in this review! I came here for take-away treats after hearing so much about the place and was blow away by the fabulous looking sweetness up on offer. Seriously beautiful cupcakes and birthday cakes, brownies and even quiches! I just have two little gripes with the place, firstly it's stupidly priced, well over £2 a cake which I personally find a crime! Secondly, the treats here just aren't that good. They are a great deal better than at the stall on Broadway Market which tends to serve up slightly dry versions, but still they are a little disappointing for the hype they get. Don't let this stop you from visiting though, it's totally adorable! I'm just not raving about them like everyone else. read more

It takes a bit of effort to get here from where I live, but I don't know if it's worth traveling out for. But if you're in the area, there's no harming in giving into your sweet tooth. After noticing all the Chez Panisse stuff around, and learning that the owner of Violet use to be the pastry chef there, I had high expectations. After eating at Chez Panisse, and the Chez Panisse Cafe, I was super excited to have a taste of these Violet cakes. I've only been here once, hence the 3 star rating. The salted caramel cupcake I had was okay. Nothing spectacular. Just okay. But I do love that they have a great selection of drinks to accompany all their treats. But trust me, I'll be back to give them another try! There's so much to chose from! I need to try their Christmas pudding, their whoopie pies, they also have little Oreo cookie look-a-likes, an endless selection of cupcakes.... it could go on forever. read more

Super cute, but the cupcakes weren't all they were cracked up to be. Due to the cupcake craze of the last few years in the US, my wife and I have tried a lot of different cupcakes, and we know what we like. Sugar Sweet Sunshine in the Lower East Side of NYC is our gold standard, and Baked and Wired in DC turns out some pretty great stuff too. Violet, I'm sorry to say, is not in their league, or at least yesterday's batch wasn't. We tried one strawberry and one red velvet cupcake, and both were moderately dry, cakey, and had icing that we both found too sweet. The strawberry flavor tasted slightly artificial, too, although that might have been due to the sugar. In a good cupcake, I'm looking for moist, not too crumbly cake, and icing that balances the sweetness. Especially in a red velvet cake, where cream cheese icing with a slight tang is my favorite. Sorry to say, these did not live up to those specs. With that said, a bunch of their other stuff looks quite good, their location on an off-the-main-road side street is quiet and appealing, and their outdoor seating out in front and in their back garden is great. We'll come back and try something else next time, and maybe that'll boost the rating a bit. read more

This is a very cozy cafe with free wifi and second-floor seating. The soy latte I had was very good, but the pastries I got (coconut macaroon and cinnamon roll) were way too sweet for my liking. Still a decent place to work out of, and the baristas and cashiers are very friendly. read more

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Holy moly, this is a fabulous bakery. Cupcakes - frosting was rich, buttery and delicious. Cake was both moist and light. Sometimes these things are at odds with each other. Especially favored the salted caramel. Carrot cake - tasted almost like pudding, it was so dense. This might be the best carrot cake I have ever had. Biscuits - personally I've always been a skeptic about sweet biscuits (something about them is too dry). This one, however, was flaky and also crunchy, and also pre-assembled with lemon clotted cream. Fan-diddly-astic. Yum yum yum and more yum, that's what I say! read more

Would nice to get what you pay for. They forgot my egg on a to go order. They always seem a bit stressed there. Outside seats not very comfy. Cramped space inside. I tried to give them my business but it never seemed worth it. read more

Violet is a treat! Feel like a kid in a sweetshop when I come here. Best Bread (St John's Sourdough) - delicious Sandwiches, great buttermilk banana cake and you must indulge in the Coconut Macaroon! read more

Wow! Don't be fooled by this place's unassuming, shabby chic appearance. This is one of the slickest bakeries I've been to in London. The hot chocolate I had was real cocoa. The coffee was quality. They take their beverages as seriously as they take their confections. I was so impressed. The whoopie pies were a little too sweet for me but the cakes are divine. A lot of thought has gone into the products this place serves and I think they deserve 5/5 for that. It really shows - I have rarely found bakeries in London to be as good as their American counterparts but Violet is up to the same standards with a French twist. Honestly, Claire Ptak has brought American bakery standards to London and I promptly came home and added her book to my Amazon wish list... I didn't get a chance to sample the sandwiches but my friend who lives nearby says they're great too. read more

delicious cakes at Broadway Market every Saturday. i highly recommend violet cakes and in particular love Salted Caramel cake which is amazing. the prices are very good compared to Bea's and Candy Cakes. a must-visit for anyone in london. read more

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I went there again last week and there's definitely been an improvement on the service! Everyone was kind and helpful so... hurra for Violet! read more

My favourite bakery in London. I could eat here every day but the pounds would add up!

Simple bakery with tasty treats. Banana bread and brownies were the most delicious. Egg/bacon biscuit and cupcakes were just ok. Came to have a taste of the Baker who will make Meghan Markle/Prince Harry's wedding cake, but didn't quite see what makes it royally good. read more

The baked goods here are great. They also make some interesting selections. But honestly each time I've gone here I grimace at the prices. Buying things and the cost associated with them is largely a gut reaction: do I feel it's worth it. Each time I've gone there I ask myself if it is which means, to me, it's just a bit too much for what you get. So stars knocked off for the price. The service is so so with some nice folk and some seeming like they couldn't care less. read more

Last Sunday 06.03.2011 I had the pleasure of visiting Violet Cakeshop/tearoom with one of my daughters. I was very pleasantly surprised to find inside a wonderful assortment of cakes to suit all sorts of occasions - cupcakes, cakes to celebrate any occasion and an assortment of bread. One can also have a snack on the premises. The aroma of their coffee can be noticed when one walks past, That is enough to entice you to enter into this delightful little place. My daughter decided to purchase one of their scrumptous chocolate cakes as it was my birthday. It tasted absolutely delicious and a tiny slice was sufficient for each person as it is extremely rich and satisfying I will certainy be visiting Violet whenever I visit my daughter in Hackney, which is quite frequently and also recommend it to friends and family.. read more

After a few hours in Hackney on a cold Saturday, my friends and I visited Violet to warm up with some tea and cupcakes and macaroons. The treats were delicious in this cute little bakery boutique. A nice pit stop before a meal in London. read more

A weird location and an unexpected set-up inside but a delicious banana cake slice was had and i had a taste of the chocolate caramel cupcake, very nice. Worth a detour if you're in the area. read more

OMG!!! This is fab artisan bakery! We had the most amazing tea with yummy cakes and scones really recommend this place.

My husband ordered my 30th birthday cake from this bakery. I don't want to ask him how much it cost, because it was money wasted. Red velvet cake, that just tasted really unpleasantly doughy, and was sort of dense and claggy. Probably the only cake that has ever gone unfinished in my house! read more

I have only tried these cupcakes twice (salt caramel the first time) and they were perfect. Moist base and flavoursome but not overwhelming frosting. The only problem is - as previous reviewer said - they are only availvable on Broadway market on Saturdays, way out of my usual ways. read more