A new London Bakery & a new London Chocolate shop!

They just keep coming! Plus a London restaurant I recommend regularly and a pop up that’s already gone. 🫣 (but hopefully will return!)

Next week I’ll bring you

Felicity Spector

‘s favourite things, but there are a few more London things to tell you about first, this week, as they’re new and exciting. 🤩

This week’s Delicious Things in London:

• Broissants

• What I loved at Tarn Bakery

• A Covent Garden lunch

• London’s newest chocolate shop - but they’re not dainty filled chocolates

Although, unhelpfully, one of them is already closed. 🫣

But I’ll tell you about it quickly anyway, as it might reopen next year:

The Pop Up home of the Broissant

The winners of this year’s Great British Bake Off Professionals, Mauro Di Lieto and Daniel Schevenels, respectively the head and sous pastry chefs of The Landmark Hotel, opened a four week pop up within the hotel which ended on Saturday (sorry, I only found out about it last week and went on the Friday!): a takeaway “Cake Shop”. It was located on the Marylebone station side, as you enter from the south it was behind the beautiful atrium where they host afternoon tea and you’ll find a champagne bar on the mezzanine.

Mauro and Daniel created a “broissant”, a hybrid of a brioche and croissant, with a piped-in filling of excellent crême patissiere. On my visit I tried the Raspberry & Vanilla, Valrhona Chocolate and the Pistachio ones. The fillings were delicious, I loved the texture and flavour of the pastry and they were a good size for their £6 price tag.

I made a little video and posted it on Instagram and TikTok.

They also had a quartet of patisserie for £20 and a plate of four scones with cream and jam for £11. I regret not trying these!

Though its takeaway, being inside a luxury hotel it was conveniently located in a lounging area with comfortable sofas and armchairs and a flickering fire.

I really hope they bring it back.

NB: I went as a guest of the hotel, but with no obligation to tell you about them if I didn’t like them!

📌 222 Marylebone Rd, London NW1 6JQ, United Kingdom

NEAREST STATION: Marylebone

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London’s Newest Bakery: Tarn

I promised more information about Tarn Bakery which opened quietly in North London last week for a few days before closing again until the 10th of January when they’ll be open Wednesday to Saturday.

I made a little video showing you inside but I haven’t finished editing it yet, I’ll link to it when it’s done, in a future post, but I have posted photos here in the meantime.

It’s very much a neighbourhood bakery, in terms of location, but what lucky neighbours they are, and certainly worth the pilgrimage at least once.

The owners are Florin Grama and Felix Ortona Coles.

You might recognise Florin’s name as the baker behind Popham’s launch 4.5 years ago when they knocked out incredible croissants from day one. Felix is also a chef and they met last year working at St Bart’s restaurant (the hospital, not the island).

My favourite things at Tarn Bakery:

I loved the mince pie (made with Population Bakery’s mincemeat) and the chocolate chip cookie and the sourdough and both the almond croissant and the almond pain au chocolate (using Pump Street Chocolate). The plain almond one was creatively soaked in apple syrup and so delicious for it.

I love that they’re using a percentage of heritage grain, wholewheat flour in all of the baked goods, it really gives everything amazing flavour.

📌 83 Hazellville Rd, N19 3 NB

NEAREST STATIONS: Crouch Hill and Archway

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A cosy lunch in Covent Garden

I had lunch with my family at Cora Pearl in Covent Garden just before we left. It’s such a reliable place with perfect hospitality and classic restaurant food done well. I recommend it often.

What I had & loved: Jerusalem artichoke salad, mushroom risotto and apple and blackberry crumble. They’re famous for the chips above which are a must-order, too.

📌 30 Henrietta St, London WC2E 8NA, United Kingdom

NEAREST STATION: Covent Garden

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A new Chocolate Shop!

Sort of…?

On the way to lunch at Cora Pearl, I stumbled across a place I’d seen being renovated only a few weeks prior: Barnaby Bars.

I nearly made us late for lunch stopping to check it out.

This was another soft launch and I am really intrigued by what’s to come when they officially open in - apparently - Spring 2024. They spoke of chocolate bars filled with fresh, flavoured cream. For now they had four confectionery-style bars in the window that had a shelf life of a week or so, versus the planned fresh cream ones which will need to be eaten on the day:

1. Noisy - the one I tried - hazelnut (homemade praline) and pretzel

2. Spectacular - brown butter, cookie and speculoos cream

3. Smores - brown butter and torched marshmallow

4. TipTap - peanut butter, salted caramel, peanut crunch

More to come, by the looks of it!

They were £3.50 each.

They’ll be serving hot chocolate, too.

They’re using Callebaut, but I guess they’d have to be at that price.

Here’s a little video on Instagram if you like to save things there / want to see a little more!

Feel free to credit me as where you heard about it first on any of the influencers posts when it starts going viral in the new year. 😘 😂

📌 2, 4 Upper St Martin's Ln, London WC2H 9EA, United Kingdom

NEAREST STATION: Leicester Square

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Back next week with Felicity’s favourites.

Questions for the comments, I’ll see you there!

1. Did you buy yourself any presents?

2. What was the most delicious thing you’ve eaten recently?

3. Holiday plans for 2024?

Hope you’re all getting a rest! Sorry no fun facts or outside-of-London products this week. I’m with my family so trying not to spend too much time on this for this holiday week. 💕

If you’re a paying subscriber (thank you!) don’t forget January’s chat is next Monday at 8pm U.K. time!

Love and hugs if you need them,

Jen x