Londoners will happily cross neighbourhoods for a good bagel – sometimes even planning an entire day around it – but there’s something especially satisfying about having one just down the road. South east locals have luckily had Banook Bagels and its much-loved Montreal-meets-New York-style bagels on Peckham’s Latona Road since 2023. Now, they've lucked out again, as Banook has opened in a new, larger permanent home with seating and space to linger on East Dulwich Road.
South London couple and Banook co-founders Ashley Mah and David Dalrymple wanted quality bagels “like the ones from home”, Canada-born Mah tells Broadsheet. The dream was not having to catch a flight – or worse, cross the Thames – to find them.
In 2020, with a bit of unexpected spare time thanks to lockdown, Mah set out to create a bagel she wanted to eat, and hoped others would too. What started as selling bagels to friends and family quickly grew into wholesaling, online orders and, eventually, a small takeaway spot attached to its kitchen.
Six years on, Banook has built a loyal following – one that recently helped crowdfund more than £15,000 to bring its neighbourhood bagel shop vision to life. Here, they’re making variations on what they’ve dubbed “the south London bagel”, which sits somewhere between New York and Montreal styles, combining the “fluffiness of a New York bagel and the denser chewiness of a Montreal-style bagel”.
On the line-up, there’s the crowd-favourite Everything Bagel, and a rosemary and salt version that nods to “the bagel shops at home”. There are plans for a jalapeño and cheddar option, as well as a sweet cinnamon and raisin bagel. You can grab these alongside a selection of house-flavoured cream cheeses (including jalapeño and green onion and chive) to take home or enjoy on a freshly toasted bagel at the shop.
For those after something sweet, there’s also a maple cream cheese option that’s “a bit like a maple frosting”, but a little more subtle. Its much-loved cookies remain on the menu too, including a brown butter cookie and a vegan miso sesame cookie.
Banook’s bagel sandwiches come open-faced, layered generously across both halves so every bite counts. The popular Fish One features smoked chalk stream trout (chosen over salmon in an effort to support more sustainable farming practices) alongside cream cheese, pickled red onion, capers, lemon, dill and black pepper. The simple Tomato One with British-grown tomatoes and green onion and chive cream cheese also joins the menu.
To drink, there’s filter coffee in the spirit of a classic Canadian diner, alongside coffees from an espresso machine and a selection of cold drinks.
When designing the shop, the team wanted it to feel like a “familiar space … whether it’s your first or hundredth time visiting”, with the easy comfort of a classic mom-and-pop diner. The result is a butter-yellow interior that feels warm and lived-in, with plenty of streetside seating for a bagel and coffee in the sun.
Banook Bagels
40 East Dulwich Road, SE22 9AX
Hours:
Wed to Fri 8am–3.30pm
Sat & Sun 8.30am–3.30pm
