The Best Bakeries in South East London

Once overshadowed by east London's bakery scene, south east London is now home to some of the city’s most exciting places to buy bread. Over the past five years, bakers from some top best restaurants and bakeries have swapped professional kitchens for neighbourhood shopfronts. Meanwhile, a new generation of self-taught bakers has built cult followings and set up shop south east, too. The result is a pocket of the city where you'll find everything from travel-worthy focaccia sandwiches to traditional iced-ring doughnuts. Here are the seven best.

When Frog Bakery opened in 2022 on Peckham Road it was an instant hit, drawing early-morning queues around the corner. And while chef Adam Handling’s threat of legal action was the cause of a quick name change, the bakery has become one of the city’s best known. Toad was founded by bread specialist Rebecca Spaven (previously at Fortitude Bakehouse) and pastry pro Oliver Costello (who used to work at Ottolenghi), and its “everything” bagel croissant filled with cream cheese is a permanent hit, as is the semi-sourdough baguette. Toad’s recently opened Deptford space may be bigger than its Camberwell store – the pastry chefs visible through a sweet-chestnut timber frame by designer and carpenter Nick Tudor – but otherwise the bakes are the same. Visit during the week to skip the queues and nab a lunchtime sandwich.

Hidden in the residential streets between Peckham Rye and Dulwich’s Lordship Lane, this bright yellow shopfront delighted locals when it opened in 2023. Former Flor head baker Helen Evans named the bakery after her father, who helped her set up shop, and now there’s always a crowd from Thursday to Saturday for her double chocolate brioche topped with cherries, and rhubarb and vanilla custard buns. The loaves of oat porridge and golden linseed sourdough are excellent, and the thick slabs of millionaire’s shortbread (made with emmer-flour shortbread, a substantial layer of salted caramel and tempered dark chocolate) are worth taking home in bulk.

Sandwich pre-orders drop on a Monday lunchtime and sell out in minutes at this micro-bakery which has single-handedly put Crystal Palace on the map as a bakery destination. Fillings include mortadella with roasted yellow peaches; mozzarella and a crunchy pumpkin-seed pesto; or asparagus and fudgy soft-boiled eggs with citrus-pickled onions – all served in thick slabs of pillowy focaccia. If your fingers aren’t fast enough for the pre-order then a square slab of Guinness cake or a cream-filled maritozzo bun is a worthy second place. Just be prepared to stand in line – this is a bakery that people genuinely travel across the river for.

Sara Assad-Manning started baking buns during the pandemic in her father’s south London kitchen. Now, with her own shopfront opposite Brockwell Park, the self-taught baker specialises in buns with Palestinian-inspired flavours. The cinnamon bun is the bestseller but there’s always a rotating roster of other flavours – perhaps strawberry and sumac syrup, or salted caramel and medjool dates. Plus, savoury options such as a bun filled with za’atar, chilli and flakes of feta or shatta, a spicy Middle Eastern chilli paste and cheddar. It’s open Thursdays to Sundays, and the tahini and honey cookies are a great addition to any picnic in the park.

Founded in 1955 by John Frederick Ayre (known locally as Fred the Bread), this is an old-school bakery, best known for its doughnuts (traditional jam, or glazed, iced, sprinkled and chocolate rings). But it’s so locally loved that at busy times there are four or five friendly servers spread around the U-shaped counter helping shoppers. When rapper Giggs collaborated with Oatly’s custard on a cake and custard takeover, he hosted the party at this south east London stalwart. Little ones adore the gingerbread men – which flex with the season to incorporate football flags, or pumpkins as appropriate – and the hundreds-and-thousands sprinkled tray bake sponge. It’s a true community bakery that has stood the test of time.

Former St John Bread & Wine baker Nichola Gensler founded this bakery with her partner Martin Hardman (who originally delivered the bakes by bicycle) in 2010 to supply artisan bread and pastries to shops and restaurants all over the city. Based under an arch in Bermondsey’s Spa Terminus, this is an in-the-know Saturday morning destination for one of the city’s best pains au chocolat as well as a moreish croissant loaf. There are also beautifully bright fruit tarts, in mango, or raspberry with jasmine-infused custard. South east London stockists include Peckham’s General Store and Jones of Brockley, but if you’re heading to Spa Terminus you can pick up cheese from Neal’s Yard and Monmouth Coffee beans, too.

Eddy Sleiman is another self-taught lockdown baker who spent six months perfecting his sourdough and never looked back. He now sells his critically acclaimed white loaves on Fridays and Saturdays at this neighbourhood bakery near Hither Green station as well as popping up at various south east London market stalls. His quiches are a particular highlight, made with shortcrust pastry and fillings such as spinach, broad beans, tarragon and cheddar, or puff pastry filled with potato and a Lebanese-style farce of minced beef and onions. Other favourites include his sausage rolls made with a layer of onion chutney as well as Marmite and cheddar swirls. A local hero. Word has it that the bakery's location will change in September, so keep an eye out on the bakery's Instagram to see where it moves.