Gail’s Bakery: A Review

Gail’s Bakery: A Review

Gail’s Bakery is a London staple – it’s difficult to walk more than a few blocks without seeing someone with a Gail’s cup in hand. As one of the city’s most popular cafe chains, we wanted to discover why Londoners love it so much! We’ve been to a number of locations across the city and have all the details you need to go before you visit yourself!

Table of Contents:

What is Gail’s Bakery?

Gail’s Bakery is a chain of cafes that began in 2005 in Hampstead High Street. Each of their bakeries bakes fresh bread, cakes, pastries, and sandwiches every single day. In some of their locations you can even catch their bakers in action – Pimlico we’re looking at you! Alongside their delicious food, they also serve house-blended coffee – perfect to grab on the go, whether to work or for a weekend stroll.

Gail’s Bakery London Locations

Gail’s has vastly expanded since their humble beginnings in 2005. Reaching 100 shops in 2022, there’s far too many to list here alone but here are some central locations that you may want to visit:

  • Chelsea
  • Greenwich
  • Victoria 
  • South Kensington
  • High Street Kensington
  • Soho
  • Bloomsbury
  • Blackfriars
  • Pimlico
  • Southbank
  • Battersea
  • Clapham

Gail’s changes its menu seasonally, so there’s always something new to try when you pop in. From mince pies in winter, to ghostly biscuits in the autumn. They have a good selection of savoury bakery goods, including sandwiches, wraps, scones, and tartlets. You’ll also find a delightful range of sweet treats, from chocolate brownies, to unbelievable cookies – you’ll be in for a real treat.

If you’re looking to have a sit down meal, Gail’s offers a range of soups from spicy chickpea, to pumpkin, and parsnip. Each soup is served with one of their very own sourdoughs. If you want a breakfast here, you’ll be able to choose from avocado on toast, eggs, and porridge.

avocado and chickpea sandwich at Gail's bakery

When it comes to coffee you can expect your London café usuals. From flat whites, to lattes, to filter. Multiple choices when it comes to hot chocolate as you can choose the strength of the cocoa used, and their chai lattes are some of the best in town! You’ll also discover a range of teas on their menu for when you want something a little more soothing than your usual coffee.

Our Review of Gail’s Bakery

Gail’s bakery is one of our first choices when it comes to chain cafes in London. Whether it’s for a sit down catchup with friends, or a coffee and cake to get us through the work day – the food and coffee here never lets us down. 

Our favourite savoury bakes here are the avocado and chickpea sandwich (this is a constant craving – as the menu is seasonal it’s not always on rotation but when it is you can be sure we’re ordering it!). The savoury scones are also incredible as a light lunch – they don’t tend to give you butter straight away when you order these to eat in but if you ask they will give it to you.

treat your sweet tooth with Gail's bakery goodies - we love the pistachio and rose cake!

When it comes to sweet treats, this is where the magic of Gail’s lies for us. Particularly with the chocolate white chocolate chip cookies – every time we see this particular treat in here we have to get it. These are chunky cookies, that have the perfect crumbly but chewy texture, and the white chocolate chunks are the perfect delectable touch. Another choice we adore is the chocolate brownie – it’s perfectly gooey! And for a less chocolatey option – the pistachio, lemon, and rose cake is just as delicious!

Gail’s Bakery FAQs

There are some commonly asked questions about Gail’s and we’ve got the answers! 

Is Gail’s Bakery Only in London?

Whilst most of the Gail’s bakeries are in London, there are other locations outside of London, including one in Windsor.

Who is Gail’s Owned By?

Gail’s bakery was co-founded by Gail Mejia and Tom Molnar. They also own parent company Bread Holdings.

Does Gail’s Bakery Allow Dogs?

Gail’s used to allow dogs inside, however in more recent times their locations have not allowed dogs. So we’d advise not taking your pup – unless they’re a registered guide or service dog.

Is Gail’s Bakery Posh?

Whether Gail’s Bakery is posh is up for debate – with their main bake being sourdough some may say it is. However, we don’t think food can be labelled posh or not!

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