5 Best Cake Shops in London (2026)

Independently ranked by our review of ratings, reviews and reputation · How we chose

By Thorne Savarin, Culinary Explorer · ✓ Data verified July 2026 · 8 min read

A birthday cake ordered in a rush is a gamble almost anywhere in London, but the cake shops here have logged nearly 14,649 reviews between them, and the ratings barely move: nothing on this list dips below 4.2. Chestnut Bakery in Covent Garden pairs a 4.4 with 2,914 reviews, while Master Bun Pastry, tucked in Chinatown, has built a 4.8 on Hong Kong-style egg tarts and pastries rather than birthday cakes at all. The gap that matters here isn't the rating, it's what each shop actually specialises in.

Short answer: Ole & Steen near Piccadilly Circus leads on scale, a Danish all-day bakery rated 4.3 across 3,762 reviews. For someone booking a celebration cake, Caffè Concerto on Northumberland Avenue runs a dedicated cakes division (birthday, wedding, bespoke) alongside its Italian restaurant, at 4.2 and 4,277 reviews, the most of any shop on this page. For pure pastry, Master Bun Pastry in Chinatown holds the highest rating at 4.8 from 1,288 reviews, no website, cash-and-carry only.

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1. Ole & Steen
2. Caffè Concerto Northum…
3. Chestnut Bakery, Coven…
4. Master Bun Pastry
5. Chinatown Bakery
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London's cake shops, side by side

#	Business	Rating	Reviews	Best for
1	Ole & Steen	4.3 ★	3,762	All-day bakery, near Piccadilly	View ›
2	Caffè Concerto Northumberland Avenue	4.2 ★	4,277	Celebration and wedding cakes	View ›
3	Chestnut Bakery, Covent Garden	4.4 ★	2,914	Pastries and light bites, Covent Garden	View ›
4	Master Bun Pastry	4.8 ★	1,288	Hong Kong-style pastries, Chinatown	View ›
5	Chinatown Bakery	4.4 ★	2,408	Budget-friendly cakes by the slice	View ›

The shortlist, reviewed

#1 Overall🕑 Open 7 days

Ole & Steen

4.33,762 Google reviews

Ole & Steen is a Danish all-day bakery and cafe chain, with this branch sitting just off Haymarket near Piccadilly Circus. The menu leans into Scandinavian baking: sourdough, cinnamon buns, and a rotating pastry case, alongside coffee and matcha drinks. It's open seven days a week from early morning to late evening, which makes it as much a coffee-and-work spot as a place to pick up a cake.

What people praise

Regulars say the pastries and bread are consistently fresh
Reviewers call out the comfortable seating and calm atmosphere for sitting with a laptop
Staff are repeatedly described as kind and attentive
Central location close to Piccadilly Circus, easy to reach on foot

Worth knowing

Best known for bread and pastries rather than celebration cakes specifically

Reputation scorecardrank in London

Rating4.3 / 5

Review volume3,762 · 93th

Confidencehigh

Recency7 weeks ago

Info completenesssite · phone · hours

Rating breakdown62% 5-star

✓ VerifiedSource: Google

Our take: A dependable everyday bakery-cafe rather than a specialist cake shop, but the volume and consistency of its reviews put it at the top of this list.

Website Book now +442038288242 Directions

56, No 2 Haymarket, St James's Market, London SW1Y 4RP

#2🕑 Open 7 days↩ Responds to reviews

Caffè Concerto Northumberland Avenue

4.24,277 Google reviews

Caffè Concerto is an Italian restaurant and patisserie group with several London branches, this one on Northumberland Avenue near Trafalgar Square. Its own site advertises a dedicated cakes division covering birthday, kids', wedding, and bespoke cakes, plus gateaux and patisserie, separate from its restaurant menu of Italian dishes and afternoon tea. The interiors run to wood panelling, chandeliers, and live music, and it holds more reviews than any other shop on this page.

What people praise

Reviewers highlight the elegant, upscale interior with chandeliers and live music
Staff service is repeatedly praised as attentive and professional
One reviewer with several branches' worth of visits called the desserts, including macarons and cakes, a highlight
A real bespoke and wedding cake ordering option, not just a display case

Worth knowing

A full sit-down restaurant, so a quick cake pickup means navigating a bigger menu and space
One reviewer flagged the coffee as the weaker part of the menu

Reputation scorecardrank in London

Rating4.2 / 5

Review volume4,277 · 98th

Confidencehigh

Recency4 weeks ago

Info completenesssite · phone · hours

Rating breakdown68% 5-star

✓ VerifiedSource: Google

Our take: The only shop on this list with a documented bespoke and wedding cake service, which is why it ranks here even with the largest review count on the page. If you need a made-to-order cake rather than something off the shelf, start here.

Website Book now +442074946851 Directions

4-5 Northumberland Ave, London WC2N 5BW

#3🕑 Open 7 days↩ Responds to reviews

Chestnut Bakery, Covent Garden

4.42,914 Google reviews

Chestnut Bakery is a Belgravia-born bakery with a second branch in Covent Garden, on Floral Street. The website describes daily bread baking as its core focus, alongside pastries and desserts, and the shop runs a cashless, walk-in setup rather than table service. It's open into the evening most days, later on weekends.

What people praise

Reviewers repeatedly single out the tiramisu danish as the standout item
Service is described as friendly, patient, and attentive even during busy periods
The Covent Garden location is praised for its spacious layout and people-watching spot upstairs

Worth knowing

A couple of reviewers found certain items, like the pistachio bun, too sweet or a little heavy for the price
Cashless only, which won't suit everyone

Reputation scorecardrank in London

Rating4.4 / 5

Review volume2,914 · 88th

Confidencevery high

Recency4 weeks ago

Info completenesssite · phone · hours

Rating breakdown74% 5-star

✓ VerifiedSource: Google

Our take: Strong and consistent on pastries specifically, with a rating that edges out both bigger names above it, though it's built its reputation on bread and pastry rather than cake.

Website Book now +447351141152 Directions

24 Floral St, London WC2E 9DS

#4🕑 Open 7 days

Master Bun Pastry

4.81,288 Google reviews

Master Bun Pastry is a Chinatown bakery specialising in Hong Kong and Asian-inspired pastries, egg tarts, and buns, based on what reviewers describe rather than a formal site (it has no website listed). It holds the highest rating of any shop on this page, built almost entirely on five-star reviews, though its review count is the smallest on this page.

What people praise

Reviewers single out the chocolate butter puffs and caramel croissant tart as standout items
The egg tarts are called out repeatedly, freshly made and kept warm
Prices are described as reasonable, with some items priced by weight

Worth knowing

No website, so hours and stock can only be confirmed by calling or visiting
Weekend queues can get long, though reviewers say the line moves fast

Reputation scorecardrank in London

Rating4.8 / 5

Review volume1,288 · 57th

Confidencevery high

Recency2 months ago

Info completenessphone · hours

Rating breakdown91% 5-star

✓ VerifiedSource: Google

Our take: The top rating on this page by a clear margin, and worth the trip for pastry specifically, but it's not a cake shop in the traditional sense and doesn't advertise celebration cakes.

Book now +447951861265 Directions

24 Rupert St, London W1D 6DQ

#5🕑 Open 7 days

Chinatown Bakery

4.42,408 Google reviews

Chinatown Bakery, on Newport Place, is a compact bakery known for a wide range of sweet and savoury baked goods sold by the piece, including individually priced cakes. Reviewers describe it as small (two rooms) but tightly packed with options, and several mention ordering full cakes for birthdays and celebrations directly from the display case.

What people praise

Reviewers specifically praise cakes ordered for birthdays as fresh and well presented
Prices are described as low, with several items under £3
Staff are called kind and helpful throughout the ordering process

Worth knowing

Small physical space, described as just two rooms
One reviewer noted a sponge cake was soft but a little light on flavour

Reputation scorecardrank in London

Rating4.4 / 5

Review volume2,408 · 78th

Confidencehigh

Recency8 days ago

Info completenesssite · phone · hours

Rating breakdown66% 5-star

✓ VerifiedSource: Google

Our take: The most directly cake-focused option on this list at the lower end of the price range, with real reviews describing birthday cake orders rather than just pastries.

Website Book now +442072877995 Directions

7-9 Newport Pl, London WC2H 7JR

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Watch: 5 Best Cake Shops in London (2026)

How we rank these

Rating is the live Google average for each shop. Review volume measures how many customers have actually left a rating, weighted against the others on this page. Confidence blends the two, so a shop with thousands of reviews carries more weight than one with a handful even at the same star rating. Recency checks how recently people are still leaving reviews. No business can pay to change any of these numbers.

What does a cake cost in London (2026)?

Prices vary by shop and by what you’re ordering. Chinatown Bakery’s individual cake slices and buns run under £3 each, based on reviewer accounts, while a bespoke or wedding cake from a full-service bakery like Caffè Concerto will cost more given the custom design work involved. For anything made to order, confirm pricing directly with the shop.

Cake shops across London

This shortlist spans a wide stretch of central London, from Piccadilly and Trafalgar Square down to Covent Garden and Chinatown, all within easy walking distance of each other if you’re comparing in person. If you’re searching for a cake shop near me in London, they sit close enough together for a single afternoon of tasting.

What to ask before you order

How far in advance do you need to order a celebration or wedding cake?
Can you accommodate dietary needs like vegan or gluten-free?
Do you charge a deposit for custom cake orders?
Is the cake sold by the slice, by weight, or as a whole cake only?
Do you deliver, or is pickup the only option?
What’s the busiest time of day, and is a queue likely?

Frequently asked questions

Are these rankings paid?

No. Rankings come from public Google data. A business can pay to be a Featured Partner, shown with a badge and top placement, but that never changes another business’s score or position.

Which of these shops does custom or wedding cakes?

Caffè Concerto is the only shop on this page with a documented bespoke and wedding cake service listed on its own site, alongside birthday and kids’ cakes.

Which shop has the highest rating?

Master Bun Pastry in Chinatown holds the highest rating at 4.8, built on 1,288 reviews, though it specialises in pastries and egg tarts rather than full cakes.

How did you choose these cake shops?

We pulled real Google Business data for cake-related bakeries across London, then ranked on a mix of rating, review volume, and how recently people are still leaving reviews.

How often is this updated?

This page reflects Google data verified in July 2026 and is refreshed periodically as ratings and review counts change.

The bottom line

For an off-the-shelf pastry or bread run, Ole & Steen and Chestnut Bakery are the safe, consistent picks. For an actual celebration cake, Caffè Concerto is the one shop here that documents a real bespoke cake service, so call ahead and confirm lead times before you commit.

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