I have recently moved back to Notting Hill after four years of living in North Wales. Fittingly, my parents ran ‘Pedlars’, a cafe and shop on Talbot Road for fifteen years, so I spent many of my teen years in this area. The shop sat at the heart of so much of my family’s life, so coming back now, everything feels tinged with nostalgia. Like any good coffee shop, Pedlars was part of the neighbourhood and had regulars who I got to know well over the years. It was somewhere I always felt comfortable – whether getting on with schoolwork, meeting friends or simply passing the time.

In 2019, I hosted my first ever-supper club at Pedlars alongside two of my best friends, Jimmy and Connie, and my boyfriend Hugo. It was pure chaos – but also pure fun – and those days, in that place, undoubtedly set me off on the trajectory that I am now on. With very heavy hearts, we closed Pedlars in 2020, and in its place popped up ‘Buns From Home’, a very successful lockdown project that now boasts a whopping twelve bakeries around London. It took me a while to visit their flagship Talbot Road shop because I felt angry with them, albeit unjustifiably, for replacing my beloved home from home. I’m pleased to report, however, that the buns really are as good as they look; sweet, salty, sticky – and perfect alongside an Allpress Coffee. You can’t sit in the cafe, and maybe that’s where they’ve been so clever; a simple offering that encourages you to mooch around the nearby streets to devour your bun.

KURO Bakery is another place I cannot keep away from – feeling more akin to a café in Copenhagen than in London. This isn’t just down to its minimalist aesthetic and photogenic pastries, it’s something about the feel of the place. It’s laid back in the best way and doesn’t try too hard, but the proof is (literally) in the pudding; these are some of the best pastries and hot drinks around. Although I love coffee, deep down I have a preference for matcha, which frustratingly, can be hard to find a good version of in London. Happily, KURO is an exception to this rule, offering cups of pure, green liquid perfection that I would happily travel from far and wide to drink.

Next, we move up to Golborne Road, which still feels like a place where the ‘real’ locals hang out. Lisboa Patisserie is a long-standing player that is cool by nature but isn’t actually striving to be anything remotely Instagrammable or trendy, producing excellent pastries and sandwiches alongside their unbeatable signature Portuguese tarts. At all times of the day, Lisboa is filled with tables of people of all ages and from all walks of life, each sharing something delicious and engaging in proper conversation without a phone in sight. It’s a part of the furniture of Notting Hill that I hope will always remain there.

Down the road is  Layla, a newer bakery that has already embedded itself into the tapestry of Notting Hill. It’s the kind of place where the staff know you by name and order after only a few visits. I usually go during the week for fear of the huge weekend queues – a result of pastries that are visually, very beautiful, but also in flavour, texture and technique. The variety is good, with both sweet and savoury options gracing the counter alongside loaves of bread which I’ll take home and work my meals around to ensure I incorporate a slice into each one.