Pophams London Fields

Pophams started out as an artisan bakery that aimed to put a new spin on traditional viennoiserie baking, but having found great success, it has continued evolving. It currently encompasses three different locations, one of which moonlights as a pasta restaurant, and even a range of homeware.

The focus is still on the delicious baked goods that have Hackney punters queuing up every morning. There are the classics, of course, such as croissants and pains au chocolat, all painstakingly made with the skills bestowed by years of hands-on experience. There are also more daring pastries, however, incorporating even Marmite and sauerkraut into their flaky folds. There's good coffee to perk you up as well, while come lunchtime, the toasties are packed with melty goodness. The flagship Hackney location expands on the lunch menu with soups and sandwiches, while the Islington original keeps a changing seasonal lunch offer.

The Pophams on Richmond Road is notable for another reason as well. After closing down shop in the afternoon, the bakery reopens a couple of hours later as a stylish, modern pasta restaurant, offering all sorts of hand-rolled pasta dishes, for example tortelleti with Isle of Wight tomatoes, samphire and saffron, or rabbit cannelloni. The restaurant is open Wednesday to Saturday.