"“If you’re familiar with the bakeries that cater to London’s Jewish community, you’ll know that chocolate yeast cakes come in all shapes and sizes. Carmelli’s babka is the densest, the chunkiest, the chocolatiest and therefore, in my humble opinion, the best. It’s an intensely satisfying loaf shaped thing—packed with chocolate, and covered in handfuls of streusel—that I’ve returned to over and over this year.” — OJF" - oliver feldman, heidi lauth beasley, jake missing, rianne shlebak
"Carmelli is one of those places that’s spoken about in hushed, excited tones. Walk around north west London with a Carmelli box sticking out of your bag and you’ll more than likely get an approving nod, or a question as to whether you’re going finish that. The Golders Green kosher bakery has been around since the late ‘80s and the reverence that their baked goods receive is for good reason. Their bagels are perfectly sized, not too fat, and favour chew over texture when it comes to the crust. As for the rest, well, just try walking out of here without a box of rugelach." - Jake Oliver, Sinead Cranna
"Available for takeaway Less of a babka and more of a sensory sugar and butter experience, the Carmelli babka is a delight that’s equal parts dark chocolate and stodge. The kosher bakery bakes theirs in the shape of a bread tin loaf - a bread tin loaf covered in streusel topping (AKA delicious crumble), with a strong crust, and thick spirals of chocolate running through its carby veins. And it costs just over a fiver." - jake missing
"The word ‘legendary’ gets bandied around a lot, but when a bakery makes the best bagels in London, it probably deserves the L word. Carmelli also claims to be the first British bakery to boil and bake its bagels by hand, resulting in the slightly sweet, super dense and crunchy exterior-ed excellence that former locals beg current locals to bring as gifts by the sackful. Bagels aside, there is cheesecake and baklava and still-warm rugelach to be prised straight from baking trays on the glass counter." - Frankie McCoy
"Carmelli is one of those places that’s spoken of in hushed, excited tones. Walk around north west London with a Carmelli box sticking out of your bag and you’ll more than likely get an approving nod, or a question as to whether you’re gonna finish that. The Golders Green kosher bakery has been around since the late 80s and the reverence that their baked goods receive is for good reason. Their bagels are perfectly sized, not too fat, and favour chew over texture when it comes to the crust. As for the rest, well, just try walking out of here without a box of rugelach." - Jake Missing