"The only thing you can count on Layla Bakery to have on the weekends is a queue. Turning up to this popular cafe after 11am and expecting to find a counter filled with pastries is straight-up delusional. The line is intimidatingly long, but it’s on a gorgeous Notting Hill street, and you can find inspo on what to order from the people eating strawberry jam and cream-filled bow ties and gooey milk chocolate cookies on the benches outside. Goyard shoulder bags and stylish babies in Nuna pushcairs 8am, but if that sounds torturous, just make sure you’re here before they sell out around 12pm" - jake missing, sinead cranna, rianne shlebak, heidi lauth beasley
"For: Pastry bow tie and morning bun The only thing you can count on Layla Bakery having is a queue. Turning up to this popular Notting Hill cafe after 11am and expecting to find a counter filled with pastries is delusional. So arrive early, or later in the day and take whatever baked goods are on offer—everything’s great anyway. Like the light strawberry jam and cream-filled bow ties, buttery croissants, and gooey milk chocolate cookies." - rianne shlebak, sinead cranna, daisy meager, heidi lauth beasley
"Inside Layla Bakery, it’s like a GBBO tent turned festive factory: everywhere you look at this Notting Hill spot, people are rolling out dough or passing out almond-topped mince pies. Not one to gatekeep, they also sell their own mincemeat." - sinead cranna
"Cookie of choice: chocolate chip If Layla was a person, they’d be the effortlessly attractive one that strangers post on TikTok with the caption “London, do your thing”. But you won’t need to ask Gen Z where to find London’s chicest cookie because we’ve found it for you. A thick, perfectly round disk, with some height to it without going full Peak District, it’s of the chewy, doughy variety, with unevenly spread shards of dark chocolate throughout, and a sprinkling of sea salt flakes on top. If you’re into cookie dough, you’ll love the one from this Notting Hill bakery." - rianne shlebak, sinead cranna, heidi lauth beasley, jake missing, daisy meager
"The Verdict: The excellent pastries make this bakery worth the early morning alarm. We’ve experienced the frustration of arriving at this Notting Hill bakery only to find a couple of sandwiches and a cookie left on the counter. But once we cracked the code—arriving just before they open at 8am—we had our first real taste of Layla Bakery. The strawberry jam-filled bows, glistening morning buns, and savoury garlic twists are some of the best in London." - sinead cranna, rianne shlebak, jake missing