Leila's Shop

A magical place off Arnold Circus with fresh seasonal produce and pantry items on the well stocked shelves of one side and a small kitchen and cafe serving farm to table delicious meals on the other side -

Leila's shop is both a shop and a small restaurant next door. And both are just beautiful, making the most of the stunning old building they are located in. They were one of the first to pop up around this area which has since attracted a large number of ventures to serve the ever growing number of hipsters. They don't seem to be open every day, but when they are they are buzzing. The lunches of tarts and salad are a lovely treat. And the fresh bread from the shop is a treat. Friendliness levels of staff at the main shop can vary - somehow you expect everyone working in such a beautiful environment to be extra friendly ... hence only four instead of five stars.

Stumbled upon this gem while wandering the streets of shoreditch. It felt as if I got to go back in time. It was so magical, that I didn't mind they didn't have any milk other than cow's milk. I just wanted to sit there and take it all in. So there I was in year 1950 (in a good way!), sitting by the window, drinking tea and nibbling on fresh fruit and toasted bread with marmalade, all presented in beautiful enamelware. Basic, simple, magical. Only the modern cars parking on the street reminded me that this is the 21st century. Sigh.

This is genuinely one of the best breakfast spots on the planet. And it seems like almost no one knows about it - just the way I like it. There are only two dishes I ever order - the sage eggs, and the eggs with serrano ham. Both come with an amazing rye toast. Also, the milky coffee is some of the best coffee I've ever found in Europe. Perfect for a morning-after breakfast or a casual date. I really can't get enough of Leila's; I try to eat there at least once whenever I'm in London.

Yesterday I decided that eating breakfast was more important than going to University. I'm fairly certain I made the right decision. Leila's focuses on one thing and one thing only, simplicity. Located on Calvert Avenue just on the border of Shoreditch and Bethnal Green, over the course of the last two years I've witnessed this quiet street increasingly become one the area's most adorable. But all things aside the cafe itself is pretty wonderful. The open kitchen, the local produce and the menu itself all combine to make this the perfect breakfast spot. They don't mess around, the food is simple but delicious, and while I can't say I eat Polish food often, this is one of the few places that convinces me that Brunch in London hasn't been completely forgotten.

I first discovered this place about 5 years ago when I went there to get some serious Polish horseradish for a Bloody Mary I was making. Nowadays I go there to get a good coffee. This says something about the character of the place; it is a bit of an oddjob of a shop. It is little more than a small room with an open kitchen, random selections of gourmet food and polish cuisine on the walls and some tables and chairs thrown in. The atmosphere is resolutely relaxed and nothing gets to your table too fast and it is always packed. The food is so so but I think that is more due to the limitations of Polish cuisine rather than the shop. However, if you like your Polish sausage and cured meats, this is the place to go. For me the draw is the coffee, as it is great. The one I had sitting on the steps outside this weekend with the sun warming me was one of the best I have had for ages.

I consider Leila's to be one of Shoreditch's almost hidden treasures. Almost because you always have to wait for a table but hidden because you don't queue for too long, so not that many people know how great it is. Quaint and rustic family kitchen vibe, you'll love it if you adore that sort of country vibe and I do. Baked eggs in a frying pan, coffee with a kick, great butter, the best jam you'll ever taste and pungent Polish meats. Leila's is just my kind of place, so don't go there, okay?

Possibly one of the quaintest cafes in all of the world. Maybe not the whole world, but definitely in all of East London. Located on Arnold Circus, it brings a homely touch to an area that really needs it. The small shop is packed with nice bits and pieces, that instantly make you feel comfortable. What I particularly like, is the way they have so many kitchen accessories hanging from the roof. Not only does it make you feel like you are in a posh kitchen, it feels like a small, country kitchen, installation art piece. Ok, what else could this place possibly have going for it? A decent coffee. I still would have come here if they didn't do a good coffee, just as I would hang out in a Grandmother's kitchen and simply drink tea. The point is, it is an amazing place and it does a good coffee, what more could you want.

This place really is a special experience, you feel like you are eating in your grannys country kitchen, the walls are stocked with home made products such as pasta and jams. The presentation is excellent with eggs and sage presented to you in a frying pan, and lots of fresh crusty warm bread. It feels like you are stepping back in time when you walk into this place. In a way I'd like to keep this place secret but It's too late I already wrote this review! I give it 5 stars!

Sometimes you just want to wake up on a Sunday morning, drink a great cup of coffee and eat some eggs and ham out of a skillet. No fuss. Just good.

This place really is a special experience, you feel like you are eating in your grannys country kitchen, the walls are stocked with home made products such as pasta and jams. The presentation is excellent with eggs and sage presented to you in a frying pan, and lots of fresh crusty warm bread. It feels like you are stepping back in time when you walk into this place. I give it 5 stars!

Walk past this most days on my way to work. Seems vaguely interesting but has an expensive and not-overly-welcoming feel to it despite the cultivated homeliness they're aiming it. If the place seemed a bit more approachable and advertised a reasonably-priced breakfast I'd gladly stop there. Never tried the food just the pleasant coffee but the whole experience is like sitting in your own kitchen surrounded by delicious and delightful stuff.

One of the best coffee places in London. Tucked away near of the track on Calvert Ave, the great looking staff make a great coffee and play good music too. Just don't expect take out - if you bring your own mug you'll be in business! Don't mind sharing a table? You gotta, this place is all about the community - they're avid supporters of the revitalisation of Arnold Circus, once a park for deadbeats and junkies, now venue for family picnics and brass bands.

This place used to be over-rated and now even more so, since they expanded and the atmosphere and sense of cool rustic french charm was washed away in aid of cold, hard, commercial cash. The food is great and the breakfast awesome. No fault there, but Leila's is not quite what it used to be, and the kind of people who frequent it, get worse; looking down their snobby noses at you as they stop over on their way to Columbia Rd flower market on Sunday, hogging chairs needlessly, whilst they let their kids run around the packed shop like wild animals! The place is best frequented EARLY on Sunday, otherwise forget about it.

I decided to give Leila's a try based on a number of reviews, including the ones on this site and I'm glad I did. I absolutely loved the place. The communal tables, the open kitchen, the butter bowl (is there such a term out there?) and the food. Luckily for me Thursday afternoon turned out not to be their busiest time, so I was able to linger and enjoy my fried eggs with sage and two lattes. The coffee is indeed excellent even though I agree with char-lotte re temperature. I've been investigating the London coffee scene lately and have imbibed at most of the coffee geek joints out there (the Flat Whites, the Doses, and the like). Leila's is not one of them ostensibly, but their coffee is my favorite so far. They use Monmouth coffee beans and my latte was pleasantly strong and creamy. Now to food - unlike with coffee I was able to restrain myself and only have one serving of the fried eggs (see picture). They were nicely presented in a cast iron pan (which looked like it was a Le Creuset) with plenty of toasted bread on the side and butter to spread it with. Do not bring your cardiologist along if you're going to order these. Other things on offer looked really tasty too: Serrano, comte and cornichon sandwich (4.5 pounds); fennel salami, cheese, olives and bread (8 pounds); and more. They also have a good selection of sweets, I'm sure I'll get a chance to try all as I will most definitely return. One thing I'd like to point out is that they now have sitting area separate from the retail shop, so things must be going their way if they're expanding. Overall great place for a long lunch, quick coffee break or anything in between. Be prepared to share a table, so probably not a good idea to bring a first date here unless you're open to eavesdropping by fellow eaters.

Although this really is a charming place (and both times I went there they served me one of the best coffees I had in London), I think the food choice could be improved. The cold sandwiches are a bit rough, the egg plates a little too rural for my taste and... well, in general the kind of cuisine is really a little too low profile: I understand this is probably due to the owners' desire of following a set of polish traditions (and being italian I have different tastes for simple food: I'd definitely grill the bread, melt the cheese, etc.). That said, the place is lovely, the apple juice very good (and not very expensive when bought to take away): on a scale 0-10 it would be a 7, I'm giving it a 3* in order to mitigate the other votes.

This is the one high-end espresso place that I was not able to go into because it was closed when I went by. I heard it is quite good though, so I'm holding out hope. It's in the shoreditch area of East London, near Bethnal Green tube station. The place is situated on a street leading off of a circular street with a park in the middle. All the buildings are gorgeous and really well maintained. I'm guessing it is an historic neighborhood... Will check it out on my next trip for sure.

Cutest little cafe with a communal table, excellent coffee and teas, and perfect egg custard tartlets. I love the fresh fruit plates with ripe stone fruit, the muesli, and the Makarel salad. I have been multiple times because this place is warm inside, the servers are kind, and the food is tasty and reasonably priced.

This place is terrible, I just ate there and the guy serving kept coughing and taking pills and was obviously ill, how is that allowed? Everything is a but dirty and food not great.

What a lovely find! Breakfast on Sunday, arrived very early. No line. The eggs were fantastic, with excellent rustic bread to soak up the yolk. The pastries were also very good. Muesli and yogurt excellent, as was the fresh fruit plate, with peaches, grapes, and cherries--no underripe cantaloupe here. Coffee just ok. Beautiful ambience and service was friendly.

Well now that was a nice surprise. En route from a to b and trying to miss the clatter if Shoreditch High Street I found myself weaving through the late Victorian red brick tenaments that replaced the Old Nichol slum (plug: The Blackest Streets by Sarah Wise- great history of the slum). Out onto Calvert Avenue and there I was stopped in my tracks by Leila's Shop. Intrigued and thirsty I thought best to stick my head in and sample their coffee. Full to the scuppers with people waiting for the clock to strike 12 when they were to rush up to the Ally Capellino sample sale, there was only a seat for me outside. Table service none-the-less (I had asked for take out but unless you have your own mug it's sit in only- very eco warrior!). But this didn't stop me hungrily looking over the place and it's culinary offerings. Wonderful breads, the best tuna, a great boxes of maldon salt, bricks of dark chocolate. I paid for my delicious but could have been hotter coffee and decided that when I grow up I want to open a place like that.

Very cool and hip place, i loved the furnitures and athmosphere, but the food is very basic... A bit disappointed. Coffee and cakes are very good though!

Had breakfast here on a Saturday. The food and coffee was top notch, and the quaint country kitchen feel was lovely - I will definitely be back. Only slight down side was the fact that it was pretty crowded & we were squashed into a corner - but have to say the breakfast more than made up for it.

We stopped here for coffee and cakes today and the staff were really friendly and helpful. The coffee was pretty good, although a little on the small side. We had ginger cake, Victoria Sponge and a Portuguese custard tart - all were very tasty. Will definitely pop in again if we are near by.

While fast service is not their strong suit, they do a nice pan of rustic eggs and delicious bread to scoop them up with! I'd also say skip the coffee here (go to Paper and Cup just around the corner while you wait for your table) although do get the fresh pressed apple juice!

simply the best eggs and coffee in london. the new shop next door also have loads of fantastic produce. great gem.

Is this some kind of hipster joke? Empty cafe, 10am. No fresh juice options, sadly. Ordered the famous eggs (vegetarian). Despite maybe four other customers outnumbered by five members of staff, the eggs took 45 minutes to arrive. 'Baked Eggs with Sage' was basically a pan of eggs with a sprig of sage on top, baked in deep non-descript oil. Result was greasy, over cooked and chewy fried eggs, served with a bit of sourdough toast that could crack your teeth. For £5! Would have had nicer down a local greasy spoon...

I am not sure what's wrong with these other reviewers. Leila's Shop is not "one of Shoreditch's almost hidden treasures". It's a completely hopeless attempt at a neighbourhood cafe. There are two cooked things on the menu - eggs with ham, and eggs with sage - and the staff are completely incapable of serving either in under 45 minutes. If you like being crammed at a communal table, while clueless art students pretend to take your order, with no choice on the menu, and pay over the odds, assuming you actually get your food, then you'll be in paradise. I've given this place two tries but never again.

Leila's is such a nice spot for coffee or lunch. Food is good and no nonsense as is the interior. Staff is often kind of unfriendly but nothing you can't ignore.

This place is very unusual, it feels like someone's kitchen/homely dining room and I actually found it quite difficult to walk in for the first time as there were a couple of people sitting around a table having a cuppa and no obvious signs of a retail structure. The usual set up for a shop or cafe have been ignored, and once you get over this break in convention you may find yourself enjoying the traditional food on offer (tea, coffee, cakes, lovely looking breads). I couldn't quite get my head around it, but it certainly makes for an unique experience.

Services has gone down hill. Staff are completely unapologetic. We received our meals at different times. Used to go often, wouldn't go back now. Over an hour wait for a piece of already prepared frittata is ridiculous.

A friend took me to Leila's today, and as it's one of her favourites, I was prepared to love it. I'm sorry to say I was disappointed. There was no wait, so that wasn't the problem. The service wasn't great but neither was it wasn't flawed in any way. But I expected a lot more for six pounds than just two eggs cooked with one leaf of sage, and served with one slice of toast. I had asked if I could have potato instead of toast, but it wasn't an option. So I ordered a small salad on the side and it was just lettuce. I'm all for simple, and local and organic. I am not a foodie. Everything about this should have wowed me. But it was bland, and did not fill me up. Not a great choice for vegetarians or those with an appetite.

friendly atmosphere, charming place, excellent food - the attached shop next door offers amazing vegetables and a wide range of delicacies it's best to visit during the week for a nice bite as weekends seems to be quite crowded