"This pink bakery in Crouch End feels like somewhere Barbie would come for her mince pie fix, which is the highest praise we can give. At Sourdough Sophia, the mincemeat is homemade, the pastry is satisfyingly crumbly, and the pre-order system is convenient. We call that a Christmas triple-threat." - sinead cranna
"Available to pre-order from their website. The chocolate babka from this popular Crouch End bakery is subtitled a ‘croissant loaf’ which means they use a laminated dough over the more usual brioche/challah dough. The results are airy, buttery, crispy layers that beg you to start pulling them apart as soon as you leave the shop. While not necessarily an improvement on babkas you’ve eaten before, it’s a compellingly flaky twist. Perfect for those times when you’re just not quite in the mood for the yeasty depth, and rich, eye-rollingly chocolate-y punch of some of London’s other babkas." - jake missing
"When your commitment to great bread means you’re willing to spend between 15 and 30 minutes queueing in the rain, then Sourdough Sophia is for you. As the name suggests, the specialty here is baked goods, and while their baguettes and loaves are reason enough to make this a destination, you shouldn’t snooze on their (pre-order only) chocolate babka, expensive but fun specials like a pretzel croissant triangle sandwich with smoked salmon, herby shmear and apple, a Ferrero Rocher-inspired cruffin, or a 10/10 sausage roll. If you want to skip the queue, all of their baked goods are available for click and collect, however their excellent Gentleman Barista coffee is not. Or, Dunn’s bakery is a Crouch End landmark, and their croissant is one of the best we’ve had in London, or, for those with a sweet tooth, La Gelatiera is the place to be. Their fresh, small batch, limited edition gelato flavours like honey, rosemary, and orange zest, and basil and chilli are way better than that mint choc chip lurking at the back of your freezer." - oliver feldman
"For: A sausage roll and chocolate babka When your commitment to great bread means you’re willing to spend between 15 and 30 minutes queueing in the rain, then Sourdough Sophia is for you. While their baguettes and loaves are reason enough to make this Crouch End spot a destination bakery, don’t miss their specials like a pretzel croissant triangle sandwich, a Ferrero Rocher-inspired cruffin, or a 10/10 sausage roll. They’ve got an Islington location too, and If you want to skip the queue, all of the baked goods are available for click and collect." - rianne shlebak, sinead cranna, daisy meager
"When your commitment to great bread means you’re willing to spend between 15 and 30 minutes queueing in the rain, then Sourdough Sophia is for you. As the name suggests, the specialty here is baked goods, and while their baguettes and loaves are reason enough to make this a destination, you shouldn’t snooze on their chocolate babka, expensive but fun specials like a pretzel croissant triangle sandwich with smoked salmon, herby shmear and apple, a Ferrero Rocher-inspired cruffin, or a 10/10 sausage roll. If you want to skip the peak-time queues, all of their baked goods are available for click and collect. Their excellent Gentleman Barista coffee, however, is not." - Oliver Feldman