Chestnut Bakery, Belgravia — Restaurant in London

I’be been to this place 3 times. Let me start with the positive things: the atmosphere is cosy and nice and the food was so delicious. As for the negatives, the bad service is the main one. it was so bad that after our first visit we decided that we were not going back. So let me tell you what exactly happened in each visit: Visit 1: We arrived, asked for the menu and placed an order for an egg flatbread with extra egg, a zaatar and cheese croissant and English breakfast tea with oat milk on the side. The croissant arrived and it was so hard that it was not edible. I asked the water to heat it up to make it a bit softer and to bring me a warm oat milk instead of the cold one I received. Meanwhile, the flat bread arrived with no extra egg which I specifically asked for. It took them 20 minutes to bring the croissant back and the shock was when after all that time, the croissant was still hard and not heated up. Asked the water to heat it up again and to make sure that this time it’s actually warm. 30 minutes passed since I gave them the oat milk and still has not arrived, so I had to remind the water about it. Finally, the warm oat milk arrived but still no croissant. I got really impatient with the service and I had let them know that this is nonsense. After all that waiting they brought me a new croissant which was not what I asked for. The first visit was just bad in every way possible. Visit 2: We were on our way to another cafe when my husband told me that he’s craving the egg flat bread but he didn’t want to go back because of the bad service. So I suggested to give it another chance and we went back again. This time the place was not as busy and there was only one water who was taking care after the terrace area but he did an excellent job of not letting us wait to place an order and the food arrived quickly and it was a very pleasant experience. So we decided that we will be going back Visit 3: Unfortunately, It was as horrible as our first visit. The menu was so dirty to a point that I felt disgusted to even touch it, ordered the egg flatbread with extra egg but arrived without the extra egg, so I sent it back and told the water to bring me one with an extra egg. A few minutes later they brought it back with a sunny side up egg just added to the flatbread they originally brought. The food presentation was bad and I’m actually surprised that the chef actually agreed for it to be served( photo below). Asked for the bill and we had to wait more than 20 minutes to pay, of course after having to remind the water that we want to pay. It’s very unfortunate that a bakery with such delicious food get this rating just because of the bad service and the...

Quite literally, the best bakery in the universe. I am shocked to my core that this lovely spot only has a 4.3 on google reviews. It clearly deserves 5 stars and then some. My friend and I discovered it yesterday where we both got oat lattes and I tried the almond croissant and she enjoyed the dark chocolate, sea salt cookie. We were enchanted by the croccacia (croissant focaccia bread) garnished with Kalamata olives, herbs, feta cheese and sun dried tomato.

Going back to the almond croissant, it was by far the best I’ve ever had, not too sweet and the perfect amount of filling. The crust was exceptionally flaky with the right amount of crunch but the inside was soft and buttery as it should be.

Today we had to come back again and try more. I ordered the grilled Bresaola & avocado Sandwich which was perfectly toasted and a salivating combination of flavors. Additionally I had the apple crumble danish which resulted in being the best take on apple pie that I’ve ever had the pleasure of experiencing. Served on a croissant type base with the perfect level of sweetened apples and topped with crumble, it far exceeded my expectations. My friend enjoyed the kalamata hummus with a loaf of sourdough. Plainly speaking this was to die for. The small loaf of bread had the thinnest layer of crisp, with the inside soft like clouds.

We finished with the croccocia and my god, it was the best thing her and I have ever tried. A flakey, buttery herb medley topped with Mediterranean flavors left our mouths watering after every bite. I would sell my first child to have the recipe for this bread.

As I depart London tomorrow and leave my friend here for her last month, I have tasked her with falling in love with a baker here. She must learn the secrets of their mastered pastries and croissant dishes. Our lives...

Finally made my way to Chestnut Bakery! My friend and I decided to come by reasonably early on Saturday morning (9:45am), doing our research and understanding that the place can get pretty busy. When we arrived there were a few people already there but we were attended to warmly and seated down quickly. The waitress was very attentive in taking our order and bringing over our food, and another waiter checked everything was okay with us twice (which was much appreciated!). Now - the food. I ordered the Pistachio and Raspberry Croissant and wow was it very very good. The Croissant itself was beautifully buttery and crisp, but also light and flakey. The filling was plentiful and the raspberry was the perfect balance of tart and sweet which complemented the nutty and slightly savouryness of the Pistachio. My only criticism would be that there could have maybe been a slightly stronger Pistachio flavour, maybe the addition of a drizzle of Pistachio creme? THEN AGAIN, this is more of a personal preference as I love all things very Pistachio haha. Regardless of this I was definitely recommend and return to Chestnut Bakery for this Croissant. My friend also very much enjoyed the Babka, which was warmed up for her. The food and location were both hugely aestetic, and the service was warm and welcoming. I would highly recommend coming here, and will definitely be back myself! I'd also recommend coming by early, especially at the weekend, if you're wanting to sit in - we left around 10:30am and it had already picked up quite a big inside! Is it quite expensive? Yes. But is it...