Fred Bakery Holborn — Restaurant in London

Tucked just off a side street in Holborn, Fred’s Bakery is a small but lively spot with a mix of indoor and outdoor seating. There are four outdoor tables seating up to eight, plus four window tables and two high-chair seats against the wall inside. A free water station sits beside the drinks cabinet – a nice touch for a casual drop-in.

The food leans Mediterranean with a Turkish influence (the staff chat in Turkish among themselves). The menu covers about a dozen desserts, nine savoury options, and six ice creams, alongside a strong coffee line-up – the latter being something of an Instagram draw.

What I tried: • Olive & Mozzarella Focaccia Stick – A long focaccia filled with olives and cheese. Tasty, though slightly over-bready and with only a light cheese presence. • Tomato & Mozzarella Focaccia – Less successful; overly oily, heavy on cheese, and lacking in tomato. Needed some dabbing with napkins. • Pistachio Frangipane Brioche – Nicely presented, with pistachio pieces and a drizzle of honey. The toasted brioche worked well. One of the highlights. • Lemon Madeira Cake – Served donut-style with a lemon-lime cream substitute. Unfortunately, the vegan cream didn’t deliver the richness of dairy, though the flavour profile was pleasant. • Lemon Donut with Filling – Similar issue with the vegan cream; decent but not particularly memorable.

Prices are around the level of Gail’s Bakery, though unlike many competitors, there’s no surcharge for eating in. Seating outdoors can get chilly and is less comfortable, but inside has a cosy charm.

Service: Staff were friendly and welcoming.

Verdict: A charming Mediterranean-Turkish bakery with strong coffee, creative bakes, and friendly service. Some items hit the mark (pistachio brioche), others less so (overly oily focaccia, vegan cream fillings). Worth a visit if you’re in Holborn, especially for coffee and...

Ordered: Pistachio Affogato Chocolate Macoranado Iced Tiramisu

Description: Exceptional Pistachio Affogato. One of the rare establishments in London which use real pistachios in their drinks. It's not too sweet (whereas most pistachio-flavoured drinks are on the sweeter side) so for those who don't have a sweet tooth, this is the perfect balance between the rich flavour of the Pistachio,the Pistachio Cream and the espresso in the Affogato. Seriously recommend any of the Pistachio drinks here!

The Chocolate Macoranado was also soft and fluffy, with the generous Nutella filling being as indulgent and rewarding as you would hope for.

I'm experiencing the Iced Tiramisu as of the writing of this review and it's also been perfectly orchestrated. The drink does not use disappointing refrigerated Tiramisu as a topping to an espresso at all (as you may find in Tiramisu drinks from other cafés) and instead the entirety of the drink is completely Tiramisu! Which has been honestly delectable for me so far.

Service: After entering for the first time, you'll be greeted by the wonderful staff who are very welcoming and open-minded. You can tell they are genuinely happy to be here and to serve you in any way they can. Shout out to Dila for being incredibly smiley and thoughtful when answering questions and if you come often enough, you may even receive complimentary treats! (I just have 🫣).

When it comes to the menu, the prices are on the slightly more expensive side but worth every penny! If you're unsure, start off with the popular drinks like the Iced Tiramisu or Pistachio (Iced/Affogato) and then you'll understand what I mean after. 😉

Overall, it's a hidden gem! (Quite literally, you'll know when you arrive 😂).

You get what you pay...

I went to this cafe two days ago with two of my friends. I have celiac disease and assumed that they wouldn’t have any food that catered to me so I brought a gluten free sandwich from joe and the juice. My two friends each bought coffee and pastries. We sat outside for 30 minutes and when leaving I decided to order an iced coffee. I asked if the iced coffee was gluten free and she said yes. The tiramisu iced coffee was not on the menu, and after she started making my drink I asked if the standard iced coffee I ordered was the same as the tiramisu one. She rudely said “No, and I already started making your coffee” in an ‘you get what you’ get sort of way which I found strange as I was a paying customer and if I wanted another coffee I could simply pay £5 and get another one. Then, the man turned to me and stated “you brought outside food into my place.” in a very rude tone. This makes no logical sense because they could’ve told me not to bring outside food and I would’ve put it away and apologized, plus I was a paying customer because I bought a drink anyways. Joe and the Juice is also a chain so i’m sure that no one believed that my sandwich was from the cafe so I don’t understand his anger and how he can think it’s okay to speak to paying customers in that way. Considering that the cafe is not gluten free and inclusive they can’t expect me to buy a pastry or sandwich and I feel discriminated against for that. I’d say take your service elsewhere to somewhere who knows how to treat customers!! Unacceptable...