Karma Bread Bakehouse — Restaurant in London

Bad Karma would be a better name here. Bad service. When ordering a breakfast that after 23 minutes had still not arrived even though no other food had left the kitchen since we sat down, the honourable thing to do is to admit that the order was forgotten and perhaps to offer a free coffee. Instead the waiter went to enquire and came back from the kitchen to say ‘they are doing it now - another 5 minutes’. When I suggested a few minutes later that perhaps he might offer us another coffee given we had finished ours, the manager intervened. Again instead of enquiring about it, it was suggested that I was being angry. Well sorry for breathing and for enquiring about the status of our breakfast and for a compensatory coffee. That is not angry. It was asked for perfectly calmly. But what does make an angry customer is the subsequent lies and deliberate deceit by a manager who refuses to accept that an error had been made. Absurdly as the food was delivered she offered a refund. I said no I don’t want a refund, but I suggest you offer another coffee. That wasn’t forthcoming and the staff and manager proceeded to giggle on. It’s not funny - it’s just bad service and very poor form. Never again visiting this place.

Here again, the owner has the same bad attitude as the manager as shown by the response. How does CCTV without sound show anything? I did not ‘demand’ a free coffee. I asked politely whether given the delay it might be offered. The tenor of the manager’s response was instantly confrontational. That wouldn’t be evident either from soundless CCTV. Instead of solving a problem the whole thing was escalated into an unpleasant couple of exchanges by a manager who asserted that ‘the kitchen was busy - we’ve had 25 orders’, which was plainly a lie. After eating the breakfasts I pointed out I didn’t appreciate being lied to. That’s not bullying either. Neither is ‘pointing a finger’ bullying. Your manager is clearly, despite her size, perfectly capable of standing her ground, even if that ground might be based on a misconceived notion of how to manage a cafe. From reviewing other reviews it also seems the owner develops a very bad and abusive attitude to bad reviews. Perhaps the owner needs to move out of customer service into something that doesn’t involve dealing with the public. Calling customers bullies or other things as evident in every other bad review isn’t sustainable for a small business. And the assertion about what other customers thought cannot be gleaned from CCTV either. So, I won’t be silenced by being called a bully, which I am not. I simply cannot...

KARMA BREAD: The Friendliest Bakery in London

A few days ago, after visiting my sick grandmother at the Royal Free Hospital, my sister and I left feeling quite down. On our way out, a kind lady from a nearby bakery, Karma Bread, offered us a bag of pastries. It lifted our spirits immediately. The bread was soft, and the pastries were mouth-watering, which my family devoured quickly. Despite the exhaustion, we all agreed the baked goods were delicious.

Two days later, I revisited Karma Bread before another hospital visit. Located just three minutes from the hospital, it’s a spot many people in similar situations frequent. I had a lovely conversation with the staff, who were used to interacting with people feeling low. My grandmother, who can’t eat gluten or dairy, was thrilled with the almond and orange cake they had for her. It was a sweet escape from the hospital food, and I highly recommend anyone visiting a loved one nearby to stop by Karma Bread for a treat.

A few days later, I returned for breakfast. I had a tuna and cucumber sandwich made with soft, freshly baked bread and a perfectly prepared decaf latte with beautiful coffee art. Afterward, I spent three hours drawing the café's interior, enjoying the warm, welcoming atmosphere, the smell of fresh coffee and bread, and conversations with the staff and patrons. The bakery is also an ideal spot to pick up bread for a picnic in nearby Hampstead Heath.

Despite a hand injury, I created some of my best artwork during this visit. The café’s inspiring ambiance pushed me to create, and once done, I left the drawing with them, feeling satisfied.

On my final visit, four days before my grandmother left the hospital, I sampled their hot food. The shakshuka was one of the best I’ve had in London, full of rich, exquisite flavors. Their bread and butter pudding, paired with a flawless latte, was creamy, soft, and perfectly heated.

In all my visits, I found the staff’s smiles, kindness, and excellent service uplifting. They make everyone feel like family. During my third visit, I was touched to see them celebrating a colleague’s birthday—just one more example of their warm, positive culture. While I don’t think they often give away free food, Karma Bread certainly spreads good karma, and I hope life rewards...

Tried this place today for the first time, despite living in the area for years. Even just for the look of their goodies alone, Karma Bread is worth a visit, especially after swinging by Starbucks around the corner. Compared to Starbucks' plastic-wrapped, insubstantial, chain-style, emergency 'foodettes', Karma Bread's cinnamon swirls and braided breads stood out like something out of a fairytale. Not the same size or format of your average cinnamon swirls either, in fact everything looked like bakery art of the higher end. Uniquely crafted. Giants among their peers. The Stonehenge of cinnamon swirls.

Alas, I didn't get to taste the one I had my eye on as by the time I was served they had all gone, but the chocolate croissant I tasted was soft and rich without being overly sweet, the perfect balance between tender and flaky. I ended up getting another for the morning. The egg and onion bagel was also excellent, hearty yet delicate and thoroughly satisfying.

Just before we left, we were offered a wonderful bread which i didn't thank the lady enough for. It turned out to be one of the best breads I've ever tasted. Aromatic but with flavours so harmoniously blended it's difficult to know exactly what's in it, fennel seed i think but something more, and especially perfect to the pinch, crunchy yet soft, yielding yet substantial just like real bread ought to be. Far superior to any loaf from the high end chain bakeries like Paul's or Gail's which, despite being very good, remain a little bland in flavour and are impossible to...