Ole & Steen — Restaurant in London

Walking down Haymarket towards Charring Cross (avoiding climate protestors for how many times; I lost count), I was drawn once again to the window of Ole & Steen Lagkagehuset, a Danish bakery, which I’ve always wanted to go into as the cakes on display look heavenly. I’m usually passing by with a friend on the way to watch a theatre show, and this friend has an unhealthy obsession with Café Concerto, so I’ve never successfully managed to persuade her to let me sample these cakes. Well, I was by myself and hadn’t had lunch so I ventured inside. You know how in a bakery something usually leaps out at you and you opt for that (by that I mean two cakes and a large hot sausage roll)? Well, almost every cake in this bakery leapt out at me, a Klaxon was sounding in my head and my eyes popped out on stalks. I decided I had to narrow it down to three cakes as how could I eat more than three? I love a moist chocolate brownie so went for one with walnuts. A brownie has to be rich and moist and on the train home (it was rather busy and the cake box was taking up the seat next to me so I started eating them as a favour to passengers who may wish to be seated) I devoured a large, delicious, rich and moist brownie. Could the Peanut pie slice that was sitting in the box be as delicious as that brownie I asked myself? Perhaps eat half and save the rest for when I was home? Temptation got the better of me and I bite into another rich brownie base with chocolate, caramel and peanuts on top. Oh my God. It was amazing and I soon found myself being unable to resist leaving any of it. By now I had over indulged and there was no way I could manage the Truffle log I had also chosen. I have a memory of a sieve and completely forgot about how amazing those cakes were, until tonight when I took the Truffle log out of the fridge and thought I’d better eat this now. Once again I was in food heaven. Another rich cake Chocolate/marzipan paste with rum essence, covered in butter cream and rolled in marzipan. Take me back to Ole & Steen please! If you like really rich and naughty cakes, you know exactly where to find...

READ BEFORE YOU GO: Don't be fooled by the decor. Hands down one of the worst experiences I have ever had in terms of customer service, which I'm normally oblivious to. First server was lovely and helpful, as we asked for a cheese toastie which wasn't explicitly on the menu but they did ham&cheese so not a stretch to make one sans ham (as bakery rolls were assembled in the kitchen seemed easy enough to do) as well as 2x coffees and 2x bacon& egg rolls. It was 9.30am and they had run out of bacon. So we had 2x salmon/avo/egg on toast. Despite it being quiet, we waited 15 mins for our coffee and because the barista called out our drinks separately (they were ordered together), a lady who'd been behind us in the queue picked one of ours up. I asked the barista if it was ours and he dismissively waved me away saying he'd already given it to someone and seemed annoyed I hadn't been telepathic. Who calls out INDIVIDUAL drinks on one order? Our breakfast arrived after 20 minutes with the waitress saying they'd got the number wrong for our table, thus the breakfast had gone stone cold. Toastie nowhere to be seen so we asked politely if the toastie was coming and she seemed mystified, she said we hadn't ordered one and anyway they couldn't make a cheese toastie, despite my mum having being charged on her receipt. Manner of the server was quite surly and derogatory and denied we had even ordered one. She saw the receipt and even tried to charge us AGAIN! Eventually got a ham&Cheese toastie from the counter display with the ham literally taken out of it, couldn't quite believe it for a swanky vibes London brunch cafe. Abysmal. Only bonus was the poached eggs were perfect had they not...

As someone who generally sticks to Costa due to their vouchers, I recently found myself visiting Ole & Steen, a coffee shop that I would describe as more upscale than my usual haunt. I was pleasantly surprised by my experience there.

Upon entering, I immediately noticed the clean, modern atmosphere, which was quite inviting. The ambiance was pleasant and relaxing, and the staff were friendly and approachable. I would like to give a special mention to Jolie, a staff member who was not only helpful but also genuinely fun to interact with. Her cheerful demeanor made the visit even more enjoyable.

The pastries on display looked absolutely scrumptious, and I couldn't resist indulging in one. I'm happy to report that it tasted just as good as it looked. Accompanying my pastry, I ordered a latte, which was also quite enjoyable. My friends and I found a bench to sit on while we savored our coffees, making for a delightful break during our day.

While I don't see myself becoming a regular at Ole & Steen due to my budget-conscious habits, I must admit that it was a nice change of pace. The welcoming atmosphere, friendly staff, and tasty offerings made it a worthwhile visit. If you find yourself passing by and fancy a treat, Ole & Steen is a great option for a special...