The Spence Bakery — Restaurant in London

⭐ Review for Spence Café, Church Street ⭐

As a local living just around the corner, I’ve always made the effort to support independent businesses on Church Street. I buy my coffee, I order food, and I’ve even gone between the bakery and parlour to keep my custom local.

That’s why I find Spence Café’s attitude so disappointing. It’s the only place in the area where staff come out and tell you what you can’t do — even after you’ve paid for coffee or food. No other café or bakery around here is so fussy or unwelcoming.

During a cost-of-living crisis, when loyal locals are spending their hard-earned money to keep small businesses alive, the last thing we should face is being made to feel unwelcome. It’s disgusting behaviour and completely out of touch with the community that keeps them open.

Other cafés nearby manage to treat their customers with respect, flexibility and gratitude. Spence should take note: without the support of locals, they wouldn’t even be here in the first place.

Until the attitude changes, I won’t be recommending Spence — and I’d warn others to think twice before supporting a place that doesn’t value its customers. Or supports...

The Spence is a small sweet bakery right on Church St that sells astonishingly good bread. There's straight up sourdough, rye and wholewheat, or, if you want something different, little flavoured loaves (these seem to change depending on what day you go in, but last time it was pumpkin).

There's also so-so takeaway coffee (too milky for my liking), some tasty unusual cakes and biscuits (like the snowball, a chocolate cookie full of jam) and the famed chorizo bread. This recipe seems to vary but, right now, it's a warm hotdog-like roll full of chorizo - the perfect portable snack. It's delicious nd will leave you with sticky fingers and a sense of slight guilt.

Being right on Church St, there's usually at least one enormous pram in the way and it can get a little packed on weekend mornings or during the school run.

There aren't any tables (only outside seating and benches with stools) so, if it's settling in you're after, you might be better off crossing the road to the other Spence, which is much bigger and has more food options. Not less kids though. We are in...

I absolutely adore this place, and make a bi weekly pilgrimage here for baked goods and good coffee. You have to get their before lunchtime on the weekend if you want any of the good loafs. It's perfect for a quick takeaway roll to eat on the go, and a loaf to take home. The bacon and egg seeded rolls are a must have. It's no frills, straightforward food, something that Stoke Newington now lacks with all the gentrified and overpriced cafes and restaurants that are more style over substance. The Sourdough loaf here is probably the best I've had in London, even so much that local cafes call it out on their menu, as they are proud to serve Spence. I can thoroughly recommend this place as the best bakery, with simple and straightforward bites to eat. It has a vibey, if sometimes overcrowded atmosphere.. But this is testament to its...