EAT THIS NOW! Bacon & Maple Swirl
Pophams Bakery, London Fields
Sweet, salty, piggy, crispy, flaky, sticky - this has got the lot.
Bacon & Maple Swirl - £6.50
The Dish
Admire the lamination and the sticky, shiny glaze on this generously-sized swirl of joy, because it won’t last long after the first bite. The pastry is exceptionally good - buttery, laminated into the most delicate of layers then baked to a deep, rich caramelised bronze - with locally-sourced, high-quality bacon, rich maple syrup and a perfect salty/sweet balance. Hangover, meet your nemesis.
The Other Dishes
Another front-runner in the Pophams icons race is their Marmite, Schlossberger cheese & spring onion swirl: unrepentantly savoury (albeit with a charred sweetness from the onions), with the signature enlivening umami notes of Marmite balanced with mellow nuttiness from the aged cheese.
There is always a seasonal custard Danish on the menu (this one was strawberry compote with a light goats cheese curd mousse), plus their spiced cardamom bun with orange and brown sugar, made from the off-cuts of croissant dough.
The full menu is below, including the weekend specials.
Pophams’ pastries are deservedly well-known, particularly locally, but in the evening the London Fields site transforms into a pasta restaurant that seems much more under the radar. It really shouldn’t be, as it is genuinely fabulous.
Their bakery credentials are evident, as with this croissant cracker tartlet with Taleggio and clementine marmalade - a one-bite wonder of crisp, buttery caramelised pastry, soft and creamy lactic tang, and sweet-zingy citrus.
Head chef Rae Arends is quietly turning out some of the most accomplished Italian cooking around. There are just five pasta mains, but this white asparagus risotto with sea purslane and bottarga was one of the sharing small plates on my recent visit (did I, in fact, share? No - not a chance). Oh, and the bowl of Nocarella olives comes piled high, by the way - great value for £4.
This was the high point of my meal; scarpinocc stuffed with mortadella, with peas and pistachio pesto. Scarpinocc is a slightly niche pasta shape from a village in Lombardy; the name comes from the Italian scarpa, meaning shoe, as the long shape generally has a single depression in it which is said to resemble an old-fashioned wooden shoe. Charmingly, these had been made with green pasta and had three depressions, so looked like little pea pods. The whole dish was so very pretty, summery and inviting.
The pasta was excellent; it is made daily in-house and the freshness was obvious. The scarpinocc were served with a pistachio and basil pesto, more delicately-flavoured than traditional pesto and so a better partner for the fresh, sweet flavours of the peas, and with a light scattering of pistachio rubble for texture. Ham and peas is a classic match and the mortadella filling played its part perfectly. If the menu wasn’t so seasonal I would come and eat this on repeat; instead, I’m just going to have to try the next inspired offering.
The Restaurant
Pophams is an artisanal bakery with locations in Islington and Victoria Park, but the restaurant is at the London Fields site; the overground station is a five-minute walk away.
There is plenty of outdoor seating for the summer months, where you can watch the world go by. This is the view from the restaurant; to the right there is an admittedly slightly less picturesque abandoned car wash under the railway arches, but that’s just enough grit to form the Hackney pearl that is London Fields.
Inside there is a semi-open kitchen where you can see the chefs at work at the back of the restaurant and a beautiful curved wooden counter at the front. There are many, many restaurants in East London featuring natural wood in an industrial space with exposed ductwork but somehow Pophams has transformed this with a soothing, zen-like ambiance. I can’t explain it, but just taking a seat at one of their candlelit tables is enough to drain all tension from your day. Try it, you’ll see.
My favourite table in the summer is probably the one along the wall outside. The wooden benches have curved wooden slats which are surprisingly comfy, whilst the wall gives you a back rest should you want one, making this prime people-watching spot one you can happily settle into.
Any down sides? Try not to go for pastries on a Sunday morning, or you’ll be queuing for a while. Also the pastries are so ridiculously light and flaky that each bite sends a small flurry of pastry shards all over your top (or perhaps that’s just me). Either way, both the queue and the mess are totally worth it.
The People
Founder and director Ollie Gould travelled around the world for seven years catering for Formula One teams before opening the original Islington site of Pophams late in 2017; London Fields opened two years later, with Executive Chef Phil King and Head Chef Rae Arends leading the restaurant team, then came a third site on the edge of Victoria Park in Hackney in 2022. Creative Director Lucy McWhirter also deserves a shout-out here, for the cool but comfortable design and the amazing vibe.
The Area
For local coffee shops, the answer is simple; stay in the bakery. Their coffee is from Ozone, true coffee obsessives in the best possible way.
Pub on the Park is mere minutes away if you’re looking to meet for a drink; it has a large outdoor terrace (just visible in this picture) overlooking London Fields where you can watch the East London locals dog-walking, cycling, picnicking, reading and generally chilling out under the trees.
Pophams Bakery: 97 Richmond Road, London E8 3NJ
A final word: please do comment below if you’ve been anywhere I have mentioned, if you have a dish you think I should try, or you just have something you’d like to say. One of the lovely things about Substack is the opportunity for this direct connection with your community, and I’d genuinely love to hear from you. Thank you!