GAILs Bakery Highgate - (Near Haringey, South East)

1 /5 Jeremy Melvin: I buy cakes and tea quite regularly at Gails and generally find the quality all right and the service reasonable. Some of the staff recognise me. Today, however, I had a much more negative experience. Shortly before 4.30 I went in, waited some time for the serving staff to finish their conversation before deigning to address me (I have a visible disability), and then told me the tea for which I asked would be in a takeaway cup. Is that all right? I answered that it would not be all right and asked why they were not serving it in proper utensils. They didnt have any teapots, they opined. This is poor management. The shop was not full and at a quick glance most of the customers were not using teapots. Either the shop does not have enough to serve even in relatively quiet times or the staff were simply not washing up what they had. Neither is compatible with a premium brand which at its best Gails can claim, but any slackening of service quickly undermines that, Furthermore, even at 4.30 the choice of cakes was poor... but then it is Christmas and there is unlikely to be any custom for them... Again poor management planning.

5 /5 Kimmen Sjolander: I live in Amsterdam, but have been staying in Highgate during a visit to London, and have come daily to this cafe to write in my journal. People who criticize the food or the baked goods must be very hard to please. Ive tried several of the offerings, and they have all been great. The tea comes in large pots, well-insulated, so that it stays hot, and the tea (Ive ordered Early Grey) is high quality. The espresso drinks are also excellent. But what makes this place really special is that it is clearly a "third place" -- a neighborhood hangout, complete with parents bringing young children, locals coming to socialize or work, and the random tourist (like me, or the Italian mother and daughter next to me this morning). Its bright and cheerful and has gorgeous wood tables and wood floors and big windows that overlook the Highgate High Street. The staff are friendly and warm. This is exactly the kind of place that enables real community. I love it. There should be more places just like this. Bravo to the owners.

2 /5 Liz: Very disappointed. Gentleman who served me was disinterested at best. Pastry was fresh but appeared to be missing some of the edging along one side. I would not recommend.

1 /5 x h: This is the fourth time I’ve bought bread here and found it cut in the most bizarre way. It’s been sliced both across and sideways, like someone couldn’t decide which direction to go. Some people might want half a loaf, sure, but this just makes a mess of the whole thing. It ruins the shape, the slices are uneven, and it feels careless for a bakery that claims to care about quality. Disappointing, especially given the price.

5 /5 Robert Binkowski: The atmosphere was very nice and the service was great. It is a great place if you want to have a cosy friends gathering or do some work/study there. The standout was the selection in pastries that blew our expectations and the coffies were great.