Gail’s

This is an amazing bakery. Don’t be put off by the fact that it’s a chain — it’s a cut above the rest! The mince pies at Xmas are delicious. And I highly recommend the potato & Rosemary bread, which they will slice for you on the spot. The recent addition of a lovely pre-​3pm brunch menu has really added to the appeal.
The only drawback about Gails Hampstead is the size. When it’s busy it’s very cramped and it’s not the most relaxing to sit with a coffee and a book, for example, because of your proximity to the queue. But if you hit a quiet time it’s nice.

Had a lovely here today… We had fresh salads with some breadsticks. Desert was carrot cake! All the food tasted fresh and healthy. The staff is very friendly however the shop is very small sometimes difficult to manœuvre…
Will visit again!

Great products but it’s like the staff are taught to be rude! They NEVER say ‘thank you’ they just stare at you when giving the change. Also lots of the people here aren’t British nationals and english isn’t their first language so you may find yourself reporting things three times and even you you saran’s understood. Also, I only just found out they have a loyalty card. I’ve been going there for a year and I’ve never been offered one. Bottom line is I resist going in there anymore even thought I like the stuff, because the staff make it too stressy.

An excellent bakery in Hampstead — fresh products and lots of yummy items to choose from. They make a delicious coffee as well. Slightly expensive, but well worth it for home-​baked pastries.

Pleasant choice for pastries in Hamstead (and across from Paul if you prefer London’s other nice bakery chain). Seating area is a little small so don’t count on finding a table on a weekend morning but service was efficient and there were a lot of attractive baked goods to choose from. My croissant was fine but didn’t meet the minimum freshness standards I have found to be the case in Paris.

It’s good. Really good. The bread, the food I mean.
No toilet, no friendly staff, no help to keep the doors open, so space to stand/​sit/​stroller…
Still, the best croissants, French bread, chicken sandwiches and pear-​tartlets!
I’ve been here over 30 times, and will keep coming. Even without the staff throwing me a smile!
Love the food.

For a chain bakery, they’re good but it’s really cramped in here and not a very pleasant experience. The couple of times I’ve been in here the staff have been fine but one time the selection of breads was really low and that was on a weekday around 11am. Would be nice if a proper local bakery would open instead of another chain.

If only everyday could be a Gail’s day!
Going to keep this review short and sweet!
Positives:
* Fresh selections of sandwiches, Turkey and emmental Sandwich= yummy.
* Great variation of both French and British pastries, i have only just recovered from my croissant pudding addiction. Which basically is your average croissant squashed together and then covered in a sugary caramel syrup which has been placed in a muffin mould ready to be consumed.
* Staff is friendly and quick.
Negatives:
* Everyday cant be a Gail’s day because it is quite expensive.
* I have only ever visited the Hampstead branch which on every occasion has been very busy and there has never been any free tables unless you want to wait around for up to 15min.

wow, i think i am giving out too many 5 stars in London.
The cinnamon bun was amazing! GET THAT, or else you can never say you enjoyed the best cinnamon in the world. Its better than the cinnamon bun from cinabon yes i am comparing it to a chain store, but thats what i grew up with. Soft cinnamon buns with extra frosting, but the cinnamon bun at gails, was absolutely fabulous.
Gosh, it looks like the uglies cinnamon bun in the world with a huge tail sticking out from the bottom, but its so good. Its like two different worlds combined into one bun, crispy on top, and soft gooey, cinnamoness on the bottom. How did the baker do this??? I dont know, i wish i had the recipe, so i can make this.
I don’t need the extra frosting! I have graduated from cinnamon bun school, no extra frosting needed.

Chocolate Cherry Scone?
Consumed with delight.
Cinnamon bun?
Died and went to to that crispy butter-​pastry induced happy place in the sky.
We are all lucky this is near the Royal Free Hospital’s cardiac centre.
Get the Cinnamon Roll/​Bun/​Thingie. You won’t be sorry. Yes, I’d tube it up to Hampstead just to get this item.

Oh Gail, I love you! (and i’m so sad Lizzie had a less than 5 star time!!)
Best chocolate cookie in London. Full stop.
Love the breads, great sandwiches, (ok, a little pricey if you eat in, but they’ll put your salad in a wooden bowl and serve it up with a smile?)
It’s becoming one of my fav places to trek to for lunch at work. Turkey & emmental sandwich lightly grilled is a massive win.

I’ll start by saying what it isn’t — this isn’t an equivalent to Islington’s Breakfast Club or other american-​style breakfast/​brunch hot spots, nor is it the english-​full-​plus/​upscale-​pub-​breakfast joint. Gail’s has a variety of hot breakfast options, sandwiches, great coffees, sweets, etc. (OMG carrot cake). It’s not the place necessarily to pig out on french toast nor stuff oneself with beans, but it’s a very nice, lighter middle ground between a bakery/​coffee shop and brunch restaurant.
Busy at times, be sure to find a seat before ordering as the large instructions request.
Very nice outdoor seating for sunny days, and great people watching on weekends as the market crowd walks past.

If you don’t get the salmon and orzo salad with wasabi dressing, I will take you to a balcony JUST to throw you off of it.
NUFF SAID.
I’ll take a less violent approach in this review and just say that you can’t lose here. Close your eyes, spin around, point to something edible (hopefully), buy it (not the person), eat it (well if they’re attractive), and it’ll be tasty (eh). With enough salt (lots of possible innuendos here).

Gail’s is a great bakery right off of Hampstead High Street. I found myself a bit disappointed with the sandwiches, but this place is fantastic for fresh bread and cakes. We often stop by on Saturdays to grab a quick bite and a cuppa. For lunch, I find myself alternating between Gail’s and Paul’s (which is right across the street). Gail’s, however, holds my personal award for the best brownie in town. Not to be missed!!!
Tip: If you’re making a trip to Hampstead to visit Gail’s, wait until September. Each year they put on an excellent garden party which is great fun and extends all the way from Hampstead High Street to Heath Street. You’ll find a huge assortment of baked goods, cakes, etc. from Gail’s. There will also be several local merchants that will travel to Hampstead to bring great cheeses, sausages, wines, and live music!

Leider hatte ich die englischen Beiträge zu Gail‘s vor meinem Besuch nicht gelesen — aber über eine Bäckerei stolpert man ja in der Regel auch eher zufällig. Und so kam es, dass ich das wunderschöné Hampstead erkundete und ein Schaufenster erblickte, in dem sich die wundervollen Auslagen geradezu stapelten.
Die Kuchen, Brote, Sandwiches, Pies etc. sehen und duften wunderbar und schmecken auch so. Und da Hampstead ja ein teures Pflaster in einer sowieso schon teuren Stadt ist, sind die Preise dementsprechend ein wenig schockierend für den ahnungslos herbeigeschlenderten Gast.
Zwei Sterne nur deshalb, weil es bei Gail‘s
a) Sitzplätze, aber keine Toiletten gibt (ein Unding, wie ich finde)
b) die Tische nicht so oft oder nicht so gut gereinigt werden oder beides zusammen
c) die Leckereien sehr gelungen, aber schlicht und einfach überteuert sind
d) die Bedienungen in der Tat den Servicegedanken wenn überhaupt nur ansatzweise verinnerlicht haben.
Mehr Sterne hätte ich vergeben, wenn ich das Gail‘s als reine Bäckerei zum Mitnehmen — also ohne Bedienservice, fehlende Toiletten etc. kennengelernt hätte.

SO cute. I literally stopped and stared at the pastries for a good minute when I first walked past. It has a charming little artisanal bakery/​patisserie feel (which it is, but they also have a few other outlets but much bigger).
Very good quality pastries/​cakes. I haven’t tried the breads yet but liking everything I tried.
Top service as well. Cutest café in Hampstead Heath.
Wish they have a branch in the south!

Booooo, boooo to you Gail’s and your greasy savouries. Now I held this place up high with all the Unilocal love it gets, to be mind blowingly awesome. Maybe that’s what you get when you go with super high expectations. I can here to buy some tit-​bits to complete a picnic over the weekend and after a recommendation from my friend we went for the veggie tart, goats cheese pizza, a fresh bread roll, chocolate tart and chocolate fondants. As you can see, my greedy little piggy eyes got the best of me and we went a little nuts.
Gathering the rest of our stuff and leaving the overcrowded and bustling café we headed to the heath to enjoy the treats. The café itself is okay, great outside seating for sunny days but the staff are a little pushy. So on to the treats, the bread is awesome… seriously fab and totally worth its fame and glory, the savoury treats are a well… greasy and actually I found them a bit bland. Don’t get me wrong, I still managed to gobble them down, I’d just rather waste my daily fat intake on something a little more tasty.
The cake however were lovely, a little on the rich side, but I think that was chocie rather than a mistake on the bakers part. It’s totally come back for cakes, they are good, not great but very good indeed.

All of the Gail’s locations offer amazingly delicious tarts, cakes, fresh baked bread and sandwiches. The Hampstead location is a perfect blend of small town, neighborly comfort and unbelievable bakery. it is my favorite place to visit on a Saturday morning. It’s busy on a regular basis, but the manager always takes the time to chat with every customer — she’s incredibly sweet.

Gail’s is an ambrosial artisan bakery that specialises in a wonderful selection of additive and preservative-​free breads and cakes. I can never resist popping into here on my way past and I’ve often persuaded people to drive here for me on a Sunday morning for the freshly baked muffins. They’re large and moist, filled with juicy berries or big chocolate chips with a perfect combination of dense cake with a crumbly top. Baked freshly in the morning you can get them whilst they’re still warm if you go early.
Their breads are best eaten the day of purchase and there’s something really special about taking home a paper wrapped loaf under your arm. The ‘French White Sourdough’ is a favourite of mine. I come here more often with their sweet pastries on my mind and Gail’s is the only bakery that I’ve found to sell Caneles (small French custard pastries) and they’re only £1! They also have a real flair for pastry and their ‘Chocolate Raspberry Tart’ has a rich, slightly bitter, smooth chocolate set in an irresistible pastry case, finished with a scattering of sharp fruits.
Simply delicious…

Gail’s is the best bakery, cake shop and café in Hampstead in my opinion. There’s a real family based feel to the place and a great local neighbourhood atmosphere which has something to do with its location in the beautiful Hampstead.
Gail’s prides itself on making breads that are 100% chemical free. They have a great selection of tasty breads such as their potato and rosemary sourdough. They also have piles of gorgeous cakes and pastries which are just melt in the mouth loveliness. They also do savoury snacks like sandwiches and soups all fitting in with their organic ethos.
The café is filled with the smells of freshly baked bread and coffee and i agree with Aline on the hot chocolate-it’s perfect! The layout of all of their creative treats is really enticing and at the minute they have some beautiful mince pies that have a great straight-​from-​the-​oven taste. I love it, i highly recommend popping in to Gail’s whether it’s just for a loaf of bread or to eat in i know you won’t be disappointed.

Hampstead is just such a pleasant place to be in, especially during the weekends when you can enjoy a decent meal, then pop into a café, and then maybe go for a relaxing walk on the heath. Gails is small with a distinct family atmosphere, filled with the smell freshly brewed coffee and freshly baked bread, with the most delicious selection of desserts piled on the counters. You can also enjoy pastries, sandwiches, hot soups and salads.
I last popped in for a cup of their hot chocolate. It was creamy and chocolaty, but not sickly sweet at all. It was just the right thing to sip on as I went on for my stroll along towards the heath.