Pophams Bakery

Laminated dough is the centre of gravity at this London bakery, where croissants and a house coffee blend do more work than anything on the lunch board.

Viennoiserie first

Pophams opened in 2017 with a stated aim to bring new flavour to viennoiserie, and that is still the craft it is judged on. Croissants and their variations lead the case, sourdough is the other staple, and the house approach pairs traditional lamination with combinations that change through the year. The result is a counter where familiar forms become the place to try an idea rather than a fixed repertoire. Several sites carry the same work across north and east London, including Islington, London Fields and Victoria Park, which gives the bakery a neighbourhood role rather than a single destination counter.

More than a croissant stop

Pastry anchors the offer, but the kitchen stretches further. A rotating list of seasonal dishes appears later in the day, and it changes often enough that the savoury side is never quite the same twice. Fresh pasta is the clearest signal that this is not only a morning bakery. Coffee is treated as part of the craft rather than an afterthought: the house blend was developed and roasted in partnership with Assembly Coffee, so the cup is chosen to sit with the lamination instead of simply filling a jug. Baked biscuits run across the sites in flavours such as chocolate and smoked sea salt, caramel shortbread, and peanut and cardamom. A homewares line adds ceramics, linens and glassware to the shelves, which is part of why Pophams reads as a small group rather than one counter.

Start with the laminated work

A croissant, or whatever seasonal viennoiserie has replaced it that week, is the most direct expression of the founding idea and the right first order. If bread is the reason for the visit, put sourdough in the bag alongside it. Pair either with the Assembly blend rather than defaulting to a takeaway cup, since the two were built to go together. Come back later in the day for the changing seasonal plates and the fresh pasta, which show a different side of the same kitchen. The rooms are informal and easy to sit in, closer to a neighbourhood gathering place than a pastry showroom, and a biscuit is the easy thing to add for the walk home.