Nordic Bakery
14a Golden Square Soho London W1F 9JG
Just a few steps and a world away from Piccadilly Circus, this spacious, pared-down Scandinavian café offers a peaceful retreat from the West End. Simple but stylish, some walls painted deep blue and some left as polished wood, it bothers your ears with no background music, and presents an ultra-short menu of Finnish treats that centres on gravadlax, pickled herring and the like. Some offerings, like the crowd-pleasing, fabulously sticky cinnamon buns, are substantial; others, like the delicate rye-bread sandwiches – dark in colour but light in texture – may leave you wanting more. If you’re hungry, try the little Karelian pies, filled with mashed potato or rice and egg, which are surprisingly filling. The minimalism can occasionally extend to somewhat brusque service from the blue-aproned staff, but whether you plan to linger over a high-quality coffee or grab a takeaway Jarlsberg cheese sandwich, it’s a welcome player on the Soho scene.
