Nordic Bakery (Marylebone)

Relatively hot off the press, and located right behind the heart of Marylebone High Street, is the second branch of Scandi coffee and cafe offering Nordic Bakery.

Marylebone is one of London's more interesting quarters, and has several good eateries and a few decent pubs, but for me has never had that many enticing coffee places. The Providores knock out a decent flattie, but you wouldn't pop in just for a coffee, and it's not that comfortable or relaxing to hang out in. I love the brunch, and the buzz is part of that, but it's a bit too cramped and once fed, I'm always happy to be on my way.

Quite surprisingly, Nordic Bakery feels extremely spacious, and less surprisngly, it's a very well designed space. The tables are huge, long communal ones with matching teak-y wooden benches - more dinner hall than cutesey 'pass the shared oversized jar of marmalade' nonsense. Moody grey floors and walls mix with wooden wall panels, red tiles and huge windows to create quite a towering effect.

We only stopped for coffee (standard filter, decent) and a quick snack. I had a slice of orange and poppy seed cake, and Piglet had some sort of eggy baked pancake with jam- both of a good standard too. My cake was a touch dry perhaps. Good crockery too, which is to be expected from a Scandi place in London.

I'd return with more of an appetite to try some of the dark rye smorrebrod open sarnies or the impressive pile of gleaming cinnamon rolls at the counter. Service was Scandi too; politely aloof and no worse for it. I liked it here, it's definitely the most chilled spot to refuel and rest the bones away from the madding Marylebone crowds.

Food – 6/10
Drink – 7/10
Service – 6/10
Value – 9/10 (can't remember exact prices, but coffee and cakes were around £2 each)
Tap water tales – N/A, not really expected for such a casual place 
Staff Hotness – 7/10 (bona fide brooding Scandinavians)

Nordic Bakery Marylebone
37b New Cavendish Street, W1

- Golden Square branch (new one not yet on Urbanspoon)