I’ve rarely spent time in Ealing. So when I found myself around the area, with a rumbling tummy and only 15 minutes to spare before I had another appointment, I went straight ahead to the first cafe I could spot.
This meant I ended up in Gail’s Bakery – a prevalent bakery/cafe I had passed by countless times in different areas of London but never actually stepped into before. Admittedly, I went in with a little scepticism because chain restaurants/cafes tend to let me down. Just something about quality control and consistency that I think chain restaurants don’t always successfully achieve.
Fortunately, my experience at Gail’s was wonderful. Upon entering the cafe, I was greeted by a beautiful array of pastries and cakes. They were incredibly tempting and I found myself pretty much wanting to order EVERY. SINGLE. THING. UNTIL my boyfriend who was with me reminded me about the promise I made myself to practice self-control. Ugh. In the end, I opted for the simple Blueberry buttermilk pancakes because 1. Pancake cravings. 2. Pancake wins every time.
Before diving into how it tasted, I’d have to say, I was impressed by how quickly it arrived! It was definitely a risk on my part to have ordered pancakes when I had only 15 minutes to spare but low and behold… the pancakes were on my table within 7 minutes. They came warm and freshly made, drizzled in a lovely blueberry compote topped with crème fraîche.
For £7.50, I thought the portion was just nice to keep me away from a massive food coma. The pancake itself was great although it was more of a dense and moist pancake than the usual fluffy pancake. Still, I very much enjoyed it.
I’m still a little bummed that I wasn’t able to dig into the pastries considering how they are said to be baked fresh every day but I suppose I will find myself in a frantic mode with 15 minutes to spare some time again.
Overall, I am just glad to have found a place I can rely on, for a quick and easy sit-down breakfast involving pancakes. I have never been about that pre-packaged sandwich life when I’m in a rush and I probably never will be. Hopefully the next time I’m in a rush, I’ll find another Gail’s Bakery just around the corner.
Until then…
Address: Unit 18 Dickens Yard, Longfield Ave, London W5 2TD
Fun fact: there are up to 50 Gail Bakeries in neighbourhoods in and around London.