Victoria Park Village 79 Lauriston Rd London, E9 7HJ 020 89860777 Expect to pay: around £3 per cake Loafing
Open for less than a year, Loafing sits perfectly in the gentile and ever so slightly twee surroundings of Victoria Park village in south Hackney.
A window display of tempting cakes, tarts and brownies draw you inside to the shabby chic interior and faultlessly low-fi background music.
If you decide to dine in, the service can be unpredictable. One visit saw my tea delivered with a smile in one of the quaint tea sets proudly displayed on the shelves, another time it was slammed on the table in a coffee cup with the tea bag still inside, sans milk or sugar.
These eccentricities are easily forgiven though. The cakes are of a consistently very high standard - special mention must be given to the luscious apple tart and the perfectly textured chocolate brownie. Monmouth coffee is served, and they will even try their hands at a Flat White.
Best of all though, you can choose to get your chosen treat packaged up in a dinky cardboard box and take it to the nearby park to enjoy as an indulgent picnic.
Words and photography by Andrea Wilson
