When Kuro Coffee first opened, I immediately rated them as one of the top coffee spots in Notting Hill. As it continues to gain popularity among locals, they are now expanding its brand with the opening of Kuro Bakery and Kuro Eatery, all one next to the other! Kuro Bakery is situated along the main Notting Hill Gate Road, replacing the former Kuro Kiosk (an indie magazine shop). There are no seats in the bakery and it’s more of a grab-and-go / takeaway spot. If you want seats, simply turn the corner to their sibling sites, i.e. Kuro Coffee or Kuro Eatery.
Kuro Bakery: Inspired by Japanese Minimalism
Similar to its sibling sites, Kuro Bakery follows a Japanese minimalistic interior style and features a light wooden theme around the shop. It’s a small space and you’d be immediately greeted by an alluring display of different pastries & bakery goods at the counter as you step through the doors.
Aside from classic sourdough and pastries, the bakery continues the Japanese-influenced theme and also serves the likes of Shokupan and other Japanese-inspired pastry creations. Kuro Bakery is headed up by Nicolas Ruty, a third-generation French baker with quite a stellar resume including his experience as a bakery manager at Boulangerie de Paris London and head baker at The Savoy.
The Food at Kuro Bakery (what we ordered)
Date of visit: Jan 2023
Vanilla Sakuro (£5)
The Sakuro is Kuro Bakery’s own take on the New York viral supreme croissant. It comes in either chocolate or vanilla filling and I’d recommend the latter. Whilst a little smaller than the original supreme croissants, the round-shaped pastry was still a delight to savour. The pastry was beautifully laminated and lightly coated with sugar, filled with delicate & velvety vanilla custard that features little dots of vanilla seed nestling in there. The pastry-to-filling ratio was fairly spot on – not too much where it gets too messy to eat, and not too stingy either! Though that being said, £5 a piece is slightly overpriced for the size you get.
Pain Au Chocolat (£3.10)
Whilst I’ve heard mixed reviews about their croissants, I must say I had a really good experience with the Pain Au Chocolat! Upon the first bite, I realised that this was certainly among some of the best Pain Au Chocolats in the area. The pastry was wonderfully laminated, featuring fluffy layers upon layers and oozing buttery flavours. The amount of chocolate was just right as well and offers a slight bite to the pastry. I couldn’t imagine a better start to the day than to enjoy this with a cup of freshly-brewed coffee.
Review Summary
There was never any doubt about Kuro Bakery and it has totally lived up to my expectations. It is no surprise that this shop, along with its whole brand, has become a local favourite. Whilst Kuro Coffee is only 30 seconds around the corner, I still personally think they should have some drinks offering at the bakery. If one were to do a quick pop-in during their morning commute, it would make more sense to be able to have both pastry & coffee in one place. Whereas Kuro Coffee can lean more into a sit-down coffee shop vibe. It just seems to make more sense this way, in my personal opinion.
Looking for more bakeries in London? Check these out too:
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Kuro Bakery Information
Nearest station: Notting Hill Gate
Website: https://kuro-london.com/
Instagram: kuro__london
