GAIL's Bakery Elephant Park

You walk into Sayer Street and immediately clock the GAIL's signage—it's become that spot where locals queue without resenting it, which is basically the highest compliment a bakery can get. The Elephant Park location gives this place a different energy than their other branches; it's caught between being a neighbourhood fixture and a destination, and it pulls off both. You'll find yourself coming back for the sourdough (properly fermented, properly good), the croissants that actually justify the £2.50 price tag, and whatever seasonal specials they've got going. There's something genuinely pleasant about having decent bread in SE17.