GAIL's Bakery Richmond

You'll find yourself weaving through the Richmond back streets to land at this spot, and it's worth the navigation. GAIL's has that rare quality of being genuinely busy without feeling like you've stumbled into a tourist trap—locals queue out the door for their sourdough, which has proper depth rather than just Instagram appeal. The space is compact and stripped-back, the kind of place where you're elbow-to-elbow with people who actually live round here, clutching their morning coffee and a croissant that still has butter seeping through the layers. It's the sort of neighbourhood bakery that makes you realise how many mediocre chains you've been settling for.