In 2005, Claire Ptak left the pastry team at Alice Waters's Chez Panisse to join her future husband in Hackney, a then-dodgy part of East London. “There were interesting people living here,” she says. “But the food scene wasn’t happening yet.” As Hackney started to acquire a hipster polish, Ptak began peddling ginger-molasses cakes and coconut cupcakes from a stall in Broadway Market, just northeast of Shoreditch. A decade later, Saturday crowds pack the market, and Londoners vie for limited stools at Ptak’s Violet Bakery, a tiny café with creaky floors and addictive scones. The 41-year-old now juggles the bakery and her Broadway Market stall, but when she steps out for a bite, she never has far to go.
Where Claire Goes
Ptak’s top spots near her Hackney bakery.
Bao Bar A Taiwanese bun shop with six seats in Netil Market. Her order: steamed buns filled with braised pork or crispy daikon.
Climpson’s Arch This coffee bar becomes a restaurant at night, helmed by rotating resident chefs. “They always have great young chefs,” says Ptak. “It’s an amazing showcase for talent, and we love it because it’s super-casual and the kitchen is outside—a rare thing in London!”
Ellory “This is a grown-up restaurant with a serious wine list and refined English cooking.” Ptak’s favorite dish from of-the-moment chef Matthew Young: poached brill with sorrel butter.
Pinch A sliver of a bar (hence the name) with an Italian bent, it serves charcuterie, cheese, and “lots of great natural wines,” of which Ptak is a fan.