Stanley & Ramona

Honestly one of the best pain au raisins I’ve ever had (and that includes ones I’ve had in Paris)! The key difference is the pastry is just ever so slightly spiced, including I think whatever the raisins were soaked in, and that just makes the flavours really pop. Coffee is fantastic too! Update: I literally dreamed about this place last night, if you need any more evidence!

The cinnamon buns are dangerously delicious, and (thank all the gods), they just happen not to contain anything animal, which means I can eat them and not just stare at them. Incredible. Fluffy, with an ever so slightly crispy top, and just the right amount of sugar crystal whatnots to give an occasional crunch. Perfect balance of cardamom and cinnamon, fluffy, light, and perfect in every way. I'd ideally like to be handed a bag of six on a daily basis, and by six I mean twenty.

I love this place. Love, love, love. The two folks who run it are really friendly, their coffee is really good and changes occasionally, their cakes though. The cakes are where it's at. They have some they get in from elsewhere like croissants etc from the Haxby bakery but if you're going to S&R don't get those - get their babka buns in the morning if they still have any. They're like sweet bread rolls all twisted up with sugary syrup and they look like they'll be dry but they are so soft and squishy, tearing them apart is delightful. They're vegan too, and they have a huge range of vegan cakes, muffins, etc. They do sandwiches but I've not tried those because cake!