A bagel in Brick Lane

In a freezing October morning I was in Brick Lane (London) for a Market Walk run by Sandra Shevey, the journalist and writer author of John Lennon and - the only authorized - Marilyn Monroe biographies, and who changed her hobby into a special business and into a tourist attraction. It is definitely very interesting to listen to the history of some of the most coloured and enjoyable London markets, and even to some anecdotes about 20th century celebrities that she met in her life, you can feel as living in Beverly Hills in the 60s.
I was walking through the usual Sunday crowd in Brick Lane market, it was lunchtime, when Sandra suddenly asked me: "Have you ever tried a beigel?"
So we arrived at the Beigel Bake, a bakery/takeaway in the Whitechapel district (Brick Lane), where you can find all kinds of sandwiches and cakes, but actually it is a very special place to eat bagels.

We first had to stand in the cue, and when we entered I could look up at the small and (only at first sight) caotic bakery, and smell that bagel world.
When it was our turn I chose, for something more than £ 1, a smoked salmon with cheese bagel: the soft smoked salmon was trapped between two big, round and puffy parts of bread, spread with cream cheese, and I loved eating it standing outside in the crowd, but also enjoying something fast to eat which has nothing to do with usual fast-food.

The bakery also has a big offer of bread, sandwiches and pastries.

What makes the difference: the fast and nice staff who, in the very quickest way, helps you to choose what you prefer and smiles saying goodbye; the prices are very cheap.

Beigel Bake

159 Brick Lane, London, E1 6SB, UK

Our rating: 4 breads of the multiplication