Babka

★★★★★

“The first and only time I had babka prior to this was when my coworker baked one and brought it in. It was decadent, chocolaty and ridiculously moreish, so I was expecting something similar. Perhaps that was her own recipe and variation, because the babka here unfortunately fell a little short for me; the chocolate marbling was scant, resulting in a rather plain slice of bread that lacked the richness I was hoping for. I’m no connoisseur, as I evidently don’t consume babka regularly, so all I can conclude is that the babka here didn’t suit my taste—but it was fine as a slice of bread. I wasn’t too keen on the cafe ambience, either. The decor was homely, but haphazard and somewhat cluttered. There were large bags of flour stored to the side and the babka was positioned directly behind me on a low table, which made me worry about accidentally contaminating it or knocking it to the floor, though they did eventually move the babka further away so it wasn’t so close to me. Moreover, the cafe was really quiet and would benefit from some soft music in the background to improve the atmosphere and make it feel warmer.”

★★★★★

“This is a quirky authentic cafe with high quality homemade baked goods like bread loaves, cinnamon buns, bagels, cookies and cakes. Serving great coffee from Throatpunch in Dalry, all in a cozy room where second hand books are also sold for a couple £. Pastrami bagels are my go to now, and I really enjoy the quietness of the place when I eat in.”

★★★★★

“Babka has garnered a reputation for having bagels rivalling that of New York from the Americans around town. After being persuaded to visit, I dropped by and enjoyed an emmental, pastrami and pickle bagel and their hazelnut brownies, and was not disappointed. Their bagel bread is soft but doesn't get soggy, and the contents are balanced very well without one flavour dominating. Highly recommended and well worth the NY endorsement.”