If you’re in the mood for starchy delights in London, I got you, whether it’s pizza in East London, the most delicious bread in West London, or cinnamon buns everywhere.

This time, let’s look for artisan bread in Belgravia.

Belgravia is a quiet, upscale neighbourhood (average house price: £3 million), dotted with lush private gardens, chocolate box pretty squares, and a lot of embassies. Walking around Belgravia is like walking inside a wedding cake, white stucco and curly decorations everywhere. It’s probably not as well known as its neighbours Westminster, Chelsea or Pimlico, but it does have some quiet delights.

So, lets’ talk about some Belgravia artisan bakeries and what’s on their menu.

Poilâne bakery

The first bakery on this list is iconic French artisan bakery Poilâne, famous for their pain Poilâne, a hefty wood-fired sourdough country bread. In France, you can find it in pretty much every Monoprix, if you can’t make the trip to the bakery in the Latin Quarter. In the UK, you can find it in larger Waitroses, if you’re lucky.

Even better, you can visit the bakery on Elizabeth Street, and take in the aroma of freshly baked bread.

The Poilâne shop in Belgravia is part bakery, and part upscale delicatessen. You’ll find the range of Poilâne breads: their signature sourdough boule, of course, but also rye bread in several versions, including a delicious one studded with raisins, walnut bread (try it with Brie, it’s heavenly!), milk bread that’s a far cry from the average tasteless supermarket bread. You can buy your bread unsliced, or they’ll slice it for you, if you prefer.

They sell cookies, too. What does it say about the French mind that the cookies are called punitions (punishment), I wonder? And if you’re looking for an authentic croissant or pain au chocolat, or a rustic apple tart, or a brioche (that most French of French bread!), this is where you’ll find them.

Poilâne also sells a carefully curated selection of French groceries (artisan jams, luxury butter, specialty chocolate…), and for a fast and tasty lunch, they have a range of sandwiches. There’s seating outside, so you can grab a coffee and indulge in people watching, a most fun exercise, since Elizabeth Street is pretty much Belgravia’s main shopping street.

Chestnut Bakery

Another bakery on Elizabeth Street, not far from Poilâne, is the Chestnut Bakery. You can’t miss it: its façade is decked in an explosion of pink flowers reminiscent of Instagram favourite Peggy Porschen.

The Chestnut Bakery does sell bread, but really, they’re all about the pastries, sweet and savoury, the sandwiches (including bagels), and the flatbreads.

Their croissants have won prizes, and their sandwiches are filled to the brim. Like Poilane, they sell pain au chocolat, and if that’s too pedestrian, why not try the chocolate Babka?

The pastry range is extensive and inventive: Kimchi monkey bread, anyone? Or mushroom truffle Danish, maybe? The flavours of the flatbreads are just as inventive, the “Burrata, Burnt Honey, Sesame & Fennel Seeds” is definitely one I want to try next.

Everything looks absolutely mouth-watering, though, so it’s undoubtedly a place to go back to. It’ll be a while before you’ve tried everything to figure out what your favourite is.

The Chestnut bakery is part shop and part casual restaurant, perfect for breakfast or brunch. Lovely space, too, and plenty of tables, though it does get busy at times.

And if you can’t make it to Belgravia, there’s a Chestnut Bakery branch in Covent Garden.

Bread Ahead Bakery

The final artisan bakery on this list is…well…not actually in Belgravia, strictly speaking, but it’s close enough. The Bread Ahead bakery is on the edges of the Chelsea/ Belgravia border, and it’s the perfect place to retire to after a shopping trip around Chelsea, especially if you visit the Conran shop, which is literally round the corner.

Like the Chestnut bakery, Bread Ahead is part bakery and part casual eatery with both indoor and outdoor seating (no umbrellas, alas).

Also like the Chestnut bakery, the breads are nice, but are not the main attraction here. There’s an enjoyable range of pastries, and a choice of coffees and teas, of course, but the star of the show here are pillowy milk bread rolls with distinctive fillings and plump doughnuts bursting with flavour. And sourdough pizzas, which you can buy whole or by the slice. I can confirm the pizzas are absolutely delicious! Huge slices, too.

Bread Ahead has branches in several London locations, including a spot in prime foodie spot Borough Market, as well bringing good bread to the far reaches of London with an outpost in Wembley and one in Bromley.

They also run courses: their bakery school has classes both online and in person, and you can follow an online cooking workshop.

Where to go from here?

If you fancy a bit of thrifting, I suggest a leisurely walk towards Pimlico and its many charity shops. If you’d rather stay in Chelsea, I highly recommend a gentle walk down the Kings Road, and do take in a visit to the World End second hand bookshop if you’re in the look-out for collectables.

Alternatively, why not explore Westminster, which is basically next door?