While there are many St John Bakery postings from which to choose, the original shop on Maltby Street remains our favourite. Speaking of favourites, it's hard to compete with the bakery's best treat: the seasonal jam-filled doughnut. Order a half-dozen to go.

Make the pilgrimage to this American-inspired bakery on Wilton Way for a wedge of its irresistible ginger molasses cake and pick up a box of seasonal cupcakes with limited-edition buttercream toppings (the salted caramel is beyond good) from the counter on your way out.

From the New York kitchen that brought you cronuts (the infamous croissant-donut hybrid), Dominique Ansel Bakery's London posting tempts with trays of DKAs (that being "Dominique's Kouign Amann", a smaller version of the traditional Breton pastry, similar to a mini caramelised croissant) and cookie dough shot glasses filled with vanilla milk.

Detour to the Pavilion Bakery at the south end of Broadway Market each Saturday, stopping in for a loaf of wheat-free rye bread and a bag's worth of buttery croissants. With no seats inside, the Broadway Market branch is more grab-and-go; do the sit-down version at the Pavilion Café in Victoria Park.

Bypass the ground-floor kitchen and head subterra to the artisan bakery which specialises in dairy- and gluten-free breads, baguettes, cakes, pastries and viennoiserie. Sebastien Chiono, the Head Baker at the Arts Club in Mayfair, is the man in charge and he and his baking team are known for whipping up some of the best bespoke cakes in W1.

Get your matcha (and cake) fix at Kova Patisserie, an Asian bakery which specialises in handmade sweet treats with a Japanese twist. Its colourful mille crêpe (cakes composed of multiple layers of French crêpe with light custard filling in between) is positively scrumptious, while the strawberry shortcake and roll cakes are known to induce "yums".

Balthazar Boulangerie in Covent Garden boasts both chic Parisian interiors - think: gold-brushed walls and mosaiced floors - and a wide array of bread (it's A+ guys). It shoulders the Balthazar restaurant next door, so nab a street-view window and watch the world go by as you nibble on an apple-and-hazelnut galette to an eclectic soundtrack of blues and jazz.

One of our favourite Scandinavian imports, the Nordic Bakery's cinnamon buns are best paired with a strong coffee and a too-good-to-put-down novel. For a proper fika fix, seek out a corner table at the Soho branch - dark wood surrounds imbue pared-down Scandi-style.

From the team behind The Palomar and The Barbary comes Jacob the Angel (yes, that was meant to sound proclamatory). The coffee shop and bakery in Neal's Yard serves up sweet and savoury baked goods with worldly inspirations - try the tahini madeleines and the fluffy pumpkin-spiced crumble muffin.

Tucked away in a charming little courtyard behind Columbia Road, you'll find Londoners in their hordes queuing up at Lily Vanilli (which only opens on Sundays, in line with the Columbia Road Flower Market) for a sweet treat with a kick. Inside, the wooden counter laden with treats is likely to overwhelm; when in doubt, order its grapefruit and polenta cake.

Pastry chef Joakim Prat's South Kensington bakery presents a smorgasbord of choice - including a riff on the humble eclair. Opt for the delicately designed lemon meringue version or the decadent hazelnut-and-milk-chocolate variation, finished with a sprinkling of gold dust.

Created by Rose Carrarini and her husband Jean-Charles, Rose Bakery in Dover Street Market places its focus on organic ingredients. Scour the beautiful cake counter filled with an assortment of freshly baked cakes, biscuits and tarts, all made from scratch. Order the carrot cake - the bakery's version has reached cult status.

Set up shop for the afternoon at this airy former warehouse, whiling away the hours with tea and delicate slice of tart. When you're making a beeline for home, grab a loaf of Brick House's award-winning sourdough to pair with your poached-egg for breakfast the following morning.

For a hands-on bread extravaganza, head to Dalston's Dusty Knuckle for sandwiches, loaves, pastries, focaccia and the like. In the morning, sample freshly baked focaccia topped with an egg and pickled chilli, or at lunchtime sample warming soup with a savoury pastry (our favourite is the spinach and feta with dates and hazelnuts). If you'd like to get involved, book into the bakery school to learn how to knead, prove and shape the perfect dough.