Restaurant in London, United Kingdom

Lanka

Name: Lanka
Address: 21 Kingly St, Carnaby, London W1B 5QA, United Kingdom, London, GB
Telephone: +44 20 3815 4201

130Pearl Points

Serious pastry, central London, no fuss.

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About Lanka

Lanka on Kingly Street is a two-time OAD Cheap Eats in Europe-ranked pastry shop under chef Masayuki Hara, with a 4.5-star Google score across nearly 1,900 reviews. It is the practical choice for a credentialed weekend brunch or afternoon pastry stop in Carnaby — easy to access, no formal booking required, and priced to match the format.

Lanka, Carnaby: Worth Booking for Weekend Pastries in Central London

Lanka is the right answer if you want serious pastry work in a central London location without the formality or price tag of a destination restaurant. Ranked #121 on Opinionated About Dining's Cheap Eats in Europe list in 2024 and climbing to #139 in 2025 — a respected benchmark that signals consistent quality rather than a one-season moment — this Kingly Street spot under chef Masayuki Hara has built a following that its 4.5-star Google rating across nearly 1,900 reviews confirms is broad-based, not niche.

The Weekend and Brunch Case for Lanka

Saturday and Sunday are the clearest argument for visiting. Lanka opens at 10 am on both weekend days, which makes it one of the more practical morning options in the Carnaby area. The extended weekend hours , Saturday runs to 10 pm, Sunday to 9 pm , mean you are not racing against an early close if you arrive late morning or treat it as an afternoon stop. For a special-occasion brunch or a deliberate weekend treat, the combination of OAD recognition and a Google score maintained over a significant review volume makes Lanka a more reliable bet than the many unmarked cafés competing for the same footfall on Carnaby Street and its surrounding lanes.

The weekday window opens at noon Monday through Friday, closing at 10 pm each night, which positions Lanka as a viable late-afternoon or post-work destination through the week. If your schedule is flexible, a weekday visit between 12 pm and 3 pm will typically mean a quieter room than the weekend rush , useful context if you are planning a quieter celebratory occasion rather than a casual drop-in.

Booking and Logistics

Lanka is direct to access: 21 Kingly St sits in the Carnaby area of Soho, easily walkable from Oxford Circus and Piccadilly Circus. Booking difficulty is rated Easy, and given the pastry shop format, walk-ins are a realistic option on most visits. Weekend mornings are the exception , OAD recognition draws informed visitors, and Saturday from 10 am to 1 pm is the window most likely to see a queue or a full room. If you are planning a special morning occasion, arriving closer to opening or timing a weekday visit removes that variable entirely.

No booking phone or website is listed in the current venue data, so the practical approach is to visit directly. For groups or any visit where timing matters, arriving at or near opening is the safest strategy. Chef Masayuki Hara runs the kitchen, and the OAD Cheap Eats ranking signals that the price point stays accessible even as the technical level draws serious attention from food-focused audiences.

What the Awards Mean for Your Decision

Two consecutive years on the OAD Cheap Eats in Europe list is a meaningful credential. Opinionated About Dining draws on a concentrated pool of serious restaurant-goers, and a Cheap Eats ranking confirms that the quality-to-price ratio is the point, not an afterthought. Lanka is not trying to compete with London's tasting-menu pastry counters. It is competing on the value end of a specialist category, and two consecutive rankings confirm it is winning that competition. For visitors who want a credentialed pastry experience without committing to a full restaurant booking or a high per-head spend, Lanka makes a strong practical case.

If you are building a London food itinerary and want to understand how Lanka fits alongside the city's broader dining scene, our full London restaurants guide covers the range from spots like this to full tasting-menu destinations. For bars nearby, the London bars guide is a useful companion, and the London hotels guide covers where to stay if you are visiting from outside the city.

Lanka in the Broader Pastry Context

For a sense of how Lanka sits within the wider pastry shop category internationally, Conditori La Glace in Copenhagen represents a long-established European benchmark in the format, and Floriole Cafe & Bakery in Chicago is a well-regarded North American reference point. Lanka's OAD placement means it belongs in that conversation as a current, actively-reviewed performer rather than a legacy name.

Frequently Asked Questions

What should I wear to Lanka?

No dress code applies at a pastry shop format. Come as you are — casual clothes are entirely appropriate at Lanka on Kingly St. The OAD Cheap Eats listing signals a relaxed, accessible operation rather than a formal dining room.

Can I eat at the bar at Lanka?

Seating format details aren't confirmed in available venue data. Given the pastry shop format and the Carnaby Street footprint at 21 Kingly St, expect counter or café-style seating rather than a conventional restaurant bar. Visit during off-peak weekday hours if seating is a priority.

How far ahead should I book Lanka?

Walk-in is the most likely format for a pastry shop operation at this address. No reservations system is documented for Lanka, so arriving early — especially on weekends when doors open at 10am — is the practical move rather than booking ahead.

What are alternatives to Lanka in London?

For OAD-recognised pastry and casual daytime eating in central London, Lanka's Carnaby location is well-placed, but Pâtisserie Lulu in Notting Hill and the Dominique Ansel Bakery in Belgravia cover similar territory. If you're after a more structured café experience, Bageriet in Covent Garden is worth considering for Scandinavian-influenced pastry work.

Is Lanka good for a special occasion?

Not the natural choice for a milestone dinner — the pastry shop format suits casual treats, weekend brunch, or an afternoon stop rather than a celebratory meal. That said, two consecutive years on the OAD Cheap Eats in Europe list (ranked #121 in 2024, #139 in 2025) make it a credible choice if the occasion is specifically about quality pastry.

Is lunch or dinner better at Lanka?

Weekend mornings from 10am are the clearest argument for visiting — pastry shops generally perform best when product is freshest early in the day. Lunch slots from 12pm are available across the full week. Evening visits up to 10pm (9pm Sundays) are an option, but a pastry-focused operation typically has its strongest selection earlier in the day.

Does Lanka handle dietary restrictions?

No dietary restriction information is documented for Lanka. For anyone with allergies or specific requirements, contacting the venue directly via their Kingly Street address before visiting is the sensible step — pastry kitchens commonly use nuts, gluten, and dairy across their range.

Location

21 Kingly St, Carnaby, London W1B 5QA, United Kingdom

London, United Kingdom

Compare Lanka

The Complete Picture: Lanka and Peers

Venue	Cuisine	Awards	Booking Difficulty
Lanka	Pastry Shop	Opinionated About Dining Cheap Eats in Europe Ranked #139 (2025); Opinionated About Dining Cheap Eats in Europe Ranked #121 (2024)	Easy
CORE by Clare Smyth	Modern British	Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best	Unknown
Restaurant Gordon Ramsay	Contemporary European, French	Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best	Unknown
Sketch, The Lecture Room and Library	Modern French	Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best	Unknown
The Ledbury	Modern European, Modern Cuisine	Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best	Unknown
Dinner by Heston Blumenthal	Modern British, Traditional British	Michelin 2 Star, World's 50 Best	Unknown

What to weigh when choosing between Lanka and alternatives.

Also Consider

CORE by Clare Smyth, Modern British, ££££
Restaurant Gordon Ramsay, Contemporary European, French, ££££
Sketch, The Lecture Room and Library, Modern French, ££££
The Ledbury, Modern European, Modern Cuisine, ££££
Dinner by Heston Blumenthal, Modern British, Traditional British, ££££

Lanka and the comparison venues listed here operate in completely different tiers, which is the most useful thing to know before deciding where to book. CORE by Clare Smyth, Restaurant Gordon Ramsay, Sketch, The Lecture Room and Library, The Ledbury, and Dinner by Heston Blumenthal are all ££££ tasting-menu or à la carte fine dining destinations requiring advance booking, often weeks or months out, and a serious per-head commitment. Lanka is an OAD-ranked pastry shop where walk-ins are realistic and the price point stays accessible. These are not substitutes for each other.

If your decision is between Lanka and one of those five venues, the real question is what kind of visit you are planning. For a celebratory dinner, a business meal, or a full special-occasion evening, any of the ££££ options will deliver a more complete experience, CORE and The Ledbury in particular have strong reputations for both food quality and service depth. For a weekend brunch, an afternoon treat, or a lower-commitment central London stop with genuine credentials behind it, Lanka is the more practical choice and none of the comparison venues serve that function.

Within the pastry shop and accessible café category specifically, Lanka's two consecutive OAD Cheap Eats rankings place it ahead of most unmarked competition in the Carnaby and Soho area. For international points of reference in the format, Conditori La Glace in Copenhagen and Floriole Cafe & Bakery in Chicago are peers worth knowing. For the full range of London dining options across all tiers, the London restaurants guide gives the clearest picture of where Lanka sits relative to the city as a whole.