Restaurant in London, United Kingdom
Serious pastry, central London, no fuss.
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 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
| Venue | Cuisine | Awards | Booking Difficulty | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Keep this venue in your Pearl passport, rate it after you visit, and track it alongside every other place you collect.
