FORNO in Hackney

Amazing focaccia barese! And lovely atmosphere with the open kitchen, it’s so nice to see the bakers at work!

How wrong was I in thinking about this place from the few benches kept outside and their entrance. Heard about the Forno bakery so travelled 6 miles to have my weekend coffee and bakery. Once I entered the place, it just blew away my mind. So vibrant, perfect music (check out the pic of their speakers), tables with under seat charging points, amazing atmosphere etc etc. You will see the happiness on each of the 15+ tables/40ish chairs. Don't ask me about food - I am salivating as I write this sentence. So yummy, tasty, perfect blend of flavours, ooh la la. The PERFECT place for a coffee. How many more days for next weekend? I am waiting to go there many more times to have 2 hrs of happy weekend.

Great service! The cashier was one of the kindest person i’ve met in my life. She was so nice and despite of the queue, the service was very fast. And the Maritozzo…it was so delicious, I’m still dreaming about it 😍

Great pastries (lemon curd bun on the photo was very nice) and cakes, decent coffee, few Italian drinks and produce.

Me and my friend tried the Veneziana and It was DELICIOUS! We'll definitely come back. Perfect spot for a pastry after a parkrun as well!

We grabbed some take away, the margherita pizzetta is a 10/10! Everything in general is really good, nice customer service and the place is so cute! The prices tho are a bit too high, but 100% worth it!

Nice bakery with friendly service

Buns did not taste fresh, coffee wasn’t great too.

SLOP: Founded by the team behind Ombra across the road, it’s a stunningly good bakery, deli and pastificio -- even in a city which increasingly runs its European neighbours for their money on baked goods, Forno manages to stand out. Influenced by chef Mitshel’s upbringing in Italy, it has very quickly and very deservedly become a Hackney mainstay -- one of the few bakeries where the queue is very much worth the wait. We’ll be serving up their brilliant focaccia pizza on the night to keep everyone’s hunger at bay and everyone happy. We can’t wait to get our hands on it.

Not your conventional pizza but best pizza ever! Crunchy and crispy. Great coffee and great pastries

The maritozzo was stunning - so light and fluffy, and not as rich as it looks! The chocolate pastry, on the other hand, was a little too heavy for us. The coffee served was wonderful!

Visited Friday afternoon, the queues were quite long and it did take a bit to get the pizza, think they were just making more. It was however worth the wait, crispy base and delicious toppings, the tiramisu was also extremely good and they have a lot of Italian food and drinks available to buy as well as the freshly cooked food, drinks are alcoholic and non alcoholic, fresh pasta, sausage, panetone, bread and more. The tables inside were full, we chose to get takeaway as it was a sunny day. Highly recommend if you're around!

It’s shameful and quite far off for food “influencers” to lay claim on disobeying london’s best bakeries when they fail spectacularly to include FORNO. I am quite troubled to learn I held a bias myself, overlooking this delight in favour of other bakeries that garner the attention of the many. Well, a blood orange jam almond croissant almost instantly launched me in a new world that promises a new kind of perfection. The kind that tends toward absolute truth. It was phenomenal. It may have been the flour, the jam itself, the precision of ingredients, the quality of the ingredients or a blend of all of this. By jove, did I feel it delivered. The pizza was fantastic too (I usually find any kind of pizza very average but this was sublime).I am so glad to have shared this with a friend of mine who relayed horror stories at such a time when I could be comforted by achingly velvety creams and crisp pastries. What a grand bakery,I wish I lived in east London 😢

Super super cute and delicious pastries (uh, and pizza!)

we loved the hazelnut croissant , it was very good. Place was very crowded on sunday. Hardly found a place to sit.

It's a joke how good their pastries are

Fabulous bakery near London Fields! While the maritozzos are especially famous on Insta (and they are delicious!), I also really liked their sausage rolls and coffee.

If you don’t get a Maritozzi (cream bun), have you even been to FORNO? Everything else is top-notch too, don’t get me wrong, but those buns live rent free in my head. Great espresso too.

Picked up an order for a galette des rois. Big queue but staff is handling it well. Galette des rois was fantastic! One of the best I’ve had, filled to the brim with almond frangipane.

Coffee: the coffee itself is a little bit more on the acidic side, which I don’t prefer, but they’re well made. The cappuccinos come with shaved dark chocolate which I really like Pastries and pizza: the pastries are consistently pretty good. My favourite is the gálette de rois which is unfortunately seasonal (especially the chocolate and pear one)…have had a few disappointing cornettos (pistachio filled one didn’t have a lot of filling and it was too custardy rather than pistachio flavoured) but overall the pastries are good. The bread and focaccia/pizza slices are good though I’d say the latter are bit overpriced Ambiance: staff can be hit or miss and friendliness, and sometimes aren’t too attentive. I like the but open space & it’s nice to be able to see the bakers doing what they do! There’s plenty of space and love it’s next to the canals. No wifi but they allow laptops during off peak hours

We pre-ordered a galette des rois for pick-up from 12pm. We arrived at 12:45pm and were told it wouldn’t be ready for 15 minutes - no real apology and only explanation was that they were busy that day. In the end, it wasn’t ready until 1:15pm, so we waited there for 30 minutes. The lack of proper communication was frustrating. Busyness doesn’t explain why something that was supposed to be ready at 12pm was only ready at 1:15pm - the counter was full of other baked goods, so it just seems like a case of bad planning. Otherwise, if a mistake had been made, then it would’ve been better if they were just honest about it.

Delicious coffee and croissants !

Loved FORNO! The apple tart was out of this world. Would definitely come back to try more of their baked goods.

I frequently pass by Forno on my way to work and recently decided to stop in to sample their pastries. While the pastries are decent, they are served cold and, in my opinion, do not justify the premium pricing. Unfortunately, the overall experience was marred by the unprofessional demeanor of the staff. The team appeared unwelcoming, with one particular individual near the till giving customers unkind looks and projecting an unapproachable attitude. Such behavior is unbecoming in a customer service role and leaves a lasting negative impression. If interacting with customers proves to be a source of frustration, perhaps a career change should be considered. Actions like these can easily be perceived as discriminatory and are highly inappropriate in a service-oriented setting.

The most amazing bakery ever! The maritozzo is so light and creamy. The gianduja bun has perfectly balanced flavours and very smooth sauce.

Very cosy Friendly staff Delicious pastries

Sausage rolls and coffee are insane!!

Okay I will risk giving away this little gem - but the bakery here is ON POINT! I have been lucky enough to have Forno as my local weekend coffee place and I would recommended it. Tucked away behind the main shops on Mare Street, its easy to miss the train arch shopfront if your not looking for it. The coffee is good but the real star of the show is the pastry selection. Everything is good - I have literally had one of everything they make over the last 3 months - highly recommend!

The place and vibe was really nice, however the the Maritozzi were slightly dried out :( shame because the cream inside was well flavoured

I had my 30th birthday party, and it was absolutely incredible - couldn’t have been better. The space had a v sexy ~cool~ vibe, with epic red lighting - we brought our own decks and had dancing after a meal until 1.45am. The food from sister restaurant Ombra was genuinely incredible, and staff were an absolute joy. Would 1000% recommend.

I love this little cosy Italian bakery under the arches! The food is simply amazing: proper Italian thick pizza, focaccia, maritozzi, and more. They also have new sandwiches all the time, including veggie options. A great spot for weekend brunch.

His family is really nice Although it’s quite sweet, I didn’t buy the classic cream bun The rest of his food is also delicious. Basically, you don’t have to worry about choosing, just buy whichever one looks good. No thunder, especially the puffs with sauce inside I was hooked at first sight, I like it very much, but the location is too far away. If you need to make a separate trip here, it is more worthwhile to buy more categories.

Asked for a paper bag to take away the unfinished bread and the big guy at the kitchen was incredibly rude. Reply to the owner: bud I asked politely for a paper bag away from your kitchen top and take a look at your reaction. If you are really that into hygiene, perhaps dont leave all cutleries in a communal box and let clients grab them themselves. You dont know if their hands are clean or dirty. I never use your cutleries cos I find the way you leave them there is deeply gross. Also look back to some of the old reviews, you do have issues with a lot of Asian clients don’t you? You’ve got such a big ego and it’s never your fault isn’t it ☺️? Perhaps spend the time working on your manners a bit instead of making up craps about your clients 🤓 can only give you one star cos zero isn’t available And namaste to you too 🫶

Just incredible people and pastry. Do yourself a favor and go here.

Good vibes - lemon bun is beautiful, the tiramisu is a bit dry and bland though

I think this is going to become one of my favourite cafes in London. Sering up delicious Italian pastries and great coffees. You can see the bread and dough and croissants all being made down the end as the design is like an open bunker. Great staff and such a nice place to sit and chat. Definitely try the almond and jam cornetto... so good. And the cappuccino was amazing also.

For sure,One of the Best Bakery in London,love to see workers close to sitting table,it's a unique feelings, guys doing things properly,a mix between french patisserie and italian pastry, perfect combo guys

Excellent coffee and giant bun filled with gianduia cream. Delicious. Quiet but good.

Really liked the pastries and coffee

Great little place. The pastries are good but the cream bun is the best tasting thing. Nice to sit if you can get a table too. Nice staff.

Some good some bad bakery. I'm just very picky I guess :p

Chilled out on weekdays…baking was mind blowing…totally worth the hype. …Here’s looking at you Joe Ankur

Overpriced pistachio pain au chocolat. Too rich. Music too loud at 8am on Sunday. No savoury options available

Lovely pastry and coffee - I opted for the peach danish crumble. Cashier was friendly and seating was nice and cozy! Good selection of Italian cupboard essentials on offer to purchase too. Dogs are permitted here which is great!

Hackney really is the hub for trendy bakeries, and Forno feels like one of London’s OG spots. Their signature Maritozzo is famous—if you go late, they’re usually sold out. Last time I went just before closing and only found two pieces of pizza left 🥹. This time, I visited on a Sunday afternoon at 2 PM, and luckily, they had plenty of those plump Maritozzo. The place was buzzing with people. Couldn’t resist and ended up ordering a bunch of small pastries 😝. 💛 Maritozzo The signature item—everyone leaves with one! Filled with fluffy cream, slightly sweet, with a buttery bun. It’s delicious, but after a few bites, it can feel a bit heavy. 💛 Sfogliatella This scallop-shaped Italian pastry has a crispy, flaky crust and a sweet filling. The texture is so satisfying—loved it! 💛 Chocolate Brioche & Custard Bun Nothing too special. The chocolate brioche had a rich, not-too-sweet filling. 💛 Fried Tomato Fritter A bit greasy, and the tomato sauce was a bit tangy. 💛 Sandwiches and pizza Pick anything—it’s all tasty!

I went for a quick pizza for dinner and I was truly surprised. All the ingredients were good, but the bread base of the pizza, in particular, was truly awesome. I would recommend this place to anyone! For italian people [as an Italian]: it's just really important not to expect restaurant style italian pizza, but get there to try their own, wonderful, style. You'll be amazed. I'd expect the same with other baked products I haven't tried (yet). It's different, it's shockingly good

Super over priced They really don’t know how a croissant, or real well baked food taste 8£ for a pistachio croissant ( pistachio quantity was soo little) and espresso that taste like rotten fish Atmosphere is cool though, that was deceptive

Booked mark this bakery long long time and finally got chance to try. Their mocha was very nice and also tried gianduja and bun.

Very enjoyable eat in bakery. Freshly made focaccia sandwiches, square pizzas and pastries, good coffee too. All for a reasonable price and serving time

Fantastic, no fuss, I can’t wait to go back. Delicious sausage roll!

The cream buns at Forno are just amazing. We also had the special pizza which was lovely base but could have had more toppings. The coffee is consistently amazing and rich. My partner always had sugar didn’t even have to have sugar

Been going to get a mocha and sometimes a pastry for a year now, the experience everytime has been great customer service, insanely good pastries, amazing coffee and just a staff full of genuinely nice people who I hope don't get fed up of me going there nearly everyday 😂.

Such a shame there’s no vegan pastries in 2024. You don’t need animals to make good food

I wasn’t hungry but I was nearby and I’ve been wanting to try FORNO for ages. I got, possibly, the most filling item I could have ordered (cherry and ricotta bun) and happily finished the whole thing.

Boring, overpriced tailored to people taking photos for instagram rather than actually enjoying whatever it is they serve there

The location is just average and overhyped. It's worth stopping by if you happen to be in the area, but overall, I think it could be better considering the price. The coffee is good, and the friendliness of the staff varies depending on the day. The chairs are uncomfortable.

Best bread I've had in a while! The ciabatta sandwich was amazing. Also enjoyed the apricot tart. Flavour was good, presentation was superb.

Skip the ice cream. Get the cream hot dog.

One of the few places that make proper Italian pastries .. they are all so good. I ordered a coffee and it was ok, not the best! It was too acidic despite it being espresso and the milk was too hot. Pastries are 10/10

Special croissants and Venetian blinds! Very very nice place!

The MOST BEAUTIFUL baked goods and breads I’ve ever seen. Randomly stumbled into Forno and was stunned at how incredible the focaccia looked, and also how cool it was to see the bakers working in the back. Loved the atmosphere and can’t wait to come back and try everything.

The ambience alone is worth a visit! In an old, small factory hall you can watch the team baking and enjoy the really tasty and fresh delicacies.

A little disappointing as I’d heard good things. Food was tainted by atmosphere & staff unfortunately.

authentic italian pastries. favourite italian bakery in london

Nice overpriced focaccia etc sandwiches like every other similar place in London. The kitchen/production area is open and you can see everyone working at the back - looks really clean and tidy so kudos for that. The service was fine although I happened to be behind an 'influencer' and her camera person that wanted to have a chat with the staff and get all the angles right... I mean, get your macha and your croissant and f off, there are 5 people waiting behind you.

Went here on a Sunday morning, great selection of pastries, very quiet and pleasant to sit in and enjoy the delights and a coffee. Nice open view of the bakery and staff were helpful and pleasant. Overall excellent experience with a bunch of pastries we also had for takeaway. Lots of space for seating indoors and a small outdoor area. Everything looks tasty and everything we had was very tasty....so I'd recommend trying whatever you can!

Coffee was tasty and staff was super friendly! I'll be back for the pastries 🤤

Cutest industrial cafe tucked at a corner

Forno, worth the hype. I love the Veneziana and your sandwiches are so full of taste. Thank you x

YUM, this pastry shop was a must for me on my list in London. The maritozzo is heavenly— light, fluffy, and a bit decadent. Wish I could go back and have more.

I got there late. It’s a shame that I didn’t eat the maritozzo, but sill have great pastries and worthy to go

Came for the maritozzi, but returned for the veneziana buns. Flat whites with oatmilk were fantastic. We tried a lot of bakeries on our visit to London, but this was our favorite because of the softness, freshness, and flavor of the buns and the high quality ingredients.

Tried a range of Italian pastries, including pistachio crossiant. Myself and my Italian friend both felt they lacked depth of flavour and a bit disappointing given the prices. I would return but maybe to have a focaccia sandwich or something. Love the location, very cute and minimal, you can see them making passteries at the back, which is also cool. Service is also good, no issues minus it was all OK...

I went there to watch the Italy game and I found a little gem. Amazing supplì and focaccias. Definetly will be back.

my go to in London when i miss Italy.

Quality pastries, nice environment, reasonably priced for London! Cornetto ala crema was 🙌🏼

Nice coffee and pastries! Staff was a bit slow but overall nice atmosphere and would recommend.

Got the gianduja was lovely. The staff at the till were so helpful with letting us know what was in each bakery item, will definitely be back earlier in the day to get some fresher bakes

Vegetarian sandwich was honestly the best sandwich I've ever had. Genuinely confused why people aren't posting more about the savory items here. The rosemary focaccia is chewy, oily, and airy matched with tangy tomato pesto, crunchy thinly sliced zucchini, fresh Rucola, a hard Italian cheese makes for a satisfying crunchy oily sandwich dream. The iconic maritozzo was of course phenomenal, but I would come back for the savory. Also, cool music. These folks know what's up.

Great coffee and pastry, friendly staff

Great place if you want to eat authentic Italian food like in Rome. I really enjoyed my breakfast there. Pastries and coffee were really good. Friendly staff and impeccable service. Very recommended!

Service is terrible staff attitude diabolical which is a shame wanted to book for event but I went elsewhere

A warm, brioche bun is found. It’s tender crumb, within its folds Black Sesame paste. A burst of tart sweet Raspberry jam, the seed stuck in the teeth. Flat white, serene and pure; random anthurium magnificum a botanical treasure. Joy beyond measure. You are lucky if you get to try the Maritozzo. I could never catch them.

Loved their toasties and pistachio croissants. Their focacciaa are also good but I wish they made them fresh because they were a bit soggy!

After hearing so much about Forno Bakery, I had to see if it was worth the hype. When I arrived in the morning the bakery was as very quiet, I went for a pistachio croissant and a latte, my original plan was to try the popular Maritozzo, but they weren’t ready yet. Luckily I managed to grab one later. (Prices 4£-£4,50 per pastry) There is lots of seating space inside, it’s an open space and you can even see the pastries and bread being prepared. Both pastries, the pistachio croissant and then maritozzo, were delicious. The croissant was flaky and the pistachio cream generous. The maritozzo, was worth the wait! The cream and the brioche a perfect indulgent combination. My latte was also very nice. This place is definitely worth the hype! Highly recommend!

I love forno! The cornetto alla crema (custard croissant) is so nice, it's what I miss most from Italy, and their custard is worth a trip. Everything they have is nice and fresh, and the staff is lovely as well, especially a Spanish lady who always makes me feel welcome! It's on the expensive side, but like most of London bakeries. Highly recommended!

Been seeing so many promotions of this place on Instagram and I had been wanting to try this place for the longest time so I was really happy I finally got to try it out myself and must say this has easily become one of top 10 bakeries in London! I ordered 5 pastries but actually only got 4 probably because the staff there got confused and also partly my fault because I didn't count the paper bags before leaving and by the time I realised I was already far away from the bakery so I just accepted that I wouldn't be able to try the veneziana although this is also the perfect reason for me to go back soon! I got here just before 12noon and there's already a small queue and a lot of people enjoying themselves outside although inside was pretty empty as it's a sunny day. I got the Cornetto alla crema and pistachio, pistachio pain Suisse and lemon curd bun. Everything was literally 10/10 apart from the pain suisse - it's branded pistachio but the pistachio to chocolate ratio was more like 20/80 so that was a let down. Nonetheless the dough was absolutely top-notch - flaky, airy, light and fluffy. I had the most amazing time enjoying the two cornettos and lemon curd bun, they were fantastic. This place is totally worth the hype and if you are still hesitating hopefully this review will help you decide and plan a trip to the bakery asap! Staff were friendly and approachable and quick to pack my pastries in different paper bags to avoid the fillings from mixing with each other. Next time I would like to try the other menu items and have them there to enjoy with some coffee.

Not too sure what all the hype is about though. I was expecting the coffee to be a lot better. The pastries are quite good though.

Went late at the weekend so nothing but Pain Au chocolat or a tiny lemon bun left. £4.50 for tiny bun but it was lovely. Bathrooms were clean. Bakery section looked very hygienic for something under the arches. Would come again.

The coffee was good. They only have full cream milk! Croissants was airy and light. It is dark bcuz they glaze it with sweet glaze I believe Was the glaze good choice? Personally, I didn’t like it bcuz I felt like eating croissants dusted with powdered sugar. Anyways, it was one of the airiest and lightest pastries I consumed. They sell some deli items. The atmosphere isn’t the greatest.

Charging 30p for oat milk in 2024 is still painful in London. Delicious place for breakfast, and plenty of seating available. The waitress could have been chirpier and happier. The blonde server was clueless when it came to describing the recently put out pastries. I really think all staff should be made aware and kept up to date on all pastries they are selling. Especially when they are on average 5£ a pastry.

Best coffee and patisserie in London! Simple food with good taste!

Awesome team, never ever fails to amaze with taste, quality and variety. Nice / chill atmosphere, great location, great with kids. One of my regular spots and most times when I make it I go twice in the morning for breakfast and back for pizza/sandos

Best sandwiches in East London, lovely pastries too!

I only know two things about this place: The best sourdough in London, hands down. The people who make this are geniuses. The Italian cream buns, called a maritozzo (pl. maritozzi) are soft, full to the brim with fresh cream and an absolute treat. Don’t ask me about anything else but these two are easily worth the visit alone.

Lovely Bakery. My friend had this place on his to go bakery list. My favourite was the almond croissant, which i forgot the exact name. We wanted something savoury but it wasn't ready at the time.

If you're like me and don't want to queue for food. I went on Sunday Morning (8:30am) no waiting in line! Lovely baked goods, extremely flakey and buttery. The Cornetto crossaint was just amazing.

Beautiful pastries 🍰 and lovely Manager and staff. Well worth a visit for an ice coffee too!

We were here initially for their Maritozzo but had sold out—we decided to get their limited bake, i believe the name was Ricotta something. Forgot to take the picture of it but we were really amazed by it. Delicious hand-sized bread filled with cheese and a dash of chocolate

This is a restaurant under the train tracks. It sells different types of baked bread made by them. Their location is right on the side of the road. Their door number may be small and you won't find it, but they are orange. The signboard is so big that you can see it from a distance. Because it was a holiday, I saw many people coming to take out bread and coffee. We originally wanted to take out, but when we saw there were seats, we were attracted by the food, so we dine in. We tried their chocolate bread and cheese ham. The bread tastes very good, definitely worth trying. The price of their bread is also relatively cheap. It is definitely a cost-effective bakery and worth recommending. They also have restrooms, but they have to go through their open kitchen. If you can't find it, you can ask their clerks. Their clerks are very polite. We will come here again and buy their bread.