Babka
Bread baked daily
About us
Deep within the wilds of Tollcross, a desperate band of roguish beigel makers hold out in a former Sicilian pastry shop...
The scent of yeast and cinnamon wafts between the crumbling walls. The cries of delight from the customers join in polyphony with the screams of anguish from the kitchen. Bursts of flour settle picturesquely on the faded paintwork and rather non-euclidean floorboards...
This is Babka, part bakery, part cafe, part gallery space. A place where locals can gossip, students can vent their frustration, and tourists can ask where else they should be going, and all can receive caring, responses from us lot behind the counter.
We are very proud to be located on the same site as what was once Marcella's, and fondly remember it's proprietor, the dearly departed Angelo Gibilisco. We hope that we can offer at least some of the warmth and colour that he always gave this community.
Likewise, we are very proud to do our bit to uphold the legacy of Jewish bakeries in Edinburgh, and still use the challah recipe of the beloved Arthur Kleinberg, of blessed memory.
Orders & Bookings
We are a very small operation with a limited kitchen capacity, and frequently run out of our products. We really appreciate it when customers order bread, cake, or large quantities of beigels in advance as it is a huge help to our scheduling. So don't be shy, give us a call, or contact us by email or Instagram, if there's anything you want to be guaranteed to get. Just give us at least a day's notice if it involves yeast - and preferably two days if it's sourdough.
We don't have the biggest seating area, and table space can be hard to come by, but we will take bookings of up to eight people.
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Kashrut, allergens and gluten intolerance
Please let us know immediately if you have any allergies or other dietary requirements. We have a very small kitchen, which means a high chance of cross contamination. We keep the kitchen sesame free - but some ingredients we use have been produced in locations with sesame seeds present.
We are not kosher certified. And dairy and meat products are stored in the same fridge. But, if you have kosher requirements, do feel free to ask and we can point you to places where strictly kosher products are available. We do not have any pork or shellfish on site.
As for gluten, well, it's a small kitchen and flour is in the air. Some of our cakes are made using gluten free ingredients (most notably, flapjacks, brownies and pão de quejio), but we cannot guarantee that anything is completely free of wheat/gluten. So, unfortunately, we must advise that anyone with a severe wheat allergy should avoid our products.
