Ole & Steen Seven Dials

Ole & Steen Seven Dials is the Neal Street branch of the Danish bakery chain, and the largest of its London stores, trading as an all-day bakery from 7:30 in the morning until 9 at night, seven days a week. It sits on one of the busiest walking routes in Covent Garden, a minute from the Seven Dials monument and surrounded by the area's independent and high street shops.

The brand began in Denmark, where the bakeries of Ole Kristoffersen and Steen Skallebaek merged into one company, Lagkagehuset, before the London openings brought the format to the UK under the founders' first names. The Seven Dials store follows the same model as the Copenhagen originals: a long counter of breads and pastries baked on site through the day, with tables for eating in and a takeaway queue that moves quickly.

Danish bakery in Covent Garden, morning to night

The counter centres on Danish pastries and breads, from the cinnamon social and other laminated bakes to dense rye loaves and seeded breads. Through the day the same rye turns up under open sandwiches topped with egg, avocado, smoked salmon or roast beef, and there are salads, hot drinks and coffee for a sit-down break. The long hours mean it serves as a breakfast stop, a lunch counter and an evening pastry-and-coffee call in one.

What to expect on a visit

Expect a steady queue at peak times, a large light room compared with the brand's smaller London sites, and a counter that is restocked rather than run down as the day goes on. Covent Garden and Leicester Square stations are both a short walk. See more places for an early start in our Covent Garden breakfast category, or walk a few doors along Neal Street to The Breakfast Club Seven Dials for a cooked breakfast.