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Cake shop and cafe in Thornton Heath, just a few doors along from Thornton Heath Station.

They make wedding cakes and other decorated cakes for things like birthdays, but more importantly for this guide the shop also functions as a cafe, selling tea, coffee, soft drinks, some Turkish savouries, and of course baklava, cakes, and biscuits.

It seats just a dozen people on varnished-wood upright chairs at wood-effect Formica-topped tables. The fully-glazed frontage lets in a reasonable amount of natural light. Along one wall is the service counter, with glass displays of cakes and savouries, and opposite are shelves with a few groceries (nuts, dried fruit, tinned goods, Turkish delight, etc) and a fridge with soft drinks as well as cured sausages and the like.

Prices are remarkably cheap. For example, when DrHyde visited in mid-2011, a coffee, a cream doughnut, and a big slice of chocolate cake came to just £4. Tea and coffee usually come with a free small slice of sponge cake, too.

When Kake visited in August 2017, a cup of tea (£1) came weak as requested, with a small complimentary square of light-textured but somewhat artificial-tasting banana cake. Chicken borek (£2) photo was heated in a panini press and cut into neat pieces; it was pretty tasty, with soft, flaky pastry and a good proportion of filling. (Other borek available included minced meat, spinach and feta, and feta and onion.) Service was friendly, welcoming, and helpful.

Kake's verdict: Well worth breaking a train journey for.

Accessibility: A large step to get in. No obvious customer toilet.

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