Golden Gate Cake Shop

377 reviews

13 Macclesfield St, London W1D 5BR, United Kingdom

chinatown.co.uk

+442072879862

About

Golden Gate Cake Shop is a Chinese bakery located at 13 Macclesfield St, London W1D 5BR, United Kingdom. It has received 377 reviews with an average rating of 4.3 stars.

Photos

Hours

Monday10:30AM-9PM
Tuesday10:30AM-9PM
Wednesday10:30AM-9PM
Thursday10:30AM-9PM
Friday10:30AM-9PM
Saturday10:30AM-9PM
Sunday10:30AM-9PM

F.A.Q

Frequently Asked Questions

  • The address of Golden Gate Cake Shop: 13 Macclesfield St, London W1D 5BR, United Kingdom

  • Golden Gate Cake Shop has 4.3 stars from 377 reviews

  • Chinese bakery

  • "I have mixed comments about Chinese bakery"

    "Their cakes are always great"

    "Used to be my favourite cake shop - have always preferred them to the Chinatown bakery"

    "This is a place you MUST beware, a lot of thieves operate in this shop, the buns are good, but it is worst losing your belongings for a few buns"

    "We love to get our Pastry and desserts here when we visit Chinatown"

Reviews

  • ssg

I have mixed comments about Chinese bakery. Chinese egg tarts in UK are definitely better than Hong Kong because it tastes delicious and the pastry is flakey like puffy pastry compared to the weird floppy egg tarts with liquid fillings in Hong Kong. As for the cakes, the ones in Hong Kong are terrible especially the waxy stiff cream they use and the cakes just taste weird. To be honest, I was captivated by the piggy shaped thing at Golden Cake Shop. I wouldn't describe it as a bun or cake because it has pandan lotus paste inside with a hard pastry which is the same as the traditional mooncake pastry. Therefore I would expect it to taste like a mooncake without that weird savoury egg yolk. I actually hate mooncakes because lotus paste is like a big lump of brown ear wax loaded with calories but I love pandan so definitely had to devour this cute little piggy! Back in 2017, the piggy was only 1.70 and now it costs 3 which sadly I didn't try back then but if you look at the photos, the piggy is much more charming now. Golden Gate Cake Shop is located on one of the side streets, spotted it before but it wasn't very welcoming as the entrance looked like a side exit and I hate confined spaces. Finally went in and the bakery was a lot smaller inside than anticipated. They had colourful Swiss Rolls and other bakery items but I just had my eyes on the pig. The piggy got home intact which was good but the eyes of the piggy were mind boggling as they didn't melt or scratch and remained shiny. Later when I ate it, I found out that the eye was a hard black bean! It was time to eat it, so sliced it and inside was this green pandan lotus paste. The pastry was quite thick but it kept the pig intact during its travels. The taste of the pandan was impressive as it was really fragrant so I would definitely recommend this pig. Pandan is like the vanilla of Asia used in Thai desserts and Singmalay dishes as well as drinks. Personally, I thought the piggy was delicious with clotted cream because it brings out the flavours and makes the lotus paste smoother.

  • Yen Vi Le

Their cakes are always great. Not too sweet and lovely when made to order. The only downside is the customer service. I ordered £500 worth of pastries and a huge cake for my wedding with a receipt stating the time of collection. My uncle drove into central london to collect at 7-7.30am - only to be turned away by a lady who said that she 'called' her manager who instructed her to tell my uncle to come back at 10am. She then proceeded to shut the door on him and refused to speak to him further. This is despite written evidence on our receipt by their manager in Chinese characters. My uncle left - only for me to be called up half an hour later for collection - by the baker who was at the premise baking the whole time! Their communication amongst staff is incredibly poor but the baker was extremely friendly and ensured everything was correct before my uncle left. Would have given higher rating if it wasn't for the ridiculous and rude service on the morning of my wedding.

  • Xiao Ma (Ella)

Used to be my favourite cake shop - have always preferred them to the Chinatown bakery. However on my recent visit last week I was very disappointed. I picked out around £8 worth of bread and cakes, and after they have put them in bags, I was told that the minimum payment by card is £10 - although there were no signs in the shop. I felt very pressured as they have packed everything up and just waiting for me to pick up a couple of more pieces, luckily I was with my friend who had some cash on her, and she paid for me. If there were signs in the shop, or they have told me before they packed my breads, I wouldn’t have minded. I would now shop at Chinatown bakery instead where accepted card payment for £3.50 ‍♀️

  • DC Anouk

This is a place you MUST beware, a lot of thieves operate in this shop, the buns are good, but it is worst losing your belongings for a few buns. The thieves come in different range, there’s a group of darker Asians (could be Indonesian or Philippines or Thai of a malay origin) thieves waiting for those who carries a backpack or even a crossbody bags to mug them and steal from the public. Another group thieves European/English looking also steal from the same area, as this side does not have CCTV, thieves operation are prevalent, they usually wait outside of the cake shop and watch those who enter they monitor their every move to steal from them straight after they left the cake shop.

  • Onnipha Sri-Aram

We love to get our Pastry and desserts here when we visit Chinatown. We dont visit often so when we do we buy quite alot. We brought nearly 2 of every savoury pasrty and bun, the one with the hotdog is especially nice and the one with porl floss and seaweed wrapped around the roll was very filling too. Great portion sizes. We also tried the BBq pork puff pastries and the fillings dont disappoint, more filling than the puff pastry which is rare in some bakery places where you get tiny filling and everything else is the pastry/bun. My son loves the pandan cake roll which its one of his favourites. Will definitely visit and purchase from here again next time we visit Chinatown.

  • Thảo Nguyễn

My friend have ordered a birthday cake from this shop 5 days ago. She sent them the picture of the cake that she want, but today when she come to collect, it is a big dissapoinment. The cake is totally different from what she want. She cry right away at the moment she saw the cake. The staff there did offer her a discount card but she doesn’t want it. And they offered a return and refund but it’s the d-day, she needs the cake so cannot do refund for that. After all, she got £5 discount for that cake which is totally unacceptable for a professional bakery.

  • Calvin

Their char siu bun and char siu puffs are very good and probably one of the better ones in London Chinatown. However, their chicken curry is an absolute joke - lack flavour and filling. The buns are certainly soft and airy but do note that they use Tigris Wheat and Luctor Milk (both are forms of bread improvers). Like other breads in Chinatown they lack flavour. The salted peanut with lotus paste didn’t really match that well - maybe mix the lotus paste with crunchy peanut butter?

  • Jules AC

Excellent quality buns, great prices and very fresh. The buns are good sizes, allowing you to buy multiple buns and it's affordable for that taste of Chinese on the go. I love the sweet buns but they also have some BBQ pork buns that are sublime. I somehow leave with lots of buns for my day and some for the next day. It isn't as busy as some other bakeries but it's a real gem of a place. If you find my review helpful please press like. Thank you

  • Michael's Worth

A fantastic little shop selling a wide variety of buns and pastries, savoury and sweet. With delicous cakes in the window. Was recommended this place by my gf who brought a member of my family a birthday cake from here. I now go here every time there is a Birthday to order or get one of their beautiful cakes. Prices are reasonable. Staff are helpful.Only today I ordered a 5lb Birthday cake for 18 people for £47.50. Highly recommended.

  • Vi Vian Woo

My favourite bakery in Chinatown but becareful of the amount you're charged or when receiving change. Only cash transactions. Very small place but filled with Chinese pastries both savoury and sweet. Egg tarts are by the counter, you'll have to ask to be served. The Swiss roll is very good here. Their packing is a little sloppish so let them know if you want a separate packaging for more fragile pastries like the egg tarts.

  • Sarah

I found this place after my friend recommended it to me as she's been buying their cakes for years! I've so far had 2 full size cakes which were very reasonably priced for the detail, very tasty. We've also had a couple of slices of chocolate mousse cake, swiss rolls and the pork buns, all of which are fantastic and would highly recommend. The cakes are packed up into a very sturdy box which has been a great help.

  • Amy Tran

The ultimate goat of all the bakeries in Chinatown! I have been buying and ordering my birthday cakes from here for 10 years now and they have not changed their recipe one bit. It still tastes the same and their fresh cream compares to no other bakery in Chinatown. It is hands down the most delicious texture and filling in their cakes.. my favourite is the Cocktail bun, pork bun and the coconut cream bun!

  • Catherine

Here you can find up to 80 different cakes, all within this tiny shop. Queues occur quickly thanks to the size, so be hasty. You can see the cakes from outside the window. As other reviewers have said, be sure to check your change. Staff don't seem very friendly and always appear in a hurry to get you out. The cakes are nice. I've had a couple I've liked and a couple I'd never get again. Hit and miss.

  • atelier

This is the best bakery in Chinatown hands down. The pork buns are stuffed with delicious meat and the bread is so fluffy- even microwaved a day later- it’s unreal. They have a lot more choice though, and their cheap prices mean you can afford to pick as much as you want (around £1-£1.50 per bun). Been here for years and the woman behind the counter has always been friendly to us :)

  • Ismat Alhassan

I first encountered the Golden Gate Cake Shop’s products in Tian Tian Market and I am obsessed. I’ve tried almost all the buns and now I usually go straight to Chinatown to buy the buns. My absolute favourite is the garlic and sweetcorn bun but none of the buns I’ve tried have disappointed. If you’re ever near Chinatown and want to buy some delicious buns, this is the place to go.

  • George Sabapathy

Been going here for decades. Always get a char siu bun (barbecue pork), price is still reasonable as the buns are filled to bust with delicious pork! Self service with tongs onto trays and then cash at the till, simple but it works. The place hasn't changed since I first went in, and that's a good thing! Recommended for authentic Chinese sweet and savoury treats.

  • Damien McLewis

What a brilliant bakery. We went in to purchase a large pandan fruit cake and we were not disappointed. The fruit on top was fresh, the chaffron sponge was soft, fluffy and light and the cream was not too heavy. All in all perfect. We bought other pastries and snacks which were also devine. Customer service was amazing and the prices are very competitive.

  • Helena Bourmault

This very small cake shop located in a less favourable location offers a big variety of delicious Chinese patisserie at noticeably cheaper price. Both egg tarts and coconut tarts are bigger than the ones of Chinatown Bakery. Lotus buns and a selection of pineapple buns are must-try. There is also fresh mango pudding. Definitely my go-to Chinese cake shop.

  • L L

Awesome bakery with really good Chinese breads and cakes. The buns are so fluffy and light, even when heated up in the microwave the next day. The cakes are also amazing! Very light and fluffy. Lots of fruit. Not too sweet. Very good pricing for the celebration cakes. They go by lbs. We ordered a 2lb cake for only £24. Loads of places charge at least £40+

  • Alyssa R

Got savoury and sweet buns on multiple occasions and they’ve all been fabulously tasty. Worth every penny (very affordable in my opinion). Recently bought a birthday cake. Although it was majority cream (not much fruit) I’d say it was still very yummy. Not too sweet or sickly so could’ve eaten the whole thing myself!

  • Silvia T

No fuss no gimmicky cantonese bread shop. I have tried many other bakery in Chinatown, so far this is the best. It is a small shop so sometimes it can get really packed, and they only accept cash. Highly recommended their roast pork bun, coconut butter crispy top bun, custard bun, and their pandan swiss roll.

  • IR Wg

This place serves up reasonably-priced chinese and asian pastry, breads, buns and cakes. Quite a wide variety as well. Prices range from £1.20 - £1.80 and portion of a bun is large for a person. Worth a visit and is perhaps a lesser-patronised bakery unlike other bakeries in Chinatown i.e. Chinatown Bakery.

  • L P

Love this shop. It's tiny but the staff are efficient and are happy to answer questions. I would advise a little research into their baked goods before you go in so you don't stand there like a lemon trying to decide, great choice of traditional and modern bakes. I recommend the pineapple buns. …

  • D (Flavia)

finally some bread quality that is at least as good as the average ones in North American asian bakery in London. though, the use of overly saturated food colouring and sense of art on cake decoration seems something of the late 90s. i would not get the cake but will def come back for the buns.

  • Jack Graysmark

Life is just the time spent between one Char Sui pork bun from here and the next. Seriously, it might not look like much from the outside but this place is brilliant. Soft buns with delicious fillings at cheap prices- what’s not to love and devour? One of my favourite places in Chinatown.

  • Jeffrey Shiu

A very small shop, crowded with two or three people, but it's my go to place in Chinatown for egg tarts (with flaky pastry) and pork buns (baked). I find the service the friendliest out of the other bakeries. However, because it's small, it doesn't have as wide a selection as the others.

  • Geoff Y

Tiny little shop with probably the best baked goods in Chinatown. Go in, grab a tray and a pair of tongs and load up. They're all in the £1.20 mark and while there is a fair amount of bread, the fillings are flavourful. Go for the pork bun and the chicken curry bun, you won't regret it.

  • Koko C

I've been going here since I've been able to walk as a child, there was always an old man there who gave me free egg tarts! I still go here on occasion and its just the best cakes and buns in china town ! Their custard buns are to die for and their fresh fruit cakes look amazing!

  • gwen

I’ve been going to this bakery ever since i discovered it (which was 12 years ago btw). And the quality of the cakes/bread have never faltered since - their menu has been pretty much the same with the occasional additions but it’s definitely my favourite bakery in Chinatown.

  • Francesca Serena

I randomly noticed this bakery and I decided to enter as I love the Chinese buns. The shop is small but I was surprised of the quality of the buns and sweets, everything I tried so far was delicious and the value is really great. I definitely recommend this store!!

  • May Li Lau

The best bakery in Chinatown. For a long time I went to Chinatown Bakery because there is no minimum card spend but I realised Golden Gate tastes much better. I love the sausage bun and ham and spring onion bun in particular. Friendly service from the woman too.

  • Xeno

Always delicious Asian pastries made fresh every day. You could definitely say it's the best bakery in Chinatown! The egg tarts and pork floss rolls are my fav but the egg tarts go superrr quick so if you want them go early! warning‼️: minimum card spend is £10

  • Taylor L.

Small shop but the pastries are SO good! The Char Siu So (the triangular-shaped roast pork pastries) are hands down the best I've tried out of all the bakeries in Chinatown. Other Cantonese pastries are also very authentic. Will definitely visit again.

  • Ana

It’s a small bakery compared other bakeries in Chinatown. I love their Coconut Roll.
Service
Take out
Meal type
Other
Price per person
£1–10
Food: 5
Service: 5
Atmosphere: 5
Recommended dishes
Bakery

  • Aurora Nightwing

The shop itself does not say much until you go inside. It is a small shop that can get busy within minutes. There are quite a big variety of pastries that I have never seen before anywhere else. It took a bit of time to look at all of them

  • Ying Man

Been going here for nearly 40 years since I was born. Always fresh, always delicious and perfect. Easily the best HK/ Cantonese Bakery in London and the UK. The best there is, the best there was and the best there ever will be.

  • San H

In my opinion the best bakery in china town. The buns are always full with fillings. Recipe has been the same for as long as I can remember. Unfortunately they don't have card. CASH ONLY which in turns means less queues.

  • A

Thank you so much for the beautiful cake, I was looked for every shops in Chinatown, you are the only one can make mango cake for my boy, he is extremely happy for this cake! He said this is the best cake every …

  • jayne tan

Always come here when in London to buy buns for the next days breakfast. Will always get a 香肠包 (sausage bun), and they never fail to disappoint. The cakes are also very soft and fluffy, without being too sweet.

  • Jess

Best chinese bakery! I get my celebration cakes here and they are delish! Each bun/cake is around £1.80-£2.30. Sad that prices have shot up massively, but for the occasional treat when im in Chinatown its okay!

  • Vivian Jiao

Be really careful when you about to pay for you bakery . Because they most likely to over charge customers WITHOUT RECEIPTS. The bakery are good but you have to be really cautious when you are paying for it .

  • Ross

Awesome little cake shop serving oriental style baked treats. Really friendly ladies behind the counter, cheap, and very tasty cakes. Will be on our regular Must Visit list each time we're in central London!

  • TONY TENG

The Swiss roll was awesome same goes with the “char Siew bun”. Really Penang Lang flavour and will come again near future. It’s nice chatting with aunty in Penang Hockkein even she is so fluent in English.

  • hannah cheng

We love their char siu buns, very soft and plenty of filling, probably the best in London Chinatown. We brought some last Saturday and were extremely disappointed, they tasted of bleach and chemical.

  • Megin Gauntlett

Great cakes for celebrations (cake always so fluffy and light inside). Smaller buns are also good - favourites are the pork bun, sausage bun, and chicken curry bun. Bring cash if spending under £10.

  • Stephanie Ojoh

Best cakes in Chinatown! Heads up though they only accept cash, so hit up an atm before going. So worth it! My faves are the chicken kare pan, the triangle sponge cake, and the fruit cakes …

  • Lauren Simcock

Came here for the first time on a visit to London. The cakes are light and fluffy with plenty of flavour. Very impressed with the service and the selection of baked goods at a reasonable price.

  • macedonboy

My favourite go to place in Chinatown for bakery goods. Smaller and less crowded than the other Chinese bakeries on the main streets of Chinatown, but sells great varieties of Chinese pastries.

  • Michael Koh

A good selection of sweet & savoury pastry & buns. The bakery may be small but it has a many pastry & bun to satisfy one taste buds and curiosity. Ever friendly staff and competitive prices.

  • M M

Really nice and small chinese bakery. It can get very busy at times but it’s the best bakery in China town in my opinion. I recommend the tayaki with the red bean filling and pandan bun!

  • María de Abajo Bedmar

Delicious cakes and buns at a good price to explore new flavours I hadn't tried in any other bakery. The only down side is that you are asked to spend £10 if you want to pay by card.

  • Ka Yun Emily Man

They were very friendly but had run out of roast pork buns - you must go early! The buns are very good though they are slightly more expensive compared to other shops - £2.

  • Eric Zuza

It’s a smaller type of shop, went in while visiting the area and got a peanut cream filled bun. Absolutely do not regret, possibly one of the best buns I’ve had in a while.

  • K K

Bit old looking from the outside but lots of great stuff inside. Really enjoyed all I got there... probably the pork pastry was my favourite. Will be going back soon...

  • Fiona

The best cocktail coconut buns in London! They are so fluffy, soft and the filling is dense and delicious - no dryness! They also do a great Mango Pomelo Sago pudding!

  • C Bayonetta

Best oriental cake shop in London! And I've lived in london all my life (30+yrs) It is a small shop and not accessible for disabled people however I am sure they

  • Rachel ting

Hands down the best Asian bakery in London! The hotdog buns and spring onion pork floss rolls are my favourite. The buns are soft, fluffy and buttery …

  • Vivien Phung

Love it. Best in chinatown. A regular customer for a few years now. Their 雞尾包 is so soft with just the right level of sweetness. Snowball is very good too.

  • Mr. Columbo

Lovely cakes and sweet treats. Staff are friendly, but be warned the shop is very small so know what you want to avoid creating a queue. Love the shop.

  • Zarion Pryce

I wish I found this place sooner, the pork bun is a mouth watering unforgettable experience. I also tried a lot of the cakes that were all very tasty.

  • Jago Clark

Every time I visit Chinatown I always come to this bakery for sweet treats and the tuna & onion bun. Go and have a look if you’re in the area

  • Zane Roga

We came later in the day so the choice was limited but everything we got was really nice. Will definitely return to try some other things.

  • Carolyn Seet

Best Chinese buns in London. Many copycats can't live up to their standards! Happy to see they've maintained their quality 20 years on

  • Perry Blacher

If there anything better than their fresh pork buns I don't know what it is. Whoever gave this less than 5 stars is mentally ill

  • Sutin

I highly recommend the fresh cakes here! Light, fluffy, with fruit and fresh cream and not too sweet like western cake shops.

  • CJ

One of my go-to-shop whenever in town, bought 3 breads & got an extra one for free from 1 of the nice ladies in shop. Cheers.

  • Rebal Akar

The cake was fair to its price, while I’m not a fan of fruit cake this was certainly some of the best I’ve had.

  • Sinwei Chow

Always get my Asian celebratory cakes from here! So beautifully presented, fresh and NOT TOO SWEET …

  • Nikz

Always visit here when in town for cakes. Delicious, vast choice and well priced.

  • E Kubat

Got some moon cakes for the office. Everyone enjoyed trying these sweet treats!

  • Michael Hoang

Wonderful. Been going here for two generations now. Brought two birthday cakes.

  • LMY

Hands down best bakery in Chinatown. Cheese tart is good. Bread are super good

  • Kei Tsa

Decent Chinese bakery, it's quite small in there and can get quite busy.

  • Marija Gadzijeva

Cake amazing and fresh as always. Definitely favourite place …

  • E. F.

Great bakery with plenty of Hong Kong style pastries and bread.

  • Mr Wrong

The best baked pork pies and char siu pastries are found here.

  • Joel Liriano

The pork buns are delicious!
Service
Take out…
More

  • GraceT's Traveladventures

I love their cakes so yummy, colourful and fresh

  • Tim Lau

Wonderful freshly baked Chinese buns and cakes.

  • Nathan Dorer

£10 minimum for cards is irritating.

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