Ta’mini Lebanese Bakery Expands to Kensington
- James Massoud
- Sep 18
- 5 min read
Updated: Sep 19
When husband-and-wife duo Ali and Nermin first set out to bring Lebanese baked goodness to London, they could never have known quite how warm, how bustling, how beloved Ta’mini (meaning feed me in Arabic) would become. But now, with the opening of their third site in Kensington – a beautifully styled bakery café with space for 20 guests – their mission to share the flavours, smells, and generous spirit of Levantine cuisine has truly found a new home.
Dough, Dates and Stone Oven
Walking into the brand new Ta’mini Lebanese Bakery branch (or any for that matter), it's impossible to ignore the aroma: warm dough, toasted sesame, hints of thyme, soft spice, the faintest whisper of rose water. And the food, at its heart, is where the soul of this bakery lies.
Take Ta’mini’s signature Date & Pistachio Pastry. It's made fresh every day, with dough infused gently with rose water; inside you'll find soft, rich dates; outside, a crackle of pistachio. It tastes of Levantine tradition, but also of something very present: a bakery kitchen waking up, heat, hands at work, customers waiting. It’s a pastry that demands the right partner: a chilled house iced coffee, bittersweet enough to offset the sugar, cool enough to feel like respite.
For something savoury, consider the manakish: flatbreads baked in a traditional stone oven – one imported from Lebanon, the new bakery the only to have this; "It tastes like home, like my childhood", Ali proudly tells me when we meet. The dough used in the manakish here is wholly vegan, yet it's elastic and satisfying. The Za’atar & Akkawi Cheese version ("My favourite," smiles Ali), is fragrant with thyme, sumac, sesame seeds and oil, and combined with that creamy Akkawi cheese that melts softly, the result is one of those joys in life where simple, quality ingredients make all the difference.
Then there's the Kafta manakish: lamb and beef minced together with onions, parsley and Arabic spices. Every slice carries history, and every bite is warm – the very definition of soul food.
Salads and mezze threads of freshness run alongside: chopped herbs, cucumbers, tomatoes, lemon, olive oil, the occasional flirtation with spices. Ka’ak sandwiches and wraps are made to be eaten with your fingers on the go; flattened ka’ak bread, with fillings that might be smoky, fresh, herbed, sharp.
Everything is in-house. Every dough, every bake, every salad dressing. From traditional recipes carried from Lebanon, adapted just enough for London kitchens, to a presentation that meets today’s expectations. No compromise, whatsoever.
A New Home
Why Kensington? It’s a question Ta’mini asked, too. It came about quite fortuitously, Ali explained to me. Someone they knew saw the space and told them about it. Cue almost a year later and lots of paperwork, and the space was finally theirs.
Seating for about 20 people gives an intimacy rare in busy streets (especially somewhere as bustling as High Street Ken); it isn’t cavernous, but it isn’t cramped. It’s the kind of place you might space-out over morning coffee, or meet a friend for lunch, or pick up something to take home and share. The décor plays its part: warm yellow tiles, generous light, signature design touches that make you feel both in a Lebanese bakery and in a London neighbourhood café simultaneously. It is friendly without being faddy, characterful without being gimmicky.
The location is smart. Kensington Church Street is charming – one of those London streets full of history, of independent shops, of locals who notice when something good arrives. For tourists meandering from museums or shoppers seeking refuge, Ta’mini offers something rooted, something honest: Lebanon in loaf, in pastry, in spice.
To mark the launch, the couple opened their doors in style; the first 50 guests were treated to the Date & Pistachio Pastry and house iced coffee, gratis. It was more than a gesture; it was welcome, invitation, generosity — a way of saying: "Come sit. Taste. Stay a while." That first day wasn’t just about PR, but about witnessing how people enjoy authentic flavour in surroundings that feel like home.
From Roots in Lebanon to London’s Baking Scene
Ali grew up in Tripoli, in northern Lebanon; Nermin in Beirut. Their backgrounds offer different textures of Lebanon – sea breeze, mountains, city, spice. When they talk of Ta’mini, it isn’t just about feeding a stomach. It's about feeding connection, memory and hospitality.
They launched the first Ta’mini during the pandemic-lockdowns of 2020 in Fulham – a bold time for anyone in hospitality. "We panicked," Ali tells me. "But then it turned out to be our busiest time. When people were allowed out, they would come to us and we would serve them through the window." Necessity bred innovation: refining recipes, adjusting to supply constraints, choosing what truly matters in food. Bloomsbury came next in 2023. And now, Kensington joins, and it shows their growth, not just in spaces, but in confidence: of design, of service, of ability to reach different parts of London with consistent quality.
One key principle for them is the ingredients. Many components are Lebanese in origin; recipes are traditional, but never static. There’s modern flair: vegan dough options; lighter pairings; a café expectation of iced coffees, pastries made to be beautiful as well as delicious. And a service philosophy: warm, welcoming, personal. The customer is more than a transaction; they are "our guests."
Why Ta’mini Matters
In a city devoured by new openings, by trends, by Instagram moments, places like Ta’mini anchor something lasting. They remind us that flavour rooted in tradition, plus care in every stage, plus a space designed for pleasure, equals impact. Kensington will gain more than another café; locals will gain a place where mornings can begin soft and fragrant with rose water and coffee; where lunches are uplifting; where you can pick up bread good enough to make the rest of your week feel more generous.
For food lovers, this isn’t just about novelty. It’s about a standard: stone-oven baked, slow proofed, real cheese, spices that don’t hide. It’s about learning what detail in Lebanese baking can do when someone cares.
Ta’mini in Kensington is not merely the next location for Ali and Nermin. It's a maturation: of craft, of commitment, of establishing a presence in that sweet intersection where comfort meets culinary curiosity. The couple have baked their way across the city once, twice and now the third time feels fully realised.
If you find yourself in Kensington Church Street, walk in. Order the Date & Pistachio Pastry. Sip the iced coffee. Listen to the tile-floor creak, smell the oven heat, let history, hearth, and Levant converge on your plate. Here is a bakery where everything baked matters.
