The Metropolis

Reviewing London's bagels: Bagel on the Park

Mike Pollitt | Monday 12 September, 2011 12:39

From its beginnings in the Jewish communities of Brick Lane in the mid 19th century, the bagel has risen to become London’s equivalent of the northern pie, or the cornish pasty. A tasty filling in a filling case, a perfect handful warm or cold. They are an infinitely adaptable, indisputably reliable option for the discerning London luncher. But where are the best bagels to be found? Let us find out. First up, Bagel on the Park.

Where: Right next to Victoria Park, E9 7HW
What they sell: Bagels, panini, salads, cakes etc. Bagels are bought in from suppliers, not made on the premises.
Who goes there: Gruff local tradesmen, yoga mums, tedious park hipsters, footballing youths
How much: A cream cheese bagel (the standard unit of measurement for the purpose of these reviews) costs £1.70. I shall also be ordering one other filling per shop, in this case I went for the Italian Chicken at £2.00
How was the service: Nice and smiley
How big are the bagels: Mine was 9.5cm in diameter (stop laughing, portion size does matter)
Were they any good: The cream cheese was a solid offering, lemon and pepper were provided, thankfully. The Italian chicken was ok – strongly, perhaps too strongly, flavoured. So much so that the quality of the chicken itself was almost impossible to gauge. It was certainly filling. The bagels themselves were compact little numbers, with barely a hole visible in the centre. The base of both my bagels was blackened and had a slightly burnt taste. Personal proclivities will determine whether this is viewed as a good or bad thing. I quite liked it. They were certainly at the chewy end of the spectrum, which was an asset when paired with the cream cheese, but which combined with the generous filling of chicken perhaps tended towards the stodgy.
In a word: Solid

Further bagel reviews to follow. Tweet suggestions @mikpollitt

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