London-Based Bakery Sets Sights On Upper East Side Location

UPPER EAST SIDE, NY — The British invasion is on the horizon. A beloved London bakery is poised to make its transatlantic debut right here on the Upper East Side.

Last week, Poppi, a cozy Italian-style cafe nestled on 69th Street between Fifth and Madison, closed its doors just over two years after its opening, stunning the neighborhood and leaving locals curious about the space's future.

At the time, the popular neighborhood Instagram account UES Things noted that a sign on the door at 20 East 69th Street mentioned Birley Bakery, a popular pastry shop based in London.

Patch contacted a spokesperson at Birley Bakery, who stated that they currently do not have additional information to disclose about the project. However, details confirmed at a recent Community Board 8 meeting shed some light on the new venture.

The planned two-story bakery will replace both Poppi, formerly on the first floor, and a nail salon on the second floor. The ground floor will house the bakery and retail portion, with the upper floor serving as seating for patrons.

According to Max Bookman, a lawyer representing Birley Bakery, there will also be an outdoor seating area available for guests to enjoy, similar to the setup Poppi had.

According to the bakery's website, Birley Bakery is a passion project of British "nightclub king," Robin Birley, drawing inspiration from traditional boulangerie-pâtisseries that were once commonplace in every city, town, and village across France but have largely vanished from French life.

"The recipes, some of which have taken as long as five years to be brought to perfection, are a more contemporary twist on the classics once found in those much-missed boulangerie-pâtisseries," the website states.

All the bread and cakes at Birley Bakery are crafted from clean ingredients sourced globally: wheat flour from an artisanal farmer in Burgundy, sea salt from La Guérande in Brittany, almonds from Valencia, and dark honey from hives in Bermondsey.

Community Board 8 also recently approved Birley Bakery's application for a beer and wine license in an advisory vote. Additionally, Bookman said that the new venture plans to offer homemade ice creams and sorbets alongside its pastries.

The exact opening date for Birley Bakery has not been announced, but according to Bookman, it’s “still going to be quite some time from now.”

As of right now, Birley Bakery's only location is situated in central London.