It's Bagels café sets date for Primrose Hill opening

It’s Bagels, the idea of fashion and portrait photographer Dan Martensen, is opening on September 11 in Regents Park Road, Primrose Hill.

Dan says he has been focusing on the launch of the shop, bakery and café and details of the menu have now been confirmed.

As well as the freshly baked plain, poppy, sesame, garlic, onion, ‘everything’ and cinnamon and raisin bagels, new salted, pumpernickel and Rainbow (only at weekends) bagels will be added to the mix, boiled and then baked daily on site and priced at £1.50 each or £18 for 13 bagels.

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Guests can also choose from a selection of plain and flavoured ‘schmears’ (cream cheeses) in pots from £4; smoked lox, haddock and caviar from £13; as well as traditional NY style ‘salads’ such as tunafish, egg and whitefish from £4.50.

Sink your teeth into a selection of bagels with a choice of plain and flavoured ‘schmears’ (cream cheeses) (Image: Dan Martensen)

Those wishing to order filled bagels have wide choices including a plain schmear, ‘The Works’ (cream cheese with lox, onion, capers, lemon and tomato) and BECSPK (bacon, egg, cheese, salt, pepper, Ketchup), and also the BLT (bacon, lettuce and tomato) and the American classic – PB & J (peanut butter and jelly).

People can eat in or take-away, seven days a week and also order drinks including coffee, tea, hot chocolate and freshly squeezed juices.

The space, formerly Primrose Hill Butchers, is designed by New York-based GRT Architects, founded by Tal Schori and Rustam Mehta.

Rustam and Dan met in 1991, and worked first in a Westchester grocery store together, then as pizza delivery guys, and spending many mornings throughout those early years pondering their career paths over bagels.

Poppy seed bagel with all the toppings at It's Bagels in Primrose Hill where they are all baked on the premises (Image: Jesse Jenkins)

Fast forward a few decades, with the It’s Bagels bricks and mortar site on the horizon, the two joined forces to create a space that evokes the simple, family-run shops found on every main street in the New York suburbs.

Dan said: “With help from one of my oldest friends, realising the vision for It’s Bagels’ first brick and mortar site has long been a dream for me.

"I’m super happy to be able to share New York bagels with Londoners in Primrose Hill and beyond. We look forward to seeing everyone in our new community from September 11 onwards.”