Tom's Cakes

the cakes are the obvious opening move at tom's, but don't sleep on the coffee side of things. this is a place where both get taken seriously, which is rarer than it should be. you'll find it on market hill, a short walk from the river great ouse, and the location alone makes it easy to fold into a morning in st ives. the kind of spot that gets quietly trusted by the people who live here, not just visitors passing through. that kind of standing tends to be hard-won. if you're unsure where to start, pair whatever's fresh from the counter with a flat white and take your time with it. market hill on a slow morning is a reasonable place to be.