Dessert lovers, listen up! We’ve done all the hard work for you and uncovered five of the best locations for sweet treats in London. Whether you fancy cheesecake, traditional scones or trendy cronuts, we promise the right dessert is waiting for you. All you have to do is get your spoons at the ready, wear something stretchy and indulge yourselves.
Maître Choux really is the master of éclairs (and choux buns) – head pastry chef Joakim Prat has been working with pastry since he was 15. You’ll feel like you’re in a Parisian patisserie choosing your favourite dessert. Whether you have a weakness for pistachio, cappuccino or salted caramel, there’ll be a flavour for you. We recommend you try their afternoon tea and treat yourself to a selection of delicious patisserie items while sipping a glass of Champagne. Santé!
Visit OpenTable to make a reservation at Maître Choux in Soho or Chelsea.
World famous desserts, anyone? Uber-talented pastry chef Albert Adrià, who made his name at El Bulli, is the man behind Cakes & Bubbles at the Hotel Café Royal on Regent Street. It’s his first opening outside his native Spain, so Londoners can count themselves very lucky indeed. The sweet treats at Cakes & Bubbles contain less sugar and no colourants or artificial flavour enhancers. Try their famous cheesecake made with white chocolate, hazelnut and Coulommiers (a soft French cheese). You can thank us later!
Desserts needn’t be just an afternoon treat – they taste equally good paired with a cocktail at all hours of the night. This Soho nightspot is the place to be if you’re looking to revel in a night out filled with sweet treats and great drinks. We recommend the triple chocolate mirror cake with mint ice-cream – a real treat for chocoholics. Resident DJs mean you’ll be able to shake off those cakey calories in no time.
Fortnum & Mason is the place to go when it comes to experiencing a traditional British afternoon tea, but ice-cream lovers will be pleased to find out that their sundaes have made quite a name for themselves, too. Whether you are looking for pancakes, scones with jam and clotted cream, or just a scoop of something delicious, The Parlour ticks all the boxes.
If you know your pastries, then this incredible bakery will already be on your radar. It’s situated on a stylish street close to London’s busy Victoria station and is perhaps most famous for its Cronut – the calorie-loaded love child of croissants and doughnuts. Pastry chef Dominique Ansel is the face behind this scrumptious creation – it’s no wonder he won the title of World’s Best Pastry Chef in 2017. You can also tuck into frozen s’mores, chocolate chip cookie shots (filled with vanilla-infused milk), and liquid caramel peanut butter mousse cake.
This is a guest post from freelance journalist Beatrice Clark. She has written for Vogue, Glamour and Vanity Fair, among others, and has spent the past 15 years living in France, England and Scotland. She is currently based in Berlin and is always on the hunt for the perfect Eggs Benedict.
