Flippin’ Delicious: Where to celebrate Pancake Day

Whether you’re planning a massive sugar blow-out before Lent or you just love the excuse to eat nothing but pancakes for dinner, Pancake Day is an excellent treat to have marked out in your calendar. Here we round up the best places to get your pancake fix across the UK, and what to order when you get there.

The Breakfast Club, London – It wouldn’t be Pancake Day without the chance to have an all-American sugary experience. The Breakfast Club is stacking the pancakes high this year and the list of toppings is endless. There’s lemon meringue pie, triple chocolate fudgemallow and salted caramel banoffee options on the sweet side, and for savoury there’s an enticing bourbon pulled pork dish, too.

William De Percy, Northumberland – The William De Percy is half boutique hotel, half French-inspired gastropub and crêperie. If you prefer savoury crepes to sweet then try the Crêpe Monsieur, made with ham, cheddar cheese and mustard mayo. Those with a sweet tooth will love the Rocky Road – it’s made with smashed chocolate cookie, marshmallow pieces, chocolate sauce and ground almonds.

Crème de la Crêpe, London – Pancake Day is, understandably, the busiest of the year at Crème de la Crêpe. Nestled in the heart of Covent Garden, this restaurant offers a great range of crepes, from the Cheeky Monkey, made with lots of Nutella and banana, to the spicy Buffalo Bill, made with chicken, cheddar cheese, mayonnaise, hot sauce and rocket.

Sosharu, London – Jason Atherton’s Japanese bar and restaurant in Clerkenwell doesn’t serve traditional pancakes, but there is a very tempting alternative. The Matcha Mille Crepe is made with layered crepes filled with matcha cream, served with matcha sorbet. It’s a green pancake dream!

Christopher’s, London – Christopher’s Grill has created two bespoke pancakes this year, one savoury and one sweet. If you fancy savoury, go for the grilled lobster served on a blue corn pancake. If you want a sweet option, take a friend or two as the stack of buttermilk pancakes with Nutella serves four people. Otherwise you can build your own creation out of anything from maple-cured bacon to cinnamon and coconut yoghurt.

Infamous Diner, Manchester – Infamous Diner is running a competition this year to see who can eat as many plain pancakes as they possibly can in the space of five minutes. There will be two heats held to find out who reigns champion, so make sure you get a ring-side seat. For anyone who wants to eat at their own pace however, there is a fine selection of pancake treats to choose from, including a Black Forest Gateau option and a Pecan Pie pancake.

Hickory’s Smokehouse, Chester – Hickory’s may be known for its barbecue but on Pancake Day it will be offering unlimited pancakes with toppings between 4pm and 8pm. Be sure to get there before the blueberries compote and cream ones run out.

My Old Dutch, London – When it comes to pancake houses, My Old Dutch is a London staple with restaurants in Holborn, Chelsea and Kensington. All three will be serving savoury and sweet options, and there’s an option for gluten-free diners too. Try the new Nutella B Ready butterscotch pancakes topped with Nutella crispy bars, peanut M&Ms and ice-cream, if you can get through it all…

Where are you getting your pancake fix? Let us know in the comments!

This is a guest post from London-based journalist, Loulla-Mae Eleftheriou-Smith, who has written for The Independent and the Evening Standard, as well as our Open for Business blog.