There’s never been a more aesthetically-appeasing time to be an epicure in London, with Insta-worthy treats to feed your ‘gram fronting the city’s most captivating cafés, bakeries and restaurants. Of course the risk of eater’s remorse is all-too-real at times, with the experience often more suited for a picture than for your palate (you know exactly where I’m talking about!)
So gathered here, a few of my favourite foodies and I have rounded up the desserts which would do equally well by your thirty-two sweet teeth too. Whoever said you can’t have your cake and eat it too?
Cakes & Bubbles, Hotel Cafe Royal
Cakes and champagne are in perfect harmony within the she shiny golden surrounds of this desserts-only restaurant at Hotel Café Royal, Regent Street. Borne from the imagination of the World’s Best Pastry Chef – Albert Adrià, the exquisite creations here are each a textured thing of beauty, with star billing going of course to The Cheesecake (made with Baron Brigod Brie, white chocolate and hazelnut)!
Hotel Café Royal, 10 Air St, Soho, London W1B 4DY
Marchesi 1824, Mayfair
When Prada does pastries, you can be sure that the result is nothing short of a picture-perfect level of spectacular! The fashion house’ movie-set Milanese café channels #AccidentallyWesAnderson interiors, with colourful cakes and dragées (glossy, candied sweets) adding to the visual feast on display. Marchesi’s signature Torta Aurora (an impeccably-light sponge cake layered with fresh cream), ought not to be missed when the storied pasticceria opens imminently on Mayfair’s Mount Street. Discover more, here.
Maitre Choux, South Kensington
“Serving probably some of the best eclairs on this side of the English channel, Maitre Choux has its fans all over the world. Everyone I speak to about it has their favourites. Mine would have to be the golden hazelnut one” @EatnLondon.
15 Harrington Rd, South Kensington, London SW7 3ES
Jolene, Hackney
“A bakery, restaurant wine bar serving low intervention wine Jolene serves food you really want to eat. Their flour is milled in house at the back of their kitchen and is the key ingredient to their buttery croissants, perfect financiers and sticky sugared buns. Don’t miss their Danish pastries featuring fruits of the season” @AlexandraDudley.
21 Newington Green, Mayville Estate, London N16 9PU
Yardarm, Leyton
“One of the very best places for cake – and ones that taste as fabulous as they look – is Henrietta Inman’s residency at Yardarm in Leyton. Her baking is superb and everything, from the fruit galettes to the tahini brownies, is delicious… lots of seasonal, locally sourced ingredients and plenty of love” @FelicitySpector.
238 Francis Rd, Leyton, London E10 6NQ
Dominique Ansel, Victoria
“The world famous pastry chef Dominique Ansel has taken his genius pastry talents to Victoria. The attention to detail, flavour combinations, texture and humour in every pastry they design is brilliant. Love frequently coming here to try the ever changing array of Instagrammable desserts” @EatnLondon.
17-21 Elizabeth St, London SW1W 9R
Gloria, Shoreditch
Desserts at Gloria are just as you’d expect of this outrageously O.T.T. trattoria in Shoreditch. The aptly-titled Incomparable Lemon Pie is fabled for its 5’9-inch meringue layer; while the Profiterole Napoletana is another maximalist masterpiece. The titanic puff pastry is served sandwiching a superlatively-silky pile of vanilla gelato, with a bowl (!) of unapologetically-decadent dark chocolate poured on top. It’s one of the only desserts to have ever defeated us! Read my full review, here.
54-56 Great Eastern St, Hackney, London EC2A 3QR
Discover more to eat & do in London, here.