Get your sugar fix at one of London’s best dessert restaurants; there are cronuts, donuts, cupcakes and everything in between…
Words Helen Brown
All of your dessert dreams fulfilled in one deliciously indulgent round-up. We’re looking at London’s most decadent dessert restaurants and shops. From the Freakshake to the Cronut, the sweet industry in London is growing ever more outrageous. Here’s where we go to satisfy a sugar craving…
Best dessert restaurants in London
Chin Chin Club
The ice cream pioneers behind Chin Chin Labs have expanded its epicurean empire. The Chin Chin Club in Soho opens this month as a revolutionary cake and ice cream club. On the menu are deluxe sundaes, choux buns, and cookies with molten centres. The ice cream choux buns are a must. Buttery crisp choux pastry is covered in candied pistachios and filled with pistachio and olive oil ice cream. Yum. chinchinicecream.com
Basement Sate
Basement State is one of London’s best-kept secrets. It combines two of our favourite things – cake and cocktails – in one heavenly dessert haven in Soho. Expect well-made drinks, decadent desserts and good music. basementsate.com
Ladurée
The history of the Parisian tea rooms is intimately tied to the heritage of the Ladurée family. It all began in 1862, when Louis Ernest Ladurée, a miller from the south-west of France, founded a bakery in Paris. Now they produce hands down the best macarons in London. The Covent Garden outpost of Ladurée is the patisserie’s first stand-alone tea salon in London. It serves savoury snacks, champagne, sweet treats and those signature macarons. laduree.com
Maître Choux
For the best éclairs in London get yourself to Maître Choux. As the name suggests, this place is dedicated to all things choux. Their pimped up éclairs are an Instagrammer’s dream, but they taste even better than they look.maitrechoux.com
Molly Bakes
You’ll know Molly Bakes as the brains behind the Freakshake. One of the latest dessert trends to satiate the sweet-teeth of Londoners. The Kingsland Road cafe creates some of the craziest and most mouth-watering concoctions in London. Choose your milkshake base, and then chuck a load of toppings at it. Opt for brownies, cookies and cookie dough, marshmallows, golden honeycomb shards, and tartlets. marylousbakehouse.co.uk
Nosteagia
Up your Insta-cred with a trip to Nosteagia. The Shoreditch-based dessert restaurant specialise in the waffle game. Their bubble waffles are perfectly crisp, folded into a cone and topped with sweet stuff. Wash it down with more bubbles in the form of bubble tea.nosteagia.com
Cutter and Squidge
Cutter & Squidge are bringing the latest in hybrid desserts to London. Here, they have invented the Biskie. This is a biscuit-cookie-cake creation filled with buttercream, jam or caramel. Although they look similar, a Biskie is not to be confused with a macaron or whoopie pie. They are a moreish blend of crisp, soft, chewy, creamy goodness delivering a flavour fiesta.
Dominique Ansel
No dessert round-up is complete without a mention of the Cronut. This croissant-donut hybrid is the creation of French-American chef, Dominique Ansel. He first served it at his bakery in Soho, Manhattan and is now it is the holy-grail of breakfasts treats in London. Putting creative twists on French classics is what this bakery specialises in. As well as the cronut, there is a tempting selection of cakes, tarts, cookies and savoury dishes. dominiqueansellondon.com
