Guide to the best desserts in London

At luxury Israeli patisserie Roladin's donut studio in London, you can't really go wrong with any of the carefully crafted delights. But if you're undecided on the merits of, say, pistachio versus raspberry, go for the St Honore if it's available. Pleasantly round, this signature donut is inspired by the French patron saint of pastry chefs and features a mascarpone cream and salted caramel base, a scoop of white chocolate Chantilly, and a caramelised vanilla profiterole plopped on top.

Esteemed French pastry chef Angelo Musa became the Pastry World Champion on the back of his Papilio, a decadent dessert featuring chocolate sponge, mousse and crémeux with coconut, passion fruit and mango caramel and a dark-chocolate glaze. You can indulge in it at Musa’s recently opened patisserie on the fourth floor of Harrods, which offers a variety of the chef’s wondrous creations.

When the much-loved Honey & Co. Middle Eastern restaurant was forced to move to a new location in Bloomsbury, many feared their famous feta & honey cheesecake was going to get lost on the way. Fortunately, this wasn't the case. In fact, the group is growing, meaning you can now get the signature dessert at multiple locations. It combines a delicate kadaif pastry base with a creamy feta cheesecake layer, Greek thyme honey, almonds and seasonal fruit. If you want to try your own hand at it, the recipe is also on Honey & Co's website.

Humble Crumble took a national favourite and improved on it with style and a hefty helping of blowtorched marshmallow. The artisanal fruit crumble come in your choice of fruit, crumble and extras such as custard, whipped cream or the afore-mentioned marshmallow, with the resulting treat a delight to look at as well as taste. PS - the custard is bottomless …

One of the best pastry chefs in the world, Cédric Grolet, is famed for his exquisite trompe-l'œil creations. The desserts in the Fruits and Flowers lines are shaped and airbrushed to look like the ingredients they’re made from, making for a mind-bending visual and flavour experience. Grolet’s patisserie at The Berkeley luxury hotel is his first outpost outside of France and features an exclusive dish – a trompe-l'œil scone.

The deli spin-off of renowned haute cuisine restaurant Le Comptoir Robuchon is no stranger to acclaim, but things hit a new level when they came up with their insta-viral pastry cubes. Highly pleasing to look at in a Minecraft sort of way, the delicate square brioches are piped with chocolate, vanilla or matcha, dipped in the corresponding glaze and thrown, er, distributed to the social media hordes. They go quick, so best show up early.

Even in the overwhelming decor of Big Mamma Group’s Gloria and Circolo Popolare restaurants, the massive lemon pie stands out, dominating the room from its display throne. The meringue layer is an impressive 15 centimetres thick at its highest point and stacked atop a zesty lemon tart, making for an instantly iconic dessert.

Continuing the tradition of each Big Mamma Group restaurant having its own signature maximalist dessert, Ave Mario shapes fior di latte ice cream into a humongous cake, marbled through with crunchy Stracciatella chocolate and cut at your table. For a bit of extra indulgence, ask for caramel on top of your slice.

The simple description and pale amber colouring of this dessert belie the complexity of the flavour you taste when taking a bite of it. Suffice to say, the signature dish is a big part of the reason this was London's first Michelin Pub of the Year in 2016. Years on, the delicate treat is still one of Marksman's major draws, and is also available at younger sibling restaurant Lasdun at the National Theatre.

The Nutella ring is the popular Pizza Pilgrims chain's signature dessert, but this spin-off kiosk in Kingly Court throws any pretence of restraint out the window. They take a ring of properly made Neapolitan pizza dough and stuff it with classic candy bars such as Mars, Bounty, or Reese's, bake it, of course, then slather it in Nutella. If that's not enough sweetness for you, you can also add ice cream. The kiosk also serves espresso shots, and we're pretty sure you're going to need one afterwards.

An Indo-Chinese fusion restaurant might not be your first thought when it comes to treating yourself to a brownie, but this classic dessert is done with panache here. The “sizzling” part of the name is key, as the fudgelicious brownie is served in an iron skillet, with hot chocolate and vanilla ice cream melting atop it and turning it into a sweet, gooey mess.

It’s usually the savoury buns at the Bao eateries around town that get all the praise, but the chain’s brief dessert list does include another standout. Their fried Horlicks ice cream buns have a crispy crust courtesy of a hot fryer and sandwich a scoop of Horlicks malted milk ice cream between them.

Bubble waffle ice cream spots might be ten a penny these days, but they were originally launched in London’s Chinatown. The Bubblewrap team transformed a traditional Hong Kong egg waffle snack into a hot-and-cold, crunchy-and-smooth treat and a viral trend was born. You can customise your dessert by choosing from different bases, gelato filling and toppings.

Including hot chocolate on the list might be fudging the definition of dessert a bit, but the rich, creamy potions served at Knoops rank up there with the best of them when it comes to sweet indulgence. The artisanal experts help you craft your perfect blend from an array of over 20 different % chocolates, various milks and flavours such as orange, lavender and pink pepper. You can also have your drink served as a milkshake or iced.

One of the world’s greatest pastry chefs Albert Adrià serves a decadent take on the classic cheesecake at his all-dessert restaurant at the luxurious Hotel Café Royal. The Cheese Cake is made with creamy, brie-like Baron Bigod cheese, has a skin of hazelnut and white chocolate, and comes with homemade Breton shortbread. You can also pair it with a glass of handpicked bubbles. If that all sounds a bit too much, there are somewhat lighter treats and hot drinks on the menu as well.

The infamous glossy stack of pancakes with hazelnut maple praline and brown butter is a highlight of the brunch menu at this Brooklyn export. The full triple stack looks like a work of art that’s almost too good to tuck into, but there are single and double options that are easier on the conscience as well.

The dessert menu at this compact LA-inspired Chinese eatery is short, but packs quite a punch in the form of the HK French toast – slices of fluffy Asian milk bread, layered with peanut butter, condensed milk and malt powder and fried into a decadent treat. If that’s not indulgent enough for you, add a scoop of ice cream.

The Ivy, an icon of British dining in Covent Garden, has plenty of draws on its menu, but the Baked Alaska dessert for two is certainly a showstopper. The meringue, spectacularly flambéed at your table, hides a cherry sorbet core that complements the Griotte cherries surrounding the génoise sponge.

Camden's premiere dessert emporium Hans & Gretel is a fairy-tale shop decorated with colourful lollipops, candy and sweet delights of all sorts. The treats on offer are equally over-the-top and range from scoops of artisanal gelato to donuts and bubble waffles, with the chimney cake a particular highlight. You can customise it with your choice of toppings and gelato. Hans & Gretel also has outposts at select Hamley's toy stores.

Though the Yolkin ice cream macarons are sadly no more, the creative mind behind them has come up with another viral enterprise. Boolay Crepes serves crème brûlée crêpe cones, which are quickly picking up steam, and not just for their extensive use of diacritics. A thin crêpe is folded into a cone, filled with your choice of vanilla or hazelnut crème or an Eton Mess variant with fruit, and topped with a caramelised sugar crust.

The large, chewy cookies at Crème are the work of Michelin-trained chef Damien Leroux, who uses his expertise and all-natural local produce to bridge the Atlantic with French twists on this American classic. The available cookie flavours are banana dark chocolate, white chocolate miso, milk chocolate or vegan double chocolate, and they’re freshly baked every hour.

Mille Patisserie specialises in mille crêpe cakes, special no-bake desserts that are made by layering the thinnest of French crêpes on top of each other, separated by a coating of pastry cream. The decadent, textured treats are available in different flavours, for example pistachio & Madagascan vanilla, matcha or Gariguette strawberry & elderflower.

Sticky toffee pudding is as much a mainstay of British cuisine as, well, Gordon Ramsay. It’s therefore quite fitting that the infamous celebrity chef offer a by-the-books take on the traditional dessert at his restaurants. The warm, gooey and hefty treat comes slathered in melting vanilla ice cream.

There are plenty of sugary delights at this compact Syrian confectionery, including the kanafeh shredded filo pastry with melted goats’ cheese or the thick, chewy bouzza ice cream. But if you find yourself overwhelmed by the variety, the madloua, a semolina pudding covered with raw cream, is always a welcome and reliable option.

At Sesame Kingdom, you can get your fill of halva, the aromatic, nutty Middle Eastern sesame treat that melts on your tongue. The halva here is made using single origin Ethiopian sesame seeds and available in different flavours, from chocolate, tiramisu and vanilla to za'atar, pistachio and cinnamon & raisins. It's gluten-free and vegan, too.

The Darlish baklava ice cream sandwich is a viral dessert by the Darlish Ice Cream parlour. The signature specialty consists of a scoop of ice cream sandwiched between layers of the sugary baklava pastry, sprinkled with pistachios. The dessert is such a hit, it’s even available in the acclaimed Berenjak restaurant in Soho.

It’s pretty clear what How Matcha is all about, and if you’re a fan of this health-conscious tea powder, you might just find this café to be a matcha made in heaven. Matcha powder is used in everything here, from the coffee to the eclairs, chocolate chip cookies, mille crepe cake, macarons and other treats from the dessert bar. As an added bonus, the resulting green colouring is sure to pop on your feed.

Yauatcha’s delicately crafted treats are a marvel to look at as well as taste. The patisserie is European in style, but it draws on the teahouse’s Chinese heritage for inspiration, resulting in sweet delights such as the Raspberry Delice with lychee panna cotta or the Earl grey ganache. They also make special seasonal desserts, such as a white chocolate Easter egg that many regard as the second coming.

The cinnamon buns by Buns From Home are laminated with butter sourced from Normandy, following French croissant-making principles. This gives them a unique sort of rich flakiness that has become a hit and led this former delivery-only bakery to open five London shops in swift succession. If the classic cinnamon isn’t up your alley, there are other flavours such as tiramisu and cardamom to choose from as well.

St. John might be better known for its revolutionary nose-to-tail cuisine, but it’s worth noting that the dessert menu at this institution pips the mains when it comes to length. Among options such as rice pudding or twice-baked chocolate cake, the Eccles cake is a standout, its rich fruitiness and crispy pastry complemented with a wedge of creamy Lancashire cheese, as is tradition.

It’s hard to take your eyes off of the 24ft tall, sparkling Pegasus that dominates the Brasserie of Light dining room, but the Chocolate Bubbles dessert might do the trick. An indulgent chocolate treat, it combines Valrhona dark choc, dark chocolate mousse, a brownie, chocolate pearls and a scoop of vanilla ice cream in a glittering, memorable dish.

London’s oldest restaurant is suffused in British tradition, and the pudding selection features familiar classics such as sticky toffee pudding, sorbets or fruit crumble. As generations upon generations know, you can’t go wrong with any of these but the Golden Syrup Sponge is a particular highlight – simple and comforting.

Pastel de nata might be a Portuguese national dish, but the artisan bakers at Café de Nata do the egg custard tart justice. The treats are freshly made and baked each day, and can be complemented with a cup of freshly ground coffee.

The apple strudel is a classic Mittel European dessert, but despite its conceptual simplicity – it’s just fruit in pastry, after all – its devotees know it can be surprisingly tricky to get right. The one at Fischer’s, a relaxed Viennese eatery in Marylebone, passes muster with its full flavour and hints of cinnamon. It can be served with whipped cream or ice cream.

Somewhat surprisingly for a Japanese restaurant, you can find the beloved North American s’more on the dessert menu here. The classic recipe of a marshmallow and chocolate, sandwiched between a pair of graham crackers and roasted over fire is upgraded with a strawberry marshmallow and almond chocolate, but the resulting gooey-meets-crunchy treat is as delightful as ever.

There are plenty of classic Italian desserts available at the sophisticated Harry’s eateries, but the Toadstool isn’t one you’re likely to find on the streets of Rome. White chocolate, fresh raspberries, mascarpone mousse, iced vanilla parfait and pistachio biscotti crunch are sculpted into an adorable toadstool that you’ll want to snap a pic of, before snapping it up.

The Japan Centre food hall at Leicester Square stocks all sorts of weird and wonderful Japanese treats, but those with a sweet tooth will want to stop by the mochi bar on the ground floor. The freshly prepared glutinous rice cakes come in variety of flavours and are also available as ice cream, donuts, cookies and more.

These compact cafés serve the thick and very fluffy souffle pancakes that are typical of Japan. You can choose from toppings such as cream & strawberries or Nutella. The cafés also sell bubble tea and smoothies.

With a dainty fairytale aesthetic outside and in, the Peggy Porschen parlours are a treat to look at in and of themselves. The biggest delights are found at the patisserie counter, however, where a range of cupcakes awaits patrons. They’re supposedly some of the best in the world and come in various flavours, for example a classic red velvet with vanilla cream cheese frosting and pink sugar hearts, or a changing selection of seasonal specials such as the Summer Berry Pudding.

L'Eto is a group of Mediterranean-style cafés around the city, but their biggest draw are the cakes. You can choose from different cheesecakes, layer cakes, sponge cakes and even low-calorie options, with flavours such as saffron dulce de leche, blueberry vanilla cheesecake or rose & lychee sponge cake – or the walnut & caramel honey cake, which upgrades their legendary honey cake by packing it with walnuts.

Disciples of the freakshake trend that has swept the world in recent years can get their freak on at Miki’s Paradise, a cosy North London café with no qualms about jamming marshmallows, pretzels, Oreos and what have you on top of a rich, creamy milkshake base. Of course, the end product doesn’t just taste good, it looks good as well.

At the elegant, award-winning Roka restaurants, the dishes arrive in style, carefully arranged for maximum visual impact. The exotic fruits platter is a prime example of this principle at work when it comes to dessert, with the selection of fresh fruit presented in a show-stopping way that makes it almost a shame to tuck in. And don’t worry, there are some decidedly non-fruity treats hidden in the feast as well.

The fittingly named Crosstown doughnuts can be found at stores, trucks and stalls across London. The award-winning treats are available in numerous classic and offbeat flavours, for example Tongan vanilla bean glaze, chocolate truffle or peanut butter & blackcurrant compote. They also regularly craft special edition and seasonal flavours such as hot cross bun or Guinness, and many of their flavours are vegan-friendly.

The merveilleux is a traditional Flemish pastry that combines meringue with whipped cream and chocolate shavings or other toppings. You can choose from different flavours as well, for example a coffee or a speculoos cream, with the artisans at Aux Merveilleux de Fred crafting your treat right in front of you in their baroque-inspired shops.

The international Beefbar group is renowned for its quality steaks and other meaty delights, but they're no slouches when it comes to desserts, either. Their Gelato Mantecato Al Minuto for two is a playful, refreshing treat featuring creamy fior di latte gelato and a bunch of sauces and toppings you can mix and add tableside.

The famed Longboys doughnuts are immediately recognisable thanks to their elongated, hot-dog-like shape. You can choose from all sorts of fillings for these brioche treats, for example chocolate hazelnut, strawberry white chocolate or lemon meringue pie, with vegan, dairy-free and nut-free options available as well. The menu changes monthly and you can count on seasonal specials showing up as well.

An independent bakery venture launched during lockdown, Dalston's The Proof serves all sorts of cakes and sweet treats, but specialised in profiteroles – or proofiteroles as they're known here. The shop features a build-you-own profiterole bar with unlimited toppings. Step 1: choose your profiterole. Step 2: go crazy with the toppings. Step 3: profit!

With a name like that, you know there's no holding back at this place. Having graduated from pop-up to permanent, Treats Club is the first cooked-to-order donut shop in London. There are all sorts of fillings and twists on the classic donut available here, including the donut French toast – a square donut that's cooked like French toast, then embellished with maple syrup, salted butter and cereal-milk ice cream. Get some gourmet marshmallow fluff on the side if you dare.

Kulfi is traditional South Asian ice cream made by slowly simmering whole milk and flavouring it with pistachio, rose water, and saffron. Falooda is a summer drink from the same area, made with rose syrup, milk, thin vermicelli noodles, nuts, and other toppings. Combine the two and magic happens – magic in the form of a refreshing dessert that's part milkshake, part bubble tea, and all delicious.

The famed Sachertorte is a continental classic, indulgent chocolate cake whose outward simplicity hides a symphony of indulgent sweetness. One of the best spots to get an authentic Sachertorte in London is Kipferl, a snug alpine-inspired restaurant and patisserie in Angel that serves traditional Austrian food and drinks. Other Austrian treats, such as Mozartkugeln and Kaiserschmarrn, are also available.

If you love French toast as much as the French love, er, love, treat yourself to a Crome-antic meal at this futuristic spot in Marylebone. Crome's menu is comprised solely of French toast. Forget about boring old French toast with maple syrup, as there's a plethora of sweet and savoury options to explore here, including limited-edition seasonal specials like super-chocolatey options around Easter.

Located just off Broadway Market, this simple neighbourhood bistro in Hackney is a modern spot that takes inspiration from the chef's Irish roots. The restaurant is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner at various times throughout the week. The real star of the show is the desserts, especially the Guinness bread ice cream, which is often paired with dishes like deep-fried bread and butter pudding.

Italian Bear is known for chocolatey treats, with its indulgent hot chocolate being a hit in particular. Visit this modern and comfortable venue if you're a big fan of chocolate cake. The bestselling cake comes with layers of sponge and ganache and is available whole or by the slice. A vegan version is also on the menu.