No-one could beat the British for our love of hot puddings. If you're after dessert heaven in London this winter, here's where to find it.
Deep fried bread and butter pudding at Cafe Cecilia
32 Andrews Rd, London E8 4FX
If you thought bread and butter pudding couldn’t get any better, then chef Max Rocha and his team at Cafe Cecilia are here to prove you wrong. Generous slabs of pudding are deep fried and then served up with cold custard - pudding heaven.
Chocolate pudding at Dishoom
Across London
‘You won’t want to share this,’ say Dishoom of their always-on chocolate melt-in-the-middle pudding. They’re probably right, particularly when you know this also comes with a scoop of properly hot chilli ice cream.
Ginger loaf with butterscotch sauce at St John
26 St John Street, London EC1M 4AY
You get the feeling that hell would freeze over before St John stopped putting old-school desserts on their menu. If it isn't this glorious slab of cake topped with malt ice cream then there's usually rice pudding with jam or - if you get lucky - spotted dick, on offer.
Acorn cake at Hide
85 Piccadilly, London W1J 7NB
Ollie Dabbous' cake arrives sizzling at your table before a jug load of smoked caramel sauce is poured all over it. You also get to choose what kind of liqueur you want to have added to it and it comes with Cornish clotted cream.
Golden syrup steamed sponge at Rules
34-35 Maiden Ln, London WC2E 7LB
Made with - of course - Lyle's Golden Syrup - this traditional sponge pudding left critic Marina O'Loughlin in raptures after a visit to Rules, "the memory of a syrup-drenched steamed pudding with custard torments me as I sit here with nothing in the fridge".
Kaiserschmarrn at Fischer’s
50 Marylebone High Street, London W1U 5HN
Also known as the emperor's mess, this dish was named after Kaiser Franz Joseph. It's a heart-stopping dessert of chopped pancake with cherry compote - perfect for visitors to Corbin & King's Viennese cafe.
Old Monk Rum Bread and butter pudding at Gunpowder
Soho, Tower Bridge and Spitalfields
Billed as "the ultimate comforting dessert" this version of the classic British pudding uses Indian rum instead of sugar in the custard, giving it a boozy punch. If you want to go big, there's always the option to add an additional shot for extra booziness.
Pistachio souffle at L’Escargot
48 Greek St, London W1D 4EF
Created in homage to Pierre Koffmann's legendary dessert from his Chelsea restaurant La Tante Claire, L'Escargot's Soho version comes with a generous dollop of pistachio ice cream spooned into the souffle.
Apple and blackberry crumble with custard at The Cow
89 Westbourne Park Rd, London W2 5QH
This Notting Hill pub prides itself on its "prime pub fare" and if you're looking for a hearty dessert, then the almost always-on crumble is the one to go for. And of course, it comes with a jug of warm custard.
Sticky toffee pudding at Hawksmoor
Various locations across London
There's a reason why this pudding has been a bestseller at Hawksmoor since its first day of service - they're constantly tweaking it to achieve pudding perfection. We'd say they've made a pretty good job of it.
Tipsy Cake at Dinner by Heston
66 Knightsbridge, London SW1X 7LA
You'll see rows of pineapples slowly roasting as you enter Blumenthal's Knightsbridge restaurant at the Mandarin Oriental. They're sliced up to serve alongside this Victorian dessert made with brioche balls, a Sauternes cooking cream and then brushed with brandy.
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