10 best dessert bars in London

Whether it’s cookies and soft serve, or gourmet cakes and croffins, you can’t go wrong with a dessert bar. Here are our favourites. 

By Caroline McConnico

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Chin Chin Ice Cream

Soho

Step into Chin Chin, and you’ll feel like you stepped into Willy Wonka’s factory of deliciously sweet creations. This dessert shop uses liquid nitrogen to freeze its ice cream to order, giving it the look of an eccentric lab with gas filling the air. The ice cream flavours are extraordinary, including options like burnt butter caramel and hazelnut and kikos (fried corn). They even have experimental ice cream sandwiches and other desserts like griddled cookie dough and a marshmallow waffle cup sundae.

Hans & Gretel

With locations across London, Hans & Gretel leans far into the fairytale theme with its whimsical interior and magical variety in desserts. Among the many fantastical and massive creations are chimney cakes filled with chocolate and a multitude of toppings to pick from. You can also get gelato in a bubble cone or wrapped in a cotton candy cone. These amazing sweets are sure to exceed your dessert expectations and the fun decor will make you feel like you are in a story book.

Cakes & Bubbles

Piccadilly Circus

For an elevated treat, visit Cakes & Bubbles and try desserts handcrafted by famed chef Albert Adrià. This dessert bar is located in Hotel Café Royal between Mayfair and Soho, and features a wide selection of fine desserts like cheesecake, egg flan, and artisan ice cream. There is also a wide selection of Champagnes and sparkling wines to accompany the sweet treats. The ambiance is elegant and luxurious, inviting you to stay for a few hours, sip Champagne and try an array of high-quality desserts. A summer menu currently offers refreshing chilled drinks, including an Iced Rose Latte and Hazelnut Pressé Cold Brew Coffee.

The Dreamery

Islington

The Dreamery is just what it sounds like – a dreamy oasis for creamy scoops of soft serve and glasses of wine. The interior is gorgeous and striking with a backlit ceiling made of Japanese Unryo rice panels. The walls are covered in mirrors, giving the space a wondrous atmosphere full of the trendiest Islington locals. The ice cream flavours are fun and experimental, with choices like chocolate and olive oil, brown butter and raisin, and fig leaf. The wine is even served in the cutest wine glasses with little moons painted on them.

Heavenly Desserts

If you are looking for a wide range of dessert options, Heavenly Desserts is the place for you. With locations all throughout London and other parts of the UK, this dessert shop has everything from milk cakes and waffles to crepes and ice cream. One of the most popular desserts they offer is a raspberry and chocolate “croffle”, aka if a croissant and a waffle had a fluffy, delicious baby. Be sure to try one of these “croffles” and sit in their stylish dining rooms with a craft lemonade or mojito.

Crème

Notting Hill and Soho

A cookie shop with soft serve and coffee? What more could you ask for? Crème is home to four signature flavours of big, gooey cookies, including vegan double chocolate, milk chocolate, white chocolate miso, and banana dark chocolate. If you aren’t totally sold on just eating a cookie, you can get some of their soft serve with a cookie crumbled on top, making for a creamy combination. Don’t forget to get a coffee too, or if you are wanting milk with your cookies, you can get it served hot or cold.

Haute Dolci

Haute Dolci is a luxury dessert brand with stores across the UK and other major cities. The brand specialises in waffles, cakes and gelato, and has a good variety of vegan and gluten-free choices too. Try one of their signature desserts like waffles, croffles, cookie dough and pancakes, or be bold and try one of their sundaes like the tropical paradise or cotton candy themed one. Check out the location in Wembley for an Instagrammable atmosphere complete with a giant cherry blossom tree on the inside of the shop.

Barnaby Bars

Covent Garden and Tottenham Court Road

Specialising in handcrafted chocolate bars, Barnaby Bars is the place for all of your chocolatey needs. These high-quality chocolate bars come in all sorts of flavours, including peanut butter and salted caramel, pistachio malt brownie, and chocolate orange and sponge. Each bar is good for up to 5 days so don’t leave it sitting around as you might a loose Cadbury bar. The chocolate bars also come in bright yellow packaging, making them aesthetically pleasing for your social media needs.

The Urban Chocolatier

The Urban Chocolatier has got to have one of the best names around and some of the sweetest treats too. With locations all across London, this shop has gourmet desserts, craft mocktails, and gelato. Among the specialty desserts are everything you can imagine from tiramisu and macarons, to peanut butter and brownie sizzlers that come in a skillet with vanilla ice cream. Some locations are even open late to meet your after-dark cravings. 

Blondies Kitchen

Covent Garden, Selfridges, Harrods

Last but not least, Blondies Kitchen has some of the most popular cookies in London. Their American-style cookies are praised for their crispy edges and gooey centres with a number of flavours like milk and white chocolate chip, Biscoff Dubai, matcha, and cocoberry. The shop was started by two blonde foodies, Kristelle and Chelsie, who became obsessed with American-style cookies after visiting New York City. Ever since, they have been spreading the cookie gospel and setting major dessert trends in London.