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With a menu by patisserie grandioso Albert Adria (considered by some to be the best pastry chef in the world), this small space at the Hotel Café Royale is a destination for pastry buffs. Surroundings are old-school swish: lots of marble, gold-leaf walls and drinks trolleys of fizz. The windows face busy Regent Street: you can gawp at passers-by. They can gawp back. The ‘cake’ concotions are radical. A twist on a pancake was airy, filled with a yogurt foam and topped with a crème brûlée shell; a miniscule stroopwafel ice-cream sandwich came served in an elaborate box and then popped in a dainty foil bag to keep cool. Sometimes it went too far: the ‘carrot cake’ was just a few grated tendrils of the vegetable wedged between paper-thin wafers. Get the signature chocolate cork instead: it’s the most decadent, rich – and weighty – thing here.
But there’s no sugar-coating the prices. A single creation costs between £6 and £12, and to feel even remotely satisfied, you’ll need several. They’re so dainty that they can seem lost on the plate, but also so light (some just a few grams) that at least there’s no guilt. Oh, and everything is also low-sugar and colourant-free.
In short, don’t go chasing a fat sugar rush. This is a place for patisserie pilgrims.