Top 10 Sweet London Bites for 2024

So much sweet food in 2024. I honestly think I can eat pastries for a whole day and not get fed up. So, writing this was extremely difficult but I've narrowed it down to my Top 10 bites.

I have a sweet tooth so pastries, cakes, bakeries, boulangeries and desserts I am eager to eat my way through. Luckily London is on the rise of independent bakeries and some of the best sweet treats. So here is my list of my Top 10 bites I’ve had over the last year.

1. Caramel Banana Pudding. Kapihan.

   During the summer of 2024, I was doing an internship in Battersea and decided to try every cafe in the area. Well, let’s just say I ended up going to Kapihan and then returning every week for the remainder of my internship. With a focus on Filipino cuisine, the owners want to show their home and upbringing through coffee and food. They’ve executed this purpose through their Filipino cafe offering flavourful bakes (both sweet and savoury) from the 7,000 islands. The banana pudding cut in a thick wedge is soaked in an enriched custard and served warm. The pudding had a moist cakey texture and topped with a thick caramel jam which was the perfect compliment to the banana flavour.

Kapihan, Battersea. Pastries from £2.

2. Almond cardamom bun. Lever & Bloom.

   I came here as 2024 was starting and I still remember how good this bun was even when I was sitting outside in the freezing cold month of February. I don’t really love cardamom buns as I often find they lack flavour and freshness but these were the complete opposite with a hit of floral spice running throughout. I am an almond lover (as you will see by my Instagram account of regular almond croissant mentions) and this fusion bun was decadent. A Swedish cardamom bun with the addition of almond paste between the twisted strands of cardamom-sugar dough, cooked slightly crispy and golden on the outside but still moist in the centre made this even better than a traditional cardamom bun, in my opinion.

Lever & Bloom Coffee, Bloomsbury. Buns from £4.50.

3. Kouign Amann. Miel.

   Kouign amann, if you haven’t heard of it, is a viennoiserie originating from Brittany. A bread dough containing layers of butter and sugar, then slow baked until the sugar caramelises and the water from the butter expands the dough creating a flaky, sticky laminated dessert of heaven. I have had better in Paris (which will be mentioned in upcoming Top 10), but this was irresistibly good as it was baked longer than any other kouign amann I’ve tried, giving a memorable crunchy exterior and the salty, richness from the butter soaking through all the layers made this a bite I couldn’t not add on the list.

Miel Bakery, Warren Street. Pastries from £3.80.

4. Chocolate Chunk Cookie. E5 Bakehouse.

   I am on the hunt for the best chocolate chip cookie recipe and if I could take this recipe from E5 Bakehouse, I would. For me, it was the perfect cookie. The cafe itself gives such a nice atmosphere: constantly busy, fresh baked sourdough wafting through from the baking school next door and great for a coffee and study afternoon and everything on display looked like the perfect sweet pick-me-up. Going back to cookies; they’re probably the most diverse food in the world as everyone has their own preference and likes them slightly different. But, I feel like everyone can find a bit of their dream cookie in this one. The cookie base wasn’t raw but slightly gooey and packed full of dark and white chocolate chunks that just melted in the mouth as you chewed. It is chunky but not huge so it can bake and get the crunchy, golden edges and the salted dough also added a delicious contrast to the sweetness. I do need to try more cookies to get a full review but so far this is the best I’ve tried in London.

E5 Bakehouse, Hackney. Bakes from £2.

5. Pistachio Cruffin. Treelogy Specialty Coffee.

   I randomly found this place as it was near where my friend lived and what a find! Treelogy Specialty Coffee was made for workers and university students. Minimalistic in the most upmarket way with white and black colour theme and open, clean-looking decor and seating. I asked what the staff’s favourite pastry was and he said “obviously the pistachio cruffin”, so I had to see for myself why it’s his recommendation. Served warm so the outside was flaky like a croissant and the inside melted into a butter brioche-like muffin with the thick, smooth pistachio cream in the middle almost dripping onto the plate. Pistachio flavoured things I often find disappointing because it doesn’t give that intense nutty, creamy flavour but this surprised me because it ticked all the boxes of what a pistachio bake should be.

Treelogy Specialty Coffee, Paddington. Cakes & pastries from £3.50.

6. Coffee & Walnut Almond Croissant. Mahali & Co.

   Another place I went to in the last month of 2024 and made it to the list for many reasons, but mainly one bold distinction from any other almond croissant I’ve had in London. One thing I love about almond croissants in France is the aftermath of a second bake causes them to go flat. They’re extra crispy and become more dense as the extra fats from the almond paste cooks within the croissant. At Mahali & Co they delivered this while putting their own twist on the classic. The crispy croissant turning almost gooey in the centre from the buttery, nutty paste, hints of coffee and earthy walnuts adding a level of bitterness and crunch which contrasts deliciously against the sweet almond filling. I can tell Mahali & Co think about balance of flavours and textures as their other pastry we tried - the lemon and lemongrass cruffin - also showcased this balance of ratio and technique beautifully.

Mahali & Co, Battersea. Pastries from £3.50.

7. Cinnamon Bun. HJEM.

   I felt like I could melt away in the chair when I bit into this cinnamon bun. A cafe baking constantly throughout the day and serving sweet and savoury homemade buns including cardamom and cinnamon. The woman behind the counter gave me a fresh bun from the tray behind and I sat with that and an americano by myself. Not expecting much but HJEM proved me wrong. The cinnamon bun being a yeasted dough was risen to perfect fluffiness. It was like a sponge soaking up all the warm cinnamon butter and made every bite a light and spiced melting mouthful. I tried to savour each bite but ended up devouring it within 5 minutes because I have no restraint on buttery, sugary sweet treats.

HJEM, South Kensington. Pastries from £4.

8. Apple Miso Caramel Tart. Arôme.

   A French-Asian fusion bakery delivering Asian flavour combinations through traditional French techniques. Arôme has made it twice on my Top 10 bites of 2024 and this pick is for their seasonal special. I am an apple fan and if there is apple on the menu, I have to try. This apple, miso caramel tart was glistening on the display counter and calling my name. The pastry base was well-browned holding all the filling and giving a flaky textural contrast to the rest of components. Layers of thin sliced apple that still retained a bite but were mellow as soon as my teeth sunk through. The thick caramel beneath the apples had an umami after taste from the miso which gave the slight salty notes that I always long and love for. To elevate this tart more was a dollop of nutty hazelnut frangipane that made me want to request this special became a permanent part of the menu.

Arôme, Covent Garden/Mayfair. Pastries from £4.80.

9. Double Baked Banana Bread Cinnamon Bun. Buns From Home.

   Buns From Home I have returned to many times to say that I have tried almost all of their flavoured buns. A bakery focusing on cinnamon buns and have spread far and wide across London that wherever I go there is always a Buns From Home close by. Out of their selection, despite the long name, the double-baked banana bread cinnamon bun is my favourite. Different from HJEM, this bun has a flaky exterior and the inside is soft and light with layers of cinnamon butter and an additional lathering of banana bread paste. This paste I want in a jar and I would spread it on everything. It has no artificial banana taste at all and is as if they took a slice of moist banana bread and blended it into a smooth sauce. They have mastered the cinnamon bun and elevated it with a double bake to give a gooey, sticky bite full of banana goodness from corner to corner.

Buns From Home, Victoria. Buns from £3.75.

10. Almond Croissant. Arôme.

    Lastly but definitely not least (in fact the opposite) is an almond croissant. I mentioned Arôme previously and I’ll mention them again as they have become one of my favourite London bakeries from loving several of their pastries, but especially this one. It’s tied with only one other almond croissant as my no.1 almond croissant ever. Firstly, the extra flaky edges of the double-bake; I have found sometimes bakeries barely achieve the step of double-baking due to wanting to retain a signature croissant shape, so they fill the croissant up without a further bake or long enough bake which means the almond croissant lacks any extra crispiness and density (which I personally love). This is also the best bite for me because the layers are still visible and the almond filling is rich, not too sweet and came through strongly along with the buttery croissant. Will I be able to find a better almond croissant in 2025? We will see.

Arôme. Covent Garden/Mayfair. Pastries from £4.80.