LDNGuide
8 Central London Dessert Spots That Stay Open Past 9pm
photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch
Dessert is traditionally a post-meal thing. You have a steak? You end it with a trifle. You have some pizza? You finish off with some tiramisu. And yet dessert places in London don’t seem to take this into consideration when deciding on their closing hours. So for those times when it’s 9.30pm and you’re craving a slice of chocolate cake that would make Miss Trunchbull proud, these are our favourite spots around central London for a late-night dessert.
THE SPOTS
photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch
Gelupo is a haven of stracciatella and comfy, curved booths on Archer Street in Soho. There’s an always-shuffling queue of gelato enthusiasts young and old outside, eyeing up another person’s towering pistachio cone while internally panicking about the choice of what to lick. But, come evening (until 10pm or midnight at weekends), the vibe is less choc chip and more mi scusi darling, the grown-ups have a sugar craving. Grab a seat at the back—negroni in one hand, dark chocolate sorbet in the other.
photo credit: Giulia Verdinelli
There’s cake, and then there’s L’Eto Caffé’s cakes. We’re talking honey cake as thick as a brick, chocolate sponge cake with chocolate glazing and jam oozing out, and raspberry meringue cake we want to frame and eat at the same time. This seriously good Soho spot serves everything from brunch to salads, but the impressive display of cakes that can be seen from clear across the street is the reason you should be here. It’s open until 11pm, seven days a week, and whether you sit inside or get a slice to go, your sweet tooth will most definitely be satisfied.
photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch
This takeaway gelato spot in Soho has a double pistachio flavour that’s so moreish we wouldn’t be surprised if it was laced with something stronger than the layer of pistachio cream. Every cone and cup is topped with an additional baby cone, filled with melted chocolate—you know, in case double pistachio and white chocolate gelato isn’t indulgent enough. Just know that once you get a taste of their exciting flavours—and realise they stay open until 12am every day—you’ll be finding excuses to come back for more.
photo credit: Christopher's
POWERED BY
Christopher’s may very well have the best french toast in London. There, we said it. Thick brioche with a soft gooey centre, a layer of Belgian chocolate, topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, and more melted chocolate. It’s the reason to visit this grand Covent Garden American restaurant. Another reason is because their moody ground floor bar stays open until 1:30am on Fridays and Saturdays, and 12am on Tuesday to Thursday.
photo credit: Cocomelt
Cocomelt in Soho knows that melted chocolate cravings don’t end after 9pm. In fact, this Wardour Street spot gets it so much that it stays open until 11pm every day bar Sunday. You’ll see huge chocolate fountains through the window, and there’s a menu which includes crêpe fettuccine drizzled with milk, dark, or white chocolate (or a mix of all three) and waffle sticks drenched in chocolate. Sit down for an intense sugar session in their bright and neon sign-filled cafe and get the chocolate-covered strawberries—because fruit.
photo credit: Crome
We like our french toast to be fluffy, topped with things like melted chocolate and ice cream, and available until 11pm. And Crome on James Street ticks all three boxes. Toppings include Nutella, brownies, and caramel popcorn, or Biscoff and salted caramel, or Kinder Bueno bars that melt and turn into a lovely creamy, crunchy mess. There are a bunch of covered tables outside, as well as a couple inside. The french toast is all around the £13 mark, but it’s the sort of thing you’ll want to share between two anyway.
photo credit: Kula
A Marylebone favourite, Kula has been open for over a decade. While it’s got all sorts of sweet treats—from big slices of cake to Swedish waffles—the sticky toffee pudding is what you’ll crave on a chilly London night. It’s warm and comforting, with a scoop of ice cream and some caramel sauce drizzled on top. Open until 10pm, it’s a small and popular spot so be prepared to wait a little bit if you’re looking for a table inside.
This Chinatown spot isn’t the only place doing soft serve in London. But Taiyakiya is one of the only places we’ve found that does excellent soft serve with brown tapioca. And it’s a big yes from us. There are four soft serve flavours—vanilla, black sesame, rose lychee, and matcha—which you can choose to have in a taiyaki, a Japanese fish-shaped waffle cone, or in a cup. Either way, it’s great. Our go-to order is the Oreo with tapioca or The Little Mermaid with lychee rose. Oh, and it’s open until 10pm every day.
