LDNGuide
A Definitive Guide To London’s Best Pancakes
The common pancake is a thing of beauty. A vehicle for everything from chocolate to cheese, they bring ultimate comfort at the darkest of times. And we don’t want to play favourites, but if we’re dragging ourselves out of bed for brunch, you better believe we’re ordering pancakes. But that’s not to say that all pancakes are born—flipped?—equal. No, the pancakes in this guide are the best of the best. Whether they’re packed full of seafood or smothered in maple syrup, these are the pancakes you really don’t want to miss.
THE SPOTS
photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch
Wave changes its pancake toppings seasonally and the winter ones made us forget that the sky had been 50 shades of grey for months on end. At the vegan Hackney cafe, a stack of three pillowy, gluten-free pancakes comes drizzled with warming toffee sauce and topped with dollops of coconut-flavoured ‘cream’. It’s beautiful to look at and only improved with a salted coffee—sweetened and speckled with Himalayan salt—on the side.
If there was a pajeon power ranking, Imone’s would comfortably take first place. It’s beautifully presented, with an almost aggressive amount of spring onion peeking through the pancake batter. If you leave this charming Korean spot in New Malden without trying this crispy, comforting dish, we can’t take you seriously. It doesn’t matter if you’re coming from the opposite end of the city, this pajeon is worth the journey.
photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch
We know, we know, Din Tai Fung is a Taiwanese restaurant best-known for being Disneyland for xiao long bao-lovers. But two bites into this Covent Garden spot’s prawn pancake and you’ll start Googling whether it’s OK to put prawns in a blender. The teeny tiny bits of prawn are layered throughout the softest part of the pancake, creating little pockets of fishy goodness, while the outer layer is gloriously fried.
We’re going to do something different and start with the negatives of the pancakes at this all-day, French-inspired Mayfair spot. They’re only available on weekends, which seems like a rather selfish thing to do to the pancake-deprived people of London. The positives: the fluffy ricotta pancakes at NAC are light as air, which is why the thick dulce de leche sauce it’s drowned in pairs perfectly. It’s also topped with banana which makes for a fancy banoffee situation. This is a super popular place so don’t turn up without a booking.
photo credit: Sunday In Brooklyn
Sunday In Brooklyn has infiltrated our childhood dreams and created a stack of pancakes so thick and so fluffy that we have no choice but to stand up, say something profound like “hazelnut praline, simply inspired” and slow-clap. With the addition of a hearty dose of brown butter, we might even shed a single perfect tear. Plus the all-day American restaurant in Notting Hill serves brunch until around 5pm throughout the week and single pancakes are available on their dinner menu. If you do go big at brunch, we suggest you share.
Dumpling Shack’s crispy spring onion pancake is a fantastic and flaky circle that should be dunked in their electric chilli oil with wild abandon. It’s one of our ultimate go-to savoury pancakes, and we usually head to their kitchen in Old Spitalfields Market to perch, slurp sheng jian bao, and invest in the ultimate onion party that is their pancakes.
Pancakes. That’s it. That’s all this place sells. And we fucking love it. We might even move to Southwark Bridge Road just so all of our foreseeable mornings are spent saying things like “we’ll have the poached pear caramel pancakes with a side of bacon”. The buttermilk batter is, frankly, magical and we’re even into their eggy options. A carafe of mimosas alongside? Why the hell not.
This spot is Temporarily Closed.
This Japanese cafe in Bloomsbury specialises in soufflé pancakes. They’re like a glorious scotch pancake that’s undergone a serious workout regime and bulked out big time. When it comes to toppings, expect everything from chocolate, to strawberries, to our personal favourite, the Biscoff special. It’s a bright and simple space but be warned, Fuwa Fuwa is walk-in only and these pancakes bring the crowds at weekends.
photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch
Walkies aren’t just for all the good doggos out there. No, walkies are also for noble Londoners who actually manage to get up before 6pm on Saturdays and want to build up a bit of an appetite before they eat. Put on your most crappy trainers and head to Hampstead Heath for a leisurely stroll and some of the city's best crêpes. Legendary grab and go spot, La Crêperie De Hampstead has been serving sweet and savoury crêpes since the ‘80s and their Nutella number is one of our all-time favourite ways to spend six quid. Order, pay, find a charming little bench, brunch sorted.
Much like walking along the South Bank and witnessing someone mildly famous take the tube, having breakfast at The Wolseley is an essential London experience. A huge converted 1920s car showroom in Mayfair, it’s grand, bright, and has a doorman who will make all of your pre-coffee angst evaporate. Our favourite dish is the classic full English, but their pancakes are also seriously good. Extra thick and covered in seasonal berries and maple syrup, pancakes at The Wolseley are perfect for when you want to feel all Elizabeth Taylor before 11am.
What’s that? You came to this guide exclusively for sugar-heavy pancakes of the brunch variety? Open your mind. Open your heart. There’s a whole world of hoisin and duck out there for you. When a craving for a serious savoury pancake situation strikes, our go-to is the classic crispy aromatic duck with pancakes at Baker Street’s Royal China Club. Depending on your group—or your stomach—you can go for a quarter, half, or a whole duck, and the Cantonese restaurant’s pancakes are paper thin but can carry a hefty portion of fillings.
photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch
When it comes to pancake toppings we do not discriminate. Our kitchen has seen various Frankencake creations ranging from a Marmite crêpe to a five-cheese and baked bean pancake disaster. Basically, if you can picture Mary Shelley shouting YOLO and putting something on a pancake, we’ve already tried it. That’s why we’re big fans of Hash E8, because they introduced us to a topping combination we’d never tried before. Caramelised banana and white chocolate. One for all the sugar heads, these pancakes are top-notch but be warned that this American-style diner in Dalston is pretty much permanently busy, so prepare for a bit of a wait.
