Best Coffee Shops and Cafes in Notting Hill

"The ferns, fig trees and purple African lilies that clamber up the final three storeys of the 'Walkie Talkie' skyscraper are mere wallflowers at this 155m-high rooftop garden – it's the rather extraordinary 360-degree views of London (the best in the City) that make this vast, airport-terminal-like space so popular (advance booking recommended). Located on the 35th floor of 20 Fenchurch St, the Sky Garden has front-row seats for the Shard and vistas that gallop for miles east and west."

"Travel 43 floors up and see a unique perspective of landmarks like The Shard, St Paul’s Cathedral, Tower Bridge and more. With massive floor-to-ceiling glass windows, an open-air terrace, and beautifully landscaped scenery, you’ll have an abundance of options for IG pics. It also houses a swanky restaurant and bar, so you can relax and soak in the views with a drink in hand."

"If you guys have been following this blog for a while you may have realised that I am borderline obsessed with Sky Garden. I think it’s not only one of the best views and best rooftop bars in London, but it’s also very Instagrammable. The combination of stunning views over the rooftops of London, with modern architecture and green plants is a winner for me."

"Restaurants Ice-cream parlours Soho. Those nitro-fuelled experimentalists at Chin Chin are the Willy Wonkas of the ice-cream world, and this Soho shop is an ostentatious showcase for their wares. Not only their signature ices, but also full-on desserts – there’s some seriously elaborate stuff going on here amid all the bells and whistles (try the decadent tiramisu sundae)."

"The Lowdown: ​Look no further for quirky hot chocolates than Camden Market’s Chin Chin Labs – Europe’s first liquid nitro ice cream parlour​. They have pimped up the hot chocolate experience – expect a delicious hot chocolate, complete with torched homemade marshmallow fluff. For your Instagram feed alone, it’s something you simply must try."

"The menu at this Soho dessert stop features a lot of the delicious treats mentioned on this blog, but most famous are their biskies – a biscuit/cookie/cake hybrid filled with tasty buttercream, jams and caramels. Flavours include passion fruit and salted caramel, apple crumble, chocolate lava and miso caramel. If you’re feeling extra naughty, order one of their indulgent freakshakes to go with it."

"A Biskie is a sandwiched dessert that’s essentially a cross between a cake and a cookie and is filled with cream or other ingredients. You can find Biskies only at Cutter and Squidge, a cute little bakery with locations in Soho and Bank. Their Salted Caramel Biskie is award winning and if you’re vegan or GF you’ll still find delicious options to choose from."

"We wondered…"Can we vegan-ise our favourite blueberry lemon cheesecake cake?" 🤔 Wonder no more… we did it!!. Blueberry buttercream, tangy cheesecake and vanilla sponge 🍰 Head down to Soho today for a slice, also available online to order 😍. A post shared by Cutter & Squidge (@cutterandsquidge) on Jul 13, 2019 at 2:08am PDT"

"Crepes are a relatively simple pleasure, but they get an indulgent upgrade at Paddington spot Mille Patisserie. Precise pancakes are layered up with cream until they form a cake-shaped dessert, which is then finished with a variety of toppings and often a layer of flavoured gel. Varieties include Earl Grey tea, matcha, sesame and passion fruit, along with seasonal specials."

"Sometimes, you just want a taste of France, so that’s what up next on this list of the best desserts in London. If you’re craving some mille-feuille and crepes, then Mille in Paddington have got you covered. Now, this isn’t a commonly seen dessert, so if you’re in the area, you should absolutely hit this place up."

"A post shared by Mille Patisserie (@patisserie_mille) on Apr 19, 2019 at 11:04am PDT. Millie Patisserie makes French cakes. Mille Crêpes we select premium ingredients from all over the world."

"In the early 1800s, art enthusiast Sir Francis Bourgeois instructed that his entire collection be turned into a gallery open to the public, handpicking architect John Soane to create the Dulwich Picture Gallery from scratch. Look up, and you can see for yourself the innovative techniques Soane used to bathe the whole gallery in sunlight, which became the prototype for all galleries to this day. Still, don't forget to look down too, to see the great Baroque masterpieces that line the walls and the mausoleum Soane designed for his friend and patron."

"A little bit of history for you here: Dulwich Picture Gallery is the world’s very first purpose-built public art gallery. Sir John Soane was the legendary architect who worked on it, designing it in a groundbreaking way that allowed oodles of natural light into the exhibition space. Under its roof you’ll find works by Old Masters of the 18th and 19th centuries, including Rembrandt, Murillo, Van Dyck, Poussin, Gainsborough and Constable."

"Head south of the river and explore Deen City Farm in South Wimbledon - a five-acre piece of countryside in the city. From paddocks to pens, catch a glimpse of the beautiful birds in the aviary, pet some cheeky rabbits, play around with the ferrets and even get to know the farm cats!. Plus, most of the fields and stables are largely wheelchair accessible meaning all the family can get involved in the farmyard fun!"

"Deen City Farm offers pre-booked visits only with groups of no more than 5 people from the same household. Make sure to give a donation in order to help the farm with the loss of income in the past few months. Set on part of the National Trust’s Modern Hall Estate in South West London, Deen City Farm is spread over 5 acres, and is one of the capital’s longest running community farms."

"While everywhere claims to serve the best ice cream in town – and Bears do too – they do at least have a sense of humour about what they do. Ice cream here is fun: all sorts of flavours (with the owners clearly having a sweet tooth), often piled high with hundreds and thousands, brownie bites, Lotus biscuits, Smarties, and sauces galore. The little bears – designed to look like, you guessed it, baby bears – are particularly adorable."

"Made from Jersey milk, the ice creams at Bears Ice Cream are rich and luxurious without being overwhelmingly sweet. They’re the sort of scoops you want to ease yourself into after a hard day; the dairy equivalent of a Tempur mattress. Flavours like rhubarb crumble and custard – a personal fave that's given a slightly savoury edge by the presence of Maldon salt – and the Golden Syrup sponge ice cream exemplify what Bears is all about."

"The Goldhawk Road shop specialises in Icelandic style soft serve ice cream, with flavours like golden syrup sponge; peanut butter, banana & chocolate shard; and rhubarb crumble & custard, which can be topped with all manner of fruit, sauces and chocolate."

"The trendy Clapham bar and restaurant has taken inspiration from our days in education and made them suitable for adult life, with library wallpaper, creative cocktails and heartwarming food."

"Sometimes a visit to such a quintessentially British town as Windsor causes a hankering for a meal that’s unapologetically not British (don’t ask us why). If that’s the case, you want to check out Bluegrass BBQ – an American restaurant committed to smoking meat properly. Open morning, noon and night, it’s a great spot for a calorific fix."

"Sometimes restaurants near Windsor Castle can come off as a bit uptight, but never fear because barbeque is here. Nestled beneath a chocolate brown wooden façade on the corner of Castle Hill and Market Street, it’s a little slice of the American South in the heart of England. The interior is all intimate booths and window-side seating."

"Ayllu is not only one of the best places to eat sushi in London, but it also celebrates the very best in modern Nikkei cuisine. Against a backdrop of stylish furnishings and dimmed lightning, you can tuck into stunning fusion small plates celebrating South American and Asian flavours."