Best French Bakery in Swanley

"If a trip up to the stunning viewing gallery of one of London’s tallest buildings sounds like a pocket drainer, think again. Situated inside a glass oasis at the top of the “Walkie Talkie”, Sky Garden is London’s highest public garden, filled with greenery and boasting panoramic views of the capital. It’s totally free to head up there, but you’ll need to book in advance, with post-lockdown visits starting up again from July 29."

"The view from Rafael Viñoly’s Sky Garden, also known as the Walkie-Talkie building, is unlike any other in the city. From here you can survey London’s ever-growing sprawl with the city stretching up to the north, Tower Bridge and the Shard to the south, and Canary Wharf to the east. It’s free to explore the tower’s three stories of landscaped public gardens, but make sure to book in advance."

"At the Sky Garden you’ll get panoramic views of the city and you can also stop for food and drink. You have to book a ticket in advance to visit but it’s free. Head to skygarden.london for more info."

"Must try: Griddled vegan cookie dough with burnt butter ice cream. Chin Chin is Europe’s very first liquid nitrogen ice-cream parlour and one of the best spots to discover some of the most unique and delicious desserts in London. Their exciting selection of ice cream flavours are frozen with liquid nitrogen in giant tanks, in a space that looks more like a mad scientists lab than a dessert parlour."

"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 sweet treats get scientific at Chin Chin Labs, where all the ice cream is hand-churned with liquid nitrogen. Its short but inventive menu of regular flavours includes tonka bean and burnt butter caramel, with an array of topping options including bee pollen honeycomb and truffle crumble."

"If you gave a bunch of five year olds a box of crayons and told them to draw birthday cakes, you’d probably end up with something that looks quite a bit like the celebration cakes at this Soho bakery and café. That’s not a bad thing. Cakes with names like “Strawberry Eat-On Mess”*, “S’Mores”, “Apple Pie” – as a cake, and “Popcorn Drip” are short on cake and very long on globs of frosting, fillings, toppings and childlike humor."

"A biscuit isn’t quite a dessert – unless it’s in the hands of Cutter & Squidge, that is. Enter the Biskie, the Soho bakery’s signature dessert which sees two discs of a cake-cookie hybrid sandwich an array of flavoured creamy fillings. The chocolate s’more version is filled with buttercream and a handmade marshmallow, while the blueberry cheesecake version layers jam, cheesecake cream and a wedge of digestive biscuit."

"This sister-owned Soho bakery looks sweet, but isn't saccahrine. Using no more sugar and fat than they need, their inventive and joyfully decorated offerings are delicately, carefully flavoured. Cutter & Squidge’s Dream Cakes make for jaw dropping centrepieces for your big celebration, or can also be enjoyed by the slice in house – the Lychee Kiss is an elegant flavour trio of lychee, raspberry and rose."

"A tropical escape in the heart of South Kensington with an ethereal masterpiece of a terrace. Once you step inside, you'll have a hard time believing you're still in London. The owners called it a "jungle oasis" and that is exactly what it is."

"By day, Tea Darling, way out west in the wilds of Acton Town (actually a London suburb easily reached on the Piccadilly and the District Line), is a really old fashioned tea shop with vintage china and a good assortment of home made cakes and tea sandwiches, including gluten free and vegan variations. On selected evenings (check their website) they host jazz and comedy nights when you can stick to tea or coffee with cake or bring your own bottle (£5 corkage fee). If you arrive in your best 40s or 50s vintage outfit, all the better."

"Restaurants Coffeeshops Hammersmith. On a mission to bring some Melbourne magic to the streets of Hammersmith, this cool Antipodean café brews up some terrific stuff. Coffee comes from Square Mile and other acclaimed guest roasters from around the globe, while ‘slow brews’ are produced by hand using the Japanese method."

"This Australian coffee bar is packed with coffee, natural wine, pastries and a host of brunch and lunch options. Antipode hasn’t got the largest of spaces but you can always expect to find some well-poured flat whites of various single-origin and microlot coffees. Definitely one to hit up if you’re in the Hammersmith area and you can feel a caffeine deprivation headache coming on."

"What: We debated long and hard as to whether a hybrid deserved a place on this sacred list, but given the fact the cronut now has an international trademark it seems only right and proper to acknowledge it in all its flaky glory. For those who haven’t encountered this creation on their Instagram feeds (firstly where have you been hiding?) the cronut is Dominique Ansel’s unique creation which sees a ring of croissant pastry deep-fried, sugar-coated and filled in much the same way as a doughnut. To ensure we never tire of this ingenious invention, the bakery cunningly release a new flavour combination every month to lure us in."

"If you happen to be strolling down picturesque Elizabeth Street, in Belgravia, in the early hours of the morning you'll be hit by two things. First, the glorious smell, and secondly, the long queue of those eager to get their hands on one of Dominique Ansel's delightful baked goods. The man behind the famous Cronut (a doughnut-croissant hybrid) has decided to make his way across the pond to show you what you've been missing out on (ask the Manhattanites - they quite happily queue up to four hours. TRUE STORY)."

"You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. View this post on Instagram. A post shared by Dominique Ansel Bakery London (@dominiqueansellondon)"

"This extraordinary Georgian house is set up as if its occupants – a family of Huguenot silk weavers – have just walked out the door. Each of the 10 rooms is stuffed with the minutiae of everyday life from centuries past: half-drunk cups of tea, emptied but gleaming wet oyster shells and, in perhaps unnecessary attention to detail, a used chamber pot by the bed. It's more an immersive experience than a traditional museum; explorations of the house are conducted in silence."

"The remarkable interiors of this extraordinary time machine of a house are the creation of Dennis Severs (1948–99), a performer-designer-scholar…"

"However, today visitors can still see one remaining section of the palace complex, the Banqueting Hall (fee*) designed by famous architect Inigo Jones with a ceiling painted by Peter Paul Reubens. Today Whitehall is the center of the Government of the United Kingdom and you’ll pass a number of buildings home to various departments and ministries, including the Ministry of Defense and the Cabinet Office. Along this street you’ll also find The Household Calvary Museum (fee*), located in the 18th century stables of the Horse Guards, which gives information on the history of the Household Cavalry and displays a small collection of uniforms and weapons."

"London’s best sushi restaurants are either impossible to get into or prohibitively expensive. It’s therefore with great relief and thrill that the marvellously mercurial Yuya Kikuchi is back in town. Jugemu is a little more traditional but no less chaotic than his short-lived Kirazu, and the question is: Is there a better value omakase in town?"

"Charming, highly regarded and given the skill that goes into what you’re eating, one of the best value meals you’ll get in London. One of our staff here, James, once had to call the restaurant 4,000 times to get a single booking, that’s how difficult it is to get a table. Run by Toru ‘Tetsu’ Takahashi and his wife Harumi, the seven-seater restaurant is regarded as one of the holy grails amongst the food connoisseurs of London, and somewhere you don’t have to spend a fortune to have an incredible meal."

"This 7-seater is home to an endearing husband-and-wife team of Toru (chef) and Harumi Takahashi (manager). The Kobe-trained chef opened Sushi Tetsu, he wished for no media, hoping to keep the place “hidden” and focusing only on perfecting his supply chain and craft. After an Observer review, it didn’t last."