Best Pastries in Romford

"Mini Éphémère, a lemon and yuzu meringue and cream version of the Merveilleux. Finding a delicious sweet treat for less than £2 anywhere in London is rare but finding something that will put your sweet tooth into a trance in South Kensington for £1.20 is some kind of miracle. At Aux Merveilleux de Fred, the mini versions of their namesake confections are so light – and inexpensive – that you can indulge without guilt."

"For the melt-in-the-mouth pastry experience only a true French chef such as Frédéric Vaucamps can achieve, book yourself in at Aux Merveilleux de Fred. Famed for their brioches, meringues and truffles, which are must-buys, the whole menu is highly acclaimed. Do yourself a favour and get some takeaway buns to enjoy as you travel around the rest of the city – they are truly merveilleux."

"If you’re a big fan of croissants, then the Pasty Parlour is a must for your Little Black Book. One of London’s best bakeries, everything is baked fresh on-site daily and their pastries are said to rival the originals from across the channel. 8 Piazza Walk, London E1 8FU; thepastryparlour.co.uk"

"This dog-friendly east London café is certainly one to add to your London vegan food roster. Not only is there a full vegan English breakfast, complete with crispy hash browns, roasted plum tomatoes and grilled sourdough dripping in creamy vegan butter, they also serve seriously generous portions, leaving even the hungriest of customers full. There’s far more than fry ups on offer, though: the spicy coconut ramen is a delightful winter warmer, served with silky tofu, shiitake mushrooms and thick udon noodles deliciously slurped up when drizzled in hot chilli oil."

"Italian-originating Said is the London offshoot of Rome’s oldest chocolate shop, but the gravity of such status doesn’t stop it from getting a little silly. Hot chocolate here transcends warm beverage to full-blown dessert – rich, thick, molten chocolate is spooned into cups so generously it often overflows. Cakes can be ordered here too, with the option of adding a dutiful drenching of hot milk, dark or white chocolate sauce."

"Philippe Conticini is a legend of pâtisserie and both of his eponymous Londoncafés are home to some of the finest gourmet pastries on this side of the channel. Paying a visit to Phillipe Conticini is like paying your respects to the butter gods. His Paris Brest is a thing of delicate, complicated beauty; his vanilla flan a reminder of what heights custard can achieve; and his pain au chocolat, a pastry so layered and flaky that it makes all pretenders seem a sham."

"16A Ash Avenue, Park Central East, Elephant Park, Elephant & Castle, London SE17 1GQ Why should you care?. 400 Rabbits have settled on Elephant and Castle as their latest pizzeria, bringing both their London sourdough pizzas and a brand new range of gelato made in-house."

"Created by owner Sammie Le, who was determined to combat food waste and use the whole egg when making full batches of ice cream, Yolkin has since become a favourite among ice cream and macaron lovers alike. Head over to Rupert Street to indulge in one of Yolkin’s staple ice cream sandwiches. Choose your ice cream flavour of choice before sandwiching it between a macaron, brownie, chocolate chip or chocolate."

"That’s what baker Sammie Le does at her Chinatown dessert shop Yolkin – so named after her realisation that making ice cream was the perfect way to use up the egg yolks she had leftover from making macarons. The ice cream sandwiches here come in a wide-ranging collection of flavours including watermelon candy, lemon meringue and a bright blue Cookie Monster. 24 Rupert Street, W1D 6DQ, yolkin.co.uk"

"Ready for the most incredible ice cream sandwich you ever laid eyes on?. It’s time to visit Yolkin in Soho. The macaron ice cream sandwich was invented after Yolkin owner Sammie was fed up of throwing away the yolks when she made macarons."

"Cardinal Place is a state of the art shopping heaven located in Central London. The central location of the mall attracts several tourists. It is situated next to Victoria station and very close to the famous Westminister Cathedral."

"A post shared by Angel Central (@angel_central) on Mar 5, 2016 at 5:33am PST. Angel Central, formerly known as the N1 Shopping Centre, offers shopping, dining, and entertainment in Islington. Located just off the hip Upper Street, Angel Central’s trademark is the giant set of metallic wings that hover over the shopping mall, making for an excellent selfie location!"

"Find vendors from across London selling unique finds in Eccleston Yards every Sunday, just around the corner from Victoria Station. Pick up illustrated children’s books, handmade candles, stunning ceramics, bespoke jewellery and more. Fuel your shopping spree with food from the variety of traders each week."

"Located in Brixton and Shoreditch, Halo Burger has made a name for itself using Beyond Burger patties to create a vast range of irresistible vegan burgers. On the menu, you can find the epic Halo Burger with 2 Beyond patties, 2 slices of cheese, caramelised onion, lettuce, tomato, gherkins and signature sauce. Other notable mentions include the Smoky Carolina BBQ Burger, and The Flameburger which is definitely not for the faint-hearted!"

"Popular plant-based burger bar Halo Burger (currently in Pop Brixton) have opened their second restaurant in Shoreditch and they're the first in the country to be launching with Beyond Meat's 4.0 patty."

"With its promise of ‘health and happiness’ boxes and its ‘fresh not fried’ ethos, Itsu epitomises Asian-themed clean fast food. It was a colour-coded conveyor-belt pioneer, but sushi is just one of its ‘eat beautiful’ star turns – don’t miss the ‘potsu’ pots, fusion gyoza and rice bowls. Flagship site: 47 King’s Road, SW3 4NB"

"Red Rooster is about as American a restaurant you’ll find in London – the original can be found in Harlem and is run by highly acclaimed US chef Marcus Samuelsson. Its only sibling site is in Shoreditch, and serves up a seductive array of soul food classics. An essential start to a slap-up spread is slightly sweetened cornbread with honey butter, which can then be followed with “ol’ man shrimp ‘n’ grits”, fried chicken and waffles, “Obama” short ribs and macaroni cheese stuffed with collard greens."