Best Pastries in River Wrythe

"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."

"Fashion fans should bookmark this undeniably chic patisserie pronto. Pasticceria Marchesi is one of Milan’s most established bakeries and is now owned by one of the world’s biggest fashion powerhouses, Prada. They opened a London outpost earlier this year and it’s become one of Mount Street’s most Instagrammable spots – for both it’s sweet treats and sugar almond coloured interiors."

"A post shared by London Cheap Eats (@ldncheapeats) on Oct 14, 2016 at 4:15am PDT. Get a sense of community at Bonnington Cafe, which was first set up in the 1980s as a co-operative to feed the artistic squatters in Vauxhall’s leafy Bonnington Square. The same community values are present today, as cooks from all over the world create menus inspired by their homelands."

"From stouts to the iconic Punk IPA, BrewDog is a church to all things hop-based. First founded in Scotland, it hasn't taken long for the craft beer temple to take over the world, with plenty of keg lines and guest ales on offer. Discover one of their London locations to see what all the fuss is about."

"In a railway arch in Bethnal Green, this New York-inspired tap room and shop stocks an impressive array of beers brewed in the capital and across the globe. The menu of beers available on tap changes regularly and there are 19 taps serving all sorts of different styles, including limited edition brews. Sharing plates are available and street food vendors congregate outside every weekend."

"Six of them, shoulder to shoulder, shelves full of anything from Amundsen to Wild Beer Co. Pair that with 23 taps on constant rotation, and it’s fair to say this tap room has one of the most extensive beer ranges in London."

"Dine at Terra Rossa and enjoy a family-run Italian restaurant with plenty of style and flavour from the southern region of Puglia. Order one of the stone-baked pizzas and wash it down with a craft beer. Or go for a range of pasta that includes penne alla corsara and paccheri al ragu di mare while enjoying a nice glass of red wine."

"The London outpost of Chinese fine dining group Imperial Treasure, which has locations in Shanghai, Incheon, Guangzhou, Singapore, Hong Kong and Paris, is housed in an impressively renovated former bank in St James and offers refined Cantonese classics, which more than stand up to their surroundings. While the menu includes a fine array of dim sum, Char Sui and more unusual dishes (chicken’s feet, sea cucumber and fish maw all make an appearance), the signature here is the Beijing-style roasted duck – a sophisticated take on your local takeaway’s crispy aromatic version that has been steamed, dried, seasoned, hung and then roasted to turn it a deep orange hue with skin so crispy it shatters like glass. Yes, it costs £100 and has to be ordered in advance but, trust us, it’s worth it."

"With a sibling Shanghai restaurant which holds two Michelin stars, it’s safe to say Imperial Treasure comes from solid stock. Deftly handled classics include delicate dim sum and mains like a juicy lemon chicken or some of the best fried rice we’ve had in a long time. As you might expect, this isn’t the cheapest Chinese takeaway in London with a set menu from two starting at £90, but for a special occasion we think it’s well worth the splurge."

"Imperial Treasure is, hands down, the grandest Chinese restaurant in London. Its sister restaurants in Singapore, Hong Kong and Shanghai have Michelin stars and one imagines the first London outpost has similarly lofty ambitions. Just off Pall Mall, it's covered in marble up to its high, original ceilings, with cool, contemporary wooden fittings giving an intimate feel to the enormous, opulent space."