Growing up, a trip to Sloane Street with my mother was the one I looked forward to most. Usually, it would be around Christmas time when the street was twinkling with lights, and we’d start at the top, near Knightsbridge, before making our way to Peter Jones and on to the King’s Road. 

My treat for being well-behaved was a slice of carrot cake from Pret-A-Manger, or occasionally the giant chocolate chip cookie from Starbucks, but more often than not it was a rushed take-away affair because, at the time, places to sit down and enjoy something sweet were relatively lacking. 

These days, I still meet my mother on Sloane Street and still look forward to it immensely, only now we are spoilt for choice with spots to enjoy something sweet. The neighbourhood has become a honeypot of some of the best restaurants and bakeries in London. It’s where I meet my sister for a post-work slice of chocolate cake, and the spot I choose for walking meetings with colleagues while we peruse the shops and enjoy just-baked (and still warm) banana bread. There are many sweet treats to enjoy around Sloane Street, but these are my favourites…

It was no surprise that Anya Hindmarch’s café became an instant hit – after all, she is iconic in everything she does. Inspired by nostalgic British tea-time treats, the café’s menu features many of the classics reimagined with playful designs. Think Victoria sponge cake iced as a fluffy monster; googly-eyed iced sticky buns, and coffee cakes that resemble puppies with bright pink tongues. 

Each sweet treat is made fresh on the day, using high-quality ingredients and expert patisserie techniques. One cake that steals the show and is perhaps most exemplary of Anya’s ability to wow across the worlds of fashion, art and now food is the Chubby Heart. A creamy chocolate mousse cake with featherlight layers of chocolate sponge and raspberry jam, this heart-shaped delight is finished with a glossy red glaze and is available in mini or large form. It is ideal for a moment of self-love or as a spectacular pudding to share.

Scones are a long-time British tea-time favourite, and if you love them, then The Carlton Tower Jumeirah’s Scone Bar is a must-visit. As well as the traditional scone, there are seasonal favourites such as cinnamon, sultana and chocolate, and for the more adventurous: basil, nettle, fennel, chamomile and hibiscus flavours too. The sesame and coffee options are particularly good.

The scones arrive alongside a medley of clotted cream, various honeys, compotes and jams for you to spread on with delight. All varieties are available to take away should you wish to enjoy a scone tasting at home. 

A popular haunt of both Oscar Wilde and Lillie Langtry, The Cadogan, A Belmond Hotel has amassed a loyal band of patrons over the years thanks to its historic charm and understated luxury. 

The hotel’s new afternoon tea, created by legendary chef Benoît Blin and served inside the beautiful and serene The Cadogan Lounge, was granted an Award of Excellence in this 2023’s Afternoon Tea Awards. 

Blin is an expert at blending traditional techniques with unique flavours, so you can expect Cornish lobster rolls with caviar, and egg mayonnaise with truffled Italian brioche instead of the usual cucumber sandwiches. Sweet treats arrive on a trolley, and there are vibrant pistachio and raspberry tea cakes, plates of classic vanilla flan, and thick slices of Gianduja marble cake. 

Each is as enchanting as it is delicious, but the one that really shines is the ultra lemon cake. Light and citrusy, it has a gently bronzed exterior crowned in lime meringue and vivid green pistachios. At the very centre of the treat is a sphere of yuzu-infused lemon curd which brings a new dimension to this tea-time classic.

Retro puddings are having a comeback. Jelly, trifle and crêpes suzette are back on the menu, and thankfully so are chocolate éclairs. But this sweet treat from Lórian is a far cry from the aerosol cream-filled puffs one might remember. 

Featherlight choux pastry is made using Wild Farmed flour, which brings a richer, more complex flavour to the éclair. The choux is then filled with Zazou vanilla crème patisserie, glazed with Pump Street’s 75% dark chocolate and finished with a touch of sea salt. The result is beautifully creamy and light, and unlike many of its predecessors from the ’70s, not overly sweet. This wonderful pudding is available daily at Lórian and is very good alongside an espresso.

Certain puddings are a must-order from the menu, and the chocolate sphere at Sloane Place is one of them. Arriving as a glistening, fully formed chocolate globe, the pudding is completed with a hot salted caramel sauce that is poured at the table, prompting a cascade of chocolate that reveals a scoop of Baileys ice cream inside. This is a pudding almost too good to share.

Anyone who has visited Ottolenghi will be well aware of its bountiful countertop, piled high with vibrant salads and spectacular sweet treats. From the classic carrot cake, and hazelnut brownies to the peanut butter marshmallow s’mores and the cloudlike towers of meringues, there is little room to go wrong at Ottolenghi. 

Pavilion Road regulars will undoubtedly have their favourites. I have a near-religious dedication to the flourless rum and chocolate fondant cake and am quite certain that I once witnessed a gentleman’s bottom lip quiver at the news that the last almond croissant had just sold. But one sweet treat you can almost guarantee will always be on the counter is the Salt Caramel and Chocolate Brittle. 

Made with buttery rich salted caramel set against a thin crisp biscuit, it is coated in rich chocolate and finished with hazelnut praline. With an irresistible salty-sweet hit and moreish crunch, this is guaranteed to delight every sweet tooth. As delicious as it is beautiful, this sweet treat makes an excellent gift too thanks to the pretty bow it’s wrapped with.

A good banana bread is hard to beat when you really want a sweet treat, and the one at The Roasting Party (which is made with a secret recipe) doesn’t disappoint. Gloriously squidgy, it has notes of caramel and an almost toffee-like edge. There are no nuts or chocolate chips in this recipe: this is banana bread in its purest form, and it is simply delicious (and particularly good alongside one of the café’s creamy flat whites). You’ll find this delight on the counter most days but hurry, it sells quickly.

Celebrated for its excellent pastries and puddings, Birley Bakery takes much inspiration from the famed cafés and Konditoreien (pastry shops) of Austria and in particular, Vienna. Immaculate raspberry tartlets, Paris-Brest and tarte Tropézienne sit like proud ballerinas beneath the gold-rimmed glass counter, a chorus of freshly baked loaves lining the shelves behind. From the seeded baguettes to pillowy chocolate brioche, everything is made on-site daily by Birley Bakery’s expert team of pastry chefs and bakers. Many of the sweet treats are available to pre-order for office celebrations or parties at home, too. 

One cake that proves to be immensely popular is the coconut chiffon cake. Layers of delicate coconut sponge and buttery soft coconut cream are delicately assembled before the cake is finished with gently toasted nuts and a crown of shaved chocolate. It’s guaranteed to bring joy to any gathering.

Bill Granger won the hearts and stomachs of many when he brought his good-mood food over to London from Down Under. The Aussie fry-up and sweetcorn fritters are Granger & Co. classics and make for excellent savoury breakfasts, but if you’re looking for something sweet, the ricotta hotcakes are a must-try. Irresistibly fluffy, they are served with thick rounds of homemade honeycomb butter, fresh banana and a drizzle of maple syrup. Certain to trump any pancakes you’ve tried before, these are a sweet treat not to be missed.