Is there a more crowd-pleasing breakfast than pancakes? Capable of turning even the most mundane of mornings into an occasion, pancakes well and truly deserve their own day to be enjoyed. 

Falling this year on Tuesday, March 1, and marking the countdown to spring-time festivities, Pancake Day is one of the most indulgent holidays, traditionally signifying the start of Lent and its 40 days of abstinence. So, even if you’re not giving up anything at all for Lent, here’s where to find the best pancakes in Chelsea this year…

Named after actress, socialite and royal mistress Lillie Langtry, and with a menu inspired by her voyages through the grand cities of Europe, The LaLee is the perfect place to visit if you want a sophisticated continental spin on your pancakes this year. Choose from traditional French crêpes, served with fruit compote or streaky bacon, homemade Belgian waffles with Chantilly cream and berries or contemporary vegan pancakes. But if those combinations don’t whet your appetite, The LaLee will put a delicious spin on your Pancake Day dish for you. After all, the motto here is ‘What Lillie wants, Lillie gets!’

For an alternative, Aussie spin on your usual pancakes, head to Granger & Co, where a double dose of the restaurant’s signature ricotta hotcakes will be served. One of chef Bill Granger’s most famous dishes, the hotcakes are his take on fluffy American pancakes and have been a staple on the menu for over 25 years now. Served with banana and honeycomb butter, these pancakes are known for their cloud-like fluffiness thanks to their key ingredient: ricotta. And in honour of Pancake Day, Granger & Co will be serving up “dawn until dusk” hotcakes, letting you enjoy them all day long, from 7am to 11pm, and pairing them with a hotcake shake – a blend of banana, honeycomb and maple. Because there’s no such thing as too much hotcake…

A relative newcomer to the Sloane Street scene, Beaverbrook Town House’s main restaurant, The Fuji Grill, will have pancakes on the breakfast menu for Shrove Tuesday. But who says you have to stick to tradition? Instead, daring diners can opt for an alternative, boozy twist on their breakfast, and swap out the usual pancakes for cognac-infused Hennessy XO waffles, served with Hennessy XO maple syrup, Hampshire bacon and Dorset clotted cream. After all, rules were made to be broken.

Looking for a place to start the day where your pancakes come served with a steaming cup of coffee and a hefty helping of people watching? Colbert, the all-day café by the team behind Piccadilly’s iconic restaurant The Wolseley, is just the spot. With a prime position on the corner of Sloane Square, this Parisian-style brasserie has plenty of outdoor seating where you can watch the world go by over breakfast. Choose your pancakes served either plain, with bacon or with fruit compote and cream and celebrate Pancake Day in elegant Gallic style.

If you’re looking to give your Pancake Day festivities a real sense of occasion, book a table for breakfast at the Mandarin Oriental. Traditionalists will love the buttermilk pancakes, served with mixed berries and maple syrup, but there’s also a decadent drinks menu on offer too, comprising bellinis, mimosas and luxurious champagnes. Pair these with your pancakes and the incredible views over Hyde Park, where you’ll likely see the Household Cavalry riding past, and you’ll have yourself a very special celebration.

Leading a plant-based lifestyle needn’t mean missing out on Shrove Tuesday indulgence. Book yourself in for brunch at vegan hotspot Wulf & Lamb on Pavilion Road and enjoy a hearty stack of their popular American pancakes, which are served with maple syrup, mixed berries and vanilla cashew cream. Delicious.