A local’s guide to the best desserts in London Bridge, Borough Market and surrounding areas – must-eat places for sweet-toothed peeps after unique desserts!
I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again: the whole London Bridge area is my favorite in London.
Far from me Oxford Street’s shops or Covent Garden’s gorgeous streets – London Bridge, Bermondsey, Borough Market, and Southbank can pull at my heartstrings in a way no other London neighborhood can.
London Bridge’s not just about commuters and The Shard looming above: it’s one of the tastiest spots in the city… if you know where to look.
Whether you’re into sticky cinnamon buns, fudge or velvety cupcakes, you’ll find in this guide the best desserts in London Bridge – the ones you really shouldn’t miss out on!
Desserts in London Bridge: 7 Fun Spots to Eat Sweet Stuff
After all this time spent travel and food blogging, I really cannot remember how many times I’ve talked about delicious, cute bakeries and other secret cafes here on The Working Line.
What I know for sure is that whether you’re looking for cozy dessert spots or a snack on the go, you’ll find pretty much everything you need in London Bridge.
You could start the day with a delicious cupcake at Lola’s Bakery before discovering London Bridge’s hidden gems, which, let’s be for real, are plenty.
From Shakespeare locations to really cool shops in London Bridge and on Bermondsey Street, you can spend days unraveling the secrets of this maritime area.
London Bridge’s history as a port filled with warehouses already made it a hotspot centuries ago – today, it’s still one of the busiest, most touristy places in London.
How could it not be, though, with Tower Bridge and Borough Market in the vicinity?
Anyhoo – if you’re looking for amazing desserts to nibble on while walking around the Southbank area, Waterloo or the London Eye higher up the river, you’ll find all you need in this guide!
And if you need completely vegan bakeries, or gluten-free bakeries, make sure you read the guides I’ve written for you some time ago!
Best Desserts in London Bridge: Cinnamon Buns and Doughnuts at Bread Ahead Bakery
Bread Ahead was founded in 2013, with their first bakery in Borough Market.
It’s since then developed a reputation for really high-quality doughnuts, sourdough breads, baguettes, and all types of delicious pastries.
Not only is Bread Ahead in Borough Market one of my favorite bakeries in London, it’s also a famous spot to attend cool workshops; a great gift for a beloved one, and an amazing date idea!
Bread Ahead now has other branches across town, including Pavilion Road and Wembley; the Wembley branch doubles as a great coffee shop to work, spacious and all!
The fluffy doughnuts at Bread Ahead Bakery are probably one of the most famous desserts in London; they’re airy yet chewy, and the fillings are ultra-generous, from pistachio to vanilla, and from honeycomb to coconut.
The cinnamon buns, especially the sinner cinnamon buns, covered with delicious glaze, are sweet, sticky and gooey.
We have here one of the best desserts to nibble on around Christmastime, or if you’re visiting London in the fall.
Read here my review of Bread Ahead Bakery in Borough Market, and Bread Ahead Wembley, to discover the similarities and differences between both, and get to know my thoughts about the menu and atmosphere.
Best Desserts in London Bridge: Red Velvet Cupcakes at Lola’s Cupcakes, London Bridge Station and London Bridge Walk
If you’ve been here before, you may know that American bakeries fascinate me, and London has quite a few with classic desserts like carrot cake, cheesecake or Red Velvet cake.
For a bite-size taste of Red Velvet, pop by Lola’s Cupcakes; there’s a branch on London Bridge Walk (Waterloo Road), but the one I visit most often is located inside London Bridge Underground Station.
There’s everything you may need in terms of dietary preferences at Lola’s Cupcakes, too, including gluten-free and vegan cupcakes!
If you go and Lola’s is all out of red velvet, you’ll also find in the Retail Arcade, Three Wheels Coffee.
You can’t sit, since it’s literally a three wheels coffee shop, but I’ve eaten some exquisite red velvet croissant there, too!
Best Desserts in London Bridge: Ice Cream at Greedy Goat, Borough Market
Greedy Goat in Borough Market offers tasty ice cream made using goat’s milk, sourced from Homestead Farm in Dorset – can we get any more local?!
Made in small batches, often using local ingredients and wonky fruit, Greedy Goat is just… a delicious spot to get really unique desserts, with rotating flavors depending on the season.
While goat’s milk is lighter than cow milk (less calories, too), there are also sorbets at Greedy Goat if you’re more into light, fruity textures.
I’ve only been a couple of times, but I can for sure say that with their multicolor and black cones, Greedy Goat offers instagrammable desserts and makes for an amazing food spot in Borough Market when you don’t want to overspend!
Best Desserts in London Bridge: Crumble at Humble Crumble, Borough Market
Crumble is one of the most British desserts you could get your hands on while in London.
Others, like trifle and sticky toffee pudding are not that easy to come across, aside from traditional restaurants like fish and chips shops.
However, for delicious crumble with a twist, you can always count on Humble Crumble, which not only has a branch in Borough Market, but also in Spitalfields, Camden and Covent Garden.
Each crumbles is baked by hand, with delicious fruit bases, crunchy toppings and served warm with cream, ice cream or custard.
You can get those amazing desserts to eat on the go, but also crumble bundles that you can take home and make yourself – by all means, whatever you do, try the clotted cream; it’s thick, tasty, and lingers on the palate!
If you’re a vegan or have other dietary needs, note that Humble Crumble offers vegan custard, crumble toppings, alongside coconut yoghurt and gluten-free options as well.
Best Desserts in London Bridge: Danish Pastries at Ole and Steen, More London
Ole and Steen is a Danish bakery I’ve introduced so much here that it needs no introduction anymore.
This chain doesn’t only freshly bake perfect goodness several times a day; the coffee shops double as amazing study spots too, filled with power outlets and good WiFi.
Located on More London, Ole and Steen has one star item, the delicious social, alongside lots of other Danish specialties; Spandauer, apple Wienerbrød, and almond croissants.
There are often art trails around More London, with a few street art spots and sculptures you wouldn’t expect in the area – make sure you check these out while snacking on your pastry!
Read here my review of Ole and Steen, Charing Cross Road branch in Central London to discover my thoughts and feelings about the atmosphere, menu, and flavors.
Best Desserts in London Bridge: Fudge at Whirld, Borough Market
Whirld in Borough Market is another amazing spot to get unique desserts in London Bridge; their fudge is overly special, made following traditional recipes with natural ingredients.
You can always get samples when you pop by Whirld so you know what you’re getting into.
Whether you’re into smooth or crumbly fudge, you’ll find plenty of recipes that span from sea salt caramel fudge to licorice, chai latte, mango or plain vanilla.
I’ve only been a couple of times since I tend to order way more than I should, but if you’re interested in proper British desserts and something fun to snack on, do try Whirld’s fudge specialties!
Best Desserts in London Bridge: Cinnamon Buns at Gail’s, London Bridge Station
I’ve mentioned Gail’s Bakery time and time again here on The Working Line.
We’ve got here one of the best spots for cinnamon buns in London, and Gail’s cinnamon buns are very different from those you can get from Bread Ahead.
The Bread Ahead cinnamon buns are stickier and gooey, while the ones at Gail’s Bakery are more of a flaky croissant pastry filled with cinnamon, brown sugar and butter, and then topped with cinnamon sugar.
There are lots of amazing pastries and even savory goods to try at Gail’s Bakery (I still remember the first time I visited the Battersea bakery and got a salmon burger!), but the cinnamon bun is definitely one of the best desserts you could get in London Bridge.
Desserts in London Bridge: 7 Fun Spots to Eat Sweet Stuff
There you have them – the best desserts in London Bridge, those I’ve tried and tested, those I’ve loved and keep going back to.
While neighborhoods like Covent Garden and Soho may be more famous when it comes to desserts, breakfast and food spots, London Bridge does do indulgence the proper way.
One moment you’re spooning into a hot crumble, the next you’re pulling a wonderfully flaky cinnamon bun – there’s always just one more dessert calling your name when you’re in the neighborhood.
Interested in more amazing food spots? Do read these guides I’ve written for you:
- Cupcakes in London: 4 Best Spots From Hummingbird to Lola’s
- 13 Best Colorful Lattes in London and Cute Cafes to Visit
- Macarons in London: 7 Cafes and Bakeries to Taste Frenchness
And if you’d like to discover more quirky spots to visit and things to do in London, these are some guides I’ve loved putting together lately: