A local’s review of Elan Cafe in Knightsbridge near Harrods – one of the cutest pink coffee shops in London for French toast, brunch, or colorful lattes!
It’s no secret that some of the cutest pink cafes in London belong to the Elan Cafe chain, and a while back, I reviewed my favorite branch, Elan Soho on Wardour Street.
A few months ago, I visited Elan Cafe Hans Crescent, located opposite Harrods and as attractive as they get with its huge fake flowers and overwhelming pinkness.
If you’ve been on The Working Line before, you already know I love finding new instagrammable cafes in London, and thought a review of Elan Cafe Knightsbridge would come in handy…
Especially if you’re traveling to London for the first time and would like to live a different kind of coffee shop experience!
London’s Elan Knightsbridge Review – Pink Cafe Near Harrods
Be warned – this Elan Cafe Hans Crescent review is filled with dreamy pictures, and I really wanted to share all the ins and outs of this place I’ve visited with a close friend of mine.
This Elan Cafe is one of the only cafes near Harrods that boast such incredible decor, and you do have people queuing to get a French toast or a hot waffle at every hour of the day.
Whether you’re looking for the best pink latte in London or just really cute floral cafes, you’ll find below my honest review – let’s get to it!
Elan Cafe Hans Crescent Review: The Decor
Pink is one of my favorite colors, which explains my passion for the Elan London chain of coffee shops – there are plenty of other pink cafes in London, but in terms of decor, you can hardly do better than Elan.
The decor varies from one branch to the other; for instance, in my review of the Wardour Street branch, I shared pictures of a very neon cafe.
Well, Elan Cafe Hans Crescent is more of the very floral, dreamy type and built on two floors.
When I visited with my friend, we were seated at street level, and you can also choose to wait to sit on the terrace or at a table on the lower level, which is just as dreamy, if not more.
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I have to admit there were lots of people waiting in front of us when we arrived, despite visiting on a weekday.
That’s kind of the case with all the Elan Cafe in London, so I would definitely recommend visiting when you’re chilling, on a day off, or when you’re visiting London and don’t really have anywhere else to go afterwards.
However, there are some really cool things to do in Knightsbridge near the Elan Cafe Hans Crescent branch.
The Saatchi Gallery and the Victoria and Albert Museum are both within walking distance, as is Hyde Park and Belgrave Square, one of London’s prettiest neighborhoods.
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Getting seated felt a bit rocky at this Elan London branch.
We waited for about 20/25 minutes, got led to our table, brought back to the queue because the table was actually not yet clean, and then finally seated.
Did we mind?
Little bit.
Not that much, especially since I’ve worked in hospitality in a good couple of fancy restaurants in London, including Oblix at the Shard and I know small mistakes are sometimes made that are not the waiters’ responsibility.
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Elan Cafe Knightsbridge Hans Crescent Review: The Menu
The El&n London menu is roughly the same in all their branches, and you’ll find lots of different and very instagrammable pastries, desserts, burgers and drinks there.
You have to download the Elan Cafe app to be able to order, although you can also order at the till.
However, when you visit Elan Cafe Hans Crescent – and it’s the same at their coffee shop in Soho, you’ll find the staff really does push you to download that app.
I’m going to be honest, it’s not a downside to the cafe, far from it.
Why?
Because if you tend to eat in London on a budget, the Elan Cafe app allows you to save £5 on your first order, and given that a coffee and a slice of cake can easily reach the £12 price point, you’ll be happy you’ve taken the time to download the app.
Red velvet cakes, some of the cutest cookies in London, and all kinds of colorful lattes – we’re swimming deep into dreamland at Elan Cafe.
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Elan Cafe Knightsbridge Hans Crescent Review: The Food & Drinks
Here’s what my friend and I ordered at Elan Cafe Hans Crescent:
- Pistachio Spanish Latte – £9
- Turkish Delight Hot Chocolate – £6.5
- Lotus & Banana French Toast – £12.5
- Lotus and S’Mores Pink Waffle Skillet (not on the menu anymore?)
Elan Cafe Pistachio Spanish Latte
I have to admit the Pistachio Spanish latte I ordered was incredible – on the sweeter side, but I could definitely taste the pistachio notes and the light green color was a cute bonus.
Do I think that £9 is overpriced for a Spanish latte?
Definitely.
Would I order it again?
Yup.
That’s the price to pay if you want to spend a moment in London’s dreamiest pink cafe.
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Elan Cafe Turkish Delight Hot Chocolate
My friend ordered the Turkish Delight hot chocolate, and while I am very specific as to what kind of hot chocolate I like, I still tried it.
I can’t express how overly sweet and not enjoyable I found this drink, but she did enjoy it very much, so I’m thinking if you’re the kind of person who likes very sweet drinks, you’ll most probably like this one.
However, if you’re ever looking for the best hot chocolate in London, I have two places to recommend that are definitely better than Elan Cafe Hans Crescent for that matter:
- Dark Sugars on Brick Lane
- Coffee Academy on Southbank (part of the Brand Academy shop at the bottom of the Oxo Tower)
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Elan Cafe Knightsbridge Hans Crescent Food Review
Elan Cafe Knightsbridge Pink Waffle With S’Mores and Ice Cream
My friend ordered the pink waffle with Lotus sauce, S’Mores and ice cream to go with her Turkish Delight hot chocolate, and…
Let’s say it was her first time there, whereas I had already visited Elan Cafe in Soho and knew how heavy-handed the coffee shop is with sugar.
This was way too sweet, and while she does enjoy sweet stuff, this was impossible to finish and she ate just over half of her pink waffle.
At around £12, this is way too overpriced if you tend to eat little sugar and prefer actual flavors. I have a sweet tooth, but this was just a no-no.
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Elan Cafe Knightsbridge Lotus & Banana French Toast
Now, when it comes to the Lotus & Banana French Toast, I have to say this was super, super enjoyable.
Again, if you order a kind of Spanish latte, bubble tea or hot chocolate at Elan Cafe Hans Crescent, try to order a kind of dish that isn’t on the sweet side.
Otherwise, you’ll probably not finish it.
I didn’t mind the price of the French toast that much, considering the texture, the fresh fruit and the Biscoff and banana combination was simply incredible.
Let’s not talk about the price – we’re paying for the ability to get a drink and a bite in one of London’s best photo spots, and well, in London, they would even make you pay for the air you breathe, really.
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London’s Elan Knightsbridge Review – Pink Cafe Near Harrods
All in all, the experience at Elan Cafe Hans Crescent was enjoyable once we were seated and were able to have a good conversation with a friend while drinking coffee.
This is, after all, one of the cutest pink places in London and the decor alone is enough to transport you.
Would I visit again?
Probably just for a drink or to try one of the Elan Cafe burgers, which looked a-ma-zing.
Would I order a Spanish latte AND a French toast again?
Given I could not finish my plate, probably not.
This is in my opinion a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, unless you want to discover other branches than the Elan Cafe that faces Harrods.
After all, Harrods is one of the coolest department stores slash shopping centers in London, and after window-shopping or getting a new luxury candle, popping by Elan Cafe actually does seal the deal if you want to rest before going home!