The world-famous New York Cronut® finally arrived in London this week with the opening of Dominique Ansel Bakery in Belgravia. I couldn’t resist popping along on its launch day and as expected, the mania had already begun.
The Cronut® queue at Dominique Ansel’s Spring Street bakery became legendary, with the exclusive croissant-doughnut hybrid usually selling out by mid-morning, and it looks set to be the same here. The waiting time (lined up outside, rain or shine) in London was at least two hours long and once a new batch was ready, it was a maximum of two Cronuts per person for fairness. If you have the time and patience, you will be rewarded and can tick it off your foodie bucket list.
I arrived hungry and soon realised the queue was for the Cronut® and not for the bakery itself, so I happily waltzed right in. Really, I was more excited about the selection of beautiful cakes and baked goods than just the Cronut®.
The Elizabeth Street bakery is just lovely with an open kitchen, a big display counter and a relaxed seating area with a cute courtyard. Its design is much better than the cramped and oddly-shaped New York outposts and there’s plenty of room to procrastinate over which cake to choose.
While the pastries are the most talked-about, it’s worth visiting for lunch or an early supper as the menu is so very tempting. There are modern interpretations of French classics such as Smoked duck salad with lentils and Croque Monsieur, as well as a hearty Chicken pork belly pot pie, Oxtail tea consommé and a healthy autumn grain bowl.
I went for the Avocado toast with an Earl Grey tea and my goodness, it was incredible! A thick slice of sourdough was loaded with smashed avocado, cool home-made ricotta, thinly-sliced radish, slivers of pickled pink onions and sliced avocado perfectly shaped like a rose (not forgetting the lightly-dressed frisée salad). Every mouthful was a joy and I loved the contrasting creamy, peppery and tart flavours with plenty of seasoning and a hint of caraway.
To follow, I was drawn to the After the Rain mousse cake, a glossy dome filled with a fragrant jasmine mousse, pear and ginger gelée and a crisp praliné feuilletine base. It was so delicate with harmonious fruity and aromatic flavours – a real treat without being overwhelming.
I found the Camellia’s Tea House Earl Grey tea a little too perfumed and would next time opt for a matcha latte or a fresh lemonade.
One important tip if you’re ‘eating in’ is to order all of your food in one go, or risk a daunting queue and/or lose your seat. To get my cake, I queued for what felt like almost an hour during a peak time. It seemed partly due to opening day kinks and the sheer amount of baked goods being ordered, but the super-friendly staff kept me smiling. They even came round the queues with freshly-baked mini Madeleines to keep our spirits up.
I also spotted Dominique Ansel himself milling around, meeting customers and overseeing operations with his partner Amy Ma (pictured below).
Of course, I couldn’t go home empty-handed (neither should anyone, really) and brought back a heavenly, molten-centred Flourless chocolate and pecan cookie and a light yet decadent Chocolate brownie. On the list for my next visit is the Chocolate chip cookie shot with cold-infused Tahitian vanilla milk (available after 3pm), Frozen S’mores and the Dosa millefeuille – perhaps even a Cronut®, if I’m in luck.
Dominique Ansel Bakery is much more than its hype, in fact, it’s one of the most innovative high end bakeries I’ve ever visited. Prices are spot on for Belgravia and the superior quality, plus everything is well-presented and appetising. I can’t wait to go back for more!
All photos by Chérie City
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