Best croissants London: From filled pastries to viral sensations

Few things compare to the joy of a light and buttery croissant. Every morning, London's best bakeries roll out some of the finest flaky creations in the capital, from classic varieties to new and exciting twists. You can find a half-decent pastry pretty much anywhere in the city, but when it comes to the very best croissants London has to offer, there are a few patisseries that really pull out the stops. We’ve done our research and compiled them all into one list, to ensure you know exactly where to head for the very best croissants in London. 

These days, a simple croissant de beurre no longer cuts the mustard. The rise of viral croissants on social media has seen patisseries across the capital launch a cohort of indulgent and extravagant creations. From Phillippe Conticini’s beautiful circular pastries, to the croissant ‘cones’ filled with soft serve ice cream at British Patagonia, London’s bakeries are constantly coming up with new and exciting ways to enjoy the flaky pastry.  

In fact, what makes a croissant a croissant is becoming increasingly blurry. At Richoux, you’ll find cruffins, a hybrid creation which sees a muffin-shaped croissant filled with a rich cream. While Le Deli Robuchon is serving up cube-shaped pastries made from a laminated brioche dough, which is croissant-esque in texture, but not necessarily what many would perceive as a traditional croissant. There’s also a real trend for pastries filled with rich custards, which is why you’ll find a huge selection of the best filled croissants London has to offer in this list, too.  

For the traditionalists out there though, we've got your back. You’ll still find plenty of spots serving classic French croissants in London – the super buttery kind, with a deep golden crust and fluffy layers of dough within. Keep on reading to discover the best croissants in London, or skip to the most relevant section for you below.  

Best croissants in London

A lot of work goes into the perfect croissant, with bakers across the capital spend their days rolling and folding butter-rich dough to achieve next-level lamination and perfect crunch. Discover the bakeries, patisseries and restaurants where the pros work their magic.

Fallow, St James's

What: We’re kicking off with one of London's more unconventional croissant offerings. Head over to Fallow for breakfast or brunch to discover its epic Royales, a bespoke muffin made of croissant dough and filled with various brunch items. Our favourite is the Royale with Cheese, which is stuffed with a sausage patty, bacon, kombu ketchup and a fried egg, but other fillings include salmon belly and lemon mayo, or salted caramel for the sweet lovers.  
Where: 2 St James’s Market, SW1Y 4RP 
Book now: Fallow 

Cedric Grolet at The Berkeley, Mayfair

What: No one achieves pitch-perfect lamination quite like Cedric Grolet. The French pastry chef boasts his own café and patisserie at The Berkeley hotel in London, where you can order the most beautiful pastries to takeaway. The classics are the thing to go for here - either a plain croissant or a pain au chocolat. 
Where: Wilton Place, SW1X 7R 
Book now: Cedric Grolet at The Berkeley

Arome Bakery, Marylebone

What: A purveyor of traditional French patisseries, Arome Bakery is the place to go for a classic croissant fix – think plain pastries, pain au chocolat and tartes fine au pommes. We’re big fans of its escargot croissant, a snail-shaped pastry filled with the likes of pistachio and chocolate.
Where: 27 Duke Street, W1U 1LE
Book now: Arome Bakery

Kossoffs, Kentish Town

What: Croissants tend to be considered a sweet treat, but the flaky item isn’t only relegated to the pain au chocolats of the world. One of the reasons we love Kossoffs is for its strong savoury croissant game. The menu is constantly changing, but past examples include a feta, chive and sundried tomato pastry, and a cheesy spanakopita-inspired number. Don’t worry, these guys also make a mean sweet pastry too – spend a Saturday morning ogling the window display to see what’s on offer that day.
Where: 259 Kentish Town Road, NW5 2JT
Book now: Kossoffs

Casey’s, Clapton

What: Oh, we do love an underdog, and Casey’s is exactly that of the croissant world. This small and unassuming bakery, food shop and cafe in East London churns out warm, puffy pastries at a price point that doesn’t make you squeal – a rare thing in London these days. The head baker, Matt, is ex-Padella which says a lot about the quality of croissant here. Don’t expect anything fancy though, just the classics done really well. You can’t beat it.
Where: 150 Lower Clapton Road, E5 0QJ
Book now: Casey’s Clapton

Gail’s, Various London locations

What: There’s no denying that the people of London love Gail’s. This popular café chain now has sites in pretty much every neighbourhood in the capital, and you’ll often find queues out the door of its most popular branches come the weekend. There's always a tempting display of baked goodies at the counter, but its cinnamon-dusted buns, which are made with a flaky croissant dough, are everyone’s favourite. We like its chocolate and almond croissants, too. 
Where: Various London locations
Book now: Gail’s Soho, Gail's Chiswick, Gail's Barnes, Gail's Crouch End and more 

Pophams, Islington, London Fields and Victoria Park

What: With sites in Islington, London Fields and Victoria Park, the folks at Pophams are without a doubt serving some of the best croissants in the capital. All its pastries are baked until a deep shade of bronze and include a good selection of classics and signatures. It also offers ever-changing specials at each of its sites. This one time, we tried a twice-baked pain au chocolat filled with a brown butter hazelnut frangipane and topped with crushed hazelnuts, and it’s still to this today one of the best things we’ve ever eaten. 
Where: 19 Prebend Street, N1 8PF 
Book now: Pophams Islington 

Patisserie Sainte Anne, Hammersmith

What: Moving from Paris to London in 2014, Patisserie Sainte Anne is a small, family-run patisserie that’s been selling its baked treats for 20 odd years. Alongside freshly-baked breads, gateaux and sandwiches, it also offers a lengthy selection of viennoiserie which includes all the classics: plain, pain au chocolat, pain aux raisins... The gang’s all here.  
Where: 204 King Street, W6 0RA 
Book now: Patisserie Sainte Anne 

Aux Pains de Papy, King's Cross

What: A rustic French bakery in North London that prides itself on its quality of ingredients. You can watch the pastry chefs in the open kitchen roll their perfectly-formed croissants, ready to bake, sell and hopefully consume on the same day. Plain or almond are the ones to go for. 
Where: 279 Gray's Inn Road, WC1X 8QF 
Book now: Aux Pains de Papy 

Jolene, Dalston

What: This trendy restaurant and bakery between Dalston and Canonbury serves a selection of pastries from early morning to afternoon. From strawberry jam with almond frangipane, to classics like plain or chocolate, they’re a solid choice if you’re in need of a quick croissant fix.  
Where: 21 Newington Green, N16 9PU 
Book now: Jolene

Boxcar Baker & Deli, Marylebone

What: You’ve never tried a pain au chocolat quite like this before. There’s only one thing to get at Boxcar Baker & Deli in Marylebone, and that’s its version of the famous French chocolate pastry. Made fresh on site every day, it’s a gorgeous wavy creation featuring perfectly laminated pastry and thick layers of chocolate.  
Where: 64 New Cavendish Street, W1G 8TB 
Book now: Boxcar Baker & Deli 

Comptoir Bakery, Bermondsey

What: Comptoir Gourmand is a French patisserie and café with a few sites in Southeast London, including Borough, Bermondsey and on Maltby Street. It’s impossible to resist the pastries piled high in the window, from pain au raisin and chocolate twists to toasted ham and cheese croissants. The coffee here is excellent, too. 
Where: Various London locations
Book now: Comptoir Bakery Bermondsey

Donutelier, Charing Cross

What: It might be best-known for its luxury filled doughnuts, but Donutelier certainly knows a thing or two about a croissant, too. Their plain, flaky croissants are good just as they are, but if you fancy something a little more indulgent, then its hazelnut praline, or pistachio raspberry, pastries are a must try.  
Where: 48-50 Charing Cross Road, WC2H 0BB 
Book now: Donutelier

Best filled croissants in London

A relatively new phenomenon in the capital, filled croissants have taken London (and Instagram) by storm. So, if you prefer your croissant with an extra note of indulgence, you've got to give these guys a go.

Richoux, Mayfair

What: Not strictly a croissant, the cruffin – a croissant-muffin hybrid – still deserves a special mention in this list. You can find them at Richoux in Piccadilly, where they’re served for breakfast and available in an ever-changing range of flavours. It's essentially a muffin-shaped croissant filled with a rich cream, with previous flavours featuring pistachio and raspberry, and chocolate and hazelnut.  
Where: 172 Piccadilly, SW1J 9EJ 
Book now: Richoux

Le Deli Robuchon, Mayfair

What: Le Deli Robuchon’s architectural cube-shaped croissant took the nation by storm when it released them on social media at the beginning of 2023. They’re now a firm favourite on the menu, with people far and wide flocking to this Mayfair bakery to try (and photograph) the stunning creations. Le Cube Robuchon sees flaky brioche pastry filled with your choice of pistachio, chocolate or vanilla cream.  
Where: 82 Piccadilly, W1J 8JA 
Book now: Le Deli Robuchon 

Phillippe Conticini, Kensington

What: French pastry chef Phillippe Conticini has become something of a global superstar thanks to his unique and innovative twists on classic French pastries. Now with patisseries across the globe, including Japan, France and the UK, the renowned chef boasts two sites in London, one on Cromwell Place in Kensington and the other on Camden High Street. The most popular item to get here is the Supreme Croissant, a filled creation that went viral on Instagram for its unusual shape and fillings. The circular-shaped pastry is filled with a rich crème - think pistachio, chocolate and vanilla – and doused in icing and sprinkles. They’re pretty good.  
Where: 24-25 Cromwell Place, SW7 2LD 
Book now: Phillippe Conticini 

British Patagonia, Islington

What: Another spot that’s made a name for itself on social media, British Patagonia is the brainchild of Michelin-starred pastry chef Matias Barbat. His indulgent creations see croissant ‘cones’ filled with soft-serve ice cream for the ultimate summer treat. Choose from either chocolate or vanilla soft serve, then top with the likes of hazelnut praline. They're 100% vegan, too. 
Where: 178 Upper Street, N1 1RG 
Book now: British Patagonia

Can't order a croissant without a cup of coffee? We hear you. Take a look at our favourite coffee shops and cafes in London.