Christmas in London 2009: Sugar & Spice
89 Lower Sloane Street, SW1W 8DA
If you haven't yet visited this innovative, highly revered, choc shop, then a trip here to pick up some essential Christmas treats is the perfect excuse. Trained in Belgium (the home of chocolate), ex-pastry chef Gerard Coleman has elevated this simple, small-scale London shop to iconic status. Among their seasonal delights are a series of gorgeous fairytale-themed chocs for kids. Everything is made entirely of natural ingredients (one of which is large quantities of sugar), with no nasty additives or preservatives. Because of this, all of their goodies have to be consumed within two or sometimes three weeks so make sure you don't make your Christmas purchases too early. Alternatively, go in early, buy up the shop and then "suddenly" remember that they need to be eaten within two weeks. Cram them all in your mouth in one cocoa-crazed frenzy and then head back for more delectable morsels a couple of days before Christmas. L'Artisan can even provide a chocolate-y device to help you keep track of your key Christmas dates; their beautifully crafted Advent calendar box dedicates one couture chocolate for every one of the days leading up to Christmas.
More info: L'Artisan du Chocolat Map, Prices, Opening Times and Nearest Tube
1 Royal Arcade, Old Bond Street, W1S 4QF
Oozing with festive flavours the truffles and treats hidden inside this swanky Old Bond Street emporium offer an exclusive, sweet Christmas treat. From their gift-wrapped boxes of liqueurs to their individually-wrapped chocolate snowmen and Santas you can pick up some tasty stocking fillers and gifts. For a truly seasonal indulgence we recommend the truffles - particularly the Champagne centred or the port and cranberry flavoured varieties. This long-established chocolatier is now the holder of a Royal Warrant and, in spite of the shop's continental origins, the goodies feel exceedingly English.
More info: Charbonnel et Walker Map, Prices, Opening Times and Nearest Tube
202 Upper Street, London, N1 1RQ
This traditional bakery, drawing on British and Gallic roots, has made an indelible mark on the foodies of Islington. Despite French leanings, this passionate Islington bakery offers its customers some top quality British fare every Christmas. Their puddings and mince pies are some of the best in London while their strudels, apple and ginger cakes and Chocolate Marquises offer excellent alternatives to the standard seasonal sweets. There's another Euphorium branch in nearby Chapel Market.
More info: Euphorium Bakery Map, Prices, Opening Times and Nearest Tube
181 Piccadilly, W1A 1ER
Still the purveyor of food and wine to the Royal Family, Fortnum's upmarket food hall is piled high with tonnes of gastronomic delights so it'll require all of your willpower not to leave with bags of other goodies. If you're a Christmas pudding fan and a taste bud traditionalist then a trip to Fortnum & Mason's famous food hall is a must. Stocking the renowned and well-regarded King George Christmas Pudding, crammed full of fruit - including a healthy dose of prunes - and held together with beef suet, this quintessentially old-fashioned sweet treat is perfect for the season. It's also a great place to shop for booze, with the 1707 Wine Bar offering you a (pricey) chance to try before you buy. Adorned with chandeliers and marble pillars the 300-year-old interior reflects the traditions of opulence and fine living which this shop supports and is hard to beat when decked out in traditional Christmas glitter.
More info: Fortnum & Mason Map, Prices, Opening Times and Nearest Tube
20 Northcross Road, London, SE22 9EU
Chocolate pudding bars, champagne truffles, marzipan fruits, chunks of liquorice and jars of stripy candy sticks, this quaint East Dulwich sweetie cavern really goes to town at Christmas time. If you can hold back long enough, take a bit of time before you enter the shop to admire the amazing seasonal window display that taunts customers with its array of sticky treats and stocking fillers. Once inside, the store's bright, 1950s-style decor has all the appeal of a bygone era, with husband-and-wife owners, Miss Hope and Mr Greenwood, continuing the theme on in their own, richly-retro 50s clothing. Full of nostalgia and brimming with friendly service, a Christmas confectionary-buying trip here comes highly recommended. Dulwich has a really village-y feel to it and is certainly worth the slightly arduous trip out from central London.
More info: Hope and Greenwood Map, Prices, Opening Times and Nearest Tube
22 Cornwall Road, London, SE1 8TW
This venue, on the corner of a quaint side street in Waterloo, framed by well-preserved rows of dinky terraced houses, comes into its own at Christmas. Inside, rows of dark wooden shelves are stuffed full of goodies. Konditor & Cook specialise in the creation of amazingly tasty cakes which are also sold on to some of the finest restaurants in the city. With a reputation for serving up the best mince pies in London - if not Britain - Christmas offers another great excuse (not that you should need one) to venture inside their cosy, plum-coloured, confectionary and flour-filled premises. Traditional Christmas cakes, spicy German cookies, sugary Stollen and cinnamon stars are just some of the seasonal delights on offer. A favourite with local workers, it's best avoided at peak times - in the mornings and at lunchtimes.
Other Konditor & Cook London branches include London Bridge, Chancery Lane, the City and Soho.
More info: Konditor & Cook Map, Prices, Opening Times and Nearest Tube
28 Greek Street, W1D 5DQ
A Soho landmark since 1871 - when Soho really was the only place in Britain where you could eat decent continental food - Maison Bertaux is a charming little French deli and patisserie, dotted with mirrors, half-a-dozen mismatched tables and an eccentric accordion-playing owner. You're unlikely to find the traditional British Christmas puddings and pies here, but if you're after more continental confectionary to tantalise your taste buds then the cream-filled cakes, croissants, slices and tartes on display are guaranteed to satisfy. Old-fashioned, essentially French and highly atmospheric, we recommend you sit down for a pot of tea and something sticky before taking away your Christmas purchases. The bright red interior and glittering lights feel suitably festive, while the gentle jazz playing upstairs (where there's also an art gallery) is guaranteed to soothe away any seasonal stresses.
More info: Maison Bertaux Map, Prices, Opening Times and Nearest Tube
59 Ledbury Road, London, W11 2AA
Regular tastings, an on-site, open-view kitchen, award-winning master chocolatier Keith Hurdman, and some of the best chocs in town make Melt a mouth-watering option when it comes to confectionary. Stand and drool as organic truffles, melted chocolate shots and spiced, crispy orange discs (a perfect festive treat) are rustled up on cool white marble slabs in full view of customers. Children's Hour offers youngsters the chance to get sticky making their own unique range of chocolate treats. Sleek packaging, cool surrounds and top-quality service complete the picture.
More info: Melt Map, Prices, Opening Times and Nearest Tube
57a Brewer Street, W1F 9UL
An old-fashioned, sugary-sweet, treat temptation in an area of London known for its more alternative delights, Mrs Kibble's Olde Sweet Shoppe in Soho offers pure, unadulterated, candy-filled fun. Perfect for providing, quaint, old-fashioned, Christmas stocking fillers, this tiny haven pays homage to the sweets of yesteryear in the only way possible - no frills, no fuss, friendly service, traditional tunes playing in the background and lots of jars (about 180) crammed full of goodies. Forget Flying Saucers, Rhubarb and Custard is the current No 1 best-selling bon-bon de jour, but whatever your fancy - be it Cola Cubes or Sherbet Dip Dabs - your sweet tooth will find it hidden somewhere inside this pint-sized store. For a Christmas gift guaranteed to send the lucky recipient on a sugar-fuelled trip down memory lane, indulge in one of their Nostalgic Sweet Jars, crammed full of old fashioned sweets from Wham bars to Popping Candy. Give the team here a bit of notice and they'll even create personalised labels for each jar. There's also a very attractive, sparkling new branch in Marylebone, St Christopher's Place.
More info: Mrs Kibble's Olde Sweet Shoppe Map, Prices, Opening Times and Nearest Tube
33 Camden Passage, Islington, London, N1 8EA
Closed Mondays and Tuesdays
Before he was a full-time chocolatier, Paul Young was pastry chef for Marco Pierre White. The drama and perfectionism demanded by a Michelin-starred restaurant are both apparent in the exquisite chocolates and desserts produced by his shop. The more impressive are finished at the counter in front of customers, while the smaller sweets and chocolates are jewel-like in their perfection. Young's haute cuisine background - he's a Gold Award-winner at the World Chocolate Awards - means there are plenty of weird and wonderful flavours available, but above all this is a shop that is about freshly made, thoroughly indulgent, luxury chocolates and puddings. If you fancy a dark, dreamy cocoa alternative to Christmas pud then take your taste buds up to Islington. Closed Mondays and Tuesdays (chocolate workshop days).
More info: Paul A Young Fine Chocolates Map, Prices, Opening Times and Nearest Tube
14 Princess Arcade, SW1Y 6DS
With Roald Dahl and Her Majesty counted as just a couple of their biggest fans, this brightly-coloured, richly scented, teeny tiny chocolate shop tucked away in a corner of the Princess Arcade belies its significant status and reach. One of the world's oldest and grandest chocolate companies, Prestat's iconic gilt-embossed packaging comes into its own at Christmas. The Kitty re-design of the interior has transformed the small store into a vibrant, cartoon-esque den of psychedelia. Prestat's magical wonderland interior makes a great seasonal setting for their nostalgic range of sweets, including the delectable sugared mice.
More info: Prestat Map, Prices, Opening Times and Nearest Tube
1 Blenheim Crescent, London, W11 2EE
Hard to miss with its bright yellow awning emblazoned with the word 'SPICE', this cosy emporium on the corner of Portobello Road will get your olfactory glands working overtime this Christmas. If you're planning on making your own pudding, cake or mince pies this festive season, a trip to this west London venue is a must. Originally a stall on the market, the business has evolved over recent years and now stocks pots, tins and bags full of over 2,500 herbs and spices. Unique in its concept and service this is THE place to come for essences, extracts, seasonings, seeds, pods, powders, oils, roots and leaves. If your taste buds really need reviving invest in their Essential Spice Tin, crammed with no less than 49 different spices.
More info: The Spice Shop Map, Prices, Opening Times and Nearest Tube
110-112 Columbia Road, London, E2 7RG
Open Sundays only
Just like its name, this unique establishment sandwiched in the middle of Columbia Road Flower Market is sweet, sticky and finger-licking good. Christmas is a time for tradition spiced up with large doses of nostalgia and, full of comfortingly familiar, essentially British, tea-time treats, this is the place to come to relive the comforting morsels that have fed a nation through times of turmoil and triumph. The cupcakes here are all hand-crafted, beautifully decorated and crowned with perfectly blended buttercup icing. They also come in three sizes (we recommend the BIG one) in tangy lemon, rich chocolate or smooth vanilla flavours. Jammy Dodgers and a range of sponges also adorn the shelves all year round. Seasonal specialities boost the range from month to month, while piping hot tea served on the premises lures customers to stop and linger, savouring a sponge or two before heading out with a packed bag full of goodies. It's only open on a Sunday so we recommend you combine a trip with a visit to the flower market. Pick up some seasonal blooms and a Christmas tree, and satisfy your seasonal sweet cravings all in one leisurely Sunday morning jaunt.
More info: Treacle Map, Prices, Opening Times and Nearest Tube
40 Brushfield Street, London, E1 6AG
Wooden crates crammed with rich, vibrant vegetables, wicker baskets full of flowers, fruits and herbs, dark wooden shutters, heavy green awnings, blackboards advertising "Sandwiches, Coffee, Soup" and a few sets of weathered tables and chairs dotted on the pavement all contribute to the continental feel of this gourmet food emporium in London's East End. At Christmas time the shelves burst with seasonal offerings including handmade puddings and mince pies, majestic pannetone towers, jars of glace fruits and a huge glass case full of Pierre Marcolini chocolates. Manager and ex-chef Havery Cabaniss ensures all produce is sourced from co-ops and small, family-run enterprises wherever possible, helping you promote an ethical Christmas.
More info: Verde & Co Map, Prices, Opening Times and Nearest Tube
135 Muswell Hill Broadway, London, N10 3RS
Come face to face with the Ghost of Christmas Past and pick up some seasonal sticky treats at this vintage, fine food retailer. Affectionately referred to as the "Fortnum & Mason of Muswell Hill" this family-run, fine food business dates back over 100 years to 1887. The stunning Art Deco facade and interior have changed little over the years - an old coffee roaster rests proudly in the window underneath the iconic red lettering introducing the shop, while inside brass scales, solid oak shelving and row upon row of simply designed, quality goods hark back to 1930s London. Tea and coffee are their speciality but really there's a bit of everything yummy here, with Christmas hampers boasting an alluring range of goodies from pickles to puddings, condiments to cakes. It may well be off the beaten track but it really is worth making a trip to this part of north London just to breath in the scent of freshly roasted coffee and the warm, family atmosphere that pervades throughout.
More info: W Martyn Map, Prices, Opening Times and Nearest Tube
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