Top 10: Almond Croissants in LondonBy Felicity Spector
It’s all about the frangipane. And using up day-old croissants which, lets face it, is an act of pure altruism at a time when we’re all fighting food waste. So here, then, in another act of pure altruism, is our list of London’s top ten almond-laden-buttery treats.
1. Ottolenghi, Various Locations
The Lowdown: Heavy with nuts, incredibly buttery, one of these for breakfast will keep you going well into the afternoon. Plus sometimes they come in chocolate variety too. Which would pretty much make anyone’s day.
Where: Locations here
The Lowdown: Another longstanding giant amid London’s baking scene – the almond croissants are rather special. And if they have the fruit and marzipan stuffed brioche – get one of those for the road.
Where: 47 Denyer St, London SW3 2LX
3. Gail’s Bakery, Various Locations
The Lowdown: Such an array of baked delights greets you in Gail’s – we love the almond pain au chocolat with it’s nubbly, slightly crunchy rich almond filling with a ribbon of deep, dark chocolate running through. Stunning.
Where: See locations here
4. Belle Epoque Patisserie, Canonbury
The Lowdown: Proper French vienoisserie and tarts are on sale here, and the almond croissant is a classic. These are properly rich and heavy with frangipane: no dry bits round the edges.
Where: 37 Newington Green, London, UK N16 9PR
Photo Credit: hellcat_carlsson
5. Aux Pain de Papys, King’s Cross
The Lowdown: Talking of top class French baking, this tiny little shop near King’s Cross is the real deal. The rest of this small family run chain is in Provence, but their glorious almond croissants and almond pain aux chocolats have made the transition to British shores very well indeed. Merci bien!
Where: 279 Grays Inn Rd, London WC1X 8EB
Photo Credit: apairofdirtypigs
6. Little Bread Pedlar, Bermondsey
The Lowdown: Housed in the unpreposessing arches of Bermondsey Spa, it’s well worth seeking this little bakery out on a Saturday morning when you can buy their peerless almond croissants fresh from the oven – baked daringly dark, the bronzed brown butter, toasty almond flavour is a sheer marvel.
Where: Arch 4-6, Spa Business Park, Dockley Road SE16 3FJ. Also sold in a range of cafes – check the list here.
The Lowdown: Yes you can get almond croissants here, to eat in or take away. But you can also get tonka bean hazelnut croissants. And praline pecan croissants which should be ranked among the wonders of the modern world.
Where: 47-48 St John’s Square, Clerkenwell, Greater London EC1V 4JJ
The Lowdown: It’s always cheering to see an almond croissant the size of your head. Especially when they are as good as the freshly baked ones at Albion. You’ll need a knife and fork and a full sized dinner plate to tackle this one.
Where: 2-4 Boundary Street, Shoreditch, London E2 7DD
The Lowdown: Forget the standard almond croissant. Here you can get one stuffed with a pistachio and frangipane cream and topped with more crushed pistachios. This surely has to count as ‘eating your greens’.
Where: Check your nearest Paul here
The Lowdown: If you can’t get to a specialist bakery then our favourite of the high street offerings is Waitrose – a little too sweet for some, but high on frangipane. Plus for added decadence – they’ve come up with an almond croissant bread and butter pudding. Hell yes.
Where: Locations here
Photo Credit: toastiezzz
