Top 10 dessert places according to the Instafamous UCL foodie

Instagram’s UCL Foodie aims to showcase the amazing food that can be found near the university. With over 1,500 followers, UCLfoodies has become a cornerstone for hungry Londoners who want to find new and exciting places to try and inevitably post their findings on social media. It was set up by former UCL students, Zoe and Keshvi, who wanted to document where they’ve eaten. As well as picturing their meals, they also give reviews and share fellow foodies’ posts.

With whetted appetites and growling stomachs, we asked where they thought were the top 10 places for perfect puddings in walking distance from uni. Yes, you must try them all.

1. ChinChin Labs

Where: @chinchinlabs Camden Town (15min walk from campus)

Ordered:

The Brownwich – Pondicherry Vanilla Ice cream – £5.20

The Warmie – Christmas Tree Ice cream – £5.20

Review: 5/5

Absolutely loved this place. ChinChin Labs serve liquid nitrogen ice cream with different flavours each week. Definitely worth paying them a visit for their unique flavours, interesting laboratory style ice cream parlour and super friendly staff.

2. Amorino

Where: Amorino, Soho (15min walk from campus)

Ordered: Two medium Amorino rose cono – £4.50 each

Review: 4/5

We were craving some authentic gelato after our trip to Italy, and this definitely hit the spot. The ice cream is fresh and light, we particularly recommend the mango and pistachio flavours. Each ice cream layer is shaped into a shape of a rose and you can choose as many flavours as you like.

3. Roti King

Where: Roti King, Euston (10min walk from campus)

Ordered: Roti Tissue – £4

Review: 4/5

Delicious. The food was tasty, arrived quickly and was amazing value for money. Authentic Malaysian street food for street food prices. Definitely recommend it, especially the Roti Tissue dessert for a post-exam treat.

4. L’ETO Caffe

Where: L’ETO cafe, Soho (15 min walk from campus)

Ordered: Honey Cake – £4.90

Review: 3/5

Delicious desserts and pastries all presented with the most meticulous attention to detail! We had to try the signature honey cake, which we were big fans of. We liked these were less sweet than traditional cakes made with refined sugar. The portions are reasonably large so it was quite hard to finish. We would recommend sharing a few different cakes between a group to try the different delicacies on offer.

5. BAO

Where: BAO, soho (20min walk from campus)

Ordered: Fried Horlicks ice cream Bao – £4

Review: 5/5

While BAO is not a dessert place in itself, the one dessert item on the menu is amazing. We were so full from the mains but found this deep fried bao so moreish that we had to order another each. So light and refreshing, with the perfect amount of sweetness without being overbearing. We suggest enjoying this with a cup of Ming Yue BaoZhong Tea, also really light and fragrant.

6. Cutter & Squidge

Where: Cutter & Squidge, Soho (20min walk from campus)

Ordered: Pistachio, Rose and Raspberry Biskie

Review: 3/5

Loved the concept of this bakery – everything is made with free range and natural ingredients, with minimum added sugar possible. The flavours were light and fragrant, we especially love the twist on the classic rose and pistachio combination. The cakes looked beautiful and would make a lovely present, a great alternative to the usual cupcake.

7. Granger & Co.

Where: Granger & Co. King’s Cross (five min walk from Euston)

Ordered: Ricotta hotcakes, banana & honeycomb butter – £11.80

Review: 4/5

We went with the purpose of trying the hotcakes and were not disappointed. They were light, airy and delicious. The honeycomb butter and banana went with it perfectly as well – honestly the best pancakes we’ve ever tried. The perfect location for a brunch or lunch near uni (NB they serve the hotcakes all day until 4pm). The only thing stopping us giving it a five star rating was the slow and slightly rude service from one of the waitresses.

Offers: Download the Zapper app to split the bill, pay directly from your phones and get £5 off the bill for each person that does (for the first time you use it) really worth it.

8. Said Cafe

Where: Said Cafe (20min walk from Uni)

Ordered: Regular Melted Hot Chocolate – £4

Review: 4/5

Amazing independent Italian chocolate cafe tucked away in the heart of Soho. Everything we tried was delicious, especially the famous melted hot chocolate. Genuinely comparable to some of the most expensive ones we have tried in other chocolatiers. Would highly recommend it.

9. Shackfuyu

Where: Shackfuyu, Soho, (20min walk from uni)

Ordered: Kinako French Toast – soft serve ice cream (matcha) – £6

Review: 4/5

One of our favourite desserts. The french toast itself was absolutely delicious, it is warm, soft and sweet and pairs well with the cool matcha ice cream. FYI Shackfuyu recently reopened after several months refurbishment. So check it out if you didn’t get the chance last year.

10. Yolkin

Where: Yolkin , Whaam Banh Mi, Soho (20min walk from Campus)

Ordered: Macaroon ice cream sandwich – £4.50

Review: 4/5

We’ve been following Yolkin on Instagram for a while now, and love her macaroon ice cream sandwiches. She is a one woman business, and only trades on Saturdays and Sundays from 12pm onwards, her locations change but she is currently in Soho. She usually has four different flavours each week, and you have to get there quick as she usually sells out by 3pm…but they’re definitely worth the trip.