The best doughnuts in London
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Long, round, ringed or even flower-shaped, our favourite fluffy treats now come in all sorts of sizes. And when it comes to sourcing these majestic doughnuts in London, there are shops and bakeries all over town serving up delightful options. Whether you like them filled or plain, traditional or gourmet, here are some of the best places to tuck in.
Japan Centre
Flavour to order: Original glaze
Doughnuts are a new addition to the Mochi Bar at Japan Centre (it’s on the left as you go in, rather than downstairs). A Japanese speciality known as pon de ring, they’re made by joining individually rolled dough balls and deep-frying them. But there’s more to it than just the shape. The dough is made from a mixture of wheat and glutinous rice flour, which makes the finished product much chewier than your regular doughnut while still being light and airy. A few flavours are available, including sakura cherry blossom, and matcha, but the original glazed version carries off the texture the best.
Address: Japan Centre, 35B Panton Street, London SW1Y 4EA
Website: japancentre.com
Max LacomeDoughnut Time
Flavour to order: Violet Beauregarde
There was a bit of a stir when Doughnut Time first landed on Shaftesbury Avenue from Australia, where it had already developed a sizeable fan base. Perhaps it’s because when it comes to their doughnuts, more is more. More flavours, more garnishes and, at times, quite a bit more sugar. But fans love the pop culture-inspired flavours, like Bruno Mars or David Hasselhoff, which regularly rotate so you’ll always find something new. For the classics, you can’t go wrong with a Violet Beauregarde – a glazed doughnut filled with sticky, sweet blueberry jam.
Address: Doughnut Time, 96 Shaftesbury Avenue, London W1D 5EB
Website: doughnuttime.co.ukSt John’s Bakery
Flavour to order: Vanilla custard
A cult favourite, St John’s doughnuts used to be a rare commodity found only on weekends – and only if you managed to get there before everyone else. Thankfully the main bakery is now open daily, and there are other outposts around town. They specialise in that most traditional style of doughnut – airy, twice-proved and butter-enriched dough that’s fried to golden perfection before a dusting of caster sugar. And then, for good measure, an overfill of vanilla custard, raspberry jam, chocolate or whatever seasonal flavour they dream up.
Address: St John’s Bakery, Bakery Arch, 72 Druid Street, London, SE1 2HQ
Website: stjohnrestaurant.com
Longboys
Flavour to order: Raspberry rose lychee
Longboys specialises in finger doughnuts – think baked five-inch-long doughnuts in the shape of hotdog buns. They’re filled the same way, too. The sugar-dusted doughnut is sliced from end to end with the filling piped generously along the opening, then topped with garnishes. So beautiful, each one is displayed like a prized patisserie behind the glass counter. The fruit ones are particularly good; there’s a real intensity of flavour here but without the heavy-handed addition of sugar.
Address: Longboys, Seven Dials Market, 35 Earlham Street, London WC2H 9LD
Website: longboys.co.ukChestnut Bakery
Flavour to order: Jam
The purveyor of spectacular sourdough loaves – for the record, the charcoal and Kalamata olive one is the best – Chestnut Bakery isn’t big on doughnuts. In fact, it has just one flavour: an impossible to discern red jam one. But it’s truly excellent. Even near the end of the day when the light and fluffy exterior is looking a little deflated, the rush of sweet and sour of the mixed fruit puree still brings it back to life.
Address: Chestnut Bakery, 17-21 Elizabeth Street, London SW1W 9RP
Website: chestnutbakery.com
Crosstown Doughnuts
Flavour to order: Peanut butter and blackcurrant compote
Crosstown has all of its bases covered. Every day, its bakers hand-shape the sourdough base into rings, balls and scrolls (like cinnamon rolls) before putting them through the frier. Then, depending on the shape and the flavour, they’re either glazed while still warm then garnished or dusted with sugar and filled. Sometimes, even a combination of both. The result is a double-height, pillowy-soft, often vegan-friendly treat with the chewy bite of a bagel – and one of the tastiest doughnuts in London. Or if that’s not your thing, they have baked cake versions, too. As I said, all their bases are covered.
Address: All over London but for the vegan store, 5-6 Picton Place London, W1U 1BL
Website: crosstown.co.ukUrban Legends Clapham Junction
Flavour to order: Maple blue
Located in the rather unglamorous entrance of Clapham Junction Station, Urban Legends prides itself on having doughnuts that are much lower in calories than their competitors. How? By steaming them. They’ve also lowered the sugar content by swapping in stevia, a natural sugar substitute. Not that you can tell the difference if you’re not paying attention – they’re still light and airy, albeit without the extra bite that comes with a fried exterior, and the glaze still delivers a sweet hit.
Address: Urban Legends, Unit 1, Clapham Junction Station, St John's Hill, London SW11 1RU
Website: urban-legend.com
Bread Ahead
Flavour to order: Sea salted caramel and honeycomb
Bread Ahead’s doughnuts are another one for the traditionalists and are near-identical to those from St John’s in their light and airy texture and generosity of filling. And like their counterpart, there’s almost always a snaking queue leading from the fast-emptying trays outside their bakery. Bread Ahead has a few more flavours though, including the delightfully moreish sea salted caramel, topped with a cube of crumbly honeycomb, which goes perfectly with an Americano from nearby Monmouth Coffee.
Address: Bread Ahead, Borough Market, Cathedral Street, London SE1 9DE
Website: breadahead.comLele’s
Flavour to order: Red velvet
Lele’s doughnuts are unlike anything else on this list. They’re baked, vegan and gluten-free. And, well, they’re a bit more like doughnut-shaped cakes really, with the same kind of crumbly texture. But don’t hold that against them. For when they’re decorated – bejewelled with flowers and berries over piped cream usually – the rather plain base transforms into a miniature thing of beauty. The flavours change according to the decorations but the red velvet one is a keeper.
Address: Lele’s, 50 Lower Clapton Road, Lower Clapton, London E5 0RN
Website: leleslondon.com