LONDON – Tuesday February 28 is Shrove Tuesday, or Pancake Day, and whether or not you’re planning to be healthier in March, it’s the perfect excuse to indulge.
Shrove Tuesday is the day before Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent, which is the 40-day period where people often fast or give up unhealthy foods. Pancakes are a good way to use up ingredients like flour, sugar, and oil before Lent begins.
To help you make the most of the day, we teamed up with Time Out to pull together London’s best restaurants for perfect pancakes, ranked by price, from cheapest to most expensive.
Whether you go for a thin crêpe topped with lemon juice and sugar or fluffy cakes with maple syrup, scroll down to find the perfect pancake for you. The price shown reflects the cheapest pancake item on the menu.
Le Merlin, Hackney — from £2.60
“The place to be when it comes to crêpes,” according to Time Out’s editors. “There’s a simple pancake-only menu. Crêpes are divided into savoury and sweet options, with classic flavour combos alongside more experimental numbers. Try the classic ham, gruyère and egg or the heavenly lemon cream and grilled almond crêpe.”
The plain sugar crepe is £2.60.
Mamie's, Notting Hill — from £3
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"Here's a French twist on pancake tradition: the galettes - a French savoury pancake - can be ordered with emmental, garlic mushrooms, thin-cut ham and a runny egg. The La Gauguin crêpe is a flambéed banana and chantilly cream, which arrives at the table on fire."
A crepe with butter and sugar is £3.
La Petite Bretagne, Clapham and Hammersmith — from £3.50
"Made-to-order buckwheat galettes with savoury fillings such as classic ham and cheese, as well as sweet crêpes containing nutella and banana, or crème de marrons."
The classic sweet crêpe with butter, sugar, and lemon is £3.50.
Chez Lindsay, Richmond — from £3.95
"Authentic Breton galettes can be found in this Richmond bistro: sweet crêpes as well as excellent buckwheat pancakes, with fillings ranging from creamy leeks with scallops to melted cheese and ratatouille."
A buckwheat pancake with butter is £3.95. A special menu will also be offered on Pancake Day for £23.75 with a house apéritif, a selection of starters to share, a choice of savoury buckwheat pancakes, and a sweet pancake or French-made ice creams for dessert.
Bad Egg, Moorgate — from £4.25
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"Dude food with attitude! Think pancakes topped with fried chicken."
Pancakes with maple syrup are £4.25.
CrêpeAffaire, various locations — from £4.95
"You can find a good range of sweet and savoury fillings here, along with a small selection of pastries including waffles."
Ham and cheese savoury crepe is £4.95.
Where the Pancakes Are, London Bridge — from £5.50
"This is pancake heaven: Stacks of sweet and savoury buttermilk pancakes, and more substantial, oven-baked 'Dutch babies'."
Simple buttermilk pancakes served with maple and butter, lemon and sugar, or hazelnut chocolate are £5.50.
Christopher's, Covent Garden — from £6
"This place offers a buckwheat pancake menu, but takes its pancake offering to a new level for Shrove Tuesday when it is laying on a spread of three pancake bases - buckwheat, buttermilk and blueberry-buttermilk."
Blueberry buttermilk pancakes are £8 on the regular menu.
The special Pancake Day menu will also feature the likes of grilled lobster on blue corn pancake with avocado, sweetcorn and smoked jalapeño salsa (£22), a nutella pancake stack for four people(£30), our build your own pancakes, with the base for £6 and toppings - such as bacon, maple syrup, or matcha green tea - an additional £1 or £2 each.
My Old Dutch, various locations — from £6.25
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"This is a place dedicated entirely to pancakes, so expect queues on Shrove Tuesday!"
A pancake with sugar and lemon is £6.25.
Jackson & Rye, various locations — from £6.25
"Celebrate Pancake Day the all-American way; this restaurant has a stack of buttermilk options on the brunch menu or you can dive into a hefty pile of pancakes topped with bacon, blueberries and maple syrup."
Buttermilk pancakes with caramelised banana are £6.25.
Balthazar, Covent Garden — from £8.50
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"The breakfast menu covers delicious American-style pancakes with banana and maple syrup."
New York Pancakes with fresh banana and maple syrup are £8.50.
The Breakfast Club, various locations — from £9
"This diner, with seven branches in London, offers sweet or savoury pancakes, served all-day."
Pancakes and bacon with maple syrup or pancakes and berries with maple syrup and vanilla are £9.
The Delaunay, Covent Garden — from £9
"The weekend brunch menu includes a pancake section, with fillings such as maple syrup, bacon, blueberries and crème fraîche, and cranberry and pear compote."
Pancakes with maple syrup are £9.
Riding House Café, Fitzrovia — from £9.50
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"The breakfast menu includes buttermilk pancakes served with berries, vanilla clotted cream and maple syrup."
Buttermilk pancakes with berries, vanilla clotted cream, and maple syrup are £9.50.
Specials on Shrove Tuesday will also be available, including a pancake wrap with prawns, crayfish, peppers, and chilli salsa (£13) or buttermilk pancakes with banana fritter and vanilla ice cream (£10).
Tom's Kitchen, various locations — from £9.50
"This eatery does pancakes topped with seasonal berries on its regular brunch menu, but the restaurant is going the extra mile on Pancake Day with two savoury options on the menu (choose from lobster and cheese or duck egg and mushroom ragout) with an orange butter and marmalade pancake to follow for dessert."
The regular menu offers a seasonal berry pancake with maple syrup is £9.50.
On Shrove Tuesday, the three-course gourmet pancake menu will include the potato pancake with fried duck egg, wild mushroom ragout, and bacon crumbs (£9.50), and the prawn and cheese pancake with buttered spinach and mustard sauce (£16).