5 of the best cookies in London: taste tested by The Standard team
There are few things in life that can’t be significantly improved by the arrival of a good cookie.
Found a fiver in last winter’s coat? Use it on a cookie to keep the good times rolling. Break-up? Cookie. Promotion? Two cookies, and you’re buying.
Londoners, with our deep commitment to queuing and oat milk flat whites, have recently developed another shared obsession: artisanal cookies. We’re not talking about any old baked good, but big, bold, bash-you-over-the-head-with-flavour cookies. The kind that oozes out of their own middles, comes filled with improbable combinations (dark chocolate and tahini anyone?) and weighs roughly the same as a practice cricket ball.
Naturally, I took it upon myself –selflessly, heroically –to embark on a quest across the city’s bakeries, cafés, and Instagram-famous cookie counters to answer the only question that really matters: Where can you get the best cookie in London? Armed with a very stretchy waistband, the help of some fellow colleagues, and a mildly concerning sugar tolerance, I ventured forth.
From Notting Hill to NoHo, I sampled the buttery, the brittle, and the brazen. Some were divine. Some were dry. One was a cookie in name only (blueberry muffin cookie, I see you). Below, you'll find the winners that rose from the crumbs.
Judging criteria:
- Softness: A good cookie should yield slightly in the centre without making a mess. No one likes a biscuit masquerading as a cookie.
- Size: Bigger isn’t always better… but let’s be honest, we’re not here for dainty. We want palm-filling, face-shading slabs of joy.
- Flavour: Chocolate chip is a classic, but innovation earns points.
- Uniqueness: Bonus kudos for something I haven’t seen before (especially if it doesn’t involve gold leaf or a £7 price tag).
Ready? Let’s crumble.
Layla Bakery
- Location: 332 Portobello Road, Notting Hill
- Flavours tried: Classic Chocolate Chip
Rating: 5/5
While I compared the cookie to a doorstop on first clutching it in my hands, I couldn't believe how incredible the Layla's offering tasted. This is a proper New York style cookie complete with large chocolate chunks and a heavy hit of salt that perfectly complemented the sweetness. No notes. Five stars.
Ellie Davis, Shopping Editor
Rating: 4/5
This baby is PHAT and I dig it. Generous chunks of what seems like dark chocolate topped with a heavy spray of sea salt bring balance. Excellent edge crust too; a cookie to fantasise about.
Abha Shah, Deputy Shopping Editor
Don’t Tell Dad
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- Location: 10-14 Lonsdale Rd, Queen’s Park
- Flavours tried: Tahini Choc Chip, Chocolate and Buckwheat
Rating: 4/5
Don't Tell Dad's cookie had a very similar deliciously salty flavour as Layla's but instead of the solid consistency, it had a gooey texture. The Queen's Park-based bakery managed to keep the centre gooey and crumbly with a smattering of dark chocolate that was welcomed as a post-lunch treat - but half was more than enough.
Ellie Davis, Shopping Editor
Rating: 4/5
This would make a great dessert option as it's gooey, rich and moist. Had to resist inhaling it.
Hayley Spencer, Freelance Writer and Editor
Blondie’s Kitchen
- Location: Covent Garden, Selfridges Food Hall, Harrods
- Flavours tried: Kinder Bar, Lotus Biscoff & White Chocolate, Dark Chocolate and Sea Salt, Milk Chocolate, Mini Eggs
Rating: 4.5/5
I’ve been a fan of Blondie’s since they launched in 2016, and I’m delighted by the fact that they haven’t changed that gold dust recipe for flat, crisp, chewy and gooey cookies in the nine years since their masterful inception by what I can only imagine to be a big bang of sorts.
They may not be for everyone, but they’re incredibly moreish, always perfectly sweet and filled with melt-in-your-mouth chocolate and caramel flavours – depending on which you opt for. I love the mini ones, which are perfect for dunking in a cup of tea. The Lotus Biscoff & White Chocolate flavour boggles the mind in the best way.
Saskia Kemsley, Shopping Writer
Rating: 3/5
Nice packaging so this would be good to give as a gift. I tried the larger cookie which is equivalent to around three normal-sized cookies. Love the mini eggs, they’re my fave. This cookie was crunchy around the edges with a more traditional feel. I prefer a softer squishy cookie, but that's just my preference. Harder to share this one though… much more likely to gobble it all, which is dangerous!
Laura Forsyth, Shopping Writer
Rating: 3/5
Kinder no bueno… but I’ll have another.
David Ellis, Restaurant Critic
Le Choux
- Location: 332 Ladbroke Grove
- Flavours tried: Hazelnut & Gianduja Cookies, Triple Chocolate Cookies, Butterscotch & Dark Chocolate Cookies (Vegan), Pecan & Dulcey Caramel
Rating: 5/5
If there was ever a time to take the Lord’s name in vain, it’s after taking a bite out of a cookie by the angels over at Le Choux. I tried a bite of every flavour and was delightfully surprised at the uniformness of gooey yet structurally intact, soft and slightly crispy texture across the board.
The triple chocolate was a bit indulgent even for me, but the hazelnut and gianduja option made me feel like I was in Italy and had me longing for a freshly pulled double espresso. I could hardly tell the difference between the vegan dark chocolate flavour, and the non-vegan chocolate option.
Though they’re technically best eaten warm (if you want molten pockets of melted goodness), I was surprised by how delicious they were fresh out the box. They also kept beautifully over the weekend without the need to be heated up.
Saskia Kemsley, Shopping Writer
Rating: 4/5
Le Choux isn't following the stacked NYC-style cookie trend, its chocolatey creations are lighter and moreish - and we challenge you to just eat one. From the very first bite, the Ladbroke Grove-based baked goods prove to be a premium treat made from high-quality ingredients - especially if you happen to reach for the Pecan & Dulcey Caramelised White Chocolate, the most striking in the bunch.
These are the kind of cookies you should be bringing to a dinner party for delight guaranteed. The irresistible offering is style and substance combined.
Ellie Davis, Shopping Editor
Mama G Cookies (From Running Late Coffee)
- Location: 249b Mare St, Hackney
- Flavours tried: Banoffee, Red Velvet, Bluebberry Muffin, Dark Chocolate and Miso
Rating: 4/5
I was slightly taken-aback by the cake-like texture of these cookies, which definitely makes them controversial in my eyes. Nevertheless, the chocolate and miso flavour tickled my tastebuds just right. I’m all for a sprinkling of delectable umami in my afternoon treat.
Saskia Kemsley, Shopping Writer
Rating: 3/5
A decent, solid cookie but nothing show stopping. If I had it in store I wouldn’t be dying to go back, but the taste was great, and the one I tried really did hit the notes of a blueberry muffin.
Michelle Martin, Audience Editor
Rating: 4/5
The banoffee flavour offers a righty hearty chew of a cookie. Has the feel of an ice-hockey puck and plenty of caramelly toffee but could do with a touch more banana.
Nick Howells, Deputy Chief Sub-Editor
Rating: 3/5
The reviews are in for the red velvet cookie: It was both bland and too much at the same time. The aftertaste wasn’t for me either. Perhaps better warmed up.
Sean Martin, SEO Editor