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Categories: Sweet Shops, Coffee & Tea, Bakeries, Hungarian [Edit]
32 Heath StreetLondon NW3 6TE
Neighbourhood: Hampstead
020 7435 9908
5 reviews for Louis Patisserie
All Reviews
The window displays tell no lies: their desserts are to die for!!!!
My friend had tiramisu & a cappuccino and I had a coffee eclair type thing, along with some tea. It was great.
OH BOY! This shop should have warning signs. I tried to walk by but could not. The window is adorned with the most beautiful looking cakes. I had to go in. Sarah S needed to get inside the store so badly she head butted the window in her haste.
Once inside you are greeted by an entire generation of Hungarian ladies who were all smiling warmly. If you can tear your eyes away from the creamy, crumbly, oh so moist cakiness, you may notice the decor. This place is straight out of the Victorian age. It is stunning in a decidedly geriatric way.
Even more surprises were to follow. In such an affluent borough standing in such a beautiful tea house I expected hefty prices. The two fantastic cakes we ordered came to less than £5 and were beautifully boxed and bowed.
Fabulous place.
Almost exactly like the one in Camden this is a really classic café atmosphere. Neither one feels like they've changed much since the 60's, there's dark wooden paneling, dark red carpet, small tables with loyal customers and a window stacked up with great looking breads, sandwiches, cakes and patisseries - mostly of Eastern European origin. Not imported, I just mean Eastern European influenced.
I went in around Christmas and my friend and I did something very English and ordered mince pies and coffee. Mostly though because the pastry looked amazing, really thick and different - tasted great too. Totally dashing place.
The cake at Louis looked so scrumptious I hit my head on the glass trying to get a closer look. Leon C. was mortified by my less than graceful behaviour and while still hanging his head in shame, joined me to go inside. Greeted by laughter, I had to choose from the decadent array of cakes in the window. After many indecisive changes of heart I settled on the Swiss roll and Leon, on the apple crumble. We walked to a nearby bench and enjoyed our treat in the fresh air. Both choices ended up not too heavy and with the right amount of sweetness. When next in Hampstead I'll definitely drop in again, hopefully with more elegance and will perhaps even stay for a posh cup of tea.
This patisserie has special memories for me of coming here with my mum after school as a special treat, although these are also intertwined with being very disappointed with the presence of apricot jam in a chocolate cake - I obviously didn't have a great appreciation of the art of Hungarian patisserie at that age. And embarrassingly that is still my major problem with Louis. I just don't like fruity bits in my chocolate cake. If I just want a coffee or something though, then this is the perfect place to come, sort of dingy but in a seventies bohemian in Hampstead way, you feel that Louis has never really changed all the years it's been open.
