Best for Francophiles
Bistrot Bruno Loubet
If you fancy good old-fashioned French cooking — snails, Lyonnaise salad, guinea fowl with boudin blanc — this is the place. The crème brûlée isn’t messed about with, but is simply served with a little raspberry sorbet on the side (£6.50).
The Zetter, St John’s Square, 86-88 Clerkenwell Road, EC1 (020 7324 4455; bistrotbrunoloubet.com)
Best for sweet tooths
Zoilo
As if traditional crème brûlée wasn’t rich enough, the team at Argentinian restaurant Zoilo make theirs with dulce de leche (£6.95). This creamy caramel sauce is made by slowly reducing milk and sugar, which works brilliantly (for flavour, if not for our waistlines). Make sure you leave room for it after the hearty, meaty mains.
9 Duke Street, W1 (020 7486 9699; zoilo.co.uk)
Best for impressing
Meursault
Sister restaurant to L’Etranger, this glam and moodily lit basement with its 1,600-bin wine list, fancy cocktails and cracking sushi menu is somewhere for splashing the cash. The crème brûlée is infused with Earl Grey tea — since Earl Grey contains citrus bergamot, it’s a perfect match for all things custard (£5.50).
36 Gloucester Road, SW7 (020 7584 9719; meursaultlondon.co.uk)
