Ottolenghi Chelsea

"If you’ve passed an Ottolenghi shop window without pausing to gawk at the cake display, then you have the kind of self-discipline our Amazon delivery driver wishes we had. But ignoring the sweet treats at this Pavilion Road cafe is a mistake. Because as impressive as the array of cakes and tarts look, they taste even better. We struggle to pick between the moist carrot cake covered in criminal amounts of tangy cream cheese icing, or a mocha cheesecake tart that would even impress that friend who brags about not needing caffeine to function." - Heidi Lauth Beasley, Jake Oliver, Rianne Shlebak, Daisy Meager

"When you want to see if you still fancy this person in the daylight, sober and pre-caffeine, bring them to Ottolenghi Chelsea. Natural light and their coffee order can be very eye-opening indeed. Pick a few cakes from the display—our favourites are the moist carrot cake covered in criminal amounts of tangy cream cheese icing, the blueberry cupcake that looks almost too perfect to bite into, and the mocha cheesecake tart that would even impress that friend who brags about not needing caffeine to function. " - heidi lauth beasley, rianne shlebak

"If you’ve passed an Ottolenghi shop window without pausing to gawk at the cake display, then you have the kind of self-discipline our Amazon delivery driver wishes we had. But ignoring the sweet treats at this bright and airy Pavilion Road cafe is a mistake. As impressive as the array of cakes and tarts look, they taste even better. You’ll struggle to pick between the moist carrot cake covered in criminal amounts of tangy cream cheese icing, or a mocha cheesecake tart that would even impress that friend who brags about not needing caffeine to function. But FYI, a single blueberry cupcake is around a fiver, so exercising some self-discipline might not be the worst thing." - Rianne Shlebak

"We find it shocking that when we try wild and exotic things like ‘drinking more water’ or ‘getting eight hours sleep’, we do actually feel better. The same applies to ‘going for a walk’. What at first appears to be a deeply thankless task resulting in cold hands, does actually tend to be quite lovely once you get going. For added incentive, know that the new Ottolenghi deli in Chelsea is opening on Thursday, January 13. Stroll whimsically along the Thames, then hit up this new opening for pastries, a winter salad, or a proper sit-down meal. Wholesome day out, sorted." - Heidi Lauth Beasley

"Ottolenghi is the place that made London fall in love with salad, firing dozens of fresh flavours onto each plate in a way that wasn’t just healthy but also exciting. Salads are the main draw here as at the other Ottolenghi venues, and a selection of three makes a satisfying lunch. But the first thing you see is the beautiful spread of cakes and pastries in the front window, and you should give in to temptation. If there are two of you, try to snag one of the small tables rather than sit at the long ones that provide most of the seating." - Richard Ehrlich