Best Coffee Shops and Cafes in Elephant & Castle

"If a trip up to the stunning viewing gallery of one of London’s tallest buildings sounds like a pocket drainer, think again. Situated inside a glass oasis at the top of the “Walkie Talkie”, Sky Garden is London’s highest public garden, filled with greenery and boasting panoramic views of the capital. It’s totally free to head up there, but you’ll need to book in advance, with post-lockdown visits starting up again from July 29."

"Set atop 20 Fenchurch Street (aka the Walkie Talkie building), Sky Garden is the highest public garden in London. Amidst a lush urban jungle, it offers stunning 360° panoramic views of the city. The unique setting and spectacular views easily make this one of the most Instagrammable places in London."

"At the Sky Garden you’ll get panoramic views of the city and you can also stop for food and drink. You have to book a ticket in advance to visit but it’s free. Head to skygarden.london for more info."

"What started as an ice cream store dedicated to liquid nitrogen creations, Chin Chin Labs has come a long way in delivering some of the best bites in town. Burnt butter caramel ice cream pies and loaded tiramisu sundaes join this mouthwatering brownie cookie ice cream sando (from £5.45) that can be customised with the likes of black sesame ice cream, molten chocolate, bee pollen honeycomb and whatever else takes your fancy. Now that's our kinda sandwich."

"Restaurants Ice-cream parlours Soho. Those nitro-fuelled experimentalists at Chin Chin are the Willy Wonkas of the ice-cream world, and this Soho shop is an ostentatious showcase for their wares. Not only their signature ices, but also full-on desserts – there’s some seriously elaborate stuff going on here amid all the bells and whistles (try the decadent tiramisu sundae)."

"Restaurants Vegetarian Camden Market. They say:‘Europe’s firstliquid nitrogen ice-cream parlour.’. The sweet stuff: Cherry pie and chocolate cookier but the main event is the kits for creating you own nitrogen ice cream."

"This sister-owned Soho bakery looks sweet, but isn't saccahrine. Using no more sugar and fat than they need, their inventive and joyfully decorated offerings are delicately, carefully flavoured. Cutter & Squidge’s Dream Cakes make for jaw dropping centrepieces for your big celebration, or can also be enjoyed by the slice in house – the Lychee Kiss is an elegant flavour trio of lychee, raspberry and rose."

"Cutter & Squidge are bringing the latest in hybrid desserts to London. Here, they have invented the Biskie. This is a biscuit-cookie-cake creation filled with buttercream, jam or caramel."

"You'd be bonkers not to try one of their famous 'Biskies' (a merge between a cake and a biscuit - v moreish) while sitting in their secret garden."

"With such adorable bear branding, how could you resist a trip to Little Newport Street’s Yunique?. Find them serving up summer coolers, including the refreshing lychee juice with boba or for the watermelon lovers, the watermelon tea with added lychee. For a milky hit, their range of milk teas are next level, including the red bean milk tea."

"Another one sitting at the higher spots of the list of best bubble tea in London is Yunique Tea. My go-to is their Dark Sugar Boba Milk, which was rich and velvety, with the right amount of sweetness. The tapioca was cooked properly into an al dente texture and oozing caramelised flavours."

"Caffe al Fresco is A welcoming and spacious restaurant situated at the East Sheen end of Upper Richmond Road, with a popular menu of southern Italian cooking."

"Patisserie Saint Anne is a cute and cosy little patisserie, based out in Hammersmith, that has over 20 years of experience in producing delicious cakes, pastries and chocolates. The bakers and pastry makers have definitely satisfied Malcolm Gladwell’s 10,000-hour rule and the proof is in the delicate viennoiserie they serve. Patisserie Saint Anne’s pain au chocolat and pain au raisin would give any Parisian bakery a run for its bakery with their selection of freshly baked gateaux being equally deserving of your attention."

"Since relocating to London from Paris in 2014, husband and wife team Alain and Keiko have made all their pastries, cakes, bread and tarts on-site so walking into this tiny shop always smells delicious. Patisserie Sainte-Anne has a genuinely boutique feel and the married duo work their craft with true passion. It’s usually full, and predominantly with French shoppers!"

"Finally, All Hallows-by-the-Tower is believed to be the oldest surviving church in London, and overlooks the Tower of London on Byward Street. The church was founded in 675, and while it has obviously undergone extensive restoration since then, it still contains an Anglo-Saxon arch from the time which we believe qualifies it to take the crown as London’s oldest church!. Thanks to its proximity to the Tower of London, this church was frequented often where beheading victims were sent for a temporary burial!"

"Reconstruction during 1955, after extensive damage in the Blitz. Image source: Ben Brooksbank / CC BY-SA 2.0. Located on the doorstep of the Tower of London, this church has buried the bodies of numerous victims sentenced to death on Tower Hill, including those of Thomas More, Bishop John Fisher and Archbishop Laud."

"All Hallows Church London sits across the square from the Tower of London. It’s one of the oldest Christian churches in London, dating back possibly to the 7th century AD. It famously survived the Great Fire of London because surrounding buildings were burned to create a firebreak."