Best French Bakery in Loughton

"20 Fenchurch Street was beautifully designed by renowned architect Rafael Viñoly. The building spans 37 storeys and rhubarb occupies the top three levels alongside the public space known as Sky Garden, which provides 45,000 sq ft of high level amenity space. Visitors can wander around the exquisitely landscaped gardens with 360 degree panoramic views of London and all of the flora and fauna they need!"

"Sky Garden is one of the modern but still equally famous attractions in London. Since its opening in 2015 on the 43rd floor of the "Walkie Talkie" building, the Sky Garden has gained a lot of popularity and has become one of London's best gardens to visit. This attraction serves as a public park for visitors on top of a commercial building."

"Get the lift to the top of 20 Fenchurch Street and let your toddler explore London’s highest public garden. There are 360 degree views of the London skyline, gardens to run around in and a café where you can buy cakes and pastries. Cost – Free, but you need to prebook."

"Chin Chin pioneered the use of liquid nitrogen to make ice cream in a retail setting when it opened its first ice cream ‘lab’ in Camden Lock in 2010. Its founders were convinced that hand churning with liquid nitrogen was better than any other method, and they had stumbled on the future of ice cream. Nowadays, the company has grown to three locations and over 300 innovative flavours, from sweetcorn to wild blueberry to coffee and olive oil."

"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."

"The sweet treats get scientific at Chin Chin Labs, where all the ice cream is hand-churned with liquid nitrogen. Its short but inventive menu of regular flavours includes tonka bean and burnt butter caramel, with an array of topping options including bee pollen honeycomb and truffle crumble."

"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."

"The menu at this Soho dessert stop features a lot of the delicious treats mentioned on this blog, but most famous are their biskies – a biscuit/cookie/cake hybrid filled with tasty buttercream, jams and caramels. Flavours include passion fruit and salted caramel, apple crumble, chocolate lava and miso caramel. If you’re feeling extra naughty, order one of their indulgent freakshakes to go with it."

"Nestled in the heart of Soho lives Cutter & Squidge, artisan cake makers who specialise in extravagance and wonder. Serving up slices of uniquely flavoured and decorated cakes along with their signature Biskie - a mix of cake, biscuit and cookie topped with marshmallow, buttercream and other goodies - it’s a one-of-a-kind shop in London. And it’s not just for the dairy eaters and gluten-friendly."

"When it comes to authentic Italian gelato, Prime Gelato is the real deal. Smooth, flavourful and with just the right amount of sweetness, this is gourmet gelato at its best. Exceptional quality and velvety textures come together to produce real gelato that keeps Italians and Londoners alike coming back."

"If you find icing-heavy cupcakes too sickly, Lily Vanilli is your cake holy grail: savoury and sweet are balanced perfectly to create complex flavours, not just an immediate sugar hit. Think pear, thyme and olive oil mini-loaves and grapefruit and polenta layer cake. Tucked away in a gorgeous little courtyard behind Columbia Road flower market, the bakery has bare brick and white tile walls, a fab ‘Vanilli’s’ lightbulb sign and a wooden counter laden with treats."

"Away from the hustle and bustle of Sunday’s Columbia Road Flower Market is Lily Vanilli’s bakery (a spot open only on Sundays) serving juicy sausage rolls, blood orange chocolate tarts, banana loaves and rye cookies to name a few. Pastel pink walls, strings of fairy lights and succulents decorate the inside, while picnic-style tables scattered on the cobbled courtyard are the place to sit, soak up the buzz and dig into gooey brownies."

"The intricate baked goods on offer will delight everyone, with both gluten-free and vegan options available. From dainty tarts to perfect pies, these picturesque creations will ensure that you never forget a trip here. 6, The Courtyard, Ezra St, E2 7RH; lilyvanilli.com"

"Everyone's favourite neighbourhood haunt, this canal-side spot has been al fresco since way before it was fashionable. Headed up by Lori Di Mori, a daily changing blackboard offers scrumptious toasties, salads and fresh bakes. Tiny chairs and tables are crammed along the hilariously nicknamed "Haggerston Riviera", where you'll jostle for space with bearded hipsters and designer whippets."

"Towpath is excellent and serves deceptively simple, nourishing plates — likely heavy on Marinda tomatoes, pastel-leaved radicchio, and lentils enlivened by spoonfuls of mustard and buoyant handfuls of herbs."

": Row upon row of glass jars, with everything from tiny organisms, to strange two-headed beasts, to examples of gross diseases, this museum can be very creepy at times, especially when it’s quiet. However, it’s so much more than the freakshow that it is sometimes made out to be, offering a unique insight into the history of surgery and advances in modern medicine. The next few months are your last chance to see the museum before it closes in 2017 for refurbishment, so get going!"

"Kings College London only recently opened this permanent site for the Science Gallery, a dedicated space for showing contemporary artwork that explores scientific questions. Its inaugural exhibition is all about addiction, called Hooked, and previous shows in its travelling days have investigated blood, food and orifices. Think of it as looking at science through the eyes of an artist."

"Science Gallery London is an art-science-and-health inspired gallery in London. The free museum has been open since 2018 in London Bridge after a series of pop-up exhibits across London. The gallery aims to bring together scientists, artists, and communities with three themed seasons every year."

"The Science Museum in South Kensington is one of the best London museums for kids, and our top choice for interactive exhibits and amazing educational experiences. There are seven floors of exhibits across award-winning exhibitions and permanent galleries. With so much to do, visiting the Science Museum is also one of the best free things to do in London with kids."

"Now in its 53nd year, this unmissable exhibition looks at everything from elephants in their natural habitat to urban foxes peering over fences, and is a sheer delight from start to finish. Date: until 10th September"

"PRACTICAL INFORMATION: The museum is open from Wednesday to Sunday from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm. Admission is free but you are required to book a time-slot here. NEAREST METRO STATION: South Kensington"

"Starting just east of Chalkwell Station, this beach is the choice of people who value peace for winter walks or sunbathing hot summer days. Chalkwell Beach is removed from Southend’s bustling arcades and entertainment, and has a vast belt of pebbles and sand tracked by a quiet, residential esplanade. And even if Chalkwell Beach has a more restrained atmosphere, there are shops selling beach paraphernalia and amenities like cafes just behind."

"Out of the way of the hustle and bustle of Southend’s central seaside, Chalkwell beach offers a quieter beach area for relaxation."

"Located on the top floor of 120 Fenchurch Street you will find the Garden at 120. The garden is free to enter and not only has beautiful views over London, but also a modern style and green spaces to relax. It’s the perfect spot for some Instagram shots and also to relax a bit."

"The Garden at 120 is another public London garden that offers epic views. And even better, it’s completely free to go with no booking required!. While it’s not quite as impressive or high as Sky Garden (15th floor vs 43rd floor), it does boast some unique photo opportunities."

"A great buggy friendly walk with loads to see along the way is from Tower Bridge right up to the London Eye alongside the river. The walk is about 2 miles long so bring a buggy in case your toddler gets tired, but the path is fully pedestrianised and there are plenty of places to stop off on the way. On the way, you will go past the Tate Modern, Millennium Footbridge, Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre up to Southbank and the Royal Festival Hall."

"Old Royal Naval College This is a UNESCO World Heritage Site located in Greenwich. It once served as a naval hospital and later as a naval college. Now, this site is being used as a filming location for many famous movies such as The King’s Speech, Patriot Games, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, Four Weddings and a Funeral, The Avengers, and The Dark Knight Rises."

"The Old Royal Naval College is a set of buildings designed by Christopher Wren whose original purpose was to serve as a place to care for and house retired seamen. Later the large building complex was used as a naval training college and today is used for a number of functions, and many of the buildings are open to the public."

"Begun by Sir Christopher Wren in 1694 as a rest home for ancient mariners, the college became a school in 1873. It's still used for classes…"