The best baklava, künefe and Turkish desserts in London
Eleven places across London for baklava, künefe, katmer and sütlaç, from Knightsbridge sweet shops to neighbourhood grills, every one of them a place people rate highly.
Last updated November 2026
Finding the best baklava London can offer means looking in two places. First come the sweet shops, where trays of pistachio baklava, lokum and halva are the whole point and gift boxes are wrapped with ceremony. Then come the restaurants where dessert is more than an afterthought: hot künefe from the pan, katmer from Gaziantep, or a cool sütlaç after a long grill.
This guide covers both, from two historic confectioners on Brompton Road to a börek café, a modern Soho grill and a City dining room, then out to Islington, Tottenham, Lewisham, Greenwich and Crystal Palace. Several of these places also do a serious breakfast, so see our guide to Turkish brunch in London too.
Quick picks
- Best for gift boxes: Hafız Mustafa 1864 Knightsbridge
- Best katmer: Mazlum London 1924
- Best milk puddings: Levent Börek Fitzrovia
- Best künefe with a view: Midpoint Restaurant, Greenwich
How we chose
Every place here is rated highly by the people who eat there and has Turkish desserts clearly on its menu or counter. Details come from menus, the places’ own listings and our directory pages.
A quick Turkish dessert decoder
- Baklava: layers of filo with pistachio or walnut, soaked in syrup.
- Künefe: shredded kadayıf pastry around melting cheese, baked and soaked in syrup. Eat it hot.
- Katmer: a thin, buttered Gaziantep pastry filled with pistachio and clotted cream.
- Kadayıf and şöbiyet: shredded-pastry and cream-filled cousins of baklava.
- Sütlaç and kazandibi: rice pudding and a caramelised milk pudding.
- Lokum: Turkish delight, from rose to mastic and pistachio.
How to tell good baklava
Look for many thin layers that shatter when you bite, and pistachio that’s bright green rather than dull brown. The syrup should soak in, not pool at the bottom of the tray. Good baklava tastes of butter and nuts first, sugar second.
The best baklava London has, and everything else sweet
1. Hafız Mustafa 1864 Knightsbridge, Knightsbridge
Knightsbridge · Sweet shop & café · Best for: A properly presented gift box
In short: The London outpost of a famous Istanbul confectioner, opposite Harrods.
Why it’s here: The Istanbul business has made baklava and lokum since 1864, and this branch opened on Brompton Road in September 2024. The counters are the reason to come: baklava and kadayıf, Turkish delight in flavours such as pomegranate, rose and pistachio, halva, milk puddings and akide şekeri, the old Ottoman boiled sweets. With around 150 café seats, you can sit down rather than rush off with a box.
Have this: Pistachio baklava, a mix of lokum (Turkish delight) and a muhallebi (milk pudding) with Turkish coffee.
Insider note: Open until 1am at weekends, so it works for dessert after dinner elsewhere.
- Find it: 92 Brompton Road, SW3 1ER · Knightsbridge (Piccadilly line), about 3 minutes’ walk
- Open: 9.30am–midnight Monday to Thursday, until 1am Friday and Saturday, 11pm Sunday
2. Mazlum London 1924, Knightsbridge
Knightsbridge · Sweet shop & café · Best for: Katmer and afternoon tea
In short: Part sweet shop, part café, at the Knightsbridge end of Brompton Road.
Why it’s here: The family name goes back to 1924, and the shop sells its chocolates, Turkish delight, halva and desserts. The counter covers Gaziantep-style katmer, pistachio künefe, oven-baked sütlaç and pişmaniye, a floss halva. Gift boxes fill the front, while tables at the back are set for coffee, salep and afternoon tea.
Have this: Katmer (thin buttered pastry with clotted cream and pistachio) and fırın sütlaç (rice pudding baked in a clay pot).
Insider note: Mastic lokum is sold by the 100g, so you can buy a little.
- Find it: 10 Brompton Road, SW1X 7QN · Knightsbridge, about a minute’s walk
- Open: Daily, 9am–11.30pm, until midnight Friday and Saturday
3. Levent Börek Fitzrovia, Fitzrovia
Fitzrovia · Börek café · Best for: Milk puddings with your coffee
In short: Börek café on Goodge Street with a counter of Turkish sweets.
Why it’s here: The recipes go back to a family kitchen in 1968, and this is one of three London branches. Börek is the headline, but the dessert list justifies a trip: kazandibi, tirileçe and baklava sit on the counter. Coffee comes from Union Coffee Roasters, and weekend breakfast is the busiest time.
Have this: Kazandibi (caramelised milk pudding), tirileçe (soft milk-soaked cake with caramel) and a square of baklava.
Insider note: Beat the weekend brunch rush, or take your sweets away.
- Find it: 56 Goodge Street, W1T 4NB · Goodge Street, about 2 minutes’ walk
- Open: Daily, 8am–7pm
4. Kilis Kitchen, Islington
Islington · Restaurant · grill · Best for: Pistachio baklava after dinner
In short: Islington restaurant inspired by Kilis, a pistachio-growing corner of south-east Turkey.
Why it’s here: Founder Mehmet Kocakerim was born in Kilis, near the Syrian border, and the menu draws on the region, from charcoal kebabs to a pistachio kebab and pistachio baklava. The dessert menu also lists künefe, katmer and sütlaç. It’s a relaxed neighbourhood dining room with cocktails.
Order this: Pistachio baklava, or a freshly made künefe (shredded pastry with melted cheese and syrup) to share.
Insider note: A 12.5% service charge is added for all parties. Book online.
- Find it: Theberton Street, N1 · Angel (Northern line), about 7 minutes’ walk
- Open: Lunch from 11.30am; check its website for evening hours
5. KİD, Soho
Soho · Modern Turkish · Best for: Baklava after a modern meal
In short: New Soho grill whose meals end with coffee, lokum and baklava.
Why it’s here: Opened in September 2026 by chef Sertaç Dirik and restaurateur David Carter, it cooks the Turkish food Dirik grew up with, using British seasonal produce, a wood oven and a charcoal grill. Meals end the traditional way, with Turkish coffee or tea, lokum and baklava, including an unusual pistachio and cherry version.
Have this: Pistachio and cherry baklava with a Turkish coffee, after quail or lamb pirzola.
Insider note: The entrance is on Bateman Street. Book through SevenRooms.
- Find it: 53–55 Frith Street, W1D 4SJ · Tottenham Court Road, about 5 minutes’ walk
- Open: Monday to Saturday, noon–3pm and 5.30–10.30pm
6. Leydi, City of London
City of London · Modern Turkish · Best for: Künefe with kaymak in the City
In short: Polished all-day Turkish restaurant in a Grade II-listed building on Old Bailey.
Why it’s here: Chef Selin Kiazim’s menu brings Istanbul’s all-day eating to the Square Mile, from breakfast at 7am to mangal-grilled meat and fish at dinner. The künefe is made with kadayıf pastry, cheese, pistachio and kaymak (Turkish clotted cream), and it’s the natural finish. There are two dining rooms, a bar and cocktails made with Turkish ingredients.
Order this: Künefe with kaymak, after a lahmacun or the mixed grill for two.
Insider note: Book through SevenRooms. Chicken and wagyu are halal; the lamb isn’t.
- Find it: 15 Old Bailey, EC4M 7EF · City Thameslink, about 3 minutes’ walk
- Open: Daily from 7am; until 11pm, 3pm on Sunday
7. Pide & Co, Holborn
Holborn · Pide & lahmacun · Best for: Künefe or sütlaç after pide
In short: Kayseri-style pide house with two classic desserts to follow.
Why it’s here: Opened in 2025 by Turkey’s Zeren Group, with a Kayseri-born pide master working ovens brought from Turkey. After a pide, dessert is a straight fight between hot künefe with melted cheese and cool, creamy sütlaç. It seats about 50 and is fully halal and alcohol-free.
Order this: Künefe or sütlaç (Turkish rice pudding), after a kuşbaşılı pide.
Insider note: Closed Sundays. Order through its app for home.
- Find it: 38 Kingsway, WC2B 6EX · Holborn, about 3 minutes’ walk
- Open: Monday to Saturday, from 11.30am (11am Saturday) to 9pm
8. 27 Lahmacun, Tottenham
Tottenham · Lahmacun · home cooking · Best for: Gaziantep pastries
In short: Family-run Gaziantep-style kitchen with the region’s pastries on the menu.
Why it’s here: 27 is the number-plate code for Gaziantep, and the dessert list follows suit: katmer, künefe and saray burma. It’s a small, traditional family business best known for lahmacun and tava dishes, so the sweets come at the end of a full meal.
Order this: Katmer (flaky pastry filled with pistachio) or saray burma, a rolled pistachio pastry.
Insider note: Delivery is on Deliveroo.
- Find it: 49 The Roundway, N17 7HA · bus 123 along Lordship Lane
- Open: Daily, 8.30am–10pm
9. Ana’more, Lewisham
Lewisham · Restaurant · breakfast · Best for: Künefe and katmer in south-east London
In short: Bright family-run restaurant on Lewisham High Street, open from breakfast until late.
Why it’s here: The family has been in the restaurant business for more than 15 years, and the kitchen mixes classic and modern Anatolian cooking. Dessert keeps to two southern Turkish favourites, künefe and katmer, both good for sharing after a pide or a grill. The room has plant walls, a bar and outdoor seating.
Order this: Künefe (with melted cheese, syrup and pistachio) and katmer (with pistachio and clotted cream).
Insider note: Breakfast runs from 9am. Book on its website.
- Find it: 187–189 Lewisham High Street, SE13 6AA · Lewisham, about 10 minutes’ walk
- Open: Daily from 9am to 11pm (11.30pm Sunday)
10. Midpoint Restaurant, Greenwich
Greenwich · Café, bar & restaurant · Best for: Dessert with a river view
In short: Turkish café, bar and restaurant beside the Thames on Ballast Quay.
Why it’s here: On the riverside path east of the Cutty Sark, it pairs charcoal cooking with views of the river. Desserts include baklava and a künefe topped with salted caramel ice cream, a modern twist on the classic. There’s an indoor fireplace for winter, and wine, beer and cocktails are served.
Order this: Künefe with salted caramel ice cream, or baklava with Turkish coffee.
Insider note: Book ahead on sunny weekends. There’s free daytime street parking for two hours.
- Find it: Ballast Quay, SE10 9GL · Maze Hill, about 10 minutes’ walk
- Open: Daily from noon to 11pm, from 10am at weekends
11. Dem Restaurant, Crystal Palace
Crystal Palace · Meze & grill · Best for: Şöbiyet, the baklava alternative
In short: Popular meze and grill restaurant on Central Hill.
Why it’s here: It has a big local following for charcoal grills and yoghurt-based specials, and dessert is worth saving room for. Alongside baklava there’s şöbiyet, a syrup-soaked pastry filled with cream and pistachio. Turkish tea and coffee are served too.
Have this: Şöbiyet and baklava on one plate, with a Turkish coffee.
Insider note: Book online for Friday and Saturday evenings.
- Find it: 11 Central Hill, SE19 1BG · Gipsy Hill, about 10 minutes’ walk
- Open: Daily, noon–11pm
Tips for a dessert crawl
- Order künefe early. It’s baked to order, so ask for it with your mains.
- Knightsbridge is the gift stop. The two Brompton Road confectioners are a few minutes apart, and both box sweets to take away.
- Stock up locally. Grocers such as Yıldız Supermarket Archway sell lokum and helva (halva) to keep at home.
- Make an evening of it. Pair dessert with dinner from our Upper Street guide or browse Islington and Angel.
Frequently asked questions
Where can I buy the best baklava London has to take home?
Start on Brompton Road. Hafız Mustafa 1864 Knightsbridge sells baklava, kadayıf and lokum by the box, and Mazlum London 1924 has gift collections of baklava, lokum and chocolate. Both are near Knightsbridge station, and both deliver locally through Deliveroo.
What is the difference between künefe and kadayıf?
Kadayıf is the fine shredded pastry, and also the name for the syrupy, usually nut-filled desserts made with it. Künefe uses the same pastry wrapped around soft, unsalted cheese, and it’s baked and served hot, often with pistachio on top. Künefe is best eaten straight away, while kadayıf keeps.
Where can I eat katmer in London?
Katmer is a Gaziantep pastry filled with pistachio and clotted cream. You’ll find it at Mazlum London 1924 in Knightsbridge, 27 Lahmacun in Tottenham, Ana’more in Lewisham and on the dessert menu at Kilis Kitchen in Islington.
Keep exploring
- Turkish brunch in London
- Turkish restaurants on Upper Street, Islington
- The best Turkish restaurants in north London
Every place above has a full listing on turkish-dish.com, with opening hours and directions. Found a baklava we should try? Tell us, as long as the people who eat there rate it as highly as we would.
