The Best Hot Chocolate In London - The Many Joys Of Philippe Conticini

It’s the giant croissants that get people first. Dominating the window display, as large as new-born babies (and possibly more huggable), covered in a layered, golden-rich crust that whispers ‘bite me’, they have become the star attraction at Philippe Conticini’s South Kensington cafe. And although there’s unquestionably something gimmicky about them, if their presence means that the celebrated French pastry-chef and his team are able to keep doing what they do best in this well-heeled corner of London, then I’m more than happy to put up with them.

Indeed, I’m equally content to tolerate their many variants. Spurred on by the success of the original giant croissant, the establishment now offers a giant pain au chocolat, a giant croissant d’amande and a giant pain au chocolat et noisette. Sometimes, these overgrown delights even sport a few flecks of gold leaf. To say that they all fly off the shelves would be an understatement. Tourists appear to enjoy using them as accessories for selfies, and Deliveroo riders are endlessly whisking them away, presumably to corporate events or business lunches. Personally, I don’t feel they display Conticini’s talents to the full. Sure, they’re terrific fun (especially when you surprise your granddaughter with one at a post-sleepover breakfast) but in terms of the crucial dough-to-crust ratio, they certainly don’t hit the spot, and they serve as a useful reminder that, so often, small is beautiful.