Calling all fans of Sex and the City and dessert lovers! The iconic Magnolia Bakery has finally made its way to the UK, bringing with it a taste of New York’s most famous bakery. Known for its appearance in the beloved HBO series, Magnolia Bakery is now offering a limited-time pop-up at Café Ciel within The OWO in London.
Hidden in the hotel’s beautiful courtyard, the pop-up features the brand’s signature banana pudding, as well as a new version inspired by a British classic – sticky toffee pudding. Alongside these treats, there are several other desserts that pay homage to American favorites.
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What can you get from Magnolia Bakery in the UK?
The takeaway menu includes two types of puddings: regular (£6.50) and large (£9.50), along with the option to add pudding to an iced matcha latte (£11) or an iced latte (£8).
For those unfamiliar with the banana pudding, it’s a creamy dessert made with fresh bananas, vanilla wafers, and a mix of vanilla pudding, sweetened condensed milk, and heavy cream. The new sticky toffee pudding features sticky date cake, a custard and cream base, chopped dates, and a rich butterscotch sauce.
Dining guests at Café Ciel can also enjoy brunch options like banoffee French toast (£20), a cinnamon swirl pancake (£18), and a carrot lox bagel (£18). To complement the meal, there’s a special banana cream cocktail (£17) made with banana-infused rum, banana liqueur, and homemade vanilla syrup, as well as a sticky toffee affogato (£8).
Is it worth the hype?
Magnolia Bakery has been around for 30 years and has built a massive following in the US and globally. Its brief appearance in Sex and the City (season 3, episode 5) helped cement its fame, as Carrie and Miranda were seen eating pink-frosted cupcakes outside the West Village location. The bakery has also appeared in other films and TV shows, including The Devil Wears Prada, To All the Boys, and Veronica Mars.
People often queue for an hour to try the pudding, cakes, cookies, and brownies, and online reviews have called them “amazing,” “absolutely delicious,” and “phenomenal.” Actress Kristin Chenoweth once even claimed the banana pudding was the “best in the world” on X (formerly Twitter).
But is it really worth the hype? I went to the pop-up launch to find out.
Having grown up watching American TV shows, I was eager to finally try the famous pudding. While I’m not usually a fan of banana-flavored desserts, I can see why people love this so much. It’s fun, flavorful, and nostalgic, reminiscent of the kind of dessert you’d ask for as a child.
The banana was incredibly fresh, adding a lightness that balanced the cream and sugar. I enjoyed the different textures from the vanilla wafers and chunks of fruit. Overall, it lived up to the hype, but I wasn’t as impressed with the sticky toffee version.
Can't decide what to order at Magnolia Bakery?
Bobbie Lloyd, Magnolia Bakery’s chief brand and baking officer, shared her favorite item on the menu: the Sticky Toffee Affogato. This consists of a scoop of sticky toffee pudding served with a shot of espresso.
Top tip: This item is only available inside the cafe and not at the takeaway kiosk. To ensure you get to try it, make a reservation. Dine-in guests are guaranteed to get their hands on the puddings, while takeaway quantities are limited and offered on a first-come, first-served basis.
While the sticky toffee pudding had most of the components of the classic British dessert, I struggled to detect the key element: the sweet, buttery toffee sauce. Supposedly, the recipe includes a rich butterscotch sauce, but I couldn’t taste it. The dates and warming spices overwhelmed the pudding, making it more like carrot cake than sticky toffee pudding.
It wasn’t bad, just not what I expected. A little extra toffee sauce on top would have made it better.
Poll
Will you be trying Magnolia Bakery in the UK?
- Absolutely
- Nope
As for the drinks, I tried the iced matcha with banana pudding and want to share a quick PSA for all the girls going: it’s STRONG. If you’re used to Blank Street or Starbucks matchas mixed with sugary syrups, this might come as a surprise. There’s no added sugar here—only the sweetness from the pudding. The drink itself is very bitter, with a strong, savory, umami flavor.
It’s clearly high-quality matcha, but if you’re not a fan of green tea powder, it might not be for you.
Café Ciel x Magnolia Bakery is available now at The OWO until June 10.
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