Calling all fans of Sex and the City and dessert lovers! The iconic Magnolia Bakery from New York has made its way across the pond and is now available in the UK. Known for its famous banana pudding, which was featured in the popular HBO series, the bakery has opened a limited-time pop-up at Café Ciel at The OWO. Hidden in the hotel’s beautiful courtyard, the pop-up offers not only the classic banana pudding but also an exclusive new version inspired by a British favorite—sticky toffee pudding.
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What can you get from Magnolia Bakery in the UK?
The takeaway menu includes the two puddings—regular at £6.50 and large at £9.50—as well as the option to add pudding to your choice of an iced matcha latte (£11) or an iced latte (£8). For those unfamiliar with the banana pudding, it’s a creamy dessert that combines fresh bananas, vanilla wafers, and vanilla pudding made with sweetened condensed milk, heavy cream, and a vanilla pudding mix.
The new sticky toffee pudding features sticky date cake, a custard and cream base, chopped dates, and a rich butterscotch sauce. Those dining in at Café Ciel can also enjoy several brunch options, including banoffee French toast (£20), a cinnamon swirl pancake (£18), and a carrot lox bagel (£18). To wash everything down, 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 cult following worldwide. This is partly due to its brief appearance in Sex and the City (season 3, episode 5), where Carrie and Miranda were seen eating pink-frosted cupcakes outside the West Village location in New York. The bakery has also appeared in other films and TV shows, such as The Devil Wears Prada, To All the Boys, and Veronica Mars.
People often queue for an hour to get their hands on the pudding, cakes, cookies, and brownies. Online, the food has been praised as “amazing,” “absolutely delicious,” and “phenomenal.” Actress Kristin Chenoweth once called the banana pudding the “best in the world” on X (formerly Twitter). But is it worth the hype? I went along to the pop-up launch to find out.
Having grown up watching American TV shows, I was excited to finally try the famous pudding. While I’m not usually a fan of banana-flavored things, I can see why people love this so much. It’s not the best or most innovative dessert I’ve tried, but it’s fun, flavorful, and nostalgic. It feels like the kind of dessert you’d ask for as a child—think Angel Delight on steroids.
The banana was incredibly fresh and added a much-needed lightness to balance out the cream and sugar. I really liked the different textures with the vanilla wafers (somewhere between a cake and a cookie) and the chunks of fruit. It definitely lived up to the hype, but I’m not sure the same can be said for the sticky toffee version.
Can’t decide what to order at Magnolia Bakery?
Bobbie Lloyd, chief brand and baking officer at Magnolia Bakery, was at the launch event and shared her favorite item on the menu: the Sticky Toffee Affogato. This dish features 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 the quantities for takeaway 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 one 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 traditional sticky toffee pudding.
Now, this isn’t to say it was bad—it was still enjoyable, just not what I expected. It would have benefited from being a little sweeter. A drizzle of extra toffee sauce on top might have made it hit the spot for me.
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As for the drinks, I tried the iced matcha with banana pudding and want to share a quick PSA for all the girlies going: it’s STRONG. If you’re used to Blank Street or Starbucks matchas mixed with sugary syrups, it might help to know that there’s none of that here. All the sweetness comes from the pudding on top, and the drink itself is very bitter, with a strong, savory, umami flavor.
It’s clearly a high-quality matcha, but if you’re not a fan of green tea powder, it’s probably not for you.
Café Ciel x Magnolia Bakery is available now at The OWO until June 10. Do you have a story to share? Get in touch by emailing LifestyleTeam@.co.uk. Comment now. Comments Add as a Preferred Source on Google. Add as preferred source. Sign up to The Slice newsletter for your guide to what’s on in London, with trusted reviews, offers, and giveaways.
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