Pancake Day in London: the best places to try pancakes from all over the world

Your guide to trying pancakes of every kind - savoury to sweet, breakfast to dinner - all available in a city as global as London.

What a delightful holiday Pancake Day is. Marking the moment before fasting begins for Lent, it’s a grand day of feasting on stacks of round, buttery goodness. 

Here in London, we have the joy of cuisines from every corner of the world. So, this Pancake Day, we’re shining a spotlight on some of the city’s best places to eat them. We’ll be sharing the many delicious savoury and sweet forms from France to India. 

While not all of these dishes are technically ‘pancakes’ in the traditional sense, they share the same flat, dough-based charm that nods to the pancake. 

So, let’s get into it… 

France: Crêpes

The crêpe is a simple classic. Its paper-thin batter is poured and spread across a wide, hot pan, cooking quickly to give a soft texture with crispy edges. Its simplicity means toppings take centre stage here: lemon and sugar, Nutella and strawberries, or why not a savoury ham and cheese number?  

It’s a staple street-food snack often served folded in a cone and eaten on the move – the perfect way to kick off Pancake Day as you eat it on the way to your next spot. 

Where to eat: La Crêperie de Hampstead

Ethiopia: Injera 

Injera is a wide, spongy flatbread with a distinctive fermented tang. It forms the base for Ethiopian dishes like lentils, greens and deep-red stews, which get ladled on top. 

This food is designed for sharing, so the injera gets torn by hand and used by everyone to scoop up the food. Its sharp, sour taste cuts through the spice of the accompanying dishes, tying everything together in a delicious way. 

Where to eat: Adam’s Ethiopian Restaurant, Brixton 

India: Dosa 

A dosa is another fermented dish. Originating from South India, they are thin and savoury, made from a blend of white rice and black gram lentils. They’re a great breakfast or lunch option, usually fried with ghee and served with chutneys and sambar. I personally love the masala dosa which is filled with a warm spiced potato mixture. 

Where to eat: Dosa n Chutney, Tooting 

Korea: Pajeon 

Another savoury delight is Pajeon from Korea. Ingredients like vegetables, seafood or kimchi are mixed with the batter before frying. The pancake is cut into bite-sized pieces and presented with a pot of dipping sauce made with soy sauce, rice vinegar and chilli. The texture is brilliant with a crispy outside and a chewy middle. 

Where to eat: MukBap – Korean Vegan 

America: Buttermilk Pancakes 

Thick and fluffy, these pancakes get stacked tall and usually covered in syrup. Buttermilk pancakes are a staple of the American breakfast, often served in diners with eggs, bacon and refillable coffee.

Where to eat: Pickle and Rye, Richmond 

Japan: Okonomiyaki

These are hearty Japanese savoury pancakes made by mixing shredded cabbage into a batter. They’re fried on a hot pan and topped with a glossy okonomiyaki sauce, mayonnaise and feather-light bonito flakes (shavings of dried, smoked tuna) which flutter and ‘dance’ on the plate in the rising steam.

Where to eat: Okan, Southbank 

Pancakes, in all their delicious glory, come in many shapes and forms. Savoury to sweet, breakfast to dinner and, in a city as global as London, you can try them all. With so many options, you probably won’t be able to eat them all in one day, so why not extend the joy of Pancake Day and explore cuisines from around the world one pancake at a time.