Cocomaya

Divided into two separate rooms – a chocolate boutique around the back & an airy bakery-cum-café out front – Cocomaya answers every sweet little whim of its Connaught Village regulars. The layout might be a bit awkward (if you book one of the delicate afternoon teas, you’ll take it at the chocolate shop’s large communal table rather than in the café), but the unifying approach is that cakes & chocolate are precious & wonderful things – & who are we to disagree. Inventive baking includes a chocolate-custard morning cake, brioches & brownies, while lunch is salads, soup or smoked salmon sandwiches on thinly sliced seeded & rye breads; allergies are, of course, catered for. Vintage china & glassware add a feminine touch, although customers should note that it’s not ladylike to stand around gawping at the prices.