America's most beloved bakery has finally arrived in the UK. Magnolia Bakery, the iconic New York institution featured in Sex and the City, has launched a limited-time pop-up at Café Ciel at The OWO in London. Hidden in the hotel's stunning courtyard, the pop-up offers the brand's famous banana pudding and an exclusive new version inspired by a British classic – sticky toffee pudding.
What Can You Get from Magnolia Bakery in the UK?
The takeaway menu features two puddings: the classic banana pudding and the sticky toffee pudding. Prices are £6.50 for a regular and £9.50 for a large. You can also add pudding to an iced matcha latte (£11) or an iced latte (£8). For those dining in at Café Ciel, brunch options include banoffee French toast (£20), a cinnamon swirl pancake (£18), and a carrot lox bagel (£18). Specialty drinks include a banana cream cocktail (£17) and a sticky toffee affogato (£8).
The banana pudding is a creamy dessert combining fresh bananas, vanilla wafers, and vanilla pudding made with sweetened condensed milk, heavy cream, and vanilla pudding mix. The sticky toffee pudding features sticky date cake, a custard and cream base, chopped dates, and a rich butterscotch sauce.
Is It Worth the Hype?
Magnolia Bakery has built a cult following over 30 years, partly due to its appearance in Sex and the City (season 3, episode 5), where Carrie and Miranda ate pink-frosted cupcakes outside the West Village location. The bakery has also appeared in The Devil Wears Prada, To All the Boys, and Veronica Mars. Fans queue for an hour to get their hands on the treats, which have been hailed as 'amazing' and 'absolutely delicious'. Actress Kristin Chenoweth once called the banana pudding the 'best in the world'.
Our reviewer attended the launch to find out if the hype is justified. The banana pudding lived up to expectations: it's fun, flavourful, and nostalgic, with fresh banana providing lightness and vanilla wafers adding texture. However, the sticky toffee version fell short. The toffee sauce was undetectable, and the dates and spices overwhelmed the pudding, making it taste more like carrot cake. An extra drizzle of toffee sauce would have helped.
Pro Tip from the Chief Baking Officer
Bobbie Lloyd, Magnolia Bakery's chief brand and baking officer, recommends the Sticky Toffee Affogato, available only for dine-in guests. To ensure you get the puddings, make a reservation, as takeaway quantities are limited.
As for the drinks, the iced matcha with banana pudding is very strong and bitter, with sweetness only from the pudding. It's high-quality matcha, but not for those who prefer sugary versions.
Café Ciel x Magnolia Bakery is available now at The OWO until June 10.
