Paul A Young
143 Wardour Street Soho London W1F 8WA
This Soho showcase for pastry-chef turned chocolatier-extraordinaire Paul Young centres on a round wooden table laden with dishes of irresistible confections, some individually wrapped, most exposed to the world in all their rich brown glory. An inveterate experimenter, Young is known for one-of-a-kind delicacies like his Marmite truffles – and yes, he says you’ll either love them or hate them – and seasonal specialities. Christmas, for example, sees rich port and stilton or Christmas pudding concoctions. Year-round, the sea-salted caramels are to die for, while anyone with an incorrigible sweet tooth will swoon over the passionfruit and vanilla ganache. You can also buy brownies or gourmet bars, while a cauldron of Aztec Hot Chocolate, made with water rather than milk, bubbles away beside the counter, sold by the cup and flavoured with your choice of spices.