Sweetings is one of London's oldest restaurants and little appears to have changed since it opened in 1889. The puddings are charmingly old-fashioned and the spotted dick belongs to a happy age before we were watching our waistlines. It's made with suet, flour and milk and studded with raisins for quite a tart, strong flavor. It rests happily in a puddle of custard.
Cost: £6.50
39 Queen Victoria Street, The City, EC4N 4SA; .Amalfi Lemonade & Sarawak Pepper Ice Cream: Clove Club
This is a second showing for Amalfi lemons, which are so good they insisted on appearing twice. Here, they sparkle in a mousse that is piped onto a quenelle of peppery ice cream atop a teaspoon of lemon butter. There's a mini cornet on top for texture. This is a light and refreshing dessert with just a hint of a fizz.
Cost: £7.50
380 Old Street, Shoreditch, EC1V 9LT; Tiramisu: Sartoria
Chef Francesco Mazzei started in the kitchen as a boy making ice cream in Calabria. The desserts are a highlight at his new restaurant in Mayfair, where the tiramisu has been hailed as the best in London. Mazzei says there's no secret, just great ingredients and simplicity. He serves 30 to 50 a day, and if any are left over, staffers eat them.
Cost: £8
20 Savile Row, Mayfair, W1S 3PR; London's Best Desserts