We will be in central London in late October and would like to know <BR>your favorite places to get a good British dessert. Both takeaway <BR>and sit down. <BR>Thanks in advance! <BR>

The Sherlock Holmes Pub--I had treacle tart and a taste of what else my family ordered. Everything was wonderful. The Pub is near the river and in walking distance of Trafalgar Square. We ate upstairs, and Sherlock with all his paraphernalia was present in a small glassed-in Victorian room at the side. It was great fun and a very good meal.

The best of Britain's desserts are relatively cheap, and available in even the most out-of-the-way places: chocolate bars, especially Lion Bars and anything by Cadbury; and McVitie's biscuits (as I'm sure you know, "biscuits" are cookies). I would take a chocolate-covered Hob Nob over any trifle, treacle tart, fool, custard or plum pudding anyday! <BR> <BR>A word to the wise: if you are a big ice cream lover, stick to American brands. While the British are masters of dairy products in general, they just don't make good ice cream. It's kind of the same thing with hamburgers; they just taste *different*, and not-in the opinions of most people I know-in a good way.

Dessert is my favorite part of the meal, but since I was on a budget this was usually the one meal course that I had to give up. My hotel was near Harrods so my Mom and I would go to the Harrods Food Halls and cruise the pastries. We would usually buy one to split for an evening dessert back at the hotel, and then buy a couple for breakfast the next morning.

What is a treacle tart?

Richoux, across the street from Harrod's, is a great place for tea and sweets. My wife and I had "tea for two" for about 20 pounds which made for a wonderful meal. It includes your choice of several delicious desserts.

It's been a while since I was in London. I remember seeing 'Spotted Dick' on several menus. We were told it is a common dessert. We didn't order it (I regret that), but we joked about it throughout the rest of the trip. Can anyone describe it?

As I recall, the treacle tart was a bread-pudding-texture small tart with a very sweet brown-sugar-type syrup poured over it and then thin custard sauce over that. Happy eating.

by the way, I think the "treacle" in treacle tart is that sugar syrup Carolyn describes. If you can buy that stuff and use it to make sugar cookies (instead of the American corn syrup) its really yummy. As I recall, spotted dick was a very similar steamed pudding type dish, only with raisins in it (hence the "spotted"). We ate various steamed puddings in Britain, they were all yummy. Sometimes the treacle one was also called sticky toffee pudding. I think this is the same, isn't it?

This sounds very good but why would these things (treacle tart & spotted dick) be served with custard?