Once upon a time, British Baker reported that us Brits haven’t exactly embraced the pumpkin pie (preferring our traditional apple crumbles and treacle tarts, thank you very much).
That was seven years ago, and how times have changed since. Lately, we’ve gone absolutely mad for pumpkin spice in all its glorious forms. Pumpkin spice lattes? Can’t get enough. Pumpkin spice candles? Obsessed. And in nearly every major supermarket this autumn, you can find cans of pumpkin pie filling. If you’re not yet a convert, consider this your gentle nudge to give it a proper go.
Here’s the thing – if you’re a fan of a good custard pie, you’ll almost certainly love pumpkin pie. It’s not that different, really. The texture is the same; the only real difference is the addition of that gorgeous autumnal pumpkin flavour and those warming spices.
There are of course other pies on the menu for Thanksgiving, including pecan, apple and even the odd key lime pie if you want more of a refreshing finale. So, whether you’re hosting a full-blown Thanksgiving feast (turkey and all the trimmings included), or simply fancy a slice of something sweet and seasonal with your afternoon coffee, the capital’s pie game has evolved considerably in recent years, and is here to help. From flaky-crusted pumpkin numbers to sticky-sweet pecan perfection, here’s where to find the best Thanksgiving pies in London.
Hummingbird Bakery, Notting Hill
Ideal for when only the American bakery OG will do…
We had to start here, didn’t we? There’s nowhere better than London’s favourite American bakery for a Thanksgiving pie. Their pumpkin pie has been on the menu since Hummingbird first opened their doors back in 2004, and come late November, every American expat in Notting Hill (of which there are many) makes a beeline for this place like it’s the Macy’s Parade itself. You can spot them from a mile off – that look of desperate homesickness mixed with pure pie-induced joy, probably muttering something about missing their mum’s cooking.
The Hummingbird’s 8-inch pie is priced at £34, which isn’t cheap, but this is the benchmark against which all other pumpkin pies should be measured in London. The filling has that slight wobble and delicate hint of spice – just as the best ones should be. It’s even better served warm. A word to the wise though: be careful not to over warm your pie in the oven – pumpkin custard can easily overcook and lose that perfect texture.
Hummingbird’s pecan pie is almost as good. Crunchy pecans and a golden pastry pie crust make for a dessert that tastes simply decadent when warmed and topped with cold pouring cream. Wonderfully gooey and nutty and made to an authentic North Carolina recipe, the texture of this particular version is undeniably superior to most pecan pies you’ll find elsewhere.
Nothing hits the spot quite like their golden apple pie, either. Classically delicious and packed with fruit, Hummingbird’s 8-inch apple pie delivers exactly what you want from this British-American hybrid – a tart, sweet fruit filling that hasn’t been thickened into submission, encased in pastry that actually tastes of butter rather than commercial shortening. Heaven.
Website: hummingbirdbakery.com
Locations: Multiple locations across London including Notting Hill, South Kensington, Soho, and Spitalfields
Panzer’s Delicatessen, St John’s Wood
Ideal for pies from a legendary New-York style deli doing Thanksgiving right…
Panzer’s is a St John’s Wood institution that has been around since 1944, opened by two refugees – Mr. Panzer from Austria and Mr. Vogl from Czechoslovakia. While the deli is famous for hand-sliced Scottish smoked salmon and freshly baked bagels all year round, come autumn they turn their considerable baking expertise to pumpkin pie.
The filling here strikes that difficult balance between spice and subtlety – here pumpkin puree is blended with caster sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves, without any single flavour dominating. It’s perfectly judged. The pastry work benefits from decades of baking experience, and it shows – there’s a good snap to the base. Although best served warm, the pumpkin pie is equally good chilled if you’re one of those people who prefers cold pie straight from the fridge. A dollop of whipped cream wouldn’t go amiss either way.
Their pecan pie deserves equal billing. That generous layer of pecans on top delivers a burst of pecan crunch, whilst underneath sits a gooey, caramelised filling that walks the line between sweet and too-sweet with impressive precision.
While you’re here, stock up on other Thanksgiving essentials; you can get your hands on everything from Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix to Pepe Saya Butter, the latter great for pepping up your candied yams. Oh, and Panzer’s also sells The Kelly Bronze turkey – widely considered the Rolls-Royce of British turkeys. You might as well sort your entire feast in one fowl swoop, then.
That, or you can let Panzer’s do the cooking; they host an annual Thanksgiving Lunch on the last Wednesday and Thursday of November.
Website: panzers.co.uk
Address: 13-19 Circus Rd, London NW8 6PB
Konditor, Waterloo
Ideal for a taste of pure Americana…
Konditor’s pumpkin pie delivers exactly what you want from this Thanksgiving classic – creamy pumpkin filling bursting with traditional spices and set in a buttery shortbread base. It’s a taste of pure Americana, and at £32 for a 6-inch pie that serves 6 generous portions, it’s actually decent value compared to some of the eye-watering prices elsewhere on this list.
Don’t stop at the pumpkin-based classic, though. Konditor’s toffee apple crumble is a proper autumn showstopper – shortbread pastry filled with fresh Bramley apples, topped with vanilla crumble and a swirl of rich toffee sauce. Technically this one is more British than American, but no matter what side of the pond you come from, it’s the kind of dessert that makes you want to grab a spoon and abandon all pretence of sharing.
And for the pecan pie devotees? Konditor delivers an American classic for Thanksgiving with Californian pecans combined with a gooey caramel filling, baked into their buttery shortbread base. It won this year’s Great Taste Awards – the proof is in the pudding, indeed.
One of the great things about a pecan pie is that the sweet intensity of the dish is so pronounced that you only need a small slice (much like our own treacle tart). We’re told that this 9- inch pie serves up to 8 generous portions. However, in our humble opinion, this pecan pie will likely feed twice as many people as you’d expect. That said, whether those portions remain ‘generous’ depends entirely on your self-control when faced with sticky-sweet pecan perfection.
With locations in Waterloo (their original flagship store), Holborn, and the City, plus London-wide delivery, Konditor makes it easy to get your Thanksgiving pie fix wherever you are in town.
Website: konditor.co.uk
Address: 22 Cornwall Road, SE1 8TW
Outsider Tart, Hammersmith
Ideal for market-hopping pie hunters…
This American cafe and bake shop is based on the ground floor of the Lyric Theatre in Hammersmith, opening out onto Lyric Square – a lovely spot to grab a slice of pie and watch the world go by. Billing themselves as authentic American soul food, Outsider Tart’s pies certainly hit the spot. Their 9-inch pumpkin and pecan pies clock in at £33.75 and both have beautiful golden-brown crusts with a nicely crimped edge, which is all you could ask for, really.
Can’t make it to Lyric Square, Hammersmith? No worries – every week the team at Outsider Tart spread the love by bringing their delicious baked goodies to markets at King’s Cross Station, Euston, Canopy and Greenwich Station. The beauty of tracking them down at markets is the thrill of the chase, really. Check out their socials for market schedules, and maybe text ahead to reserve if you’re dead set on a particular flavour.
Website: outsidetart.com
Address: Lyric Square, London W6 0QL
Gaya Bakery, Putney
Ideal for pies that justify the splurge…
At £49.95, Gaya’s pumpkin pie isn’t a casual midweek dessert purchase – it’s a Thanksgiving statement. It’s worth the splurge; a rich, slow-baked spiced pumpkin custard filling encased in a flaky all-butter pie crust, topped with sweet maple whipped cream and toasted pumpkin seeds.
The toasted pumpkin seeds are a particularly nice touch – that textural contrast between the silky custard filling and the nutty crunch is chef’s kiss. If you’re hosting and want to genuinely impress rather than just feed people, this is your move. Worth every penny, particularly if someone else is paying. This pie makes the perfect end to your Thanksgiving dinner or other autumnal festivities, and looks absolutely stunning as a centrepiece.
Gaya’s is only open to the public on Fridays and Saturdays. However, you can order the pumpkin pie online and collect it – also available for local delivery.
Website: gayabakery.com
Address: 253 Putney Bridge Rd, London SW15 2PU
Beverly Hills Bakery, Camden Town
Ideal for home delivery only pies with an incredible backstory…
Beverly Hills is a delivery-only place based in Camden, with an intriguing past, so stick with us here as owner Rosa de Souza’s story is well worth knowing. To cut a long story short, Rosa was a young migrant and refugee displaced by political turmoil in Tanzania in the 1970s, moved to London in the ’90s, and now has a baking empire.
She has had quite the career, working as a patisserie supplier to London’s leading luxury department stores – we’re talking Harrods, Harvey Nichols, Fortnum & Mason and leading London luxury hotels. Oh, and her bakery has delivered gifts to all the UK prime ministers of the last 20 years, provided treats for the Royal Family and Royal Births, and counts music, film, TV and sports stars amongst its clientele.
That’s some heritage, and you can taste it in the signature 11-inch pumpkin pie, which features a sweet pastry base coupled with perfectly seasoned pumpkin custard. The pecan pie here is equally famous – with a golden syrup base, sweet pastry crust and a coating of the finest pecans. Both pies are ideal for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or literally any Tuesday when you fancy treating yourself. As they say at Beverly Hills “Any time is pie time!”. It’s hard to argue with that philosophy, really.
And whilst it’s not strictly a pie (we know, we know), their apple and cinnamon cake deserves a mention. An incredibly tasty, moist, traditional apple sponge topped with freshly picked Bramley apples, seasoned with vanilla and cinnamon, it’s perfect for dessert whether served cold or hot with cream or custard. Sometimes the best things aren’t quite what you were looking for.
Website: beverlyhillsbakery.com
Address: 77e King Henry’s Rd, London NW3 3QU
Joe Allen, Covent Garden
Ideal for American pies from a New York via London institution…
This Covent Garden institution has been serving up proper American comfort food for decades (since 1977, in fact) and their New Yorker’s pecan tart with vanilla ice cream is more or less a permanent fixture for good reason; it’s superb. Coming as an individually portioned pie, the pecan crunch is the perfect contrast to its gooey richness. Joe Allen’s warm apple pie with custard is another crowd-pleaser – a beautiful collision of British custard meeting American apple pie in perfect harmony.
It’s theatre district dining done right, ideal for a post-show dessert that feels both indulgent and nostalgic. Sit at the bar, order a piece of pie without irony and wash it down with one of their classic American cocktails.
Should you wish to have more than just a pie, you can get tickets for Joe Allen’s full-on Thanksgiving feast at just £65 a person, which ends with a choice of pumpkin pie, warm apple pie or a traditional New York baked cheesecake with a seasonal fruit compote. Could that mean cranberries? Your guess is as good as ours.
Website: joeallen.co.uk
Address: 2 Burleigh Street, London WC2E 7PX
Christopher’s London, Covent Garden
Ideal for pure pecan pie perfection…
Christopher’s is a classic American restaurant in the heart of Covent Garden (there must be something in the water here). A regular on the dessert menu here when autumn comes around is the pecan pie, which comes with salted caramel ice cream and candied pecans. The rich crumbliness of the pastry with the nutty-forward topping and caramel sweetness – it’s pure pecan pie perfection.
If you’re desperately craving just a slice of that sticky-sweet pecan hit, this is the place to come. Christopher’s is a pie that is well and truly dressed up – presented in dessert form rather than just a slice of pie. The salted caramel ice cream is a nice touch – the salt somehow cutting through the sweetness just enough to make you feel like you could probably manage another slice. Probably. Possibly. Hang on, it’s just hit us; perhaps not. Anyway, the chopped nuts on top of the pie and on the side are another nice touch, adding body and that all-important nuttiness to every bite. Yep, this is a pecan pie where the pecans do most of the talking.
Website: christopherslondon.com
Address: 18 Wellington Street, London WC2E 7DD
Cut at 45 Park Lane, Mayfair
Ideal for a Thanksgiving trio of pies from a Michelin-starred chef…
Michelin-starred chef Wolfgang Puck’s American steak restaurant brings serious credentials to their Thanksgiving offerings. The menu features a quintessentially American trio of pies: pumpkin pie with cranberry compote, pecan pie with whipped crème fraîche, and for something more refreshing, a key lime pie to round off the feast.
Now, about that price. At £210 per person for the full Thanksgiving experience, this is decidedly not your average Thursday night supper. But if you’re the sort for whom that figure doesn’t immediately induce mild palpitations, this Mayfair destination delivers the complete American feast with all the bells, whistles, and probably a small parade tucked away somewhere.
Is it worth it? Well, that rather depends on who’s picking up the bill, doesn’t it?
Website: dorchestercollection.com
Address: 45 Park Ln, London W1K 1PN
The Bottom Line
Whether you’re a Thanksgiving purist who takes their pumpkin pie very seriously indeed, or just someone who enjoys a good slice of something sweet and seasonal (aren’t we all?), London’s autumnal pie scene has properly matured in recent years. From market stalls to Mayfair dining rooms, from delivery-only operations run by baking legends to neighbourhood bakeries perfecting their crusts, there’s a Thanksgiving pie out there for every budget, every occasion, and every craving.
Just remember to order ahead if you’re not dining in. These beauties have a habit of selling out faster than you can work out how to pronounce “pecan” (is it pee-can or puh-kahn? The eternal question). Happy pie hunting!
