Review: Laduree’s Summer Garden in Burlington Arcade

Located in Burlington Arcade in Piccadilly, Laduree’s Summer Garden is an elegantly designed corner with its floral décor and pastel-shaded cart reminiscent of quaint French eateries.

Its visual charm aside, the menu contains ice cream staples like a vanilla soft serve, pistachio and salted caramel, and premium out-of-the-box varieties I had never seen before. 

The ice cream cart at the pop up (Image: Riddhi Kachhela)

Their Les Plaisirs Glaces, that combined Macron shells and artisanal ice cream, instantly caught my eye. Laduree is a household name in the luxury dessert industry, famous for its macarons, and it seemed like a no-brainer to try one of these.

Soon I was handed a pretty pink box with my blackcurrant violent flavoured goodies.  They had very strong flavours with a mix of sweet, tangy and nutty – not something you would find at any regular ice cream van.

My blackcurrant violent flavoured Les Plaisirs Glaces (Image: Riddhi Kachhela)

After a few bites, it became evident that what looked like just an ice cream was actually as filling as a meal (at least for me!). I got my classic favourite vanilla soft serve to help balance the flavours alongside, and it was just the right match.

Vanilla ice creams have existed for ages, and I expected this one to be no different than say a McDonald’s softie. But it was exceptionally creamy and not high on sugar, setting it apart from many cheaper options available on market.

Vanilla soft serve ice cream served at the pop up (Image: Riddhi Kachhela)

The man behind the cart, Mr Ali, then introduced me to their sorbet range. These had chocolate, raspberry, strawberry and rose as options.

The venue was imagined by Alexander Gower, the founder of Malachite Studio in London. He, along with east London floristry duo Mariead and Athena, known as Rebel Rebel, crafted its floral look using a mix of dried and fresh flowers.

The floral decor was imagined by Alexander Gower along with an East London floristry duo Mariead & Athena (Image: Riddhi Kachhela)

Colours of Arley, based in Hackney, made bespoke cushions from recycled fabrics for the pop up.

Laduree’s Summer Garden in Burlington Arcade is open everyday from 12pm to 6pm until September 26.