I first came across Cafe Kitsune in Paris, where they first started out. If you haven’t known about their story, they are founded by a Franco-Japanese fashion brand Maison Kitsuné, which started as a music label in 2002 before diving into the fashion line. They then went into the food industry as well and ended up with cafes across Paris, Japan, South Korea, and more to count. If you haven’t managed to guess yet, they specialise in Japanese-influenced French patisseries.
Cafe Kitsune at London Pantechnicon
For their first London site, Cafe Kitsune has opened at the new stunning building of Pantechnicon in the Knightsbridge/Belgravia area. It’s definitely quite a location to impress. You’ll be first greeted by the huge columns on the building’s facade that resemble Athen’s Acropolis. Once you step inside, the interiors & decor are absolutely gorgeous too, matching the high-end vibes of the area.
Pantechnicon is a five-storey Nordic and Japanese dining and shopping spot. You’ll find Cafe Kitsune on the ground floor with more seating available on the first floor. By translation, the word ‘Kitsune’ means fox in Japanese, so I expected to see plenty of fox-shaped biscuits, etc. by the counter. But availabilities are limited so go early to make sure you don’t miss out. There’s lovely chill music playing in the background and, all in all, has a very relaxing & quiet ambience.
Disclaimer: This meal was partially gifted by Cafe Kitsune but all thoughts are our own.
The Food & Drink at Cafe Kitsune London (what we ordered)
Date of visit: September 2020
Matcha Kumquat Eclair
If you’re looking for top-quality pastries in London, these ones definitely do not disappoint. The choux dough of this eclair has the perfect light crispiness on the outside and is beautifully sweet & airy on the inside. Sandwiching in between was a delicately whipped matcha cream over a layer of kumquat glaze. It was so light to taste with a lovely subtle touch of citrus seeping through. The matcha flavour wasn’t very strong so it would’ve been fine even if you aren’t a matcha fanatic. Despite not being a fan of kumquat, I really enjoyed this eclair.
Matcha Almond Lemon Croissant
This Matcha Croissant is not just your typical croissant. It’s a Double-Baked Matcha Almond and Lemon Croissant. Firstly, it’s super crispy on the outside – you can clearly hear the crunch as you bite into it. The inside was incredibly fluffy, filled generously with a matcha spread complemented with a beautiful sweet glaze over the pastry laced with a subtle acidity from the lemon. This pastry masterpiece is easily one of the best croissants in London and no doubt the best matcha croissant in my opinion.
Matcha & White Chocolate Cookie
Next up, we got this massive piece of matcha cookie, which was an absolute delight to devour. It’s got a really nice buttery touch with a cakey texture. The matcha flavour was relatively subtle, so definitely not too overwhelming or bitter. Its sweetness was just right, leaving you thoroughly satisfied but without a sugar rush. This was a far better treat than many other matcha cookies I had from other cafes such as Matcha & Beyond.
Matcha Latte
Given that Cafe Kitsune is a Japanese spot, I’ve got to try out their matcha latte, right? Overall, the matcha latte was smooth to taste and I totally adore the lovely latte art in the cup. If you have a sweet tooth, you might find this not quite sweet enough. But for me, it’s just right. It tasted a little more grainy than I would’ve liked though. Not the best nor smoothest matcha latte out there but it’s decent enough flavour-wise.
Mochaccino
We also tried the Mochaccino, which was surprisingly a delight. Essentially, it’s a mocha but with milk foam like a cappuccino, hence the name ‘Mochaccino’. It’s got a good hit of chocolate flavours with notes of coffee fragrance laced within. The flavours were strong but well-balanced and just hit the right spot if you’re craving for a strong mocha.
Chai Latte
On a different visit, I also tried out their Chai Latte which, unfortunately, fell flat for me. For a higher-end place such as Cafe Kitsune, I had fairly high expectations from it even when it’s not their speciality. Sadly, the flavours were rather underwhelming. Apart from the generous amount of cinnamon powder dusted on top, the drink didn’t taste much and there was just nothing going on with the flavours.
Cafe Kitsune London Review Summary
Summing it all up, I do think Cafe Kitsune is a cool spot to stop by if you happen to be around the area. Good pastries, fantastic venue and atmosphere – it ticked many boxes for me. The drinks, in overall, were comparatively not so outstanding but decent enough to be paired with their delicious pastries.
In addition, the Pantechnicon is truly very nice hangout spot in London (and I haven’t even got the chance to pop by their roof garden). It’s possibly one of the next hot spots in the city with its unique Japanese x Nordic concept which is certainly well worth the visit!
RATING:
-
Food & Drinks
-
Atmosphere
-
Service
-
Value
