As we slowly move into autumn, figs are quietly stealing the spotlight. From glossy tarts to savoury small plates, the city’s chefs are bringing this jammy, jewel-toned fruit back to the menu. Here’s where to get your fig fix, whether you like them baked into pastries, paired with cheese, or dressed up for dessert:

1. Trullo 

What: Fig leaf pannacotta with blackcurrant

The Lowdown: This season, figs take centre stage at Trullo in Highbury, where Head Chef Ed Grace highlights their delicate, green-honeyed flavour in a distinctly British take on Italian cooking. Guests can try the Fig leaf panna cotta with blackcurrant, a silky dessert infused with fig leaf and brightened by the fruit’s sharp intensity.

Where: 300-302 St Paul’s Rd, London N1 2LH

2. Padella

What: Fig and almond tart 

The Lowdown: Cult favourite Padella is giving its much-loved seasonal tart an autumn twist: this time it’s all about figs. The fig and almond tart pairs the rich sweetness of perfectly ripe figs with a delicate almond base, all encased in Padella’s signature buttery pastry. Known for turning simple ingredients into standout dishes, Padella’s latest tart is a natural complement to its fresh handmade pasta, a dessert that celebrates the fleeting fig season in true Padella style.

Where: Locations here 

3. Café Deco

What: Figs, Anthotoyro and Mint 

The Lowdown: Café Deco, the debut restaurant from Anna Tobias has become a Bloomsbury favourite for its simple, elegant European-style cooking. Its seasonal fig with anthotoyro and mint captures this ethos perfectly – ripe figs at their sweetest, balanced by creamy cheese and the brightness of fresh mint.

Where: 43 Store St, London WC1E 7DB

4. Bar Valette

What: Coll de Dama fig, Manchego, wild rocket 

The Lowdown: Much like The Clove Club, the menu at Bar Valette evolves with the seasons. Head Chef Stan, alongside Chef Patron Isaac McHale, has been working directly with local suppliers, choosing the finest and freshest produce available from the best of British seafood to wild game. Daily specials on the board are ever-changing, and most recently, the team introduced the perfect small bite to kick-start the meal: Coll de Dama fig, Manchego, wild rocket. Using simple ingredients but harnessing the sweet flavours from the fig to balance the creaminess of the cheese and the bitterness of the wild rocket.

Where: 28 Kingsland Rd, London E2 8AA

5. Don’t Tell Dad

What: Fig and Tres Leches Danish

The Lowdown: At Don’t Tell Dad, the buzzy neighbourhood bakery in Queen’s Park, Head Baker Keren Sterberg has created a decadent pastry that blends the buttery flakiness of a classic Danish with the creamy indulgence of tres leches and rich, sweet in-season figs. Hiding below the figs and tres leches, there’s a fluffy layer of coconut cake. Finished with a sprinkling of coconut sugar, this is the perfect pastry to call in the autumn months.

Where: 10-14 Lonsdale Rd, London NW6 6RD

6. The Plimsoll 

What: Figs, lardo and pine nuts

The Lowdown: At North London neighbourhood pub The Plimsoll, figs are a celebration of the changing seasons, marking the sweetness of late summer while welcoming the warmth and richness of autumn. A current favourite on the regularly-changing menu, honeyed, jammy figs are paired with silky lardo that melts into the fruit, balanced with a bright hit of balsamic, the earthy crunch of toasted pine nuts, and finished with a good glug of olive oil. The ideal accompaniment to meat or fish, done simply and done right. Image here.

Where: 52 St Thomas’s Rd, Finsbury Park, London N4 2QQ

7. Pophams

What: Laurent Degenais ‘Pain au Figues’ collab

The Lowdown: For September, Pophams has teamed up with global online sensation, acclaimed chef, and best-selling author Laurent Dagenais for a limited-edition collaboration pastry: the ‘Pain aux Figues’ as a creative and very Dagenais twist on the classic Pain aux Raisins. Available across all Pophams, the collaboration pastry reimagines the signature Pophams swirl- filled with a thick vanilla custard, whiskey-soaked dried figs, and glazed in a whiskey orange syrup.

Where: Locations here

8. Toklas

What: Green figs with coco beans, oregano and galomizithra

The Lowdown: On the menu at The Strand’s Mediterranean food favourite, Toklas, is a flavoursome offering showcasing the best of the season: Green figs with coco beans, oregano and galomizithra. This beautifully balanced starter sees earthy green figs, honey-sweet and jammy at this time of year, paired with coco beans, warming oregano, and balanced with a generous serving of creamy galomizithra goats cheese.

Where: 1 Surrey St, Temple, London WC2R 2ND

9. Kudu Marylebone 

What: Fig Pavlova

The Lowdown: At Kudu’s new Marylebone outpost, the Fig Pavlova brings together late-summer sweetness and a touch of nostalgia. Jammy figs sit atop meringue, finished with brandy jelly, blackberries, and sago for a dessert that’s as elegant as it is indulgent.

Where: 7 Moxon St, London W1U 4EP

10. FINK’S

What: Baby preserved figs, goat’s curd, honey walnuts, mixed leaves on FINK’S Bakery Focaccia

The Lowdown: FINK’S’ fig, goat’s curd, honey walnut, and focaccia sandwich layers creamy, tangy goat’s curd over soft focaccia, topped with ripe figs and crunchy honey-glazed walnuts. The result is a balanced sweet and tangy bite which places fig in the spotlight.

Where: Locations here