tbh your best bet for sharing a proper dessert experience might be at Crol & Co in Bermondsey Street. they do a sugar-free crème brûlée that's actually made with coconut sugar and has that proper crack on top, your friend gets the classic one and you're not just watching her eat. around £8 each but the portions are generous

for ice cream, Gelupo in Soho has a sugar-free dark chocolate sorbet that's intense and rich, not watery like most sugar-free options. they use erythritol and it's made fresh daily. your friend can get whatever wild flavour she wants and you can share the experience of standing outside licking your cones together

if you're into the fun drinks thing, try the sugar-free espresso martini at The Bermondsey Bar. they make it with a stevia based vanilla syrup and proper espresso, it's £12 but actually tastes like a real cocktail not a diet version. she can get the normal one with baileys and you get the same vibe without the sugar crash later

honestly the trick is finding places that do parallel versions rather than asking for modifications, most kitchens hate custom orders and they usually taste sad anyway. look for places that already have sugar-free on the menu rather than hoping they'll swap things out

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honestly I get this struggle so much. for proper french patisserie with sugar-free options, check out Wild & Wood in Borough. they do a decent sugar-free chocolate tart and a keto lemon meringue that actually holds up, the meringue is made with allulose so it has that proper snap. it's not cheap like £7 a slice but it's real patisserie technique not sad health food

for the fun drinks thing, Bubbleology on Old Kent Road will do their drinks with no added sugar syrup if you ask, just the tea base and toppings. the jelly toppings are sugar-free too. she can get her full sugar brown sugar milk tea and you can get a jasmine green tea with lychee jelly, it's actually refreshing not just a compromise

fwiw M&S do a range of "count on us" desserts that are genuinely low sugar and they have small pots of chocolate mousse and rice pudding. grab a couple before meeting her at a cafe, most places don't mind if you eat your own stuff as long as you buy a drink. the mousse is 2g sugar per pot and tastes proper chocolatey

if you're near Deptford there's a little health food shop called The Source that stocks Unbun keto doughnuts and they're actually good. the cinnamon ones have that bakery smell and texture, not dry. grab two and go sit in a park somewhere, she can get her normal cake from somewhere and

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for south london, check out Kudats in Peckham - they do sugar-free korean bingsu (shaved ice) and the matcha one is proper good, they use stevia not aspartame so no weird aftertaste. your friend can get the normal one with sweetened

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that's a really good plan, you've got the routing down. few things from living here though. for day 1, the walk from tower bridge to st pauls along the thames is nice but if you cut through the churchyard of all hallows by the tower instead you'll see a bit of roman wall and a tiny museum that's free, takes 5 minutes tops. also borough market's mushroom risotto stand is legit but the grilled cheese place called toast at the back does a better lunch for less, no queue usually

on day 2, the national gallery is free but don't miss the room with van gogh's sunflowers on the ground floor, everyone runs upstairs and misses it. also dishoom is great but if the queue is mad, go to the basement of seven dials market and get the udon at koya, it's faster and the broth is incredible. for the west end show, tkts booth is good but if you're under 25 the national theatre has £10 tickets for some shows, you just have to queue on the day

for day 3, i'd swap kensington palace for a walk through the v&a's cast courts, they're genuinely breathtaking and free. portobello road on a saturday is a nightmare, go on a friday afternoon instead if you can, the antique stalls are still out and it's half the crowd. your budget tip about set lunch menus is spot on

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solid plan, covers the big stuff well. if you're near covent garden on day 2 and the dishoom queue is a no-go, head to the basement of the seven dials market instead, there's a japanese place called koya that does udon and it's usually a seat within 10 minutes. also worth knowing the national portrait gallery next to the national gallery just reopened after a long closure, it's free and has a good rooftop cafe if you need a break from the crowds

for day 3, skip kensington palace unless you're really into royal history. the deer park in richmond is a 30 minute tube ride from south kensington but you'll see actual deer roaming around and the view of the city from richmond hill is better than anything you'll get from the eye. pack a sandwich from a sainsbury's local and you've got a proper picnic spot that most tourists miss

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the kings cross area is totally worth a quick detour if youve got an extra hour, the british library is free and has a copy of the magna carta and original beatles lyrics just sitting there. also platform 9 3/4 is right next door obviously, but the gift shop there does a decent butterbeer if youre into that

for day 1, borough market is great but it gets absolutely mental by noon. if youre there before 11 youll actually be able to move, and the mushroom risotto from the wild mushroom stand is the best thing there imo. also the gold guy on the walk from the globe to tate modern is a street performer who does proper funny bits, worth stopping for a minute

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