Because not all London crumbles are created equal

Humble Crumble has been on my must-visit list for years, ever since it first popped up in Old Spitalfields Market, with their delicious looking hot puddings and flaming torched toppings. But then came a pandemic, a newborn, and, well… life.

Now, finally, I have time again for London’s pleasures. With my little one a bit older, we head to the Covent Garden outpost of Humble Crumble one chilly winter afternoon. It’s bustling with both tourists and locals.

And today, our mission is to try a proper range of desserts and figure out what you should actually order from the Humble Crumble menu.

Quick info on Humble Crumble, Covent Garden

• Restaurant: Humble Crumble
• Location: Covent Garden
• Best time to visit: Mid-afternoon lull or earlier to avoid queues, midweek
• Menu: Choose one of the house crumbles or build your own
• Must-try: ‘Founder’s Favourite’ with meringue and rose petals, or apple with torched marshmallow
• Skip: Frozen custard, vegan specials
• Other locations: Old Spitalfields Market, Borough Market

Read our Humble Crumble restaurant review to find out more.

Who are Humble Crumble?

Humble Crumble is a dessert bar dedicated entirely to crumbles. Yes, really. They started out in in East London and have now expanded into Covent Garden and Borough Market.

Humble Crumble’s whole schtick is nostalgic British puds – crumbles to be precise. The Humble Crumble menu is full of thick custard, lashings of chocolate, torched marshmallow, and all sorts of toppings from rose petals to crushed meringue.

We’re here today at the Humble Crumble in Covent Garden, located just opposite the Seven Dials market. You’ll probably see the queue of people snaking outside it first.

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How the Humble Crumble menu works

The Humble Crumble menu is a mix-and-match heaven. You start with a fruit base (apple, berries…), choose your topping (classic shortbread crumble, plant based crumble, or gluten friendly crumble), and then layer on sauces and toppings.

Or you can go for one of the house combos like the Founder’s Favourite, or a rotating monthly special. You can also choose the regular size, or upgrade to large.

Between you and me, I’d stick with regular and maybe order something else from the Humble Crumble menu too. That way, you can get a bit of variety in your dessert.

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What is a Crumble Anyway?

For the uninitiated, a crumble is Britain’s less fussy, more comforting answer to pie. It’s made of a couple of different elements, including fruit (stewed until soft), a buttery topping that’s somewhere between biscuit and granola, and warm custard poured all over.

Humble Crumble takes this beloved dessert and runs wild it, with blow-torches, glossy sauces, and general flair.

So, without further ado, here’s what we tried from the Humble Crumble menu.

1. The Veganuary Special (aka Freya Cox’s Dream Crumble)

This month’s plant based special comes with a base of sour cherry, apple and orange, topped with chocolate crumble, chocolate custard, coconut cream, and finished with a glace cherry.

It sounds great on paper, but falls very short on execution. It’s watery, lacks heat, and the custard is too thin. Altogether it’s missing that warming, cosy depth you expect from a proper crumble. Sadly, this is not the best thing to order from the Humble Crumble menu.

2. The Founder’s Favourite – with meringue and rose petals

The Founder’s Favourite crumble is glorious. You get mixed berries, shortbread crumble, thick hot custard, and a dark chocolate drizzle. We add crushed meringue and rose petals, which not only make it beautiful but also seriously amp up the texture and taste.

This is what a crumble should be, and is certainly one of the best things to order from the Humble Crumble menu.

It’s sweet, slightly tart, creamy, rich, and texturally varied. The custard is thick and tastes like school dinner (in the best way), the chocolate sauce adds a nice bittersweet hit, and the toppings are both interesting and delicious.

If you only order one thing, make it this. It’s the top crumble we’ve had here, and worth a return visit all on its own.

3. Make your own – apple crumble with blowtorched marshmallow and chocolate drizzle

Now we’re talking. This time, we make our own crumble from scratch from the menu. Ours includes a base of soft apple, a heap of shortbread crumble, poured over hot custard, and a topping of torched marshmallow with chocolate sauce.

The combo is exceptional. The pink marshmallow folds into the custard and the apple is gently tart – it’s basically the best version of apple pie you never knew you needed. The contrast of hot custard and soft apple makes it comfort food perfection.

This crumble is the star of the show at Humble Crumble, and one of the best things to order from the menu.

4. Frozen Custard with Chocolate Sauce

And now, a curveball! We also tried the frozen custard topped with chocolate sauce at Humble Crumble, and… it’s okay.

You get a generous serving, but it lacks the warmth and richness of the hot version. The custard flavour is muted by the cold, and while it’s fine as a standalone dessert, it just can’t compete with the classics.

We even spooned in some crumble topping to test it. But still, it’s just not as good. This is one option to skip on the Humble Crumble menu.

5. Salted dark hot chocolate

The Humble Crumble salted dark hot chocolate is a delight. It’s rich, smooth, and surprisingly frothy. In fact, it stays velvety and foamy for ages, and has a very nostalgic Dairy Milk flavour. We also choose to add the vanilla whipped cream, which is a nice addition.

Overall, the Humble Crumble hot chocolate is unfussy and warm, and is perfect to sip between bites of crumble.

Final thoughts on Humble Crumble, Covent Garden

Can you make crumble at home? Sure. But you don’t get the drama of torched marshmallow, or the flurry of rose petals and crushed meringue. And you also don’t get the deep comfort and satisfaction of eating Humble Crumble’s perfect hot custard when you’re out and about.

So when it comes to the best things to order on the Humble Crumble menu, I’d stick to the hot crumbles with classic shortbread topping. I’d also freely pick any of the add-ons, like the torched marshmallow, chocolate drizzle, or rose petals.

I’d steer clear of the frozen custard, because it’s just not as good as the hot stuff. And I don’t think Humble Crumble gets the vegan options right, from what I’ve tried.

So the best order? The apple crumble with torched marshmallow and hot custard.

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Humble Crumble Covent Garden London restaurant review
Address – 50a Seven Dials Warehouse, Earlham St, London WC2H 9LA
Nearest Tube – Covent Garden