19 Milkshakes In London That Will Bring All The Boys To The Yard

Thick AF.

1. Molly Bakes

Facebook: mollybakes

You probs know about Australia's milkshakes – nicknamed "freakshakes", they're less milkshake, more multiple desserts stacked on top of a bit of smushy icecream. And now they're in London, at Molly Bakes in Dalston. Though the queue for this place is *long*, just remember, it's less time-consuming than a flight to Aus. For more indepth milkshake analysis, head here.

2. Cookies & Scream

Instagram: @findingshona

A vegan bakery in Camden that vegans and non-vegans alike are losing their freaking minds over. Can't say I blame them though, their baked goods are bloody brilliant. As are their vegan milkshakes – the cookie dough shake is proof that these guys are just decent human beings.

3. The Diner

Instagram: @thedineruk

When it comes to diner food, you can't really go wrong with The Diner. You know what you're getting whenever you walk into any of their branches: deliciously greasy food, and milkshakes that won't go up your straw unless you work for it.

The best non-alcoholic shake (IMO) is the Snickers (three scoops of chocolate icecream, nutella, peanut butter and a shot of maple syrup), but if you want something harder the Colonel Parker is an insanely good mix of bourbon, vanilla ice cream and peanut butter.

4. Tinseltown

Instagram: @hannadasein

The variety of shakes at Tinseltown is unreal. They start at £3.79 for a "Classic" shake (chocolate, vanilla, the usual suspects), then you can go up to £3.89 for a "Chocolate Bar" shake (dime bars, bountys, kinder bueno) or £3.99 for "Premium" shakes that involve brownies, ferrero rochers and peanut butter cups.

But for £4.99 you can get a "VIP" shake, which gives you milkshakes named things like the Peanut Butter Brownie Sensation that come topped with ridiculous amounts of whipped cream and sprinkles.

5. Ben's Canteen

Twitter: @benscanteen

Ben knows how to brunch, and his brunch involves some of the best iced coffee in town (no surprise that it's "Australian" iced coffee. Aussie always do it better).

I say "iced coffee", but it is a iced coffee milkshake and I will not be told otherwise. It is loaded with ice cream and comes with a Milo topping. That is a milkshake my friends. A delicious brunch milkshake.

6. Shake Shack

Facebook: shakeshack

Shake Shack came over from the US last year and brought with them their infamous Frozen Custards. Handspun, they come in some seriously impressive flavours, like Mud Pie, Caramel Pretzel and Buttery Brown Sugar.

You can also get Concretes, which are the custards blended with things like fudge sauce, chocolate truffle cookie dough, doughnuts and an actual slice of pie. Please Shake Shack, never leave.

7. Stax Diner

Facebook: StaxCarnaby

Facebook: StaxCarnaby

Located in Kingley Court, Stax does the best chicken and waffles in town, and some seriously good milkshakes. Definitely try one of their hard shakes if you're on the sauce – the peanut butter, banana and rum Graceland shake, and the Oreo and baileys Dalmatian are both things of beauty. If you're on the straight and narrow though, you can't do better than the oreo Cookies and Cream shake.

8. Tommi's Burger Joint

Lia Vittone / Via Facebook: TommisBurgerJoint

Tommi's are lauded as some of the best burgers in town (and come in cheaper than a lot of the big brands at £6.90 for a standard or veggie burger, or £10.90 for a burger, fries and soda), but their milkshakes are up there too. Creamy, thick and sweet, I highly, highly recommend getting the salted caramel flavour.

9. Sblended

Instagram: @residentecc

Do you want some milkshake with your toppings? Sblended do personalised shakes at their shake shops all over the UK. They have hundreds of toppings that you can add to your shake that include, but are not limited to: cherry bakewell tart, foam shrimps, skittles, jelly tots, popping candy, viennese whirls, haribo, and apple pie.

You can even chuck a Solero or a Twister in there if you fancy it.

10. Byron

Facebook: byronhamburgers

Thick and decadently sticky, Byron's shakes are everything you'd expect from a decent milkshake. They don't come in a ton of wild flavours (the reese's peanut butter cup shake is the most out there they currently have on the menu), but sometimes a vanilla malt done really well is all you need.

11. Five Guys

Instagram: @andieordonez

Another American chain that's crossed the pond to bring us their classic diner food. The shakes are definitely my favourite part of this place (not a fan of the fries, soz). They're true bastions of the American shake: they make you feel like you're drinking liquid heart attack, but it's so good you just can't stop.

12. The Blues Kitchen

Instagram: @theblueskitchen

Drink your milkshake to the soundtrack of soul. Blue's Kitchen nearly always has some kind of live music going on, and their menu is similarly soul-inspired, with gumbo, jambalaya and St Louis slow smoked ribs on the menu in abundance. The shakes are proper rock 'n' roll classics: thick and creamy, with four flavours to choose from.

13. The Love Shake

Instagram: @divakazz

London's own milkshake bar, you'll find super-trendy Love Shake in Hoxton (of course). They do both classic shakes and alcoholic versions. The classics are good, but everyone knows two shots of baileys just makes everything a lot better.

14. Maxwell's

Facebook: MaxwellsBarAndGrill

Facebook: MaxwellsBarAndGrill

Facebook: MaxwellsBarAndGrill

Maxwell's of Covent Garden is a family-run restaurant that serves steak, burgers, ribs and now, freakshakes. Giving Molly Bakes a run for her money, the triple scoop "thick shakes" are creamy, and the toppings very much worthy of the "freakshake" title. Seriously though, that caramel pretzel shake needs to get in my mouth now.

15. MEATmarket

Instagram: @marcbrzezicki

Part of the infamous Meat Liquor chain, MEATmarket is the only branch that serves shakes with its dreamy burgers. They do all the classics, then a bunch of hard shakes that'll knock your socks off: the alcoholic banoffee shake is worth any hangover that may come afterwards.

16. Psychic Burger

Facebook: PsychicBurger

A lovely little spot in Dalston, this place does unbelievably good patty melts (a cheese toastie with meat in it), truly dirty burgers and terribly good milkshakes. Like all good people, they also know the value of adding a shot or two into their shakes (subtext: there's alcoholic shakes on the menu).

17. Fat Boy's Diner

Instagram: @rupaphotography

The opposite of their name, Fat Boy's actually have a few "healthy" milkshakes on the menu, alongside the classics. They've really committed to their retro Americana aesthetic too: having a shake here feels like you've actually fallen onto the set of Grease.

18. Shakeaway

Instagram: @shakeaway_official

The "original re-inventor of milkshake", at least UK-wide, Shakeaway first opened in Bournemouth in 1999, and are now all over the country. Their first shake was a packet of Rolos blended with vanilla ice cream, which should give you a heads up to the direction their shakes lean in.

They now do the most amount of shake choices I've ever seen, with fizzy pop shakes, black forest gateau shake, and even a shake made with 24 carat gold. And of course, true to their history, you can get a shake made with pretty much any chocolate bar under the British sun.

19. Riding House Cafe

Instagram: @ridinghousecafe

An all-day brasserie, Riding Cafe does excellent brunch, and excellent diner food. They also go on at the same time, so can create yourself a hybrid of the two, and order a huge cheeseburger with your mimosas. Or one of their giant milkshakes with your avocado toast. I can confirm both combos are great.