Where to Find the Best Cheesecake in Knightsbridge

Wecord Café sits at 60 Beauchamp Place in Knightsbridge, London SW3, a few minutes on foot from Brompton Road and from Knightsbridge underground station. It started as the coffee counter inside the Wecord London boutique, and it turned into somewhere people come for its own sake. The cheesecake is the thing regulars ask for by name. It is a Basque style cheesecake, served plain, at GBP 7.95 a slice.

This guide covers what actually separates one cheesecake from another, how ours differs from the classic version, what to drink alongside it, and how to find the café. If you are already in the area and just want the address and opening times, they are at the bottom of the page.

What separates a good cheesecake from a great one

Most cheesecake in London falls into one of three families, and knowing which one you are ordering matters more than the name on the menu. The baked New York style is the dense one. It is set slowly in a low oven, often in a water bath, and the result is firm, smooth and closer to a custard than a mousse. It is usually built on a crushed biscuit base and it holds a clean edge when you cut it.

The Basque style, sometimes called burnt cheesecake, goes the opposite way. It bakes fast in a very hot oven, which scorches the top and leaves the middle barely set. Done properly the centre should almost give way under a spoon, and the caramelised surface adds a slight bitterness that stops the whole thing tasting flat. Done badly it is either raw in the middle or dried out at the edge, and there is very little room between the two. In its original San Sebastián form it is baked in parchment with no base at all.

The third family is the set or chilled cheesecake, which is never baked. Cream and soft cheese are whipped together and firmed in the fridge, sometimes with gelatine. It is lighter and colder, and it lives or dies on the quality of the dairy because there is no oven caramelisation to hide behind.

Two things separate the good from the great across all three. The first is serving temperature. Cheesecake taken straight from a fridge is muted, because cold suppresses the aromatics in dairy and vanilla. A short rest at room temperature before it reaches the table changes it completely. The second is the ratio of cheese to cream. Too much cream and it turns into a mousse. Too little and it goes chalky. That balance is a recipe decision, not a serving one, and it is the reason two cheesecakes made from the same list of ingredients can taste nothing alike.

The cheesecake at Wecord Café

Ours is a Basque style cheesecake with one deliberate departure from the original. It keeps the fast high heat bake, the caramelised top and the soft centre, but it is built on a biscuit base rather than baked bare in parchment. The base gives it structure, so a slice holds together on the plate instead of slumping, and it adds a dry, slightly toasted contrast underneath a filling that is otherwise all softness. Purists will tell you this is not how it is done in San Sebastián, and they are right. We prefer it this way.

It is served plain. There is no pistachio version, no matcha version and no rotating seasonal flavour, because a cheesecake this rich does not need anything sitting on top of it. One recipe, done the same way every time.

A slice is GBP 7.95. Whole cakes can be ordered in person at the café or by phone on +44 7435 398735. There is currently no gluten free or vegan version, and the recipe contains dairy, egg, wheat and gluten.

What to drink with it

Basque cheesecake is rich and the caramelised top carries a faint bitterness, so the job of the drink is to cut through rather than match. A straight espresso or a long black works because the acidity resets the palate between bites. A flat white also holds up, since the milk is dense enough not to disappear underneath the cake. A large milky latte tends to compete rather than complement, which is worth knowing before you order.

In warmer months an iced filter or a cold brew does the same job with less weight. Tea drinkers are usually better off with something unmilked and astringent. You can see the full drinks range across our hot coffee and iced coffee menus, and the rest of the counter under pâtisseries.

Finding Wecord Café in Knightsbridge

The address is 60 Beauchamp Place, London SW3. Beauchamp Place runs off Brompton Road, so the closest station is Knightsbridge on the Piccadilly line, roughly five minutes on foot. South Kensington is a slightly longer walk and gives you the District and Circle lines as well. The café is open from 10:30 until 21:00 Monday to Saturday, and from 10:30 until 18:00 on Sunday.

The café shares the space with the Wecord London boutique, so the same room holds the coffee counter and the workshop side of the brand. If you are waiting for a table or for a coffee, the cord bracelets and watches are there to look at. Full details for all our locations are on the find a store page.

Common questions

Where can I get cheesecake in Knightsbridge?

Wecord Café serves Basque style cheesecake at 60 Beauchamp Place, London SW3, a short walk from Knightsbridge station off Brompton Road.

What kind of cheesecake does Wecord Café serve?

A Basque style cheesecake, baked fast at high heat for a caramelised top and a soft centre, served plain on a biscuit base. It is the only version on the menu.

How much is a slice of cheesecake at Wecord Café?

A slice is GBP 7.95.

Can I order a whole cheesecake?

Yes. Whole cakes can be ordered in person at the café, by phone on +44 7435 398735, or by email at hello@wecord.co.uk.

What are the opening hours?

Wecord Café is open 10:30 to 21:00 Monday to Saturday and 10:30 to 18:00 on Sunday, at 60 Beauchamp Place, London SW3.

What is the nearest tube station?

Knightsbridge station on the Piccadilly line is the closest, about five minutes on foot. South Kensington is the next nearest and adds the District and Circle lines.

Is there a gluten free or vegan cheesecake?

No. One recipe is served and it contains dairy, egg, wheat and gluten. Please ask staff if you have an allergy.

Is the café separate from the shop?

No. The café and the Wecord London boutique share one address on Beauchamp Place, so the coffee counter and the jewellery and watch collections are in the same room.

What is the difference between Basque and New York cheesecake?

Basque cheesecake is baked fast at a high temperature, giving a caramelised top and a soft, barely set centre, and traditionally has no base. New York cheesecake is baked slowly at a low temperature on a biscuit base, and sets firm and smooth throughout.