What’s not to like about Pancake Day? It heralds the end of winter and the arrival of longer, lighter spring evenings. It’s also a legitimate excuse to throw food around in the kitchen (and eat dessert for dinner). The classic pancake recipe – historically created to use up rich eggs and milk, which could prove tempting during lent – has undeniable nostalgic appeal. But London’s appetite for pancakes reaches far beyond the traditional lemon-and sugar-topped versions, as demonstrated by these recipes and tips we sourced from some of the capital’s finest pancake purveyors. Here are three ways to mix it up on 13 February.

As patron chef of Tredwells and group operations director across the Marcus Wareing Restaurants group, Ms Chantelle Nicholson sits within an established tradition of old-school fine dining. But the New Zealand-born chef is not one to follow convention, having pioneered a fresher approach focused on plant-based dishes. She is due to publish a collection of vegetable-and grain-centric recipes in her debut cookbook, Planted, in spring this year. The kimchi in Ms Nicholson’s vegan pancakes brings an intense flavour and chunky texture.

• 100g plain flour
• 40g rice flour
• A pinch of Korean red pepper powder
• ½ tsp baking powder
• 70ml rice milk
• 180g kimchi
• 1 tbsp coriander, chopped
• A pinch of salt
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil

To serve:

• Coconut yoghurt
• Sriracha sauce

Mix the flours with the red pepper powder and baking powder. Make a well in the centre and add the rice milk. Mix until smooth, then fold in the kimchi, coriander and salt.

Heat the oil in a non-stick pan, then ladle in the batter and fry in batches until golden. Serve with coconut yoghurt and Sriracha.

Mr Luigi Cagnin leads the front of house team at the Michelin-starred restaurant in The Ritz hotel. With its marble pillars and glittering chandeliers, the dining room is a suitably dramatic setting for the restaurant’s signature crêpes suzette, which are flambéed at your table by waiters. Mr Cagnin heats sugar until it begins to caramelise, then adds a knob of butter and a little lemon juice. Next comes sugar syrup infused with orange peel, followed by fresh orange juice. The sauce is reduced until sticky and golden, before pre-made crêpes are added and cooked in the bubbling syrup. Then it’s the theatrical finale: flambéeing with a splash of Grand Marnier, followed by a heady dash of brandy.

01. Don’t caramelise the sugar too much: it should be shiny and slightly translucent.

02. We use a brass frying pan at The Ritz, which heats up quickly. If you don’t have one, add a spoonful of water to the sugar at the start.

03. Reduce the sauce properly – it should be dark golden and syrupy.

04. Layer the folded crêpes on top of each other in the pan, and tilt the pan slightly towards you before you flambée.

05. Remember to switch on the extractor fan!

Ms Patricia Trijbits flips hundreds of pancakes every day at her London Bridge restaurant Where The Pancakes Are. But the chef, who grew up in the Netherlands, has a particular penchant for the Dutch baby variety. The batter is made with a higher ratio of eggs and milk, then baked in a skillet. To create a fluffy, light texture, “preheat the pan thoroughly, and work quickly once it’s hot,” says Ms Trijbits. Serve these sweet apple pancakes with ice cream for a comforting pudding to rival crumble.

For the topping:

• 2 apples, such as bramley or cox
• 1 1/2 tsp demerara sugar
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp butter
• Icing sugar, for dusting

For the batter:

• 3 tbsp unsalted butter
• 128g plain flour
• 3 eggs
• 250ml milk
• A grating of nutmeg
• A pinch of salt

Peel, core and chop the apples, and toss with the sugar and cinnamon. Fry with 1 tsp butter until translucent.

Meanwhile, preheat two 20cm ovenproof skillets in the oven at 200ºC. After a few minutes, add 3 tbsp butter. Return to the oven for 3-5 minutes.

Mix all the remaining batter ingredients.

Remove the pans from the oven and divide the batter between them. Top with half of the apple mixtures and bake for 15-20 minutes. Serve with the remaining apples and a sprinkling of icing sugar.