There were desserts a-plenty when I went to Edinburgh this September. As the pandemic continues, going abroad is too much of a faff so my Mum and I had a Staycation in the Scottish capital.
Like all the holidays, sights were seen and a lot of desserts were eaten. From lemon meringue tarts to sticky toffee pudding, there was a variety of sweet goodness to enjoy in Edinburgh.
Day 1
The Chocolate and Pastry Bar: Rocher Cake & Lemon Meringue Tart
Things kicked off on day one with some treats from The Chocolate and Pastry Bar. Call it serendipity or just luck, this bakery was around the corner from our hotel. I had the Rocher Cake, a kind of chocolate/nutty rum cake covered in a rich chocolate glaze. It was very rich and definitely hit the spot. My Mum had the lemon meringue tart, she loved the mallowy meringue on top (I have to agree, it was delicious). The lemon filling was quite light and would have benefited from having a sharper lemon zing, however the Amaretti biscuit hidden in the middle was a nice surprise. We ate our cakes from our hotel room seating with a cup of tea, looking out of the big bay window over Dean Village.
Day 2 (Part 1)
Moo Pie Gelato: Peanut, Caramel & Chocolate + Eton Mess Gelato
Day two turned into a triathlon (of the dessert variety). After spending the morning at Edinburgh Castle we walked down the Royal Mile to Moo Pie Gelato. We consumed nutty peanut gelato (with swirls of caramel sauce and snappy dark chocolate shavings), and Eton mess gelato (complete with melt-in-the-mouth meringue chunks and strawberry sauce). Both were so creamy and delicious. Moo Pie is famous for it's cookie sandwiches so look out for those when you visit.
Day 2 (Part 2)
Room and Rumours: Whipped Chocolate Doughnut
After gelato it was across the road and around the corner to Room and Rumours Coffee for a doughnut. It was a busy little space, selling food as well as doughnuts. I sat on the high seating at the window and watched the world go by with my whipped milk chocolate cream doughnut. The chocolate cream filling was so light and milky, and the dough perfectly round and fluffy. I liked the little brownie-bite topper, definitely a doughnut for me!
Day 2 (Part 3)
The Dome: Sticky Toffee Pudding
In the afternoon we had a lovely meal at The Dome. This beautiful building built in 1775 is elegant, grand, and an ideal location for a nice meal. The quality of the food matched the surroundings. There were a couple of veggie/vegan options, and we both went for the cauliflower steak with chickpea stew. I'm not usually a fan of vegetable steaks but this was sensational. On to dessert we shared a sticky toffee pudding! The sponge was so light yet full of flavour, and the toffee sauce was deep and sweet. Sometimes sticky toffee pudding can be stodgy and heavy, but this one was tasty enough to hit the sweet spot and light enough not feel 'too much'.
Day 3
The Balmoral Hotel: Afternoon Tea
The Balmoral hotel is situated right in the center of the city. The hotel opened in 1902 and has had various famous faces stay - from Laurel and Hardy, to the Queen Mother. JK Rowling also finished 'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows' at the hotel (one for the HP fans!).
The Palm Court is perfect for hosting afternoon tea, with elegant features such as high mirrors, white columns, tall palm trees and bright natural light perfect for food photographs! On a balcony above the entrance a harpist plays gentle background music, occasionally erupting into a rendition of "Happy Birthday" for lucky diners attending on their special day.
The experience started with our loose-leaf teas, a glass of bubbly and a cold tomato soup. Next came the savouries and scones The savouries consisted of a mini baked potato filled with cheese and chive, and beetroot quinoa on a veggie prawn cracker. On to the sandwiches we ate egg mayo on a brioche bun, creamy cheese and onion, aubergine with red pepper and humous, artichoke and pesto, and the classic: cucumber and cream cheese. The scones were plain and raisin, and were accompanied by a lovely strawberry jam, plus clotted cream.
The cakes were three delightful patisserie portions. My favourite was the chocolate brownie topped with mascarpone and chocolate ganache. Also enjoyable was the strawberry and cream choux bun, and raspberry and coconut opera cake. I ordered a hot chocolate to finish and it came with a chocolate flake. At the end of the session, we were given a box containing two fine chocolates and a tin of Balmoral tea.
Bonus Treat
Panda and Sons: Espresso Martini Twist
OK not strictly a dessert but worth mentioning anyway because it was sweet and delicious. In the evening we had no room for a proper tea, but having spent the morning walking around Dean Village and the afternoon around Greyfriars Kirkyard, we deserved something to round off the day. We went to Panda and Sons for a cocktail, a cool little speakeasy-style venue, without the role play nonsense you get elsewhere. There were lots of cocktails to choose from but I chose the most dessert-sounding of them all, even better than your usual espresso martini. This cocktail was made with a caramel liqueur, coffee liqueur and smoked rum. The coffee flavour lingered on the palette and the smokey rum came through nicely. Skewered on top was a caramel wafer giving it extra dessert points.
Day 4 (Part 1)
Söderberg: Cinnamon Bun
On day 4 I had breakfast at the hotel as usual but couldn't help grabbing a cinnamon bun from Söderberg Bakery on the way to the bus stop. This Swedish entity has seven shops and bakeries in Edinburgh, one of which was by our hotel (what a great location). The bun had a lovely dense consistency, and the cinnamon was deliciously distributed throughout but not overpowering. The sugar crystals on top added some sweetness.
Day 4 (Part 2)
Royal Yacht Britannia Cafe: Chocolate Fudge Cake
I had a most delicious chocolate fudge cake in the cafe on the Royal Yacht Britannia. I don't usually eat in tourist cafes as the food is rarely good quality, but this cafe is an exception to the rule. The cake was simple - just a good wedge of springy chocolate sponge covered in a rich chocolate sauce, no layers or icing or fussiness. This simplicity worked, so rich and full of chocolate flavour. I recommend asking for it to be heated up as the sponge will be soft, warm and eternally decadent, The cafe is on the boat, so you do need a ticket to visit, but if you like the Royals/are interested in history/have done everything else in Edinburgh, it's worth a visit.
Day 4 (Part 3)
The Witchery: Chocolate Tart and Eton Mess
The evening saw us attend the beautifully spooky and gothic establishment The Witchery. We sat in the Secret Garden, there was more natural light than the restaurant and it was decorated beautifully with red, white and pink flowers, long white candle sticks and lace. The food on the menu is the same as the restaurant, although you can have afternoon tea in the Secret Garden too.
We ate butternut squash soup to start, aubergine steak for main, and bitter chocolate tart and Eton mess for dessert. The chocolate tart was filled with a dark chocolate ganache, so rich and thick. This was balanced with a blood orange sorbet which cleansed the palette ready for more chocolate. The cinder toffee was melt-in-the-mouth. The Eton mess was a fruity delight, with strawberries and raspberries from Perthshire, new season cherries, and raspberry and creme de framboise. Even the meringue was raspberry flavoured. We came out of the restaurant to a thick, low fog, hiding the view of the Castle, perfectly gothic in every way.
Day 5
The Bonham Hotel: Pancakes
On the final day I managed to sneak in another desserty treat at breakfast. The pancakes come with your choice of toppings, and I opted for banana and honey (as pictured) but ended up slathering Nutella all over (not pictured, too busy eating). The pancakes were thick, scotch style, and large enough to be filling until I got home mid-afternoon. The perfect way to end the holiday.
Lulu's Final Thoughts
These places are just a snapshot of delicious desserts to eat in Edinburgh. There were so many other establishments we didn't have time to visit, however I will most definitely be back in Edinburgh before long. The city is so pretty, ornate, spooky and romantic.
If you have any recommendations for my next trip to Edinburgh, let me know in the comments or via Instagram, I'd love to hear where else to try!
Lulu x