These look nice but...
Why spend a fortune on dessert? They’re rarely spectacular, especially in some Chinese, Indian, and Italian restaurants, where they’re often pre-bought and formulaic. One regular offender is cheesecake, which can and should be one of the most delectable of sweets – but mostly isn’t.
I used to feel a meal out wasn’t complete without dessert, but an accumulation of disappointment made me think twice. Now, I’ll sometimes split dessert; more often just skip it. It’s usually an extra €5-6 on the bill.
The best desserts as more likely to be found in cafes: the Cake Cafe at the back of the Daintree building on Camden Street being, unsuprisingly, a reliable bet. You’ll usually find good desserts in places like One Pico, if you’re willing to splash out on a great value lunch, but it’s hardly the type of place many of us are likely to eat in often. The Tea House Restaurant in Glendalough, Co. Wicklow makes spectacular desserts at very reasonable prices, and I’ve also heard good things about dessert at Dillinger’s in Ranelagh and The Larder on Parliament Street.
... try these instead (Photos: Sue Jefferson)
But dessert has become such a rarity that I’m struggling to recommend anywhere particularly decent. All you really need is something sweet. An ice cream should do the trick, or a Galaxy Bubbles bar for 78c, or a Lindt egg, saving yourself €4-5. If you’re feeling particularly piggish the Natural Confectionary Company jellies are often reduced from around €2.40 to just €1 per bag. There can be significant price differences, with a Wispa Gold priced 85c in Kimmage costing 99c just a few miles away in Spar on Tara Street.
Have you had a particularly enjoyable dessert? Or do you have a favourite after-dinner treat?
Tuesday 30 March, 2010 at 11:17 am
Not of much use, but im just back from luxembourg where i had fabulous mousse au chocolate after italian grub one night. I do love dessert, and its something i nearly alwaysg et after italian food. (tiramisu is hard to make a complete shambles of)
One of the best ideas for dessert though, in eco’s in douglas, cork (go there, it’s fab). They do a coffee and belgian chocolates dessert. Sweet enough to keep you going and it wont fill you up and perfect w/ after dinner coffee.
Tuesday 30 March, 2010 at 11:43 am
Have to agree, I always felt a meal was not complete without a dessert! I did find over the boom years, the desserts improved amazingly, but I’m finding the past few desserts i’ve choosen have left me dissappointed:-(. I will be takin the advice from Triona from now on, a coffee and belgian chocs – thanks
Tuesday 30 March, 2010 at 11:56 am
Ive always found Ecos to be a dirt mess of a restaurant. I have been there twice and wouldn’t try a third visit. The desserts in Nash 19 and The Farmgate have never let me down. The banoffee in the latter is absolutely divine.
Tuesday 30 March, 2010 at 12:29 pm
Desserts are so boring these days, always the same old crap which would be fine if it were executed well, but very rarely it is. Unless it’s included I always skip, neither my wallet nor my hips need it! 😉
Tuesday 30 March, 2010 at 12:51 pm
Hard Rock Cafe brownie sundae does it for me every time… it’s actually better than the main courses or the starters.
Tuesday 30 March, 2010 at 4:19 pm
Last Sunday I had the hot fudge cake with icecream dessert in Brownes in Sandymount and it was divine! Huge portion too so plenty to share, can’t remember how much it was exactly but that’s a good sign! If it was overpriced I would have remembered….
Tuesday 30 March, 2010 at 4:53 pm
I hate ruining a good meal with a mediocre dessert and bad coffee, which has been my experience in many Irish restaurants in the last few years. The offerings are usually so bland, and badly executed. Such a shame.
Thursday 1 April, 2010 at 12:58 pm
I used to always get dessert-as you said, it felt like the meal wasn’t complete without it. However, having sampled so many mediocre desserts, I am now much more partial to spending that €5/6 on a starter, where you are much more likely to get something less generic and more tastey, as opposed to an ok dessert, that may well be too heavy and push me over the edge anyways.