Being serious fans of desserts in general, Girdy & Birdy were excited to try Haute Dolci in St James Quarter for the first time – and they were glad it lived up to the hype!
I hadn’t heard much about Haute Dolci, but Girdy had seen an offer, and with both of us being dessert lovers, we absolutely had to check it out!
Also, this day was probably the longest amount of time I’d spent with Girdy in a day, and having sci-fi conned, coffee’d, mini golfed, Frankensteined and Mum’s Comfort Fooded, I was definitely in need of something sweet!
NOTE: We were limited to certain things on the menu, which included waffles, croffles and pancakes, but that suited us just fine. Our visit did give us just enough of a glimpse to want to return for more at a later date, though!
Haute Dolci’s vibe
Haute Dolci is, according to the website, “a name that evokes the high fashion elegance of France and fuses it with Italy’s passion for all things sweet” – and it certainly gives off that vibe.
It was busy enough, but not loud and no-one was rushing. It was giving a calm, relaxed and luxurious atmosphere, and we were seated next to a window overlooking the entrance to St James Quarter, so it was nice to get a bit of a view and people watch, too.
Myself and Girdy had an argument about what the hanging decor in the image above actually meant. Was it a giant organ? A very large brush? Something else?? I can’t remember if we settled on anything.
Also, there’s an ominous-looking door heading to loos that from afar makes it look like one is stepping into the abyss, but actually once you go through, the toilets are really nice.
Haute Dolci’s food & drink
Our desserts were delicious. I ordered a strawberry and white chocolate waffle, which I thinking was called something like ‘I’ll have what he’s having’. There was a generous amount of strawberries, and it also came with some incredible gelato – it felt highly indulgent and I definitely felt I made the right decision.
Girdy ordered pancakes with pistachio ice cream and berries, with a shot of ‘pistachio drip’ on the side – which looked a lot better than it sounds! He loved this dessert, and also declared his intentions to return to this place.
To drink, we both ordered mocktails – I went for a strawberry delight, whereas Girdy chose a passionfruit concoction, and both were again, quite delightful.
I was so impressed with the drinks menu, and my strawberry mocktail also contained a generous serving of fresh strawberries – the only disappointment was my straw becoming too weak to allow me to pick them up and eat them!
Haute Dolci’s staff
Haute Dolci’s staff were really friendly, welcoming, polite and efficient. Our server seemed to approve of my dessert choice, which I always take as a good sign.
Because we’d already paid using a voucher, we did feel a little uncertain about just getting up and leaving, but made sure to acknowledge the staff on the way out, whilst ogling more desserts in a glass case en route.
Things to do in the city centre
Haute Dolci is situated in St James Quarter, with some fantastic shops, some “So-expensive-that-I’ll-never-shop-there” outlets and the Everyman Cinema. John Lewis was, of course, there first – St James just attached itself there – and great for your Christmas shopping!
When you come out of St James Quarter on Little King Street, you’re literally right across from the Omni Centre. There’s some great venues inside, including a Vue Cinema, Boom Battle Bar, and only one Wetherspoons to avoid. If you’re really organised, then arrange a trip to Fayre Play across the roundabout, which is LOADS OF FUN and a cracking night out.
Otherwise, you can go down the escalators to the main entrance of St James Quarter, and head out to Princes Street and beyond, where all the other city centre attractions await you!
Overall
Myself and Girdy reckon Haute Dolci was a very pleasant end to our full-on day doing stuff and things in the ‘Burgh. The relaxed and luxurious atmosphere was a nice touch, but the star of the show were the delicious desserts and mocktails.
I’m definitely considering coming back here to treat a friend for her birthday, so that’s also a sign that I really enjoyed myself.
Haute Dolci
Summary
Haute Dolci is a luxurious dessert parlour featuring a whole range of delectable sweet treats. Highly recommend the waffles, pancakes and mocktails!
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