Sunday is a day for decadence, and what better way to be decadent than indulging your sweet tooth. Off we went to Manna in Primrose Hill with the sole intention of eating as many sweet things on the menu as we could find.
Manna is an interesting place: like the other small chic restaurants in Primrose Hill, you know it's going to be elegant and a treat. And chic at a price. Go with your parents or a rich aunt, so that you can overlook the £8 pricetag for desserts.
Having ordered the top half of the dessert menu, we settled in for a lazy graze. The table behind us noisily complained that they wanted more light, so we were left in our own little backwater (note to visitors to Manna - if you want light, ensure you are not seated in the rear alcove where you will have wood and William Morris-esque floral wall prints for company) to savour the flavours.
Whereas the usual complaint at vegan restaurants is that the main dishes are acceptable, but the desserts are the nadir, at Manna the converse is true. Mains can be slightly too earthy and 1970s in their presentation, but the desserts were tip-top, in the Gate restaurant league.
Manna is an interesting place: like the other small chic restaurants in Primrose Hill, you know it's going to be elegant and a treat. And chic at a price. Go with your parents or a rich aunt, so that you can overlook the £8 pricetag for desserts.
Having ordered the top half of the dessert menu, we settled in for a lazy graze. The table behind us noisily complained that they wanted more light, so we were left in our own little backwater (note to visitors to Manna - if you want light, ensure you are not seated in the rear alcove where you will have wood and William Morris-esque floral wall prints for company) to savour the flavours.
Whereas the usual complaint at vegan restaurants is that the main dishes are acceptable, but the desserts are the nadir, at Manna the converse is true. Mains can be slightly too earthy and 1970s in their presentation, but the desserts were tip-top, in the Gate restaurant league.
The semifreddo was perfect for that summer's day - the cold and soft of the creamy vanilla ice-cream with the hard chocolate biscuit chunks. We could have eaten another three right then and there.
The raw mojito tart is creamy, indulgent and feels like snuggling into your warm comfy clean bed after a hard day.
The raw mojito tart is creamy, indulgent and feels like snuggling into your warm comfy clean bed after a hard day.
Of the four that we tried, the sticky toffee pudding was the most disappointing. The sponge was dry, and suffered from the disease of all vegan cake, namely a lack of plump fluffiness. It was dense and no amount of coconut ice cream (which was, we admit, pretty scrumptious) could compensate for the dry and dense sponge.
Our final assault on the senses was a cheesecake. It had a slightly familiar, soy vegan aftertaste but it had a delicious texture and was topped with a berry compote. 8 out 10 from us.
Our final assault on the senses was a cheesecake. It had a slightly familiar, soy vegan aftertaste but it had a delicious texture and was topped with a berry compote. 8 out 10 from us.
No doubt egged on by the delicious puddings (three out of four ain't bad), we rounded the meal off with a takeaway portion of petits four. They are advertised on the menu as being available for sale, so we were a little surprised to get them packaged in a disposable burger carton.
The contents were, sadly, as bland and disappointing as their packaging. The small biscuits were brittle and under-sugared, having a texture of french toast and a taste somewhere between rusk and Rich Tea.
Among the dessicated cargo of biscuits were four delicious coconut truffles, but by that stage we were wallowing in despair at the toothcracker biscuits. Guess that will teach us for being greedy!
In spite of our mild gripes, this is a definite favourite for pudding. It's a shame they don't have afternoon tea, as the puddings eclipse the main courses. Get there when that sugar and cream craving needs a good beating.
The contents were, sadly, as bland and disappointing as their packaging. The small biscuits were brittle and under-sugared, having a texture of french toast and a taste somewhere between rusk and Rich Tea.
Among the dessicated cargo of biscuits were four delicious coconut truffles, but by that stage we were wallowing in despair at the toothcracker biscuits. Guess that will teach us for being greedy!
In spite of our mild gripes, this is a definite favourite for pudding. It's a shame they don't have afternoon tea, as the puddings eclipse the main courses. Get there when that sugar and cream craving needs a good beating.
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