Now, I don’t proclaim to be an expert on Italian cuisine or tiramisu, but I do have a serious sweet tooth and tiramisu is my favourite dessert ever. Alcohol and coffee in a cake, guys – what is there not to love?
A good tiramisu may or may not contain alcohol, but the sponge fingers ought to be adequately soaked in coffee (good coffee too, please). My favourite tiramisus, however, are those containing kahlua (coffee liqueur) that have achieved the perfect balance between coffee and alcohol.
So here you go, the result of my extensive research (and personal opinion): the 10 best tiramisu places in Singapore.
10. Super Dario Lasagne
When an Italian cafe is run by an Italian, you know the food is authentic and of a certain quality. Priced at an affordable $4.80, I found the tiramisu served by Super Dario Lasagne Cafe worthy of mention.
It’s also located in City Square Mall with Airzone, so you can hit the cafe up for a snack and dessert after playing!
I think I was unfortunate to have received a dry cut of the dessert as most of the sponge base of the tiramisu served to me was dry. The parts that were soaked, however, were soaked with good espresso that was rich in flavour.
The mascarpone cheese was delightfully balanced with liqueur, and the top was sprinkled generously with cocoa powder. The cocoa powder melted with the cheese in my mouth, which resulted in a chocolatey mousse gracing my palate.
Super Dario Lasagne Cafe: 180 Kitchener Road, City Square Mall #04-17, Singapore 208539 | Opening Hours: 11am–9.30pm (daily) | Tel: +65 3159 0682 | Website | Facebook
9. Awfully Chocolate
The position of this Awfully Chocolate offering on the list is debatable, but since I like my tiramisu to have a thinner cream layer (the jar is 3/4 cream, come on), I decided to rank it at nine.
The mascarpone cheese and chocolate cream had the consistency of a thick mousse, and if not for the espresso soaked sponge base, I would have classified this as chocolate mousse cake.
As the sponge base was not evenly spread at the bottom of the jar, the strong chocolatey taste nearly overwhelmed the coffee at the start (given that you start scooping from the sides). It was only when I reached the middle that the tiramisu really began to make an impression – the chocolate mousse complemented the espresso-soaked sponge base well.
Each jar is a hefty $19.90, but good for two servings.
Awfully Chocolate: Website | Facebook | Instagram
8. Spageddies Italian Kitchen
Located on the third level of Westgate, Spageddies Italian Kitchen is a good place to pop by for a mid-day dessert if you’re shopping in the area.
I don’t know why it’s served with chunks of fruit, but the tiramisu is pretty legit. Although I was unable to discern if liqueur was used, the sponge fingers were soaked in rich coffee which balanced well with the mascarpone cheese.
The size of the dessert was generous for $8.90, and I used to frequent the restaurant every other evening for my tiramisu fix.
Spageddies Italian Kitchen: 3 Gateway Drive, #03-07 Westgate mall, Singapore 608532 | Opening Hours: 11.30am – 10pm (Sun to Thurs); 11.30pm – 11pm (Fri & Sat) | Tel: +65 6264 8236 | Website | Facebook
7. 2am : dessertbar
I like this one for its novelty. I’m not even too sure how to go around describing this dessert at 2am : dessertbar – it’s tiramisu deconstructed, then put together again in a bowl.
The coffee liqueur is present in the dessert as jelly, and the mascarpone cheese is topped with a scoop of espresso ice-cream. An interesting twist on the classic Italian dessert at $16.
2am : dessertbar: 21a Lorong Liput, Holland Village, Singapore 277733 | Opening Hours: 3pm – 2am (Tues to Fri); 2pm to 2am (Sat & Sun); Closed on Mondays | Tel: +65 6291 9727 | Website | Facebook | Instagram
6. Trattoria Nonna Lina
Trattoria Nonna Lina directly translates to “Grandmother Lina’s Restaurant”, which automatically means the tiramisu is good because has anyone’s grandmother ever served anything terrible?
Nonna Lina’s Tiramisu ($16) is made with thick mascarpone cheese layers with the espresso sponge fingers wedged in between. It can get rather jelak if you aspire to finish the entire dessert yourself, so I would recommend sharing it with a friend after dinner at Nonna’s.
Trattoria Nonna Lina: 61 Cantonment Road, Singapore 089757 | Opening Hours: 12pm – 2pm, 6pm – 10.30pm (Tues to Sun, Closed on Mondays) | Tel: +65 6222 0930 | Website | Facebook
5. De Paolo Gastronomia
The Tiramisu ($8.90 – $14.50) at De Paolo Gastronomia is near divine especially when delivered to your doorstep. The sponge fingers are steeped in liqueur and espresso, the mascarpone cheese is thick, creamy and topped with shaved dark chocolate – what more could one ask for?
Note that not all De Paolo Gastronomia outlets serve this indulgent dessert, so check out the branch’s menu on the respective Facebook pages before heading down to avoid disappointment. I would just opt to have it delivered though.
De Paolo Gastronomia: Various outlets
4. 23 Jumpin
A rather humble cafe, 23 Jumpin is tucked away in Tai Seng at the Commerze building.
Bless their souls for selling a jar of my favourite dessert at just $6.
If you plan on visiting this cafe in the East, consider dropping by for the mains too – I hear the food’s pretty good. The tiramisu itself is a homemade recipe, and the cafe doesn’t skimp on the kahlua used. Treating yourself to a burger and tiramisu at 23 Jumpin – day. equals. made.
23 Jumpin: 1 Irving Place, #01-25 The Commerze Building, Singapore 369546 | Opening Hours: 11am – 4pm (Sun to Thurs); 11am – 9pm (Fri & Sat); Closed on Mondays | Tel: +65 9137 5697 | Facebook
3. L’Artelier TiramiSu
For a cafe that prides itself on its tiramisu, L’Artelier actually delivers. If you haven’t tried the cafe’s Classico Tiramisu ($7.50) before, you need to. Make it one of your life’s top priorities to visit them in the basement of The Central at Clarke Quay.
The moistness of the sponge fingers was perfetto with just a hint of coffee liqueur, and the consistency of the mascarpone cheese was just nice. Not too fluffy, but not too mousse-like either. The strong espresso flavour was accentuated by the bitterness of the dark chocolate shavings, and my life had never been so complete.
I found myself partaking in smaller bites to savour the tiramisu because that’s how good it was. Worth every cent, and I’d really like to thank the cafe for not disappointing.
L’Artelier TiramiSu: 6 Eu Tong Sen Street, Clarke Quay Central #B1-08/09, Singapore 059817 | Opening Hours: 12pm – 9pm (Mon to Thurs), 12pm – 10pm (Fri & Sat); 12pm – 7pm (Sun) | Tel: +65 9389 8582 | Website | Facebook
2. Supply & Demand
Another tiramisu I thoroughly enjoyed was the one at Supply & Demand. I’ll actually say that it’s a tie for first place, since the reason why I placed Supply & Demand’s tiramisu in second place was that I found the taste of alcohol present a tad too strong (I weak, sorry).
For $14, the serving in the jar was generous – unless you’re a glutton like me, it’s good to share between two. If you like alcohol, you’re gonna like the generous amount of coffee liqueur in this one.
It doesn’t mean that the other aspects of the tiramisu were compromised, however. The sponge cake was adequately drenched with espresso, which had great acidity and body (something I learned from a Barista Class, ahem) and the mascarpone cheese cream was an absolute dream to partake in.
Supply & Demand: 277 Orchard Road, #02-13/14 Orchardgateway, Singapore 238858 | Opening Hours: 12pm – 3pm, 6–10.30pm (Mon to Fri); 12pm – 10.30pm (Sat & Sun) | Tel: +65 6702 6218 | Website | Facebook | Instagram
1. The 1925 Brewing Co. Restaurant
Omg. Where do I begin with this? 1925 Brewing Co, you have my heart (and my wallet, but you can take the money).
The espresso in the Tiramisu ($12) was deep in flavour, and in terms of presence of liqueur, the creator of the recipe confides that he incorporated a bit of dark ale and coffee liqueur. How’s that for a Friday night snack?
Espresso cocoa powders the surface of the dessert, and the cherry on top is a piece of dark sea salt chocolate – the light saltiness highlighted the multitude of flavours in the cream.
10/10 would marry the person behind this tiramisu if it means I can have it for the rest of my life, but for now, visiting the cafe weekly is good enough for me.
The 1925 Brewing Co. Restaurant: 261 Joo Chiat Road Singapore 427515 | Opening Hours: 4pm – 1am (Tues to Sun, Closed on Mondays) | Tel: +65 6909 1425 | Website | Facebook | Instagram
