Bakes By Bella has the best afternoon tea spread we've had so far! Priced at Rs. 3700 (+10% service charge) for two, this one arrives in a lovely 3-tier platter and is full of some uniquely crafted, delicious sweets and savouries. It's done pre-order basis only, so the reservations are highly recommended.
The Food
It's not a large spread, but an interesting one. There are 7 kinds of very sizable treats – plenty to leave you full. The bottom tier is packed with savouries – Shredded Chicken Toasts, Spinach & Feta Quiches and Shrimp Sliders.
We loved all of them. The toasts had this gorgeous brown hue on them, and were generously topped off with a pile of smoky, roast chicken as well as veggies. Creamy and cheesy in the middle, the quiche was light and broke off to buttery shards. And as for the shrimp sliders, they were fully stuffed with fat chunks of juicy shrimp. So good, so good!
Plus, much like their sweets, all the buns and breads are made in house as well, so everything tastes quite fresh.
This is the middle tier – scones, cream and preserve.
Light, fluffy and crumbling so delicately into pieces, the scones had a lovely golden-coloured exterior and a buttery middle. A good slathering of cream and preserve turn them into a moreish treat.
The top tier is comprised of Mini Passion Curd Cheesecakes, Berry Pavlova and Brownie & Mousse Petit Fours.
All three of them were brilliant. The mini passion curd cheesecakes were classic. They were loaded with super silky, deliciously tart, absolutely fruity passion fruit curd that drips all over like golden goo as you bite into the cheesecake. The base itself was airy and light as a feather, while the buttery biscuit base had this wonderful, slightly chewy texture.
We were totally mesmerised by the Berry Pavlovas. There's a light, delicate shell that gives off a nice crisp, and a marshmallow-like, melt-in-your-mouth kinda filling in the centre. Dressed up with a dollop of cream and berry compote, it's one satisfactory sweet treat to munch on.
The Brownie & Mousse Petit Fours gets our resounding approval as well. We enjoyed the fudgy, chocolaty base, as well as the super-smooth mousse on top.
Needless to say, everything goes very well with a warm, truly Ceylon cuppa served in fine china.
Ambience & Service
Bakes By Bella is a place that you can be yourself. It's cosy, comforting, welcoming and friendly. Such an amazing ambience to chill out, dive into a book and get some work done, all while enjoying some good food and drinks.
The service was excellent as usual. We placed our order by phone (0777445449), and the staff was quite helpful with the information. With properly worn masks, they maintained their distance among customers and each other.
Conclusion
Bakes By Bella's afternoon tea spread is the mark of perfection, really. We thoroughly enjoyed our experience, and are absolutely sure that you'd too.