Cafes / Reviews
The Parlour – cafe review
“Since 1974” say the enigmatic stickers adorning every window of The Parlour, which opened its doors on Cheltenham Road on Saturday.
I am told within that the dessert cafe is the brainchild of a local gelato-enthusiast, who is hoping to carry on a family recipe and legacy started by his grandfather decades ago.
“What is the difference between ice cream and gelato anyway?” says one sceptical customer. “It’s just proper, isn’t it?” his companion replies.
is needed now More than ever
I peruse the menu of waffles, pancakes and sundaes and order the classic lemon pancakes. I’m told I can choose a couple of scoops of gelato to go with it, so I swither between salted caramel and lemon meringue for an unacceptable amount of time before settling on the latter.
I’m somewhat underwhelmed when two pancakes arrive on a plate, fooled into expecting an American-sized portion thanks to the diner-esque interior and black-and-white tiles. My disappointment is soon curbed however when I notice the three huge scoops of lemon meringue-flavoured goodness that surround them.
The gelato is delicious. Creamy, sweet and with huge chunks of real meringue inside. I pretty much forget about the pancakes.
If you’re looking for good ice cream in a selection of flavours that put strawberry and chocolate to shame, The Parlour is your place – their other dessert-y offerings are really just to bulk out the menu. Stick to their specialty and you can’t go wrong.
243 Cheltenham Road, Bristol, BS6 5QP
0117 329 3620
www.facebook.com/dessertparlourbristol