Pierre Marcolini is considered one of the finest patisseries/artisanal chocolate producers in all of Belgium. While I found their chocolates to be horrible for all the hype given them (see my chocolate review section), I have to admit that the patisserie itself is outstanding. The desserts are all beautiful and, though I only tasted one, it was delicious. You can even find some of the most highly prized desserts throughout Europe, as Marcolini himself is a world-renowned pastry chef and offers a few desserts that have either won the World Pastry Championship or the European Pastry Championship.

I, of course, had heard about Marcolini’s champion cakes, and it was in fact just to try his star creation, the 1995 champion of the World Pastry Championship, that I just had to come here. I’ve since forgotten the name, but the dessert itself was one of the most amazing I’ve ever eaten in my life. It was a dark chocolate cake, with a layer of crunch and a layer of cream in the middle, and it was surrounded by cookies. Its presentation was amazing—globular, perfectly crafted and clean like a smooth ball, and topped with a piece of gold leaf. It was perfectly sweetened, and each of the elements contributed a unique, satisfying flavor. It really deserved to be the world’s best pastry.

I really can’t say much about the overall quality of the bakery, since I had one treat, the winner of 1995 World Pastry Championship.

Overall Score for the dessert: 4.2+/5.0. Far more if you’re a lover of dark chocolate.

Like I’ve noted in my restaurants section, I stayed in Cuzco in Peru for a few days during my time abroad. Unfortunately, Cuzco isn’t exactly the greatest place for foodies, especially if you’re in the mood for sweets. In fact, I didn’t really see much of a Peruvian dessert scene, except for some unique-flavored ice cream and a few gelatin-like or mousse-like Peruvian concoctions. However, Cuzco, being more of a cosmopolitan city due to all the traffic it receives from travelers on the way to Macchu Picchu, has a market specifically catered to foreigners, and I was lucky enough to stumble across quite a gem of a bakery.

Granja Heidi is a cheap eats bakery/restaurant that specializes in healthy (and even some organic) eating. If you’re surprised, join the club—I never thought I’d find a health-conscious eatery in Peru. Even more surprising, though, is that, for such a health-conscious place that supposedly uses only the freshest and best ingredients, it churns out some pretty awesome, fatty cakes (though, to be fair, they are lighter than what you’d find at most bakeries). Moreover, the value is great—huge portions for low prices. None of that $7.50 a slice stuff that you get in Los Angeles. Now that’s my type of bakery!

The place itself is kind of bare-bones. Located in a small little building in the center of Cuzco, it really is just a bunch of tables and chairs, with very minimal decoration and not even a splash of color to really make it look interesting.  It’s definitely not the place I’d recommend going to for the vibe. But the food really delivers for something so cheap. While it’s not a phenomenal bakery, it was probably the best I ran into in Peru, and I really have no problems recommending it for cake, crepes, and perhaps even for healthy eating, but I really didn’t check that cuisine out. Be sure to check out the renowned Nelson Mandela Chocolate Cake if you do end up here!

What I had:

1. Nelson Mandela Chocolate Cake: Soft, fluffy crust, like zucchini bread. The chocolate is flavorful, and it’s perfectly sweet with a great touch of liquor for an added kick. And it only costs $2. Amazing deal! 4.3/5.0
2. “Sweet Dreams” (Milk w/ cinnamon and banana. Like a smoothie): Fantastic combo of flavors. Hot, thick, and not too sweet or fruity. Like a fruity cappuccino. I never thought the flavors would mix, but they do have a nice synergy. It’s a little light—that is, the milk tends to overshadow other flavors. But it’s nice nonetheless. 3.0/5.0
3. Crepe of toffee: Delicious! Large crepes, with a thin layer of toffee inside, meaning there is no overflow. Topped off with powerded sugar all over, so there’s plenty of sweetness to the crepe, but b/c there’s just a thin layer of toffee, the sweetness is just right, not cloying. The crepe is also perfectly made—smooth, soft, and fluffy. Great combo. 3.5/5.0
4. Marilyn Monroe Cake (fruit and whipped cream cake): Very light. Just cake with tons of fruit and a fruity (passion fruit?) cream. Very plain and monotonous. Fruitiness is the only thing that saves it, since the cream is lacking in flavor. And the cake part contributes almost nothing, though it’s not horrible. 1.5/5.0

Ambience: 1.2/5.0 (though ambience isn’t all that important for a place like this)
Taste: 3.5/5.0
Value: 4.5/5.0
Overall Score: 3.5/5.0

Wittamer is one of the most highly respected bakeries/artisanal chocolate producers in all of Belgium, being rivaled only by Pierre Marcolini. It offers a large variety of goods, from cakes to macaroons to baked goods. However, nothing here stood out as too great. You can see my review of their chocolates in my chocolate section, but here I’ll focus on a couple other things I tried:

What I’ve had:

1. Collection of 5 macaroons: The flavors really come through and are easy to identify—coffee, strawberry, dark chocolate, etc. Still, in general, they are rather bland. Sweet, but very boring, and they fail in comparison to French macaroons. 1.0/5.0
2. Specialty dessert—nut paste strings with cream, caramelized raisins, and a cookie crunch (I’ve forgotten the exact name): Very unique dessert. The crunch is great, as is the nuttiness and richness of the strings, but the whipped cream is bland, with almost no taste. There is also far too much of a sugary aftertaste. 2.5/5.0