Arc-en-ciel pâtisserie

After a half-satisfactory dinner, we decided to go for a good dessert to complete the night. My friend found this place serving artisanal desserts at Tanjong Pagar, and we quickly made our way there

Located along Neil Road, Arc-en-ciel pâtisserie specialises in French-inspired desserts aimed at making customers smile after seeing the pretty desserts. The entrance to the space is quite hidden on the 2nd storey, and we nearly missed it. You can access by the stairs at the side of Coffee Code

The minimalistic set-up is full of earthy woody tones from their rattan chairs to their sitting benches. The clean white design is enhanced with a couple of focal greens in potted plants in a designated spot to elevate the whole atmosphere

As we visited quite late, there were limited choices of dessert left for us to pick from, so we went with Laila, which is made of matcha, mango, black sesame and kinako. The cake itself was dense and creamy, which was great texture for mousse cakes. The balance of the bitterness of the matcha matched well with the mango, making it a dessert which is not overly sweet

We also had the matcha parfait, which was Laila in another form. You can see the black sesame used here as decorative powder, and the mango used as a mousse base for the matcha ice cream. With the same flavour profile as Laila, this version is a lot lighter as the main mousse cake was replaced with a bittersweet matcha ice cream. This was also a pretty dessert to eat as each flavour is deconstructed and can be eaten separately or together

The other cake we had was the Suzumi, which is made from passionfruit, raspberry and bits of mint, offering a refreshing flavour on hot afternoons. This was nice and refreshing with a sour, tangy flavour from the mint and passionfruit, and instead of a creamy mousse texture, it felt more like a thick pudding which melted in your mouth

One of us ordered the Uri Oolong, which came served in this pretty glass and was exquisitely decorated with flowers. The cocktail was a mix of oolong tea with gin, melon, and sparkling water. A very light flavoured cocktail, it gives the sweetness of melon and the crispness of gin altogether in one mouth. The only complaint is that the cup was hardly 2 to 3 mouthfuls

Overall, the atmosphere is serene and is great for relaxing and chilling as a personal hangout. It wasn’t really suitable for big groups of friends making loud noises, which breaks the tranquillity of the space. The desserts were also nice, creamy and on point for their flavours and most of their creations are unique and not seen elsewhere

Address: 37A Neil Rd, Second Floor, Singapore 088822

Opening hours: 1.30 pm to 5.30 pm Wed, Thu and Sun, 1.30 pm to 6 pm Fri and Sat. Closed on Mon and Tues