We realized we eat a lot of tiramisu. Like, a lot. We combed through photos of the past few months and discovered that we consumed a whopping 37 tiramisu desserts in the last 100 days. That’s an average of one tiramisu every three days. Which is in addition to all the other desserts we consume. 

You’re either disgusted or impressed. We hope it’s the latter. 

Let’s talk tiramisu. While many believe this is a traditional Italian dessert, with recipes passed down from nonno to nonno across generations, they’re wrong. The first appearance of tiramisu in print form was in an Italian cookbook in 1980; most believe it wasn’t invented until the late 1960s or early 1970s.

Its exact origins are contested, but whether it was first created in Treviso or Veneto makes little difference to those of us who initially heard of it in the 1993 classic Sleepless in Seattle.  

This chocolate and coffee-forward confectionary sees a base of coffee (or coffee liqueur) soaked ladyfinger biscuits interlaced with a thick, semi-sweet mascarpone cream. A light dusting of cocoa on top adds a gentle bitterness to counteract the dessert’s natural sweetness. We have a bias towards it being served cold. 

Does this list cover every tiramisu offering in the city? Not even close. Contracting gout isn’t exactly our top goal in 2021. Hell, we didn’t even include behemoths like Starbucks, Aldi or Costco because our stomachs hit a sugar breaking point. Nonetheless, here is probably the most exhaustive tiramisu list for a particular city ever compiled, organized alphabetically.  

Acqua | RMB58

Served in a bowl with fresh fruits and a white chocolate disk, Acqua’s sweeter alternative to Tiramisu leans towards the sugary end of the spectrum, despite the stronger coffee flavor. Denser than most of its counterparts, the cream is less mascarpone-like and more similar to everyday whipped cream, dolloped atop a compact cake. 

Alimentari | RMB35

Presented in a jar, the Alimentari Tiramisu is standard without being standout. All of the key components are there – lady finger cookies, whipped mascarpone, dusted cocoa powder –but the cream leans towards the overly saccharine side. We want more lady fingers and it just pales in comparison to some of the other desserts on the menu, like the tart lemon cake and cannoli. 

Azul Italiano | RMB88

The Fallen Garden is Azul Italiano’s spin on tiramisu in the most whimsical of forms. A chocolate 'flower pot' is packed with a Marsala wine-infused tiramisu, with cream dusted 'chocolate dirt' spilling out onto the plate. Mushroom-shaped meringue, fresh fruit, mint and berry sorbet garnish the splattered garden. In Chef Will Colmenares’ true fashion, diners can break open the pot with a golden hammer served on the side, grab a chocolate shard and use it to dip in the tiramisu shrubbery. 

La Baracca | RMB48

The best desserts are cold and wet, and La Baracca’sTiramisu fits the bill. A generously-sized jar reveals heavily coffee liqueur-soaked lady fingers that ooze out liquid with each forkful. Alternating stratum of dense mascarpone and sweetened dark cocoa make a balanced bite, in both texture and flavor. 

BISOU | RMB58
 

Dessert at BISOU spans the usual suspects, but our recommended selection is Mama’s Tiramisu. Made according to the chef’s mom’s secret recipe, the unassuming pot reveals an expertly balanced version of this customarily Italian dessert within the first scoop. Cakey lady fingers soaked in strong coffee are interspersed with hefty, cold layers of lightly sweetened mascarpone cream, a delicate equilibrium of flavors that is so easily thrown off-kilter, but hits every mark here. 

Brut Eatery | RMB28

A sad excuse for Tiramisu, Brut Eatery serves up a perfectly square, semi-frozen, tasteless cream atop an equally bland, thin slice of coffee cake. It’s so texturally hard that a spoon can’t simply cut off a piece – something you’d never expect from a commonly soft dessert. What is even harder is swallowing said morsel without wanting to go elsewhere to satisfy your tiramisu craving. 

Casa Mia | RMB48

The first flavor that hits your lips with Casa Mia’s Tiramisu is opulent dark chocolate, which pervades throughout the entire dessert as the predominant flavor. It’d be better to just call it what it is, a Chocolate Tiramisu, something that may – in fact – be even more enticing than the standard tiramisu it is advertised as. The lady fingers are well saturated, with a favorable ratio of cookie/cake to cream – something we tend to prefer as textured dessert lovers. Served cold, as it should be, the portion is what you would expect – the only surprise being the lingering cocoa, something that overpowers even the usually more dominant flavors like coffee.

Chocoholic | RMB16

Do yourself a favor and do not order Chocoholic’s Tiramisu. Ever. It is a travesty to call this a tiramisu; an attack on all other tiramisus. Picture this: a cup of hot chocolate is mixed with a Captain Morgan rum-soaked marshmallow – last time we checked, marshmallows don’t belong in tiramisu – overly bitter coffee jellies, a crumble of pecan cookies and from-the-can whipped cream. Why? Just why? It’s like they purposely got everything about tiramisu wrong and still were like, ‘Fuck it, let’s call it a tiramisu. People will buy it.’ No. No they won’t. 

Crave Café & Wine Bar | RMB25

The reinvented Tiramisu Danish at Crave is piped onto a flaky log-like Danish, encasing a coffee-laced caramel spread. Sweet and delicate, our only grievance is that we want to taste the coffee more in something that calls itself tiramisu, especially when served at a coffee shop. 

D.O.C Gastronomia Italiana | RMB80

D.O.C’s Tiramisu is flawless, textbook tiramisu perfection. The ‘big scoop’ style of presentation is rustic and inviting; heavy layers of liqueur-soaked ladyfinger cake alternate with ultra-lush sweetened mascarpone cream. A dusting of bitter cocoa powder on top coupled with the noticeable boozy coffee flavoring offsets the sweetness. We would never usually pair the word “juicy” with cake, but that’s the only way to describe the Kahlua explosion that results from each bite. 

Les Élites | RMB58

Les Élites is YUM! Brands first upscale restaurant, where you swap out the usual KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell for steak, pasta and seafood. The Tiramisu Magic Cup is a 'secret garden' version of a tiramisu, served inside a chocolate wafer-covered stemless wine glass. Pour a small bowl of hot chocolate liquid over the top to melt the wafer open, revealing a terrain of Belgian lotus cookies, espresso mousse, coffee jelly, raspberry jam and dollops of marshmallow fluff. Crafty in both presentation and ingredients, this is more like a summer evening s'mores meets tiramisu.

Frasca | RMB88

Classic in every sense of the meaning, Frasca’s Tiramisu resembles that of DOC in presentation and execution, since the two were created by the same chef years ago. However, Frasca’s version is much lighter – in both mascarpone cream and ladyfinger texture – with a lower sugar content. A stronger Italian espresso aroma cuts through the richness for the ultimate balance, making it enjoyable for those who are dessert fanatics and those who aren’t.  

Henkes | RMB68

Combining French and Italian desserts – arguably two of the world’s tastiest – Henkes’ Mille-feuille Tiramisu sees flaky puffed pastry interspersed with rippling globules of tangy mascarpone cream. Refreshing berries and a dusting of cocoa powder adorn the top of this fusion treat. Despite having no lady fingers or coffee aroma, the crisp coarseness of the mille-feuille ‘thousand-layer’ pastry sheets add a welcoming crunch, making it more memorable despite being unconventional.  

In Dough We Trust | RMB42-48

Similar to sour cream, the overly sweet whipped mascarpone serves as the majority of In Dough We Trust’s traditional Tiramisu (RMB42). Lacking any semblance of booze and coffee flavor, the texture is also minimally varied with not much in the way of lady finger biscuits. We understand that the dessert is meant to be consumed with coffee at this Yongkang Lu café, yet that doesn’t mean an extra heap of sugar is called for in the recipe. 

On the other hand, the less mainstream Berry Tiramisu (RMB48) is like the lovechild of a strawberry shortcake and a tiramisu. Refreshingly tart, the sweetness here is balanced by sour raspberries and tangy frosting-like cream that pairs better with the red fruits than it does with cocoa. 

Jeju Izakaya | Part of Set Dinner Menu

Dessert at Jeju Izakaya rotates with the monthly menu, so if you’re lucky enough to get Tiramisu, you’ve officially won for the evening. Light and spiced, this fairly classic take on the Italian dessert is more refined, to match the award-winning ambiance without the heft. 

Khan Chacha | RMB68

The most creatively successful twist on a tiramisu we have seen to date comes in the form of the Alphonso Mango & Coconut Tiramisu at Khan Chacha. Coffee liqueur is swapped out for saccharine coconut-flavored Malibu rum that seeps into the ladyfinger base, swaddled in a coconut cream mascarpone whip and thin slivers of fresh Alphonso mangoes. Sweetened coconut flakes, crunchy pistachios and aromatic rose adorn the top of this chilled, refreshing dessert.

Klay | RMB38

An Amaretto and Kahlua-soaked gulab jamun (India’s answer to a donut hole) serves as Klay’s Tiramisu’s base, fitting in the “elevated Indian” fashion that this restaurant is famous for. Draped in a thick cream, the bowl is topped with a cocoa-coated Krispie crumble for a crunchy contrast.

M Stand | RMB48

We wanted to dislike M Stand’s Tiramisu purely because their gimmicky edible cup lattes epitomize everything we dislike about wanghong Dianping cult favorites. (Why pay extra for a mediocre coffee in a cup made to taste like a flavorless, dry butter cookie? Just give us a damn cookie separate from a coffee for the same price. Ok, stepping off the soapbox...) However, the tiramisu redeems the brand: it’s cold, it’s moist with high quality cocoa powder that finds the perfect spot on the spectrum between bitter and sweet. We do prefer our tiramisu to have that booze-forward kick, which this tiramisu lacked, but the strong, freshly brewed coffee prevalent in every bite makes up for it – something we expect from a coffee shop. 

La Matcha | RMB38

A Japanese take on this Italian favorite, La Matcha offers the Matcha Tiramisu, stacked with a crumbly buttery matcha cake bottom, matcha whipped cream, another layer of cake, and then foamy, light whipped cream on top dusted with sweet cocoa powder. Albeit untraditional, the slight bitterness that would customarily come from coffee is present here in the form of earthy Kyoto matcha powder with just the right hint of sweetness. Overall, the dessert is balanced with a great textural contrast and – most importantly – portable in a plastic to-go container. 

Mercato | RMB78

Like a fluffy, exploding marshmallow, Mercato’s interpretation of Tiramisu is unorthodox in the tastiest of ways. Two lady finger biscuits are piped into circles and painted with a pastry brushing of Italian espresso and coffee liqueur, rather than soaked in the caffeinated alcohol mixture. Filled to the brim with a towering cloud of airily light, whipped mascarpone cream, the made-fresh-daily sandwich-style version of this confection is adorned with dark cocoa powder and micro-planed 80% chocolate. 

MicagPOP | RMB40-48

A Tiramisu Latte (RMB40) isn’t too hard to find these days, but MicangPop’s version is essentially half an actual tiramisu on top of a coffee. Really the only thing missing is the soaked lady finger base (and booze, if you’re addicted to the sauce) making it a sugar high in addition to a caffeine hit.

Layered to mimic an actual tiramisu, dark cocoa powder dusts a swirl of luscious whipped cream that rests on iced dark roast coffee above a thin pour of whole milk. Mix everything together, and you’re truly ending up with all the flavors of tiramisu. 

A lot of sweet cream without lady fingers works in a drinkable tiramisu latte, but gets boring real fast when you’re expecting an actual tiramisu – one that, in the case of the Tiramisu Bear (RMB48), is pretty much all just cream. Although it’s one of the top-rated items on Dianping – most likely for the squishy bear face cake that sits on top – we suggest just buying said bear face cake on its own for RMB12 instead. 

Ignoring the less-than-average tiramisu – to our dismay – the bear cake is lemon-flavored, like a moist lemon poppy seed muffin – sans poppy seed – with a chocolate frosting painted face. Has citrus every paired well with tiramisu? Nope. And it sure as sh*t doesn’t here. 

Mikaku | RMB48

Perhaps the best damn combination of desserts available to mankind, Mikaku throws together the wanghong favorite Japanese soufflé pancakes with Italian tiramisu as the Tiramisu Soufflé. We’re talking a triple stack of quite possibly the best rendition of these cloud-like cakes found in the entire city smothered in a velvety layer of whipped cream and a dusting of cocoa, plus a side of honeycomb candy, for just 48 flipping kuai. WTF. But you wait for it. At least 30 minutes for an order, and that’s assuming there’s a seat, which there usually isn’t. Just quit your job and spend your first day off there. Problem solved. Worth it. 

Mr Willis | RMB68

Pastries are a Craig Willis’ specialty and the Tiramisu at Mr Willis is no exception. Exemplary and timeless, this is what you want when the tiramisu craving hits. Served cold, the buttery mascarpone layers are interspersed with well-soaked, coffee-forward lady fingers. Rustic in appearance, each bite is utter homey and indulgent comfort. Bonus, the same dessert is available downstairs at La Strada too. 

O’Mills | RMB42

Despite being completely vegan with zero added sugar, the O’Mills’ Vegan Tiramisu is one of the standouts on this list. The base cake is made from almonds and wheat flour, rather than the traditional lady finger cookies. Naturally sweetened with maple syrup and monk fruit – a zero calorie extract made from Southeast Asian monk fruit that can be up to 250 times as sweet as sugar – the dessert is quite moist through the use of ingredients like coconut oil, coconut cream and cashew cream. 

Pass Residence | RMB68

Strong and ultra-boozy, the Pass Residence version of Tiramisu is dark and thick in all the right ways. Instead of cookies, a dense cake made from semolina flour reminds us of a tres leches in that the cake really is the star. Equally rich cream ribbons its way around said cake, coated in a liberal dusting of dark cocoa. 

Pici | RMB48

Pedestrian is the only way to describe Pici’s Tiramisu. It’s as forgettable as the Joe Schmoe water cup it’s served in. Minimal cake, overly sweet, lacking any noteworthy undertones of coffee, booze or bitter cocoa, the calories aren’t worth the consumption. That being said, the Panna Cotta (RMB48) is better, but with pastas as excellent as they are at Pici, we suggest just skipping dessert altogether and going for another main.

Pop American Brasserie | RMB75

A colorful spin on tiramisu, Pop’s Red Velvet Tiramisu is a deconstructed take, with the addition of red velvet sponge cake cubes and raspberry coulis. A separate ‘tiramisu ball’ perches on top, stuffed with raspberry jelly, while balsamic vinegar-marinated strawberries add an extra hit of red. Coffee ice cream ties in an important aspect of tiramisu, but most other main components are replaced by different ingredients, making it a stretch for some to call it an actual tiramisu. Despite that, we’d still go for another serving, regardless of what it is called. 

Popot Tiramisu | RMB38

Packaged in an eco-friendly jar (like everything else here), and topped with small, pink edible flowers, the real pull for Popot’s Tiramisu is the ‘cute factor.’ The majority of the pot is filled with homemade whipped cream, with a thin layer of airy cake and a slight taste of coffee. The light sprinkle of cocoa powder on top is sweet, making it even more appealing to the younger Instagram and Douyin generation, rather than the diehard true Italian tiramisu fiends. 

La Scala | RMB88

Served free-flow style out of a giant metal tray, the Tiramisu at La Scala is just plopped on your plate, like your grandma would do as you protest to eating too much, knowing full well that you will easily devour it... and probably opt for a second spoonful. This tiramisu tastes like home cooking, and really embodies the family style atmosphere of the entire restaurant. It’s archetypal Italian, with a moist lady finger ‘cake,’ lush whipped mascarpone cream cut by acidic coffee, a sprinkle of cocoa powder and a topper in the form of a thin chocolate sheet for added textural crunch. Every time we visit, we commend ourselves for not losing control and finishing the entire tray (meant to serve the whole restaurant). Gotta celebrate the little wins. 

Scarpetta | RMB98

For all the coffee-aholics, the Patron Tiramisu (RMB98) at Scarpetta satisfies those caffeinated cravings, matched with an extra strong hit of chocolate and tequila. Soaked in Patron Café, the agave sweet booziness is balanced by the luscious layers of whipped zabaglione – or heated egg yolk and sugar cream – Italian biscuits and single origin shaved chocolate on top. 

Similar to an espresso martini, the Tiramisu Old Fashioned (RMB98) is a sippable dessert made from Reserva Exclusiva rum, coffee liqueur, caramel syrup and Italian espresso. The strong coffee undertones pair with a hint of orange citrus and rounded rum warming sweetness. Creamy without being heavy, the kick of caffeine helps get the evening going. 

Seve | RMB78

Like La Scala, Seve’s Tiramisu is similarly homestyle, made in a large serving tray and sliced to order. Very classic, the Italian ladyfingers are soaked in bold Italian espresso and marsala wine, then dolloped with a textbook tiramisu cream made from mascarpone, plus pasteurized egg whites and a sugar syrup. The sumptuous coffee aroma and perfectly balanced proportion of flavorful yet light cream to ladyfinger cookie base makes this one of our top choices on the entire list.  

Smaka | RMB38

Instead of the usual tiramisu dessert, which Smaka has on offer for RMB46, we opted for the Tiramisu Latte, a warming sip for a rainy afternoon. This was a mistake. There’s nothing particularly wrong with the latte, just nothing particularly right. It tastes essentially like any other standard latte, albeit with a hint of vanilla and a dusting of cocoa powder. If we wouldn’t have known it was specifically a tiramisu latte, we never would have put it on this list. That being said, Smaka is known for its pastries, so the verdict on the actual dessert is still out. 

Suzu | RMB120

Up the hooch, remove the cake, keep sugar levels the same and you end up with Suzu’s Tiramisu Flip – a dark cocoa powder-topped sweet dessert martini. Served with a lady finger cookie, we prefer to drop it directly into the libation’s creamy base so it soaks all the ingredients up and results in exactly what we want out of a tiramisu dessert in drinkable form. 

Totino Panino | RMB40

Why, Totino Panino, do you serve that lackluster alternative of Tiramisu? We love everything about you – from your ‘Support Local’ attitude to your beyond stellar sandos, but you’re tiramisu tastes weirdly manufactured, like if Hostess or Little Debbie made an individually-wrapped snack in the 80s. The ‘mascarpone’ cream is dense and tangy, with a texture and flavor resembling overly-sugared and hardened cream cheese frosting. The lady fingers aren’t any better, bordering on dry with exactly 0% coffee flavor. We understand that you import yours via distributor from Italy, but when stacked up against other ‘true Italian’ tiramisus around the city, there is no competition. We’ll take a second sandwich instead, please.