I had a really great experience here with my spouse and our friends. I am constantly on the hunt for the world's best espresso martini and Bittersweet has a lot of excellent coffee based alcoholic drinks. They also have really delicious regular desserts and weekly specials. I am really looking forward to returning and trying out additional drinks and desserts. read more

Bittersweet - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

Dessert was pretty good, not as fresh as I hoped for, but a nice taste for sure! Drink was good but the mint was not muddled for the mojito, just placed on top. So it was missing some flavor. Bartender was not very friendly (we asked 2 questions total - dessert recommendation and a fresh/lightly sweet/ not heavy drink with club soda or something similar. Was told, "nothing in the menu but I can make you something if you tell me what you want". Which is not rude of course, just missing the friendly and inviting element. Maybe it was just not a great day, which happens. Not a bad experience, just not quite what we expected. read more

Food: sweet tooth nation Service: fast, thorough, friendly Ambiance: cafe style I don't always come here for food but when I do I always get their creme brûlée. Gin and jam is my go to although I'll venture off to their seasonal cocktails that are bangers. Most importantly five stars for their staff, amazing people and is why I keep coming back read more

Bittersweet - Gin and jam - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

I've been here a couple of times and this place never really disappoints. They have the best after dinner craft cocktails downtown, so if you're having dinner and want something a little sweet, this is the place to go! I love their shot special, they let you pick and choose between the 5 shots they offer so if one doesn't interest you then you can get more of a different flavor. The only thing I will say is that this place can get really busy and you'll be pretty close to others if you have a neighboring table. read more

Bittersweet - Shot Special - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

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Worth the wait! Best desserts and drinks we had in raleigh. We got the gin and jam drinks-such a creative idea! Also fun to sit at the bar and see all the fun drinks being made read more

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While this still remains the only dessert bar in the downtown area, the menu and desserts are disappointing. I would only advise visiting for cocktails if you must. The staff is wonderful here, but the low quality manufactured desserts are not worth standing in line at all for. The idea of this place makes you want to fall in love but the dessert missed the mark for me each visit. The menu is very limiting with few options. It's time they work on this. Desserts are below the quality of Food Lion. Ordered now twice and received rock hard desserts that tasted terrible. Cake should be moist. They plate the desserts nicely but that's it. Seems like a tourist trap or Tik Tok Trap. read more

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Great desserts, good coffee, a nice laid back atmosphere and prompt/friendly service. My wife and I stopped in after some happy hour oysters and St Roch because we wanted something sweet. I had the buckeye pie (the pie special of the day) and my wife had the smores dessert along with a chilled coffee drink. Both desserts were fantastic, especially the brownie plus the ice cream on the s'mores dessert. We will definitely return. read more

Bittersweet - The s'mores dessert -- especially liked the ice cream - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

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I loved this place. My friend took me here when I was in town visiting on a Friday night. We were lucky enough to only wait a few minutes for a table but it was jammed packed! We had a great server who recommended some drinks for us and we split a cookie! It was delicious and the vibe of this place is awesome. I can't wait to go back when I'm in town again. read more

I have returned! This time I got the derby pie and the beautiful mess cake. Honestly, I don't think you could go wrong with any of bittersweet's desserts. Both were fantastic of course! My one critique (though won't knock a star of for): the cappuccino was very disappointing. It's that brand of bitter coffee that's meant to be sweetened but doesn't hold up on its own. (I feel like there's a pun somewhere in there.) Oh well, live and learn! read more

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I really LOVED it here -- and I don't even like dessert. Very busy though. To start, I wouldn't go here on a weekend night if you are easily overstimulated. The door was open when I was there, and so it was kind of cold and gusty by the entrance. It was really crowded and loud, and it was also kind of dark. I thought that was fun, but it might not be for everyone. As for the drinks, I love that this is a gin focused bar! I love gin. They also have other things, though, if you don't like gin. There is a huge variety of gins and different cocktails on the menu. I got a gin and jam, which is when they mix together your choice of gin and your choice of jam and then serve it with a spoon full of jam. I got raspberry jam, and it was really good! It wasn't overpowering in the drink though, because there was some lemon flavor as well. I'd get it again!!! The waitress did a great job of talking my through my choices, especially choosing the gin. The dessert I got was a pomegranate chocolate cake, and it was vegan!!!!! It tasted great and had a great texture. I loved that they added fresh pomegranate seeds on top. I'll probably be going back!!! read more

Bittersweet - Gin + Jam - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

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This is a great spot to go to for a nightcap, pregame, or a meet up with friends I happened upon it all by accident, and it was a great experience They offer outdoor seating The desserts are just as delicious as the drinks This place is a must try and needs to be on everyone's radar read more

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I really liked the atmosphere in this cocktail bar. My husband and I were able to get seats at the bar pretty quickly. We both got the iced toasted almond which was very good. We shared the s'mores sundae. The chocolate on top was kind of hard to eat, but it was a tasty dessert. I really liked the homemade marshmallow. It was a little pricey, so not somewhere I would go to often. read more

Bittersweet - Toasted almond and s'mores sundae - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

The ambience was nice, good service, my dessert was delish! I got a s'mores dish. It is a place definitely worth going for a special occasion or once in a while, but very crowded and a line out the door. It wouldn't be worth coming often. read more

Bittersweet - S'more dessert - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

Great date place to swing by for dessert and cocktails. The staff was friendly and checked on us to make sure our drinks and dessert were good. Other things to add: It can be a bit noisy depending on the crowd. There was a line as we left so be prepared to wait a little bit if you don't show up before 8pm on a rainy Friday read more

Bittersweet - Ice Cream for 2 plus cocktails - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

Second Times the Charm? Yes, this place never misses. The beauty in this place with the dimmable lighting, beautiful bar and cozy environment really sells this place. My partner & I had a great time! We ordered our classic favorites BUT added the smores dessert this time around and I was impressed. Had a great time with out bartender named Breddy, "like Brittany but two D's" and we had a blast. Loved how authentic she was and also explored some interesting ingredients with the expresso martini. Definitely worth trying this place! You'll spread the word and keep coming back for more! read more

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Wonderful dessert and drink menu. Close walk to downtown theaters. Why do you make it so hard by requiring 85 characters

Perfect place for dessert and cocktail people! Though it can get really busy (line to get in). I like their gin and jam and their Irish coffee, and the derby pie is always good. read more

I've been to Bittersweet a few times now, had a few desserts, and drinks. They do not disappoint for either. They make all their desserts in house, and last weekend I sat at the bar and saw them making one of their sundaes. They put the marshmallow on the plate, and then use a little torch to toast it. This is indicative of how they approach all their menu items - with real care and pride. They are now participating in the Sip and Stroll drinks, so you can walk up to their window to get those. They also make several coffee inspired drinks which I can't wait to try! Would also add, they serve regular coffee as well so Bittersweet could be a great post dinner dessert and coffee date even if you're not looking for drinks. read more

Bittersweet - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

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I wish I had a spot like this at home! My husband wanted an espresso martini and I wanted something sweet. It was the perfect spot to kick off our NYE festivities. read more

Bittersweet - Peppermint espresso martini, the Medic, and Crème Brûlée - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

Had to wait in line but worth it. Sat at the bar and it was entertaining to watch the bartenders make drinks and prepare the desserts. I couldn't stop talking about the s'mores pie for weeks and I'm not even a big marshmallow fan. Will definitely be back! read more

Bittersweet - S'mores pie - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

I always have a good experience whenever I visit Bittersweet. This place is right across the street from my favorite restaurant, so me and my friends stop in here pretty often. I love the dim lighting and how lively it can be. There's always a line out the door and the desserts are just too good. I always get the creme brulee if they have it, last time they had a sweet potato creme brulee and a pumpkin creme brulee for the fall and I ordered TWO because they were delicious. My friends all got the s'mores sundae and I was impressed by the presentation of the dessert - the toasted marshmallows and the dark chocolate on top looked amazing. I'll always find an excuse to talk about this place! read more

This place is great! I got the toasted almond coffee cocktail and derby pie. The derby pie is really great. It's a chocolate and pecan pie and has really nice flavors and tastes like it was made fresh. I recommend this as a nice place to get drinks before dinner or after work. read more

Bittersweet - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

Let me start with " I love bittersweet" and the entire concept of dessert & cocktails. Bittersweet serves up one of best desserts in Raleigh. I usually get their S'mores Sunday that comes with a Valrhone Dark Chocolate Brownie and Vanilla Ice cream topped with torched marshmallow cream. The dark chocolate brownie and the marshmallow cream makes this dessert unique. It doesn't stop there, Bittersweet is also known for their great selection of Gins. If you are a gin lover, you need to go to Bittersweet. Gin not your thing? No worries, Bittersweet has some great cocktails as well. My favorite is the Fireside Old Fashioned. It's not your typical old fashioned. It has a smoky flavor and a kick to it. read more

Great energy, this would be the perfect date place. Not a lot of pressure, cozy atmosphere, delicious shareable desserts and bespoke cocktails. I was in town for work, and was able to stop by and try this place for myself. If you aren't wanting to go the alcoholic beverage route, they also have great coffee's! read more

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The pie was good and my glass stayed full of water. That would be an easy 5 stars! However, not sure of this practice of "keeping the change" despite me not saying they could lol. I paid in cash and instead of giving me change/coins they gave me bills and kept the change. Kinda wild as I would think paying in cash would be valued more than with a credit card, but it's as though I got charged MORE because I paid with cash. As someone that works hard for my money I'd rather not have a business keep money that's owed to me because they don't want to bother with my quarter and a dime. So in the future if I were to order something and not pay the full bill is that stealing??? Why is it the consumer seems to get the short end of the stick in this situation. I enjoy their derby pie but won't be returning again. read more

Such a cute place with a beautifully crafted dessert menu! I got the beautiful mess cake and it was stunning! I will say it looks better than it tasted, but it was still an enjoyable experience to visit :) read more

Bittersweet - Beautiful mess cake - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

I absolutely LOVE coming here for dessert. My husband and I came one Saturday night to enjoy a great mix of cocktails and fun desserts. I ordered the espresso martini (SO GOOD) and wish I had ordered a second. My husband ordered Saturn Returns with iced Jasmine green tea, honey, lemon, black rose tea, grapefruit, rye whiskey, St Germain's Elderflower liqueur, Empress 1908 gin, crushed ice, mint, and an edible flower. He thought the flavors were a bit bland herby and had way too much ice. For dessert, I ordered the Dirt & Worms (adults only), which had a delicious dark chocolate-espresso cremeux base topped with with Makers Mark bourbon whipped cream, crunchy chocolate "dirt", edible flowers, whiskey meringue mushrooms, and house-made gummy worms (made with Luxardo cherry liqueur and Malfy gin). My husband ordered the S'mores Sundae, which ended up being the best of the desserts we both ordered. The torched house-made marshmallow cream was gooey, the Valrhona dark chocolate brownie was dense, the vanilla ice cream was heavenly, and the toasted graham crackers were perfect. For our third drink, we got an iced Pirate Coffee with Kraken black spiced rum, cream of coconut, coffee, whipped cream, and cinnamon. It was pretty tasty. We also got desserts to go (yes, they were that good). We brought home a carrot cake cupcake and Antoinette's Big Southern Wedding (lemon pound cake finger sandwiches filled with coffee & mascarpone buttercream, organic strawberries and cocoa nib crumble, edible flowers). Both were amazing! read more

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The Drinks! The Sweets! I have a favorite place to go in Raleigh now and it's here. Highly recommend the Gin &Jam. Create a drink adventure with over 80 ! Gins to choose from. Knowledgeable staff helps with the difficult decisions. read more

Amazing cocktails, coffee, & desserts. The only thing I was unhappy about was how loud they have the music. It's a dessert bar, not a night club.. very difficult to have a conversation in here. Anyway, we ordered some delicious things! I am of course obsessed with pumpkin & their fall menu is out so I tried their pumpkin pie martini & pumpkin pie brûlée. The cocktail was phenomenal! Tasted like pumpkin pie in a glass! My pumpkin brûlée was a surprising mixture of flavors! The plate came with fresh whipped cream & spiced pecans. The filling was like pumpkin pie with crunchy sugar. It was amazing! The pecans actually had some spicy flavor like chili peppers. Very interesting and delicious combination. My friend got the apple pie donut cobble & surprise had bacon in it! Didn't like that flavor in it, so they should ditch the bacon. But the rest was good. If you want unique desserts & drinks, check this place out! read more

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Bittersweet was super awesome! Just how I imagined it to be after hearing the name. This place was jammed pack but we were lucky to get a slim table in the middle of the floor.The drink menu was fantastic! It included so many unique drinks and options. I was too full to order dessert but everything on the menu sounded delicious! I went with the watermelon drink and it tasted exactly like what it sounded like. I believe we took a shot that tasted like chocolate cake and a pineapple one. Both were good! Service was top notch! Respect! read more

This is a beautiful bar that has high end cocktails and excellent desserts. That's why we came. It did not disappoint. The drinks were very good. While I've been disappointed with s'more desserts in the past this one was the best I'll ever eat. Thankfully no trace of Nutella. The chocolate brownie base taste more like a flourless chocolate torte. Topped with 3 delicate scoops of ice cream, crowned with dark chocolate tuile nests, and ringed with a torched marshmallow foam. Yummy. The espresso martini pairs better with the dessert. The key lime martini is better as a stand-alone drink (cloyingly sweet with a dessert). Drinks were very well made, just small portions. read more

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BLUF: Raleigh needs more dessert bars! Everytime I drive/walk by Bittersweet I think it's some swinging club because there's always a long out the door with someone checking ID. To my surprise, it's a dessert bar! Cool! We're a party of five, waited in line for about 20 minutes on a Friday night. Not bad. Unfortunately, the group didn't coordinate and three of the four desserts we got were the S'mores Sundae. I got the sole different dessert, the raspberry mousse. With my personal preference to a tart-sweet dessert, the s'mores dessert with their made-in-house marshmallows was way too sweet. The marshmallows made up at least 40% of the dish. Still an interesting establishment. Will definitely go back, grab some gin cocktails, and try other desserts. We did kind of walk away thinking, that downtown Raleigh needs another dessert bar like this. read more

Bittersweet - Raspberry-Chocolate Mousse - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

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Had to satisfy a sweet craving late at night, and found this dessert lounge. They offered desserts, sweet mixed drinks, coffee drinks and small bites. They seem to be a big hot, because the placed filled up super fast. I ordered a coffee martini and the smores sunday. The drink was perfect and not to sweet and delicious. The sunday was devoured eagerly by my 5yr old. Can't wait to go back. read more

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Absolutely our go to place on Friday night after dinner for dessert and amazing drinks. They serve Counter Culture local coffee which is phenomenal. This place is immaculate and BarTender is on point. We absolutely love Preddy. The desserts are on point and always over the top. Amazing. Best place for coffee drinks ambience. Our go to place. read more

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i love the concept of this place & how popular it is! there's almost always a line waiting to get in & there's many indoor/outdoor seating too. the staff were super friendly, we really appreciated everyone for their patience & helpfulness! i saw a lot of people order the espresso martini & i've always wanted to try a coffee drink & it was so good! my friends got the saturn return & toasted almond which looked so good as well. one ended up ordering a splash of grapefruit juice towards the end of her drink & they were so considerate! i also tried another drink afterwards, which was the bittersweet aviation, it was super floral & had such an amazing flavor to it! moving on to the desserts! omygod we had such a hard time deciding! my friend was deciding between the lemon tart or the strawberry creme pie but ended choosing the later since it was only available on friday & saturday. i had my eye on the blueberry lavender creme brûlée because how can anyone pass up on that combination?? our other friend decided with the s'mores sundae, which wasn't her favorite, but they were all decorated so uniquely & so aesthetically pleasing! overall, the service was great, the drinks were amazing, & the desert were superb! even though it was really popping towards later into the night, they weren't lacking at all. i love how there's hooks underneath the table to hang our purses & bags. even though the streets can get very noisy, i thought it was still very intimate & really easy to continue your focus on your peers or whoever! read more

Bittersweet - espresso martini, toasted almond, saturn returns - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

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Great place! Friendly service, great vibe - fun drinks and delish desserts. It's a splurge, but we had a blast. If you get there after after 8:45pm, be prepared to wait in line. A must try In Raleigh! read more

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Bittersweet really is one of the most underrated, "hidden in plain sight" destinations in Downtown Raleigh. From their complex and distinct cocktail menu to their extensive specialty gin menu (they're known for gin/gin cocktails) to the out of this world dessert menu, Bittersweet is the kind of place that you can't wait to eat and drink your way through the entire menu. Champagne & Gummy Bears is one of my favorite cocktails on the menu and I haven't had a dessert I didn't like. It's an intimate space for seating indoors but there's also outdoor sidewalk seating/standing space. Staff is always attentive but relaxed; you're never rushed and never forgotten. Love stopping in--it's more than worth it every time! read more

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I cannot recommend this place more!! I've been here several times and had a great experience each time! The desserts and drinks are all top tier and the ambiance is amazing! I love ending my night here! We got the s'mores sundae and cookie sandwich which was delicious! The popcorn that came with the cookie sandwich was kind of weird and stale but overall the dish was amazing! Would highly recommend it! The s'mores sundae was incredible! Very sweet but so delicious! The espresso martini was one of the best! Would highly recommend this place for a sweet treat and when out in downtown Raleigh! read more

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What a gem. I was in town for work this weekend so of course stalked all the cocktail bars, and this is one that came up as "best of." Sure was. First off, it's a Gin and dessert bar (they have a full bar and beer and whine, but are known for their exquisite Gin list. Secondly, they specialize in sweet treats and well, and If I lived here I'd be all over this, all day every day. So we arrived upon opening at 20m in a Sunday, and the staff greeted us warmly. After checking out the menu and recommendations from our server, I settled on their specialty, a "Gin and Jam." Which, infuses delicious flavored jams in with one of their select Gins. I did a lemon flavored gin with raspberry jam, and oh my what a treat. It was so delicious, and comes with an extra scoop of jam to either eat or mix in with the drink. I didn't mix, for fear of way too much sweetness. We ordered the s'mores sundae and the bourbon pecan pie....the sundae was sort of a deconstructed one and was outstanding. The marshmallow and graham crumble was outstanding. I didn't try the bourbon, but the smell was so delicious and my family raved over it. If I am ever back in the area, I'm in. Staff was so super friendly, ambiance was so laid back and relaxing, and menu is just on point. A great place to check out!! read more

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Honestly, you can't go wrong here. I needed a sugar fix this weekend and this place was open until 12am. There was a small wait (10 min) and we were seated inside. Outdoor seating is available as well. It's a cool concept on sweet treats from cupcakes to alcohol and ICE CREAM SANDWICHES! I had an espresso martini, which was amazing ! I also tried their pumpkin cupcake. Delicious , the thing I liked the most is the food was fresh. The cupcake was soooo soft, like it was just made and cooled. The icing was perfect. The drinks and food are overpriced, but honestly for the experience and the ambiance it's worth it for a once in a while treat. read more

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