So this is technically my first 'Restaurant Review' post (I do hope to do a few more of these....food fanatic emerging). I first discovered Sophie's back in 2013, tempted by the promise of delicious, healthy food. I was definitely not disappointed then, and on my more recent visits, they seem to have further expanded their menu and selection.
A couple of weekends ago I was on The Palm at Riva Beach Club in a last ditch attempt to obtain a tan before the close of summer. Sophie's cafe is conveniently located within the same building, and so obviously I was going to pop by and grab a tasty treat to complete my Friday Fun.
If you haven't been to Sophie's yet, it's a little oasis tucked away. At the counter there is a huge display of tantalisingly fresh, natural salads and 'restaurant-grown' wheatgrass ready to be pulverised into a shot for you. I've previously had breakfast there and delighted in a granola and yogurt bowl, with an organic, freshly squeezed carrot, orange and ginger juice.
Any way, this particular visit I had something sweeter in mind, and when I approached the large wooden table that displayed around 10 different pastries, cakes, tarts and snack bars, I actually had no idea what I wanted. Thanks to some help from the staff and (who I think was) one of the owners, I got it down to two options, and then thought 'Hell it's Friday' so got both.
The first was a pumpkin and chocolate loaf cake. I was informed it was vegan, gluten and lactose free, but contained some brown sugar. I was also advised to warm it up before tucking in. Oh. My. Word. I have never tasted any cake so moist. There was even a crunchy crust. I highly recommend getting your paws on this before they change their menu and you can't taste the glory. I'm actually planning on recreating this somehow, will keep you posted on that.
The second was a pumpkin and coconut tart because basically I will eat anything with coconut in it (I'm thinking because it's coming into Autumn, not that Dubai really has Autumn, they are putting a few pumpkin items on their menu). This tart was gluten, lactose and sugar free but it was DEEELISH. It was so creamy and the crust was light and flaky. Another highly recommended, especially if you're looking for a slightly healthier option. I was told it was made with mostly coconut milk and pumpkin puree, so basically you could eat it for breakfast!
Next time I visit Sophie's I'll make sure its for lunch, those salads looked too good to be true! And then I'll leave some room for that pumpkin and chocolate loaf because it's too good to only be eaten once in a lifetime.
V x
