Oriole Cafe & Bar

Oriole Coffee launched its 3C's Promotion: Coffee, Caramel and Chocolate. It's a collection of drinks and desserts made from this particular trinity of sin. This special menu is only valid from May 14 to July 15, and will help take you to the next level of indulgence (and weighing scale too).

I popped by their HQ outlet wedged between 313 Somerset and Pan Pac Service Apartments, the small outdoor street outside 313 Somerset where you can find many other al-fresco dining places and watering holes. This is no Starbucks; it is a cafe and bar which also serves main courses, finger food and alcohol and it's a nice place to catch up with friends or just watch the world outside go by. This is also not a self service joint, so prices are subject to additional service charge and GST.

This is part of their 3Cs menu- Bernini at Sea ($10.50++). It is a brownie served with a macadamia sea salt ice cream garnished with caramel sauce and a shot of Baileys. The brownie is not bad- it has a nice crusty, crunchy, almost cookie like texture that isn't too dry. Pairs very well with the fabulous macadamia sea salt ice cream which contains lots of crushed macadamia bits and biscuit crumbs. I wasn't sure what the shot of Baileys was for actually, and I speculated it could be an after dessert drink included to justify the $10 price tag or to satisfy alcoholics. I actually had both brownie and alcohol separately and thought the brownie dish could do without the extra shot of Baileys. It was only after talking to Jasper (Six&Seven) did I realise what the Baileys was for. You're supposed to POUR IT OVER the brownie! Absolutely DUH right? Wished the service staff had told me how to enjoy this dish properly; I pay service charge one hor.

Oriole is also famous for its blend of coffee and I had their Piccolo Latte ($5.80++) from their regular menu. So here is a mini crash course on coffee: Cafe Macchiato is espresso with small amount of milk. Cafe Latte is espresso with lots of milk. Piccolo Latte is somewhere in between, where 1 part steamed milk (or more) is mixed into 1 part espresso, perfect for anyone who wants a balance of coffee and milk flavours. I favour this concoction as I was able to detect the fragrant coffee notes which were not overwhelmingly diluted by milk. I should have asked them to serve the coffee after the dessert as the coffee is best enjoyed when it's freshly brewed, not after it's left to cool while I attacked the dessert.

There something for everyone here. Satisfy your inner alcoholic/coffee-holic/chocoholic/sugar junkie with their 3C menu. Coffee is definitely the main draw of this place and with so much care that goes into the preparation and presentation of coffee here, it serves up one of the best cups of coffee in SG.