Daniel B.
Yelp
I liked Bittersweet OK. This place gets three or four stars out of me. I thought the drinks were fine, the desserts were delicious, the atmosphere was too loud (noise level), and the service could've been better. Read on for details.
This is a popular place to get drinks and desserts in downtown Raleigh. The business opened in July 2014. It's located on the ground level of PNC Plaza, the tallest skyscraper in Raleigh.
We parked for free in the nearby Moore Square Parking Deck. The deck address is 233 S Wilmington St, Raleigh, NC 27601. It was free for us because we visited on a Saturday. Parking is free all day Saturday and Sunday. Parking fees are enforced Monday-Friday, 7am-7pm.
We showed up to Bittersweet on a Saturday night around 9:30pm. There was a line outside to get seated. This place is first come, first served. The wait wasn't bad. We waited maybe 15-20 minutes. Our options were either a table outside or a standing-only bar inside. It was luck of the draw for what was available when it was our turn to be "seated." I say that because we ended up standing inside whereas groups that were waiting behind us got to sit at tables inside.
The lady handling the line and seating didn't have a great attitude. I get it - it's not an easy job and she probably had to deal with her fair share of entitled/rude people. That said, just not a good vibe. Our server was better. She was nice and also very busy.
Inside, the dining room and bar were dimly-lit. I liked the comedic art of Bruce Willis from Die Hard. The music was loud. This is one of those places where you have to speak really loud to hear each other. Obviously not uncommon for a bar environment, but it was too loud for me. Outdoor seating was uncovered. Part of the street had been converted into dining spaces.
The menu had a sizable list of fun and creative cocktails and desserts plus gin, whiskey, wine, champagne, and beer. There were also mocktails, coffee, and tea. "Cocktail Brunch" is served every Sunday, 12-3pm.
Here's what we got:
Cocktails
* Key Lime Martini ($14) x2 - Tanqueray Rangpur Distilled Gin, Nikka yuzu gin, lime, vanilla, whipped cream, graham dust
* Watermelon Margarita ($14) - watermelon juice, Hornitos Black Barrel Tequila, Bombay Sapphire East Gin, lime, agave, basil
* Toasted Almond ($14) - amaretto, coffee liqueur, cream, nutmeg; available hot or iced (my wife got hers iced)
Less Than Zero (mocktails)
* Little Garden ($10) - Seedlip Garden Party, grapefruit, ginger-turmeric syrup, agave, lime, coriander, Fever Tree Elderflower Tonic Water.
Desserts
* Peaches & Creme Brulee ($11) - peach puree creme brulee with cooked peaches on the bottom, vanilla-thyme madeleine cookie
* Margarita Key Lime Pie ($12) - made with key lime tequila curd, triple-sec-infused whipped cream, graham crumb crust, lime zest
* Cherry Cheesecake Vacation ($13) - vanilla bean cheesecake on a graham ganache "beach" topped with Michigan Montmorency tart cherries, cherry gel and almond sand dollar cookie
I tried all the drinks listed above along with the Margarita Key Lime Pie and the Cherry Cheesecake Vacation. In general, the drinks were good/decent. Nothing too crazy or memorable. Out of the group above, I think the drink to get is the Key Lime Martini. My wife ordered the Toasted Almond and while she liked it OK, in hindsight she said she would've ordered the Key Lime Martini instead. The Little Garden mocktail was sweet.
The desserts were the highlight for me. Both the Margarita Key Lime Pie and the Cherry Cheesecake Vacation were terrific. Both were rich, comforting, and delectable. I liked the Cherry Cheesecake Vacation better only because I love cherry pie and cheesecake and this was almost like a combination of those two things. The desserts were high-quality and well-made. This Cherry Cheesecake Vacation is a miracle.
If you're familiar with Atlanta, where my wife and I are from, Bittersweet reminded us of Cafe Intermezzo because of the late-night drinks and desserts. It's also a hot spot, which this place appeared to be.