Review of the Dolce by Ferrero Rocher pop-up - for all chocolate fans!
When I saw that there was going to be a shop dedicated to Ferrero Rocher, I just had to book a ticket to check it out.
Dolce by Ferrero Rocher is a pop-up restaurant that invites you into the world of Ferrero Rocher. They've described themselves as a "multi-layer dining experience". Why? Because that's literally what you're getting. A plate of five different desserts, representing each layer within a Ferrero Rocher chocolate. In one word - deconstructed. As a kid, I used to eat my Ferrero Rocher layer by layer. I even turned it into a challenge to see how clean I could eat each layer without damaging the next. So this experience at the Dolce by Ferrero Rocher was right up my street!
As I'd been able to pre-book my tickets, I walked past the queue of people braving the cold to wait for a table. Once inside, I could see the efforts made to create a fine-dining atmosphere. You could defintely see the Ferrero Rocher theme everywhere with the chocolate and gold colour scheme. I was particularly amazed by the wall made of Ferrero Rocher - I saw a number of people walk past and tug at one to see if it was real (or maybe they just wanted to steal one to eat).
When my plate of desserts were served, the waitress took the time to explain each one - she probably had to practice this loads of times before hand because it was quite a bit to say! I was told that the whole concept is to celebrate the Ferrero Rocher from the inside out. Which is why you're supposed to eat the desserts in a certain order.
Layer 1: Whole Hazelnut - anything served on a golden spoon will be nice right? The praline mouse was rich, yet light - so I could tell it'd been whipped really well. The cocoa-roasted hazelnut inside was nice to eat too.
Layer 2: Smooth Chocolate - so this is where things get a little more interesting and luxurious. This was a little chocolate case filled with silky chocolate ganache. On top, was a sprinkling of edible gold! The chocolate ganache was super rich, lucky I had a glass of bubbly to wash it down. The chocolate case was quite crisp too. Overall, really well made.
Layer 3: Crisp Wafer - my favourite of them all! Although described as a ganache, I felt the centre of this was more like a light mousse. Either-way it was yummy and acted a bit like a palate cleanser, giving me a break from all that chocolate. Maybe because this had been sitting around for a while, because the wafer wasn't all that crisp or crunchy (apart from the bits on the plate itself). But I could still taste that delicate nutty sweetness in the wafer that is distinct to Ferrero Rocher. Wish I was just given 5 of these to eat!
Layer 4: Hazelnut Pieces - I felt a little cheated with this one. The chocolate dome was really cool. And there was a good amount of roasted hazelnut embedded in it. Plus the waitress came over to pour some piping hot chocolate over it all. But the dome was quite hard to break into, and after all that effort it turned out to be empty!
Layer 5: Golden Sparkle - of course we can't forget about the golden wrapper and this beauty is a tribute to it! This elegant little ball of spun sugar is lightly dusted with edible gold glitter, and served on a golden stick too! Lucky I took a snap of it once the plate was served though, because by the time I got round to eating it, it'd pretty much deflated!
If you're still feeling it, you can eat them all in one go by devouring the Ferrero Rocher neatly place in the centre. This is the last step of the whole experience, appropriately called "Perfect Harmony".
When the tickets were released in November for Dolce by Ferrero Rocher, it sold out pretty quickly. So I was lucky to be able to book a slot at all. This experience cost me £15 per ticket and came with a glass of prosecco - which was served in a really nice glass might I say! If you're a Ferrero Rocher fan, then you'll have a good time. But you only get one hour max inside, and they will literally kick you out when that hour is up.
The pop-up is only open from 1 - 10 December and there are very few tickets left now (if any at all). Walk-ins are allowed between 1 - 10pm and it will only cost you £10, minus the glass of bubbly. But please consider the weather and the length of time before deciding if you want to queue up, it's not going to be worth an hour wait in the cold!
For more information and to try and buy tickets, then click here.
Location: 21 Slingsby Place, Covent Garden, London, WC2E 9AB
