Hyve Dessert Bar

Hyve Dessert Bar is the New–Bee on the block! (pun intended)
As soon as I walked into Hyve Dessert Bar, I was struck by how vibrant and simple the space was! It’s cozy, colourful and quite spacious! Being a family business founded by three siblings who have a passion for baking, you could really sense that calm, homely effect at Hyve which is something you don’t usually find in other cafes.

I was also told that ‘Hyve’ was given its name because for obvious reasons – beehives are associated with being, well, sweet! At the same time, it also reflects a sort of connectivity which takes place in a common space. Hyve Dessert Bar does not have a specific menu; cakes and other scrumptious treats are laid out in no particular order. However, they do take orders for cakes (yay)!

Drinks

While the Dessert Menu is not fixed, Hyve Dessert bar has a simple beverage menu which also includes weekly specials. Apart from the usual Cappuccino, Café Latte, Hot Chocolate, and Hot Tea, they also serve Iced Chocolate and Iced Tea which comes in peach and strawberry.

Hot Chocolate – LKR 430
I went with the Hot Chocolate to start off my day. It was the perfect weather for a steamy hot chocolate which came in quite a big quantity. While the beverage was satisfactory, it could have been thicker. The glass in which it was served made it a tad difficult to hold as it was too hot.

Mains

Chocolate Ganache Tart – LKR 380/ Cake – LKR 3000
This was delightfully rich! If you’re a ganache fan and love the silky chocolate and cream combo, you’re definitely going to love this Chocolate Ganache Tart. Most Cafés serve tarts with layers that have an overbearing taste which affects most of the flavour. However, I really liked this Chocolate Ganache Tart as it was just the right level of ‘chocolatey’ which was rich in ingredients and complemented the crunchy crust (which didn’t have the burnt taste) at the base, giving a pleasantly mouthwatering experience!

Blazed Butter – LKR 500/ Cake – LKR 5000
A crowd favorite which sells out comparatively fast, I was recommended to try the Blazed Butter. Although I’m more of a chocolate fan, this dessert was unusually interesting to me. The slice had different layers of ingredients which included caramel and chocolate chips at the base with an all-round strong sense of butter. While this wasn’t my favourite dish, I’d recommend giving this a try (especially if you’re a caramel lover).

Espresso Cheese Tart – LKR 400
The best things in life come in threes and also begin with ‘C’s – I’m talking about Chocolate, Coffee, and Cheese! This was hands down my favorite! If you’re a coffee addict (like me), the Espresso Cheese Tart is for you! Not only was it simply scrumptious and quite filling, but I also loved the particularly strong taste of coffee blended with cream cheese which was topped with chocolate (yum!) The contrasting flavors bring out a pleasantly strong bittersweet experience in your mouth. While the outer crust wasn’t as crunchy as I hoped it would be, I’m still incredibly obsessed with Hyve’s Espresso Cheese Tart!

Crème Brulee Cheesecake – LKR 500
Another must try at Hyve! I’d recommend this for all you dessert lovers out there. The combination of crème brulee with cheesecake made one decadent dessert with rich texture, and the classic burnt sugar layer on top contrasted well with the smooth cheesecake mix. The downside was that the biscuit base was a tad bit crumbly. Certainly not the best cheesecake in the city, but worth trying out nevertheless.

Fresh off the block, Hyve Dessert Bar is spacious, vibrant and all in all a comfortable space to work, meet friends, or hang solo. It’s colourful and brings out a good vibe in general. The service could use more improvement with friendlier staff and more variety in its desserts.
That being said, Hyve is definitely just getting started and has made a lot of progress over the past week itself! I’m looking forward to seeing its journey in the expanding café scene here in Colombo.