This one’s going to be short and sweet, as I don’t want you to be late to Downtown Raleigh’s largest hot cocoa bar and all-you-can eat dessert café.
This newly opened Raleigh holiday experience will be long on sweetness through!
If an all-you-can-eat dessert bar with pastries, multiple forms of cake including cheesecakes, cupcakes, assorted holiday cookies, gingerbread pudding, and 51 hot cocoa toppings gets your taste buds zinging, you’ll want to buy your tickets ASAP.
You may wish to bring a seat belt to strap your child in as they’ll be zinging all over the room from one sweet station to another.
I did my best to keep an eye on mine at the preview showing, but I lost count after the second plate of tiramisu.
All the sweets have been hand-crafted by Martin Marietta Center or the Performing Art’s own pastry chef.
While limited in selection, there are choices for those who are gluten free and vegan.
As I’m not a sweet tooth person myself, and I was busy chatting to fellow media friends and my kids, I didn’t seek high and low for them, but the girls led me to a deliciously creamy gluten-free chocolate that paired perfectly with a smooth glass of Chilean red wine.
There is a cash bar at the Dessertery if hot chocolate is not enough for the adults in your group.
There will be a range of holiday-themed cocktails the bartender can make for you – think a reindeer cocktail made with prosecco and cranberry juice. I was very happy to see non-Californian red wine. A nice Cab Sav from Chile and a Merlot from Washington State.
Where is the Dessertery Cafe?
The Dessertery Cafe is located in a small rehearsal room of the Kennedy Theater at the back of the Martin Marietta Center for the Performing arts. Get your tickets here.
All of which is beautifully decorated to keep you in the festive spirit. There are 11 Christmas trees, 215 hanging elements – including Santa and his sleigh riding high above across the room – and 400 sq feet of snow.
Video of the Dessertery
What desserts will be available?
Remember, it’s all unlimited!
- Cupcakes: Chocolate peppermint, red Velvet, peanut Butter Cup
- Cake Bites: NY Style Cheesecake with peppermint bark, flourless chocolate cake, eggnog cheesecake, carrot cake, tiramisu
- Bars: Lemon crumb, Toffee crunch blondie, express chocolate brownie
- Petit Fours: Opera cake bites, profiteroles with caramel cream, coconut financiers with mango, passionfruit compote
- Verrines: Vanilla & Raspberry, lemon meringue, chocolate mousse
- Vegan treats: strawberry cake, flourless chocolate cake, chocolate pudding cake, truffle assortment
- Assorted: Holiday cookies, seasonal bread pudding, areas largest hot chocolate bar with over 100 toppings
Special Events
Throughout the Dessertery’s holiday season, there will be special events and programming. Santa will be one of them! We got to have our photo taken with Santa – our teen and tween are somehow too cool for that now, but Craig and I aren’t!
Although Savannah did enjoy her conversation with Santa at the hot chocolate station, “We spoke about life. Like what I want to do when I’m older. It was a cool conversation actually.”
Santa is scheduled in for:
- Nov 26 11:30 – 3:30pm
- Dec 3: 11:30am-3:30pm
- Dec 10: 5:30 – 8pm
- Dec 16: 5:30pm – 9:30pm
- Dec 17: 11:30am-3:30pm
- Dec 23: 5:30pm – 9:30pm
How much is the Dessertery?
Cost: $28 for those 7 & above $15 for ages 2-6, Children under two are free but must be registered as space is limited.
🎄 Tickets: in person at the box office (M-F 10am- 2pm or online.
What are the opening hours for the Dessertery?
You’ll want to plan well as the Dessertery is only opened for select days during the Holiday Season, and with America’s love for sugar, I expect it to be busy.
Select days between Nov 17 – Dec 23, 2023
- Fridays: 5:30-9pm
- Saturdays: 11:30-3:30pm & 5:30 – 9:30pm
- Sundays: 11:30-3:30pm & 5:30 – 8pm
- Friday Nov 24 & Dec 22: 4-9:30pm
- Friday Dec 8: 7-9:30pm
- Thursday Dec 14: 5:30 – 9:30pm
- Dec 20 & 21: 2:30 – 8pm
Keep the Holiday Fun Going
Don’t just end the Christmas cheer with your spoon down. This year there are an incredible amount of Holiday experiences in Raleigh – all of which are the perfect accompaniment to the Dessertery.
Here are a few ideas:
- Nothing goes better with dessert than a live performance. As the Dessertery is in the Martin Marietta Center, pairing a Holiday show like the Nutcracker or Christmas Carol is a wonderful idea. See our November events guide for more ideas and our best things to do in Raleigh in December guide.
- Why not overindulge in sweets, and then skate it off at The Rink in Raleigh’s Red Hat Amphitheater?
- Walk the streets of Downtown Raleigh enjoying Illuminate Art Walk and include the Dessertery as a stop. Some of our favorite installations are outside Martin Marietta Center.
- Shop for your Holiday gifts at the local stores in Downtown Raleigh and then take a break at the dessert café. Here is a list of places to go Christmas shopping in Raleigh.
