Camerino Bakery on Capel St has become renowned for its award-winning chocolate raspberry cheesecake brownies, which secured gold at the Blás na hÉireann Irish Food Awards in 2014. It has opened up a sister cafe on Merrion Square, just minutes from Trinity. Still in its first few weeks of business, the cafe is situated in the basement of the Goethe Institute, marked only by a small chalkboard sign the unobservant passerby could easily miss.
After descending down a flight of stone stairs, I stepped into the cafe’s minimalist and spacious surroundings. The decor is tasteful, with white walls decorated with a few works of framed art. Fitted wooden shelves run along the perimeter of the room showcasing olive oils, vinegars and fresh loaves of bread for sale.
The staff are friendly and inform me that the simple menu, handwritten on a clipboard, features daily changes. The offerings usually consist of a choice of two or three toasted sandwiches of the day costing €7, a salad, also €7, and a soup served with sourdough toast for €5. All food is made each day from fresh ingredients and home-baked bread.
The day I visited Camerino I opted to try two of the sandwiches: the cheddar, leek and dijon and the pastrami, cheddar, sauerkraut and pickle, both toasted and on sourdough bread (the latter likely influenced by the German Institute upstairs). Both combinations made for an unusual yet delicious indulgence. Although the ingredients would not have been my own initial choice of pairing, the result was surprisingly enjoyable and flavourful. I also spotted a fellow lunch-goer devour a colourful salad with couscous, pickles and beet hummus – which I am determined to try on my next visit.
Of course, I could not have left without trying the famous baked goods for myself and they are certainly hard to miss. The lavish spread of sweet treats is laid out on the counter and could lead anyone to have eyes bigger than their stomach. After much deliberation, we chose the chocolate peanut-butter brownie (which I would recommend to all fellow lovers of peanut butter out there), the raspberry and cheesecake brownie and the cookie. The award-winning brownie naturally lived up to its title, but the real winner for me was the rich chocolate-chip cookie which had a pleasant hint of cinnamon. Enjoyed alongside an excellent flat white, this combination really satisfies that coffee and sweet-treat craving. On that note, the coffee is excellent, sourced from Roasted Brown and worth the trip.
Camerino Bakery Cafe serves as the perfect new place for that long-overdue catch up over a different yet tasty lunch with a pal. By virtue of its quiet surroundings, the cafe is also an ideal spot to sit peacefully with a decent coffee and do some work or catch up emails.
