If you were the sort of child that imagined elaborate tea parties with little plastic play sets, whimsical creatures sitting around a table lavished with ornate sweets, then you should recognize this scene immediately. The only difference, however, is that this incredible setting is completely real.
Unicorniverse in Round Rock, TX
Unicorniverse Bakery & Cafe has crafted a completely plant-based European bakery straight out of a fairy tale. Teal flowers blossom across the entire ceiling and dip down alongside gold chandeliers. Custom porcelain tea cups garnish each table, surrounded by plush chairs that genuinely invite you to be a guest and stay a while. Look closely and you’ll even find a unicorn, guarding the pastry case, or perhaps just eying it hungrily. Could you blame it? The only thing more stunning than the dining room are the desserts.
Artisan Pastries, Cakes, and More
Being a “kid in a candy shop” has never rung so true as when I first walked through those doors. Layered sponge cakes filled with custard and jam; dainty macarons in every color of the rainbow, and beyond; plump, oversized croissants with a thousand buttery, flaky layers; mousses made with fresh fruits and decorated with edible glitter; comfortingly nostalgic brownies and blondies filled with dark chocolate chips; there’s no place to simply rest your eyes. These are riches beyond my wildest dreams, the elaborate baked goods that only I could bake for myself in the earliest years of my career. Finally, everyone can enjoy the same.
Savory to Sweet
Before anyone makes wild allegations about preferring savory to sweet, there’s a lot here for you to love, too. A full menu of brunch and lunch options provides a hearty base to start your meal before indulging, if you so choose. Fluffy, oversized omelettes stuffed with a variety of vegetables and dairy-free cheese are a highlight for me, as a serious vegan egg-lover. These things really are huge; you could easily split one with a friend to leave more room for dessert. Salads are no slouch here either, along with a wide range of sandwiches made with breads baked in-house.
Eat Dessert First
If you’re serious about your sweets, though, cut straight to the chase and eat dessert first. It may take the rest of my lifetime to try the entire menu, but I’m willing to take on the task. So far, I can attest to the prowess of the bakers through their Raspberry Almond Cake, a towering strata of sponge and cream that tastes for all the world like an oversized rainbow cookie, plus fresh fruit. The Lemon Tart, concealing a trough of sweet lemon curd beneath that plume of whipped buttercream, could put the average lemon meringue pie to shame. Blackberry Mousse Cake manages to balance density and lightness in every bite, defying the laws of physics like it was easy.
Everyday Magic
Unicorniverse is a magical place- and that’s not just hyperbole. Where else could you find all this, made effortlessly vegan? It’s worth a trip from anywhere in the world, because it will transport you to an entirely new universe when you step inside.
