Through Finnieston and beyond, onto Old Dumbarton Road lies a small coffee shop known for it’s incredible, sugary fried treats. Tantrum Doughnuts, 27 Old Dumbarton Road, is an incredible sanctuary of handmade brioche-style doughnuts that are capable of putting a smile on just about anyone’s face. The brain-child of Iain Baillie, once pastry chef at such culinary institutions as One Devonshire, The Fat Duck and Gleneagles Hotel, Tantrum doughnuts has found the perfect balance between the perfect sweetness in their delectable artisan doughnuts and coffee as well as milkshakes.
The pastry is so light and fluffy, you don’t feel weighed down by one, or (dare I say it) even multiple doughnuts. The menu changes every month and the exciting creations leave customers queuing at the door to experience pastry heaven. Flavours such as pistachio and hibiscus to yuzu and green tea, Tantrum has a doughnut for everyone. Tantrum uses incredible textures to truly create a unique experience that I have seldom tried in any other doughnut shop. The use of crunchy almonds, pretzels or even pork scratchings create a flavour and texture explosion when combined with the heavenly pillow of fried dough.
A personal favourite of mine being tiramisu, I just had to try the glistening golden brown doughnut on display. Tantrum uses the perfect ratio where the cream is not only inside the dough but on the surface meaning that it oozes out once you reach the middle. Chocolate coffee cream and a sweet mascarpone icing covered with small crunchy chocolate pieces made for one of, if not the best, doughnut experience I’ve have ever had.
Obviously these sumptuous desserts aren’t an everyday occurence, but that in itself adds to the uniqueness of Tantrum. Planning a trip to Finnieston, choosing from a delightful range of unique flavours and thoroughly enjoying the experience as a whole, savouring each calorific bite. The surroundings of the Finnieston area make for a great sunny day out and walking to Kelvingrove park with a doughnut in hand is an incredibly satisfying achievement. That being said, on those cold winter days there’s nothing stopping you from enjoying a fantastic roasted coffee and a sugary treat within the new walls of Tantrum doughnuts barely 5 shopfronts down from their old premises, which is now their bakery. A natural wooden decor and almost industrial, no frills, hipster style to the shop really accentuates what Tantrum is all about: their products.
The flavours can sometimes seem a little complicated but they are perfectly mastered and just work. I wasn’t a doughnut guy, more just a coffee person looking for somewhere to sit and get work done. Now I have to fight the craving of Tantrum doughnuts every time I set foot in the west end. That being said, there’s no harm in planning a day out just for a doughnut – that’s what I tell myself anyway. Tantrum doughnuts is quickly becoming an institution in Glasgow and is definitely a must-visit next time you feel like giving yourself a wee reward.
