Are the dolci available at lunchtime too?

Yes. Lunch service runs Tuesday to Friday from 12:00 to 14:30, and the dolci menu applies unchanged during this time. If you're short on time during your lunch break, let us know when ordering your main course – the dessert will then be at your table right after it's cleared. Affogato and sorbetto are ready the fastest.

Are all the dolci alcohol-free?

We prepare the tiramisù without alcohol. The semifreddo and seasonal fruit accompaniments may contain liqueur or wine; our staff will tell you how each dessert has been prepared that day. We serve Vin Santo and grappa separately, of course, so you can decide for yourself.

Do you have anything for guests without dairy or egg?

Sorbetto is made without milk and without egg; the cantuccini contain egg but no dairy products. Panna cotta, tiramisù and semifreddo contain dairy and can't be adapted, since the cream carries the structure. Please mention your dietary requirement when booking so we can plan accordingly.

Can a dolce be shared?

Yes, and it happens often here. On request, we'll bring two spoons or split it onto two plates in the kitchen. For panna cotta and semifreddo, sharing at the table works more neatly, since both are served turned out or frozen, respectively.

Is there a dessert selection for celebrations and groups?

For larger tables, we put together a sharing platter of dolci, with several varieties in small portions. We discuss this in advance, as the quantities need to be prepared the day before. You'll find details on the Celebrations and groups page.

Does the dolci menu change?

The classics stay, while the accompaniments change with the season – spring rhubarb, summer berries, citrus fruit in winter. There's also usually a dolce del giorno on the board, a dessert of the day made from whatever the kitchen received that morning.

Tiramisù with cocoa powder in a glass bowl next to an espresso cup on a dark wooden table

Dolci in Lübeck's old town

To finish, something sweet

Homemade dolci from our own kitchen: creamy, baked or ice-cold – and some of them in portions meant for the whole table.

Reserve a table View the menu

Marlesgrube, old town Tuesday to Sunday Closed Mondays

Dolce available after lunch too

Portions to share at the table

We tell you the ingredients on request

Cake for celebrations by arrangement

The sweet finish comes from our own kitchen

Our dolci are made in the same kitchen as the pasta and sugo – prepared the evening before, chilled overnight, finished in the evening. No ready-made products, no display case stocked for the whole week.

We make the cream, dough and sauce ourselves – in-house, not from a bag
Whatever runs out during the evening doesn't get topped up from the freezer afterwards
With every dolce, we'll tell you what's in it – just ask our staff at the table
We happily prepare small portions for children, no fuss

The menu at the table groups the dolci by how much room you'll have left after a plate of pasta or a pizza from the wood-fired oven – from the spoon-light cream to the tray placed in the middle of the table.

Creamy

Tiramisù with mascarpone and espresso, panna cotta with a sauce of reduced berries, plus a chilled cream of the day depending on what's available. Everything is prepared the evening before so it can set overnight.

Baked

Whatever the oven allows once the pizzas have come out: almond cake, ricotta tart, small biscotti to go with espresso. Served warm when time permits.

Ice cream and sorbetto

Lemon sorbetto as a light finish, plus a few ice cream flavours we're fond of – also served as affogato with hot espresso poured over. For children, in a small bowl.

Dolci to share

A board or platter for the whole table, with several small pieces and spoons for everyone. Popular with families and larger groups.

Three dessert plates with panna cotta, lemon sorbet and almond cake placed in the middle of the table to share, with espresso cups beside them

Dolci to share

A spoon for everyone at the table

Instead of four identical portions, we're happy to place a platter in the middle: several small pieces, spoons for all. That way, everyone gets to try something they might not have ordered themselves – and the evening ends in conversation rather than full plates.

Two or three dolci are always on the menu, while the rest change with what the market offers that morning – citrus fruits in winter, berries and stone fruit in summer.

What changes

In the colder months we work with lemon, orange and almond; in summer with berries, apricot and fig. The little cards on the menu are therefore rewritten regularly. If you have a particular dolce in mind, ask our staff – it's often still in the kitchen, even if it's not currently listed on the menu.

What stays

Tiramisù made to the family recipe – all year round
Panna cotta, with a sauce that varies by season
Lemon sorbetto as a light finish
Espresso, caffè corretto or amaro with your dolce

Process in the kitchen

How a dolce is made here

Desserts take time, and that time is before service, not during it. Our dolci start the evening before, set overnight, and are only finished and plated once ordered.

That's why a tiramisù on a Tuesday tastes different from one stirred together in ten minutes: the cream has set, the sponge fingers have absorbed the espresso, the cocoa is still dry.

Prepared the evening before: a roll of almond dough for cantuccini, whisked egg yolk and sugar mixture, and cooling espresso on the counter

Step 1

Mise en place the evening before

The almond dough for the cantuccini is shaped, the egg yolk and sugar mixture for the zabaione base is whisked, and the espresso for the tiramisù is freshly brewed and cooled. Hot espresso would cause the biscuits to fall apart.

Frequently asked

The menu lists names that every child in Italy knows, and which deserve some explanation here. If you're unsure, ask our staff – our colleagues know what was finished on which day and what's still setting.

Tiramisù

Literally 'pick me up'. Layered from savoiardi, espresso, mascarpone cream and cocoa. We prepare ours without alcohol, so children and drivers can enjoy it too. If you'd like it classic, a shot of Marsala is served on the side.

Panna cotta

'Cooked cream'. A vanilla cream that is served unmoulded. We change the accompaniment with the season: stewed wild berries in summer, orange with rosemary in winter. The glaze is freshly poured, not pre-portioned.

Semifreddo

'Half frozen' – an airy mixture between parfait and ice cream that stays creamy because it isn't frozen solid. It comes straight from the freezer to the table and should be eaten promptly.

Cantuccini and Vin Santo

Twice-baked almond biscuits, naturally hard. They are dipped into the sweet wine until soft – that's how they're meant to be enjoyed. The calm finale for tables that want to linger.

Affogato al caffè

'Drowned in coffee'. A scoop of vanilla ice cream topped with a hot espresso, poured at the table. Dessert and coffee in one glass – popular after the lunch menu, when time is short.

Sorbetto

Fruit ice without milk or egg, just fruit purée, water and sugar. The lightest option after a wood-fired pizza and the choice for guests avoiding milk.

Good to know

Frequently asked questions about Dolci

These are the questions guests ask most often at the table before deciding on the Dolci menu. We're happy to provide information on ingredients at any time – the allergen list is available in writing at the restaurant.

A table ending with Dolce

Tuesday to Sunday, 12:00 to 14:30 and 17:30 to 22:30. Let us know when booking if you'd like a dessert platter for your group – we'll prepare it the day before.

Book a table View menu

To finish, something sweet

The sweet finish comes from our own kitchen