Fluffy Fluffy review: ‘The most disappointing new Bristol opening this year’

From the queue of people waiting for tables to the pre-opening publicity describing it as a 'viral sensation’, it has all the right ingredients to be one of Bristol’s most eagerly anticipated new openings. 

Apparently Canadian dessert chain Fluffy Fluffy is North America’s largest soufflé pancake and dessert cafe brand, one that claims to ‘deliver happiness, one pancake at a time, from breakfast to dinner and everything in between’.

There is a growing number of Fluffy Fluffy cafes opening in the UK, the latest being the Bristol one which has recently opened in a former skateboard shop at the bottom of Park Street.

It’s an interesting building with huge arched windows, some of which look out to Banksy’s Well Hung Lover.

With its custard yellow walls, high ceiling, modern white furniture and neon logos, it’s all very minimalist.

When we arrived late afternoon, there was still a long queue by the door. Most of the people already at tables seemed to be enjoying themselves, almost all of them taking pictures of the food on their phones.

Some were filming each other pouring chocolate sauce for TikTok. Yes, it’s that kind of place.

The only food on offer is the soufflé pancakes, all sweet although there are plans to introduce savoury options.

They are priced from £7.95 for plain ones to £9.50 for pistachio. Flavours include tiramisu, Nutella strawberry and Oreo.

You can wash them down with coffee (£3 for an Americano) or tea (£3.70), as well as lemonade and soda drinks (£3.90) and ‘specialty’ drinks (£4.30) like strawberry latte and mango slushies.

The soufflé pancakes are the size and shape of English muffins. According to the Fluffy Fluffy website, the pancakes start by whipping egg whites to soft peaks and cooked very slowly at low temperature.

The result is a puck of light and airy batter that manages to feel airy but springy and taste like a cross between a traditional pancake and a soufflé.

When we ordered, we were told there would be a 20 minute wait for food and it seemed that every table around us was waiting.

Whether it’s a lack of staff or equipment but the pancakes were appearing from the kitchen one at a time rather than delivered to tables together. There was a ten-minute gap between ours being served which meant we had to eat them separately rather than at the same time.

I went for the ‘signature’ soufflé pancake (£8.20) and my daughter ordered the blueberry version (£8.70).

Served with whipped cream, strawberries, sliced banana and blueberries, the ‘signature’ soufflé pancakes were lukewarm. My daughter’s blueberry version was topped with raspberries, blueberries, blackberries and a pool of sweet berry sauce with slices of sticky candied orange. 

The soufflés were surprisingly light and, yes, fluffy. They almost dissolved on the tongue.  The weirdest thing, however, was that although cooked, they tasted like the sort of raw cake mixture I used to lick off wooden spoons as a kid. We both felt full and, to be honest, a little green around the gills afterwards.

The drinks were even more disappointing than the main event. A cold matcha latte (£4.30) was ‘the worst I’ve ever had’ according to my daughter who’s a bit of an expert in these matters. The matcha powder hadn’t been mixed in properly - most was still at the bottom of the plastic cup and the rest was suspended in the milk which made it grainy. Some green bits got stuck in her teeth.

My yuzu soda (£3.90) was overly sweet and I couldn’t taste the yuzu. It was as irksome as being asked if I wanted to add a tip of either 15%, 20% or 25% to the bill when ordering. Beware.

What many people hoped would be one of the hottest new places in Bristol left us cold and as flat as a pancake.

It’s probably not aimed at people like me, and plenty of customers appeared to be having a much better time, but as far as I’m concerned, it’s the most disappointing new Bristol opening this year and I won’t be going back.

Fluffy Fluffy, 8 Park Street, Bristol, BS1 5HX.