Symposium in Waterloo is a good place to curl up in the evening with a dessert and a friend, a date, or a book*.

I was lured in by a “cake tour” – seriously, who refuses an offer like that? – and ended up spending a great summer evening talking over Colossus chocolate cake and their signature Chocolate Brownie cheesecake. Yum.

If you like your chai lattes mild in flavour but with a spiked twist, the amaretto chai is worth a try. It’s definitely not as spiced as other chai I’ve tried, but makes a tasty after-dinner drink.

*Unfortunately, depending on how busy it gets, some small print on their menu notes that tables may be limited to 45 minutes – I’m not certain if, or how often this happens, though.

Note: The above was first posted on urbanspoon on Sept 2, 2010.

Addenda: I’ve since been back to Symposium twice; once for cake (the Turtle cheesecake this time around; tasty, but could have been nuttier) and once for a book club meeting, during which I mulled over a Blueberry Tea (delicious, but served with a 2% creamer on the side, which puzzled me. Generous servings of tea and amaretto, though, and reasonably priced.)