I was recently tipped off to the new presence of Cafe Shedevr in downtown Portland on SW Ash Street. They were originally at a small storefront in Beaverton, and in their Portland location they continue to offer their visually stunning desserts, along with coffee. Their soft opening was Thursday, October 1.
Cafe Shedevr Background: Alla Kruzhkova and Dessert Elegance
They established the business in 2015, and did mostly catering and events for many years. This included weddings, where they make beautiful cakes and dessert tables for a couple’s special day. In 2023 they found their way to their SW Allen Blvd space in Beaverton, which allowed them to expand their offerings in a retail establishment, selling desserts directly to customers. There, they were known as Dessert Elegance.
The business is helmed by baker Alla Kruzhkova. She received her Culinary Arts Degree in 1995 in Moldova, and immigrated to the U.S. in the early 2000s. In 2015 she received her Hotel/Special Events Management degree here in the U.S.
For a time did a culinary arts radio talk show on Radio SVET/Радио СВЕТ, a Christian teaching and talk radio station. She is always looking to improve her craft, and she experiences a lot of joy in her work.
Shuttering of Dessert Elegance
In June 25 of this year, she announced the closure of Dessert Elegance in Beaverton. She wrote, “It is with a heavy but grateful heart that we share some very bittersweet news.
After years of sharing sweet milestones, early mornings, and unforgettable celebrations with you here in Beaverton, the time has come for us to officially close our doors at this location.”
Their final day of service there was Saturday, June 27. But, she alluded to what was next—Cafe Shedevr—with, “We aren’t going too far, we promise!”
The Building and Location of Cafe Shedevr
The address for Cafe Shedevr is 230 SW Ash Street—technically in the Old Town neighborhood—and for a long time this property was a parking lot with a couple of food carts on it. NextPortland covered the plans for this building back in 2017; it was completed in 2019; and it won a DeMuro Award for Excellence in Historic Preservation in 2020. Here’s how they described it:
“An outstanding example of compatible infill design in a National Landmark Historic District, this mixed-use project replaced a surface parking lot with 133 units of affordable and market rate housing. Its sensitive design complements the historic context and brings needed vitality to neighboring businesses.”
And, the building has its own website, of course.
Cafe Shedevr takes up some of the ~8,600 square feet of ground floor retail space. You can see what it looks like in this reel. To me, it looks like it’s pretty spacious.
Cafe Shedevr
First, “shedevr” (Шедевр) means “masterpiece” in Russian. I think it’s apt, at least on a visual level, because her desserts are quite beautiful and satisfying in trompe l’oeil fashion. I am going to have to head over there soon to try her work.
They describe their work as specializing in “Russian with European influenced style fruit/dessert displays.” They also highlight their strawberry and hazelnut tortes. But it’s their fruit desserts that really catch my eye—they remind me of some of the ones I’ve seen at Champagne Poetry.
Aside from these mousse cakes shaped like fruits, they also offer cake slices, like opera, strawberry, roll cakes, and tiramisu, as well as Russian honey cake (Medovik), and Spartak, kind of a chocolate cousin to Medovik. You’ll also find individual cakes and family-sized cakes, tarts, and “dessert in cups.” They have a selection of catering offerings, too.
And because this is a cafe, there is coffee. They have a number of familiar espresso drinks (e.g., latte, macchiato, cappuccino), matcha, juice, and even an affogato. You can see the full dessert menu on their website.
Additionally, they are starting to add savory items like avocado toast, bagels and lox, and sandwiches.
They are open Monday to Wednesday from 9am to 5pm, Thursday to Saturday 9am to 9pm. They are closed Sunday.
Wishing Alla and her team all the best as they establish their business in downtown Portland!
Shedevr Cafe [soft opened October 1, 2026]
230 SW Ash Street, Portland
Shedevr Cafe/Dessert Elegance website | Instagram | Facebook
Meg Cotner
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