20 Great Dessert Places in NYC That You Need to Experience!

20 great dessert places in NYC you need to experience! If you’re a foodie, even a semi-foodie, it’s easy to eat your way through New York City, or any other city for that matter. And you can do it on so many different levels. It’s one of our favorite things to do, but finding the best places can be challenging – even if you know your way around New York. After all, according to various sources, there are conservatively almost 24,000 restaurants in NYC. According to data from OpenTable, you could eat at a different spot once per day for 22.7 years and never eat at the same place twice.

With that in mind, we tend to keep lists; the best restaurants in Chinatown, the best Italian, the best French Bistros, the best bagels, the best pizza, the best fries, and, of course, the best desserts. So this is our first shot at capturing some of our favorite New York City desserts that are sure to have something for everyone. And we’ll keep going until we run out of great finds – which will probably never happen.

So if you are looking for a sweet treat and a great place to chill for a few minutes, here are some of our go-to spots for the best dessert places. The only thing you’ll need is a sweet tooth and an adventurous spirit.

These are in no particular order, so let’s get started…

Barachou Pastry Shop

Barachou, with two locations in Manhattan, is a classic French pastry shop. Their signature treat is the cream puff or “chou à la crème” as the French say. The cream puff is a traditional French dessert that dates as far back as the 17th century. We first discovered these cream puffs at a cute little pastry shop in Paris called Odette. And Barachou is the first place in the U.S. that we have since found them. Although I’m certain there are many more places we haven’t yet discovered.

We tried the Lemon Meringue, Dulce de Leche, and the Traditional Whipped Cream. They were truly delightful and for a brief moment, I felt like I was back in Paris.

Barachou – Upper West Side, West Village

Glacé

Sasha Zabar, son of the founder of New York’s famous Zabar’s, opened Glacé by Noglu back in May of 2023. But Glacé (French for ice cream) became super popular this winter when its hot chocolate, topped with toasted meringue and cream, went viral.  

Located on the Upper East of Manhattan between 90th and 91st streets on Madison Avenue, also serves French ice cream and sorbets that are gluten-free. Even the cones are gluten-free. 

We had to stop in this winter and try the hot chocolate, which didn’t disappoint. The hot chocolate is topped with a rim of toasted meringue and a huge dollop of whipped cream. It did live up to the viral hype it received on social media this winter. 

And while we haven’t yet tried the ice cream or sorbet, we look forward to stopping in on an upcoming warm sunny day this summer.

Glacé – 1266 Madison Avenue – Upper East Side

Amorino

We first discovered Amorino on one of our trips to France. We were staying in Provence for five days and every night we’d go out late for long walks. Provence is the perfect walking city. On the first night, we stumbled upon an Amorino gelato shop and stopped in. It’s exceptionally good gelato. It became our nightly routine and we’ve since found many Amorino shops in Europe and the U.S.

What we didn’t know was that this Italian gelato brand opened its first location in 2002 in Paris. The original idea of the two founders was to allow Parisians to discover the true taste of the finest Italian gelato recipes.

On another one of our long walks around NYC, it seemed appropriate to stop in at Amorino in Greenwich Village. We like this particular shop because it has indoor and outdoor seating. We usually order just a scoop of gelato. However, it was a cold day in February so this time we opted for the Affogato hot chocolate which came with a scoop of salted caramel gelato. And it was decadent. In addition to gelato, they also offer French Macarons, but with a twist. Rather than cream-filled Macrons, they have a thin layer of gelato between the two cookies.

Amorino Gelato – 60 University Place, Greenwich Village, and multiple locations throughout Manhattan

Magnolia Bakery

It’s hard to believe that Magnolia Bakery has been around for more than 25 years now. It’s perhaps best known for its famous banana pudding, which we sampled on a recent visit. We also tried a chocolate chunk cookie which was great. Next time we’ll have to try their chocolate-covered strawberry pudding.

 And maybe just as famous as the banana pudding is Magnolia Bakery’s Confetti Cake. It’s a buttery vanilla cake with confetti sprinkles folded in and then covered with buttercream that is decorated with more confetti sprinkles. 

They also offer blondies and brownies (and one that’s a combination of both), chocolate chunk cookies, cupcakes, and a rich and delicious three-layer chocolate cake which I will be buying for the next birthday cake I need.

Magnolia Bakery – 9 New York City locations

Momofuku Milk Bar

With several NYC locations, Milk Bar is the creation of Chef Christina Tosi. Tosi is best known for combining her formal culinary training with her informal love of home baking and using everyday staples and candy from the grocery store to create fun desserts.

We tried the cereal milk soft serve ice cream with the cornflake crunch on top. I mean, who doesn’t love cereal milk? Milk Bar also offers her famous compost cookie. It’s an oddly sweet and salty combination of dough that includes chocolate chips, pretzels, potato chips, graham crackers, oats, coffee, and butterscotch. Not sure I’m a fan, but people rave about it, so there’s that…

Momofuku Milk Bar – West Village, East Village, NoMad, Nolita, Upper West Side, Williamsburg

Caffè Panna

Caffè Panna is fashioned after the traditional Italian gelateria, but a little bit different. It takes it to a new level. Created and owned by Hallie Meyer (daughter of famed restaurateur Danny Meyer), they churn their own ice cream on the premises and change the menu daily. But what makes it really different is that most dishes feature a big pillowy dollop of slightly sweetened whipped cream on top – but not just any whipped cream. They import their cream from Piemonte, Italy, and source most of their ingredients from the local Union Square Greenmarket.

We usually get the Afagto. You can choose from their daily list of ice cream flavors. They pour over a nice shot of expresso and top each one with a scoop of their delicious cream.

On this particular visit, we ordered one with stracciatella ice cream and the other with Oreo-infused ice cream, and both were delicious.

Caffè Panna – 77 Irving Place – Gramercy

Dominique Ansel Bakery

If we could only have one dessert from all the different places we’ve tried in New York, our choice and maybe our all-time favorite dessert (and no, we are not exaggerating), Dominique Ansel’s famous Cronut® would be at the very top of the list. While they have a wide variety of baked goods and pastries, this one takes the cake (pun intended). Their Cronut is a combination of the classic croissant and donut that has a delicious flaky crust. They have different specials every day, and on the day we were there, it was a Cronut with apricot icing and an extra creamy custard filling. Maybe the best dessert we’ve ever had. Do yourself a favor and pay them a visit. You won’t regret it! They usually introduce a new cronut with every new season. Last September they came out with a fig & almond Cronut® – filled with homemade fig jam and creamy toasted almond ganache.

There is often a long line, but I promise you it’s worth the wait. And there is some indoor seating.

Dominque Ansel Bakery – 189 Spring St. – Soho

Supermoon Bakehouse

Set in the middle of all the happenings of the east village is Super Moon Bakehouse. It’s one of our absolute favorite go-to spots. And our go-to item, when they have them, is the cream-filled doughnuts. 

Don’t judge us here as during a recent visit we couldn’t make up our minds on what to have so we opted for four different items which seemed, given the circumstances, like the only logical thing to do when confronted with such a tempting decision. First up was the Milk Chocolate Salted Caramel Croissant, which was arguably as decedent as it gets. Next was a Cherry Pistachio Cruffin. The third choice was a Snickers cream-filled donut (right up there with the Dominique and Ansel cronut). And last on the list, but maybe the best, was the Matcha Lime Curd Choux Bomb. The pastry chef changes the selection all the time, and I don’t think we’ve ever had the same thing twice.

Supermoon Bakehouse is only open Thursday through Monday now (they recently added Monday), so you’ll probably find a line on most days, but it’s so worth it! We promise! And if you show up near closing time, just be aware that the selections are often limited, and once they sell out, they close – regardless of the time. On our last trip to Supermoon, one of the staff told us that the best time to show up is on Monday or Thursday as those are the only two days they don’t usually sell out.

Supermoon Bakehouse – 120 Rivington Street – East Village

Rice to Riches

Say rice pudding, and it conjures up memories of your mother’s or grandmother’s version, hardly edible and certainly not pleasing to the eye or tastebuds. But give this a try, and you’ll never think of rice pudding the same again. It’s like an ice cream shop or gelato stand with all the different flavors, only substitute rice pudding for ice cream or gelato.

We started going to Rice to Riches in SoHo when our kids were little. Not only did they love rice pudding, but on hot days during the summer, there was a big water fountain/playground directly across the street where they could splash around and cool down while we enjoyed our dessert.

On this visit, we did a half-and-half – Category 5 Caramel and Chocolate Hazelnut with graham crumbs topping. Have one of the Solo servings here, and you will definitely not need lunch. But you will need a long walk!

Rice to Riches – SoHo and the East Village

Vesuvio Bakery

Nestled on the outskirts of Soho, Vesuvio is best known for its variety and quality of bread. And their loaves of bread are fantastic. However, on one trip to buy fresh bread for a dinner party we were hosting that evening, we found two delightful treats. The first was a hazelnut chocolate bombolini, and the second was soft-serve gelato. We love gelato as a fun, light dessert. But we’ve only had it served in scoops. We found a great twist on an otherwise ubiquitous dessert – soft serve vanilla gelato with a drizzle of olive oil on top. It was the perfect balance of sweet and savory. Simply delicious and a very welcomed change from the usual. It was served with a dark chocolate biscotti.

I posted about Vesuvio Bakery back in 2014. It has gone through a few changes in ownership over the years, and currently, the building has scaffolding, but it is back to being a wonderful bakery and coffee shop and worth the trip! Go to this post to see it!

Vesuvio Bakery – 160 Prince Street – Soho

Buvette

Buvette has always been one of our favorite breakfast and lunch stops. It’s consistent, small, and cozy. They have indoor and sidewalk seating. One late spring afternoon we stopped in for coffee and dessert. We had the traditional French Tarte Tatin and it rivaled any that we’ve had on any of our visits to France. A must-stop place when you find yourself in New York and in need of a savory or sweet snack. Buvette never disappoints. We wrote about it in this post too. The neighborhood has great shopping on Bleecker Street, and it’s a wonderful neighborhood to walk around any time of day. We often walk over to Washington Square Park (less than a half-mile away) after a visit to Buvette or their sister restaurants, Via Carota and Bar Pisellino.

Buvette – 42 Grove Street – West Village

Buttercup Bake Shop

Although Butter Cup is best known for its cupcakes and cakes (all made with 100% buttercream, and no wonder they are so good), we like the place for its butter cake bars. They are simple melt-in-your-mouth delicious decadence. With all the rage around butter biscuits, made famous by the TV series Ted Lasso, you have to try the butter cake bars. It’s one of our top desserts, for sure. Sometimes after our long late-afternoon/evening walks through the city, we’ll stop in a treat ourselves to a butter cake bar.

This is also a great place to buy a fun birthday cake.

Buttercup Bake Shop – 973 2nd Ave – Midtown East

Levain Bakery

With multiple locations scattered throughout New York and Washington D.C. (we like the Upper West Side location), chains often have slogans that usually don’t live up to expectations. Levain Bakery is one of the few exceptions – “World Famous, Deliciously Decadent Cookies.” I think they are literally the best cookies I’ve ever had. There are many different flavors to choose from, but our two favorites are the dark chocolate peanut butter chip and two-chip chocolate chip cookies. But be warned, with the size and richness of the cookies, they can certainly suffice for lunch and maybe dinner, too, for that matter. The best way to consume these treats is on a shady park bench in Central Park with a large cappuccino. You’ll be certain to walk away buzzing with caffeine and sugar. A few years ago, Madeline found the recipe and made Levain cookies at home, and her friends ask for them for every birthday!! Read that post and get the recipe right here!

Levain Bakery – New York (multiple locations) and Washington D.C.

Win Son Bakery

We discovered Win Son Bakery for its delicious take on classic Taiwanese street food. But in the process, we also discovered some unique twists on desserts that we’ve never had anywhere else. And in our book, that’s always a great find. We tried the fermented red rice donut and really enjoyed the unusual flavors. We also tried the Chocolate Bolo Bao, which is shaped like a muffin, only it’s like a shell with soft chocolate cream inside. It’s always fun to try new and different – especially when they’re really good!

164 Graham Avenue – Brooklyn

Taiyaki NYC

Located in the heart of Chinatown, their mission is to unlock the magical exploration of the palette one Taiyaki creation at a time. And they certainly lived up to that. They are best known for their fish-shaped cones, which are much softer (almost bread-like) than traditional cones and have a yummy custard filling in the bottom of each. It’s kind of like an extra special treat at the end of a great dessert. We tried the matcha green tea soft-serve and a more traditional chocolate/vanilla swirl with chocolate sprinkles. This is a must-stop when you find yourself in and around Chinatown. They have a few other locations in New York as well.

Taiyaki – 119 Baxter Street -Chinatown

Fortunato Brothers

If you find yourself in Brooklyn and looking for something fun and tasty, or if you need an array of fun treats for a dinner party, Fortunato Brothers is a stop worth making. 

Set in the Italian section of Williamsburg, Brooklyn, this gem is as old-school New York as it gets and has become a regular stop-in for us. It helped that it was just around the corner from our daughter’s former apartment. Although she now lives in another section of Brooklyn, we find ourselves going out of our way to stop in for the best cannoli we’ve found in New York. And yes, we did say the “best.” Aside from the many Italian pastries and gelato (which are all worth the calories and an extra few miles of trekking around the city to burn them off), they are known for their marzipan. They have marzipan everything, and worth a stop just to see it. While you are in the neighborhood, stop in at Savino’s for the best fresh pasta and sauces. Pasta and a box of cannoli for dessert, and you are set for dinner!

Fortunato Brothers – 289 Manhattan Avenue – Brooklyn

The Pastry Box

There’s a great story behind the beginning of The Pastry Box. During the height of Covid, Chef Tiara Bennett and her best friend Vanetta Smith started making and selling handcrafted pastries outside her BedStuy apartment to try and bring her neighbors and the community a little joy. 

The response was positive enough that in 2023, she opened her own shop in the East Village. They sell loaf cakes, a variety of cookies (their chocolate chip and sea salt cookies are incredibly good), and seasonal filled doughnuts. They also bake custom cakes for any occasion.

The Pastry Box – 515 East 12th Street, East Village

Bad Habit Ice Cream and Sorbets

As we were writing our post about the East Village, we stumbled upon Bad Habit Ice Creams and Sorbets. 

Bad Habit is artisanally made small-batch ice creams and sorbets and was founded in 2021 by a husband and wife duo out of their Brooklyn apartment. Their focus is on purity of flavor and creamy texture. They now make the ice cream in their shop in the East Village.

On our visit we sample toasted milk and burnt honey with caramel sauce. It’s delicious but be warned that it is on the pricey side of ice cream.

Bad Habit Ice Cream and Sorbets – 131 Avenue A, East Village

Lady M Cake Boutique

Lady M is a high-end cake shop with boutiques around the world. They combine French pastry techniques with Japanese sensibilities resulting in delicious and delicate cakes.

They are probably most well-known for their Millie Crêpe which is 20 alternating layers of French crêpes and soft cream. 

Lady M – Upper East Side, Bryant Park, World Trade Center, NoMad, and Rockefeller Center

Kolkata Chai Co.

Kolkata Chai Co. was founded by two first generation Indian Americans whose parents immigrated from Kolkata in 1987. They founded the company on one simple principle; how do we extend the authenticity, respect and tradition behind a cup of masala chai to NYC? They now have three locations in Manhattan and on a warm summer day we visited the East Village cafe and opted for the soft-serve Chai. And I have to honestly say, it might just be the best soft-serve I’ve ever had.

So when you find yourself somewhere near one of their locations, treat yourself and stop in for a cup.

Kolkata Chai Co. – Nolita, East Village, and Williamsburg

So next time you’re in the mood for a delicious dessert, try one of these spots. You won’t be disappointed.

🍰🥐🧁🍮