Best Desserts Around the World

By Travel + Leisure and Travel + Leisure Staff
March 07, 2013
Credit: Alice Tran
In a cozy bakery in Boston’s South End, where sticky buns drip with caramel pecans and donuts are sold out by noon, a cheeky sign above the register proclaims: “Make life sweeter—eat dessert first.”

There’s no arguing with pastry chef Joanne Chang, whose Flour bakery sees crowds lining up as early as 7 a.m. for her signature treats. Indeed, the best places for dessert inspire you to throw out all the rules—eat with moderation, save the best for last—and give in to sugary bliss, no matter what the time of day.

As part of T+L’s coverage of the Best Places to Eat Like a Local, we surveyed the globe for the finest desserts, such as ricotta-and-chocolate-stuffed pastries in Rome and the “mango avalanche” in Taipei, shaved ice piled high with fresh fruit, mango pudding, and sorbet.. Whether as an antidote to a long day of exploring or a quick pick-me-up between sightseeing stops, these sweets can define their destination in just one bite.

—Nikki Ekstein

See more Best Places to Eat Like a Local

In a cozy bakery in Boston’s South End, where sticky buns drip with caramel pecans and donuts are sold out by noon, a cheeky sign above the register proclaims: “Make life sweeter—eat dessert first.”

There’s no arguing with pastry chef Joanne Chang, whose Flour bakery sees crowds lining up as early as 7 a.m. for her signature treats. Indeed, the best places for dessert inspire you to throw out all the rules—eat with moderation, save the best for last—and give in to sugary bliss, no matter what the time of day.

As part of T+L’s coverage of the Best Places to Eat Like a Local, we surveyed the globe for the finest desserts, such as ricotta-and-chocolate-stuffed pastries in Rome and the “mango avalanche” in Taipei, shaved ice piled high with fresh fruit, mango pudding, and sorbet.. Whether as an antidote to a long day of exploring or a quick pick-me-up between sightseeing stops, these sweets can define their destination in just one bite.

—Nikki Ekstein

See more Best Places to Eat Like a Local
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Mr. Minsch, Berlin

Credit: Courtesy of Mr Minsch Torten

The vibe is Mad Hatter meets 1950’s hausfrau at this Kreuzberg takeout bakery, where master pastry chef Andreas Minsch turns out his extravagant confections. You’ll be hard-pressed to choose between an enormous cinnamon roll or a slice of the popular Black Forest cherry cake. 49-30/2845-0894.

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Cristalli di Zucchero, Rome

Credit: Michele Di Trani

Adjacent to a farmers’ market just off the Circus Maximus is a pretty-in-pink pasticceria where Parisian-style tartlets are made with regional ingredients like apricots and pistachios. Order the flaky ricotta-and-chocolate-filled Romanella at the counter with an espresso—then get another one to go.

3 of 26

Christina’s Homemade Ice Cream, Cambridge, MA

Credit: Kristin Teig

Behind a distinctive lavender façade on Inman Square, the shop’s intense, exotic flavors (more than 50 each day) include burnt sugar, licorice, honey-lavender, apple cider, and cinnamon-spiced Mexican chocolate. christinasicecream.com.

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Habibah, Amman, Jordan

Credit: Daniel Lakey

For the city’s best knafeh, follow the queue down an alleyway near downtown’s Arab Bank. The generous pockets of shredded phyllo and sweet cheese are crowned with local pistachios and syrup, and served piping hot. habibahsweets.com.

5 of 26

Ice Monster, Taipei

Credit: Courtesy of Ice Monster

Ignore the candy-colored popsicles up front. What you want is the “mango avalanche”—shaved ice piled high with cubes of fresh fruit, mango pudding, condensed milk, and mango sorbet. It’s enough for four dainty eaters or two ravenous ones. ice-monster.com.

6 of 26

Xocolat, Vienna

Credit: Courtesy of Xocolat / Herbert Lehmann

Even the most jaded epicurean succumbs to the Willy Wonkaesque sense of wonder at this haven for the cocoa-obsessed. Lose yourself amid the shelves of chocolate bars, truffles, and pralines—some house-made, some globally sourced—then sign up for a class in creating your own. xocolat.at.

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Café Central, Vienna

Credit: Courtesy of Café Central

Though it’s welcomed plenty of tourists over its 137 years—not to mention habitués like Freud, Lenin, and Trotsky—the utterly grand café inside the majestic Palais Ferstel is known among pastry-obsessed Wieners for serving the best, flakiest strudel in town.

8 of 26

Morning Call, New Orleans

Credit: Christine Tsai

The airy beignets (made from a 143-year-old recipe) and café au lait at this 24-hour, wood-paneled Metairie haunt leave the better-known Café du Monde in their sugar dust. morningcallcoffeestand.com.

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Lamingtons at Flour & Stone, Sydney

Credit: Nadine Ingram

At bite-size bakery Flour & Stone, these quintessentially Aussie squares of vanilla sponge cake, slathered in chocolate icing and dusted in coconut, come stuffed with panna cotta and berry compote. flourandstone.com.au.

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10 of 26

Loong Fatt Eating House & Confectionary, Singapore

Credit: Entree Kibbles

A tiny bakeshop with superior tau sar piah, crumbly sesame-seed-encrusted pastries filled with sweet or savory bean paste. 65/6253-4584.

11 of 26

Auntie Sweet, Hong Kong

Credit: Catherine Lee

In the laid-back Tin Hau neighborhood, groups of boisterous families head to this cheery café for traditional Asian desserts, including terrific tong shui (sweet Cantonese soups and custards), durian-and-tofu pudding, and our favorite: super-rich black-sesame ice cream. 852/2508-6962.

12 of 26

Billy's Bakery, New York City

Credit: © Julie Dovan

From German chocolate cupcakes to butterscotch gingerbread cookies and banana cream pies, Billy's makes a range of sweets and treats in their 1940s-style shops. It’s won glowing reviews, especially for its cupcakes.

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Tout Chocolat, Mexico City

Credit: Courtesy of Tout Chocolate

Bold flavor combinations from a former NYC pastry chef, are sold at this sweet shop in the arty Condesa neighborhood. Try the white peach and apricot caramel. tchocolat.com.

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Flour Bakery + Café, Boston

Credit: Kellet + Keller

A Boston institution in the city’s South End, the bakery exudes a relaxed, neighborhood feel and serves a selection of delicate, sweet pastries. The meringue clouds and ginger molasses cookies are not to be missed.

15 of 26

Bubó, Barcelona

Credit: Melody Fury at Gourmetfury.com

Pick up the sweet-savory pan-con-tomate bonbons from Willy Wonka–like pâtissier Carles Mampel.

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16 of 26

Un Altra Volta, Buenos Aires

Credit: Jennifer Yin / JennTakesPictures.com

Evoking the laboratory-style new wave Italian gelateria, this high-design mini-chain keeps it cool with 65 intensely flavored creations under gleaming stainless-steel lids. The dulce de leche gelato is wickedly caramely with candied almonds and hazelnuts.

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La Pâtisserie des Rêves, Paris

Credit: Courtesy of La Patisserie des Reves

Offering a unique, yet still Parisian, take on pastries, this 16th arrondissement shop features the work of French sugar sultan Phillippe Conticini and centers on a futuristic display case made of steel and blonde wood, where handcrafted treats sit atop refrigerated pieces of slate underneath glass capsules. The tarte Tatin, an upside-down fruit confection, is among the most popular sellers.

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Pain de Sucre, Paris

Credit: Richard Truscott

This beautifully curated Marais patisserie run by a pair of Pierre Gagnaire’s former pastry chefs has a wide selection of tarts, macaroons, and homemade marshmallows in flavors like rose and angelica.

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Chego, Los Angeles

Credit: Phong Ho

While spicy desserts such as chile-flavored chocolate have been around for a while, Mexican fusion restaurant Chego takes the trend to a fiery new level. To make its Devil’s Tres Leches, the restaurant soaks rich devil’s food cake in cinnamon-infused, cayenne pepper–flavored evaporated milk and adds tapioca pudding and spicy peanut brittle. eatchego.com.

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Voodoo Doughnut, Portland, OR

Credit: Courtesy of Rogue Ales & Spirits

There’s a good reason Voodoo is such a huge hit with all donut fans: the Bacon Maple Bar. It’s a yeast donut topped with maple glaze and not one, but two strips of crisp bacon. Open round-the-clock since 2003, this offbeat doughnut shop is further proof that dessert should be enjoyed anytime.

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Mission Pie, San Francisco

Credit: Travis E. Smith

Named for the district in which it resides, this pie shop uses only seasonal ingredients, which are locally sourced whenever possible. The must-try pie is actually a tart prepared with plum and frangipane, a sweet paste made from almonds. The sweet nuttiness of the almonds comes through with impressive clarity, as does the fleeting flavor of the ripe fruit.

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N’ice Cream, Los Angeles

Credit: Anne Watson Photography

After browsing the boutiques in the chic Abbot-Kinney area, grab a cup of salted-caramel gelato or another one of the 15 daily flavors of organic gelato and sorbet at N’ice Cream and hit Venice Beach. ilovenicecream.com.

23 of 26

Big Gay Ice Cream Truck, New York City

Credit: Donny Tsang

A New York summertime favorite, this ice cream truck expanded and opened two brick and mortar shops downtown. John T. Edge, author of the Truck Food Cookbook recommends trying the cool, white soft serve, flavored with vanilla, topped with wasabi-spiked green peas. “Dissonance never tasted so good.” biggayicecream.com.

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Giolitti, Rome

Credit: Miklos Szaloczy

Rome’s oldest ice cream parlor, Giolitti has a history dating back to 1890, when dairy farmers Giuseppe and Bernadina Giolitti opened a small creamery near the Pantheon. Today it is one of the city’s most celebrated gelato shops, serving such unusual flavors as champagne, ricotta, marsala custard, and watermelon with chocolate seeds.

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Sweet Envy, North Hobart, Tasmania, Australia

Credit: Earl Carter

Before you can decide between the salted caramels, French nougat, chocolate bonbons, and tuiles, a young salesgirl may dare you to take the “cupcake challenge,” eyeing one of the peanut-butter-frosted and jelly-filled monsters. It’s free if you devour it in 60 seconds or less. Fresh fruit is used to concoct sorbet and ice cream flavors such as Guinness with blackberry and white beer with peach. sweetenvy.com.

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Dee-Lite Bakery, Honolulu

Credit: Alice Tran

Located in a non-touristy part of town, the Dee Lite Bakery is best known for their guava chiffon cake made from a secret recipe since the bakery's opening in 1959. Other selections include the rainbow cake with alternating layers of lime, guava, and passionfruit, and a custard pie.

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By Travel + Leisure and Travel + Leisure Staff