These Cities Are Considered The World's Dessert Capitals (2024)

Exploring the world's top 10 dessert cities and their must-try sweet delights for your next globe-trotting adventure!

It's common knowledge that traveling is best enjoyed when dining. Furthermore, dessert is universally acknowledged as the highlight of any meal. According to the transitive property, traveling is best enjoyed for dessert. Take note of what we just did. Here are our top 10 dessert cities and the foods you should earmark:

1. Paris:

Paris boasts an incredible abundance of dessert options. The good news is that most sweets found in cities are very safe bets. To experience the ultimate treats, visit Ladurée for their stunning rainbow-colored macarons, Jacques Genin for his enormous, custom-made Mille-Feuille, and Pierre Hermé for their well, everything (but we really adore their pistachio-crème-filled Montebello cake).

2. New York:

New York's desserts are as diverse and amazing as the city itself. Try a variety of foods, from the outrageously delicious tarte tatin at Gotham Bar & Grill to the absurdly good-looking Salty Pimp cone at Big Gay Ice Cream. You also need a Tres Leches doughnut from The Doughnut Plant, a huge, warm cookie from Levain bakery, and a Nutella babka from Breads bakery.

3. Vienna:

Ever since the time of Freud, Lenin, and Trotsky, Vienna has been the global center for pastry making. Thinkers of the early 20th century frequented Café Central, which still serves delicious apple strudel and is a great place to indulge your inner Old World intellectual. Next, have a classic Sacher torte (a light chocolate cake stuffed with apricot preserve) at Café Sacher. And for something a little more contemporary, check out the creative new chocolatier Xocolat.

4. Tokyo:

Oh, you believed that Tokyo's fame was limited to its ramen and sushi? Disgrace to you. You can be sure sugar is a top concern in a city where Kit Kats come in over 200 varieties. Try the Japanese cheesecake at Pablo and the mochi at Mochi Cream—small ice cream balls covered in rice flour. Then get a matcha-flavored Cronut at the first Asian location of the renowned Dominique Ansel bakery.

5. San Francisco:

The orange-scented morning bun from Tartine, the most well-known bakery in San Francisco, is arguably its most well-known treat. However, that does not exclude you from having an additional one for dessert. You can either fend off vacationers for a hot fudge sundae in Ghiradelli Square or fend off hipsters for a serving of Secret Breakfast at Humphry Slocombe in the Mission when it comes to ice cream. (Hint: cornflakes and bourbon are involved.) Alternatively, we suggest The Golden Gate Bakery for a shimmering Chinese egg-custard tart for a little something different.

6. Rome:

The gelato appears to call from every corner in lovely, fluffy little mounds, so much so that we would travel to Rome simply for it. Start with Giolitti, which has been providing essentially the best gelato in the world for more than a century. If there's still space, try the Nutella-stuffed brioche at Dolce Maniera and the mountains of crispy almond cookies at Biscottificio Innocenti in Trastevere.

7. Singapore:

With a sizable expat population, Singapore has always been a melting pot with a unique culinary heritage. This also applies to desserts, where delectable fusions of European and Asian cuisines may be found. Take a chance on something different, like the salted egg yolk custard doughnuts at FIX or the Butterfly Pea Tapioca at Soi 60 Thai. Alternatively, for an incredible show-stopper, try the Antoinette edible terrarium.

8. Barcelona:

If you fancy dipping warm, cinnamon-spiced churros into a deep, dark chocolate-filled cup, Barcelona may be the place for you. Try Café Granja Viader, which says it began the practice a century ago, for a traditional location. Try the five-course, the four-hour dessert-tasting menu at Espai Sucre if you're in the mood for something fancy. Dishes like Manchego cheese tart & smoky tea cream over chocolate, black sesame, and yogurt are among the options.

9. Buenos Aires:

Dulce de leche, a sweet, milky caramel spread that Argentineans use on pretty much everything, is the main attraction of Buenos Aires. A favorite chain, Havanna, is a great place to start your dulce de leche tour with a coffee and a couple alfajores, which are sandwich biscuits wrapped in coconut and filled with dulce de leche or jam. Go ahead and have panqueques from Peron Peron; they are similar to French crepes but with dulce de leche inside. And finish with a helado, which is similar to gelato and can be found on almost any corner of the city. Rest assured—a dulce de leche flavor is also available.

10. New Orleans:

Any city that greets the day with three hot, freshly made beignets and a mound of powdered sugar has our support. Once you finish your coffee at Café Du Monde, be sure to order the original bananas foster at Brennan's (which literally burns on the table!), a box of pralines at Pralines by Jean, and the most delicious pecan sticky bun at Willa Jean.

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