We’ve all been there – you’re at a restaurant and you just can’t help yourself from snapping a food pic before digging in. Presentation is everything, and these NYC spots completely nailed their dessert game. When your dessert isn’t just tasty, but easy on the eyes, it’s like icing on the cake.
Satisfy your sweet tooth with these 15 stunning decadent desserts in New York City.
It’s a no-brainer that Catch is one of the most sought-after restaurants in the world. What better way to experience it than by trying out their most eye-catching dessert? The “Hit Me Tower” quite literally lives up to its name. You’ll want to take them at their word – “hit me” – and use a bit of force to jumpstart taste testing this dessert. It looks almost too pretty to eat, but your taste buds will approve!
Grab your bff and kickstart your day of brunch and shopping with cookie shots from Dominique Ansel Bakery. Bonus: hangover not included. This darling dessert is a tasty chocolate chip cookie shaped like a shot glass filled with handmade Tahitian vanilla milk. Other treats worth trying include frozen s’mores and a blossoming hot chocolate. Pro tip: they sell their chocolate chip shot glasses in a pack, making the perfect party favor for your next dinner party or sleepover!
The Pain au Chocolat “Suprême” is the elite dessert that will have you swooning! Perfect for chocolate fanatics, this pastry takes the chocolate croissant to the next level. It has a surprise center of melted chocolate that’ll have your followers salivating. Pro tip: Not a chocolate kind of gal? They also have the same treat in Peaches N’ Crème!
This signature dessert lives up to its name and for good reason! Dubbed as, “The Crazyshake,” this novelty dessert is straight out of a fairytale! You’ll want to indulge in this delightful confection made up of sprinkles, slices of cake, cookies, and so much more that others travel from all over the world for!
Have your modern-day Sex and the City moment with this luxe dessert from L’avenue at Sak’s! The stunning s’mores cups are an upleveled take on the traditional mousse cup desserts. Enjoy chocolate mousse, toasted marshmallow, graham cracker, and ice cream when you order this fancy dessert that tastes like romance in a cup!
Oh-crepe does this look good! Prince Tea House is famous for their Brown Sugar Boba Crepes Cake and all of it’s deliciously flake layers. While it’s almost too pretty to eat, cutting this cake down the center also adds to the satisfaction. While the pictured shot is their signature crepe cake, they also have a Purple Yam Cake with the same aesthetic.
The S’mores Jar at The Smith has all the makings of a perfect dessert – chocolate pudding, graham cracker crumbs, toasted marshmallow. While The Smith may be all over your Instagram for their extra cheesy mac-and-cheese, we argue that The S’mores Jar is the real winner of their dining experience.
The ultimate ooey-gooey pull apart cookies! These cookies are thick and have that satisfying breaking motion that you just need to capture on film. Levain cookies have gotten so famous now that you might even see them at your local supermarket. Chocolate Chip may be their most popular choice but the bakery has several other flavors.
You can’t go wrong when going to a dessert bar, right? Spot Dessert Bar goes over the top for every single item they serve. Our personal favorite is the Matcha Lava Cake – oozing out a green filling when you break in. They’re also known for their Edible Flower Pot and Cookie Camp Skillet Cookie.
Supermoon Bakehouse is known for their “cruffin” – the croissant + muffin. The Ferrero Rocher is their top selling cruffin. The filling is chocolate ganache & hazelnnut crème pâtissière. It’s topped with chantilly, chocolate glaze, and crushed hazelnuts. Now this is a photogenic pastry.
Magnolia Bakery has been making banana pudding a thing since 1996. All their pudding has fresh bananas, vanilla wafers and fluffy vanilla pudding. Some favorite choices are: The Classic Banana Pudding, Chocolate Hazelnut, and Red Velvet. This is worth the photograph AND the calories.
You’ve probably seen these fish-shaped ice cream cones on your ice Instagram feed. Taiyaki is serving up authentic Japanese ice cream flavors from their cute waffle cones. This Chinatown spot is super popular and often has a line (especially during the warmer months). If you’re not a fish person – they also have cute bear cones.
Ok – you’re either doing this one for the Insta or you have a lot of friends who are overly okay with sharing. This 21 scoop ice cream cone from Stuffed Ice Cream is delicious and can probably last you at least two weeks. Choose from their funky flavors such as Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Vietnamese Coffee, and Matcha.
Beauty & Essex is all about presentation value when you visit, whether it be for cocktails or dessert. Their “Wonder Wheel” is all over Instagram and perfect for sharing. Inside the wheel (which does actually spin), you can discover a variety of treats such as cake pops, macarons, and beignets.
You can’t leave before dessert at Empellon because the Corn Ice Cream taco is both worth the photo and the taste. Served in a bowl over corn nuts, this flavorful “taco” might look like a Mexican entrée, but don’t worry the taco shell is waffle cone perfect to satisfy your sweet tooth.
