The Resy Guide to Incredible Desserts in New York

Everyone knows the food is good and fully vegetarian (despite that name), and you’ve probably had the veggie burger or the collard sandwich at least once. If you skipped dessert on your last visit, we’re here to tell you that you made a very grave error. After all, owner Brooks Headley was once the head pastry chef at Del Posto. The sorbet and gelato alone would merit them a spot on this list, but they don’t stop there — the rotating menu has included sweets like chocolate-apricot jam layer cake, glistening passion fruit pearl pie, and griddled chocolate cake with Guinness semifreddo. They know how to have fun here — order accordingly.

Jeffrey Wurtz might not be the first name that comes to mind when visiting Andrew Carmellini’s namesake restaurant, but it should absolutely be the second. As the executive pastry chef of NoHo Hospitality Group, which is also behind spots like Bar Primi, The Dutch, and Westlight, he’s anything if not seasoned. At Café Carmellini, his fine dining side takes full control, with decadent desserts like strawberry chartreuse pavlova with rhubarb sorbetto, chocolate caramel crémeux with puffed rice croquant, and a raspberry pistachio tart.

Dessert lovers need look no further than the extensive menu at Saverne, the latest restaurant from acclaimed chef Gabriel Kreuther. The dessert is indeed lengthy, with everything from Grandmere’s chocolate mousse and creamy riz au lait to a delicate îl flottante and a decadent triple chocolate cake — all of which are worthy of consideration. And then there’s the list of coupes glacées, of which there are six different varieties, plus your choice of at least two dozen ice cream and sorbet flavors. We highly recommend ordering to your heart’s content, and opting for at least one ice cream sundae (we’re partial to the cerise pistache). Whatever you do, though, you cannot possibly order wrong.

P.S. If you want even more intel on some excellent ice cream, head here.

 

In New York’s ongoing modern Asian restaurant renaissance, this elegant restaurant may be one of the most underrated and exciting of all. At 53, the menu reimagines everything from dim sum to sweets and brilliantly dreams up desserts “with an Asian angle.” Highlights include the mango pudding with oro blanco and sago, a Nutella, banana, and mochi ice cream sandwich, a Nama chocolate tart so good it’ll convert chocolate-haters, and pink pineapple granita with coconut jelly.

The recent revival of Williamsburg institution Kellogg’s was iconic for many reasons (they kept the 24-hour schedule, for one), but the desserts are something especially special. There’s strawberry pretzel salad, a delightfully midwestern-esque cold salad made with Jell-o and whipped cream, passion fruit Tajin pie, and an egg cream, to name a few. And since this is a diner, you can see some of them in the rotating case. Swoon.

Is it a hot take to say we’d be perfectly content sitting at the bar at Torrisi, eating just desserts only with a glass or two of Amaro? The glitzy revival of Major Food Group’s Italian American favorite more than stuns in the sweets department — think an affogato layered in hot fudge that reads like a Dairy Queen sundae taken to the next level (childhood nostalgia included), frozen yogurt with the texture of smooth cream that you’ll scoop out of a grapefruit, and a perfect almond cheesecake.

At Crown Shy from Kent Hospitality Group (also of Overstory and Saga), desserts are overseen by executive pastry chef Anushana Sharma. There’s bananas foster, mango tres leches, and that famous sticky toffee pudding for two. Would it be so bad to say we think we just might be able to finish it all by ourselves? And don’t skip the ice cream with rotating flavors like satsuma orange and burnt maple.

See also: If you love the desserts at Crown Shy, chances are high you’ll love the baked goods over at Birdee, from former Crown Shy pastry chef Renata Ameni.

Chances are you’ve stumbled on the most Instagrammable dessert of 2017: A half slice of what seems to be avocado on a bed of salt. Or was it Empellón’s other trompe-l’oeil dessert, the faux taco? Regardless, chef-owner Alex Stupak’s desserts program still runs whimsical and wild at his Mexican-inspired flagship (the man was a pastry chef at mind-bending restaurants wd~50 and Alinea, after all) and you’ll still find his two signature desserts (the avocado parfait and corn ice cream taco) on the menu.

Yes, we’ve written extensively about Williamsburg’s addition to the French brasserie genre (as a destination for group-worthy celebrations, its breakfast sandwiches and brunch, among others), and no, we’re definitely not sorry to add yet another excellent reason why you should visit Le Croc’: Its standout dessert program, headed by the sticky banana date pudding, a dessert so perfectly decadent we don’t care how many frites you’ve had, you cannot not order. A+ renditions of chocolate mousse, profiteroles, and more are on there, too.

See also: The desserts at sister restaurant Chez Ma Tante — what can we say? This team knows how to end a meal. And while we’re in the realm of French desserts, we should note that the rotating cast of sweet things at La Mercerie should never be skipped, either.

When Patricia Howard and Ed Szymanski opened this (much-bigger-than-Dame) Fergus Henderson-inspired English bistro, they also brought along a whole suite of classic British desserts. As such, you’re bound to find dark chocolate mousse with amaro and cherries, a sticky ginger sponge, and a knickerbocker glory with lemon curd and berries, with Szymanski showing off his ice cream-making skills to round things out.

Don’t even pretend you’re not here for one decadent night — if you scored a Resy at 4 Charles, you better make it count! But here’s our plea to absolutely save room for dessert, steaks aside: The illustrated menu is a feast for more than the eyes, and hops from a DIY sundae royale that’ll make you feel like a kid in a candy store, to deeply satisfying chocolate cream and lemon meringue pies.

See also: If a Resy at 4 Charles still feels impossible (here’s your daily reminder that the Notify feature does indeed work!), rest assured that the illustrated menu of sweets at Hogsalt sister restaurant, Monkey Bar, offers all the above, and more.

And because it was too hard not to include the following, please see our shoutouts to these signature desserts, all of which are so integral to a meal at their respective restaurants it’d be weird if you didn’t order them …

• • The chocolate mousse from Opto
  • The daily Jell-O from Hellbender
  • The tarte au chocolat with caviar chocolate pearls at Caviar Kaspia at The Mark
  • The corn husk meringue at Cosme
  • The sticky toffee pudding at Dame
  • The yellow cake at Bar Bête
  • The sweet potato pie at Sylvia’s
  • The tiramisu at LaRina Pastificio & Vino
  • The tiramisu at I Sodi
  • The cut fruit plate at Bonnie’s
  • The knafeh at Tanoreen
  • The devil’s food cake at Claud (you better book that 5 p.m. Resy if you want to secure a slice)
  • The ice cream sandwich at Penny, Claud’s upstairs sister seafood counter
  • The saffron ice cream sandwich at Eyval
  • The chocolate chip cookie and oolong milk tea at Lola’s
  • The torta al pistacchio at Barbuto
  • The Thai tea tres leches cake at Golden Diner
  • The mini honey butter pancakes at Golden HOF
  • The caramel custard with banana chantilly from Four Twenty Five
  • The banana coconut bread pudding at Raoul’s
  • The olive oil cake at L’Artusi
  • The bodega special at Tatiana, by Kwame Onwuachi
  • The Camembert cheesecake at Theodora
  • The Chinese fried dough at Tuome
  • The seasonal choux au craquelin at Place des Fêtes
  • The soba panna cotta at Tonchin Brooklyn
  • Grandpa Lusk’s cheesecake at da Toscano
  • The Tik Tok-famous (and absolutely not overhyped) seasonal parfait at Momoya Soho
  • The coconut pandan dessert from Bangkok Supper Club
  • The coconut cake from KYU
  • The baba au chartreuses at Le Rock
  • The chocolate sorbet at Roman’s
  • The profiteroles at La Mercerie
  • The pandan custard at Wayan
  • The gelato at Misi and Lilia
  • And if you see the sheet cake on the menu at Yellow Rose, you know what to do.