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5 NYC Dessert Spots That Are Actually Worth the Hype

From pistachio pastries to matcha gelato, these five New York City dessert spots give you some reasons to save room for sweets.

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To those who quite literally make our lives sweeter, we are celebrating 5 of the best dessert spots in New York City. Each pick on our list gives you plenty of reason to skip a meal or two—save the calories for what truly sparks joy. Let it be understood: many viral businesses in my state are downright and objectively bad (which is why I miss those days when I could just pop into Moscow’s iconic Café Pushkin Patisserie or the wonderland that is St. Petersburg’s Eliseyevsky daily)… So if a glaring omission seems to have been made, it’s not due to a lack of diligence. I have unending complaints about the quality of desserts in New York, but that’s a topic for another article… One positive is that the Big Apple is home to a growing number of interesting Asian-influenced cafés, as this article reflects.

Before I reveal today’s deliciously informative main list, I’ll note that the soft serve at L’Industrie Pizza is as good as it gets. Similarly, the mango sticky rice at the Michelin-recommended Ayada Thai is another rare internet sensation that’s worth the hype — the Queens-born restaurant has a dine-in space and a second takeaway spot right inside Chelsea Market, so don’t be confused. Nearby, you can also check out Fabrique — when you catch them at the right time, their buns can be memorable, especially the ultra-soft vanilla buns. Also nearby, AnnTremet’s small black sesame and heart-shaped mango entremets are worth a detour. Lady M remains a go-to, with the passionfruit and black sesame crêpe cakes placing among my favorites. However, with so many boutiques in America and Asia, I didn’t feel that M was specific enough to New York to include below.

North of the city, I recommend Westchester’s La Tulipe Desserts — an epicurean paradise, owned by Maarten and Frances Steenman. Mr. Steenman, who hails from the Netherlands, has honed his craft at a dizzying list of revered establishments across Europe. His precision and skill are almost unmatched. Mrs. Steenman’s sense of aesthetics also elevates the patisserie and its offerings. If you venture to Beacon, you’ll find another master —Culinary Olympic Gold Medalist Chef Håkan Mårtensson owns and operates Håkan Chocolatier on the city’s Main Street.

Now, without further ado, we present our chosen New York City favorites!

As far as I’m concerned, I can’t praise Frenchette Bakery enough. Before I decided to try it, I hadn’t encountered viennoiserie in NYC in years that lived up to my expectations. Remarkably, Frenchette even surpasses expectations with the items on its pâtisserie and boulangerie menus. The art of French baking is almost gone in New York, with competitors serving brutal disappointments—even esteemed names from the other side of the pond seem to lose........

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