Have a sweet tooth and want to find someplace sweet? NYC is a great place to find and discover some of the best desserts and treats you will ever enjoy. Here is a list of my favorite places to satisfy a sweet craving in the city.
1. Laudreè
Located at 398 West Broadway in SoHo, NY, Laudree is a premiere french bistro originating in Paris, France. Tucked away in the beautiful jewel of SoHo and surrounded by an array of well known designer stores, Laduree serves the best macarons you will ever have outside of Paris. You can often find a line of people eagerly waiting outside the store to taste their delicious and enticing macaron flavors. My favorite flavors are Vanilla and Raspberry, however some of the other flavours are Apricot, Chocolate, Toffee, Coconut, Coffee, Pistachio and Marie Antoinette. Attached to the bakery is a cafe in which you can order various french delicacies: sandwiches, teas, cheeses, and salads.
2. Georgetown Cupcake
Located at 111 Mercer Street in SoHo, NY, this designer cupcakery originated in Washington D.C. Founded by the two sisters, Katherine and Sophie Kallinis, Georgetown Cupcake rose to fame when it starred in the hit series, DC Cupcakes on TLC. After gaining a large client base, the bakery expanded to other locations, one being in SoHo NY. Georgetown cupcakes offers over 100 flavors ranging from Vanilla Birthday to Peanut Butter Fudge. Some of my recommendations are Cookies and Creme, Salted Caramel, Vanilla Birthday, Chocolate Birthday, and Baby Pink. The store can often have a line out the door on weekends, so your best chance at snagging a cupcake is in the mornings or on weekdays.
3. Molly’s Cupcakes
Located at 228 Bleecker Street in West Village, NY, this cupcakery is super close to campus. Molly’s Cupcakes’ claim to fame is that they were the winners of the Food Network’s show: Cupcake Wars. Known for their wild cupcake flavors, the most popular are: Creme Brulee, Blueberry Cheesecake, Cookie Monster, and Flourless Molten Chocolate.
4. Serendipty 3
Located at 225 East 60th Street between 2nd and 3rd avenue (Upper East Side NY). Featured on the 2001 movie, Serendipty, starring John Cusack and Kate Beckinsale, this restaurant is known for its wildly popular selection of desserts. It’s most famous dessert, which is featured in the Guinness World Record Book as the most expensive dessert sold, is The Golden Opulence Sundae, adorned in gold leaf. The Golden Opulence costs a whopping $1,000 and requires a reservation made weeks in advance. However, the Golden Opulence is not the only dessert they sell. They are also known for their frozen drinks (frozen hot chocolate) and different types of sundaes (my favorite is the Forbidden Broadway Sundae). And if you are looking for a meal, they also serve a selection of entrees (burgers, omelettes, pasta’s and sandwiches). The place is very popular on all days of the week and there is always an hour wait; so the best way to go is to make a reservation or do a walk-in when they first open for the day.
5. Levain Bakery
Located at 167 W 74th Street, NY (Upper West Side). Levain, a french term meaning the natural starter in bread, was the inspiration for the bakery’s name. Before the two owners started Levain, they were selling homemade bread to restaurants around NYC. Levain Bakery is known for its legendary cookies, fresh baked breads, and its dedication to feed the hungry. All of the baked goods that were not sold for the day are donated. They have locations worldwide and are famous for their Chocolate Chip Walnut cookies.
6. Sugar and Plumm
Located at 377 Amsterdam Avenue NY, Sugar and Plumm is an American Bistro with a cafe area and a bakery that sells homemade chocolates, macarons, ice cream and various baked goods. They serve american comfort foods for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The Bleecker St. location only has treats, but if you want to have a sit down meal, the Upper West Side location is the place to go. Frequented by celebrities such as Bella Thorne, Katie Holmes, and Blake Lively, their most popular items are the Creme Brulee Cookie, the Banana Chocolate Macaron, their waffles, and their ice cream.
7. Sprinkles Cupcakes
Located at 225 Liberty Street, NY. Known for their cupcake ATM, this bakery was established in Beverly Hills, California and is considered one of the first bakeries dedicated to cupcakes. Sprinkles is a bakery known for their brightly colored stores, ice cream, cookies and cupcakes. The store receives a large number of celebrity endorsements and thus has celebrity endorsed flavors (currently they offer The Swirl Cupcake endorsed by actor Jessica Alba). They have made appearances on various T.V. shows such as “The Tonight Show”, “Entourage” and “The Girl Next Door.” Their most popular flavors are: Strawberry, Sprinkles, Red Velvet, Dark Chocolate, and Peanut Butter Chip.
8. Max Brenner
Located at 841 Broadway (Union Square NY), this restaurant, founded in NYC, has over 50 other locations around the country. Famous for their chocolate based desserts, the restaurant also has an attached retail experience called The Chocolate Bar. The Chocolate Bar serves hot chocolate, milkshakes, crepes, sweet waffles, and chocolate fondue. The restaurant serves all of these desserts plus a large selection of main courses (burgers, panini’s, flatbread pizzas, mac and cheese, and breakfast).
9. Dylan’s Candy Bar
Located at 33 Union Square West, NY, this candy store chain has several locations in NYC. Founded by Dylan Lauren, the famous designer’s daughter, this candy store chain has climbed the ranks of candy stores and has become a popular tourist attraction. This candy bar hosts about 7,000 different types of confections and also sells various candy themed clothing and gifts. It has over 200 celebrity influencers such as Michelle Obama, Madonna, David Beckham, Tom Cruise, and Hugh Jackman. Certain locations have the candy store section plus the cafe on top with various food options and dessert dishes. Some of the best desserts at the cafe are: Smores, the Demolition Cookie Derby Sundae, and the Cookie Monster Hot Chocolate Drink among many others.
10. Pop Bar
Located at 5 Carmine Street, NY, this new popsicle shop competes with the famous Italian gelateria GROM. They sell trendy and customizable popsicles ranging from gelato, sorbet to yogurt with available toppings; you can dip your pop in 4 different types of chocolate and add nuts, chocolate sprinkles, coconut and crushed waffle cones.