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A thyme creme brûlée with lemon, almond, and olive oil from Coquette

New Orleans Restaurants Where Dessert Steals The Show

From satsuma almond cake to chocolate cremeaux to pistachio pavlova, you’ll want to save room for dessert at these restaurants

by Gwendolyn Knapp and Clair Lorell Nov 27, 2019, 3:13pm CST

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A thyme creme brûlée with lemon, almond, and olive oil from Coquette

| Coquette/Facebook

by Gwendolyn Knapp and Clair Lorell Nov 27, 2019, 3:13pm CST

Pastry chefs are sometimes the unsung heroes of the restaurant world. Their names don’t always appear on restaurant websites or menus, and they rarely get the same sort of attention that the celebrity chefs of the world receive. It’s a shame, because the dessert course is a diner’s final impression of a restaurant, and those impressions count.

At each restaurant listed here, diners are guaranteed to have a stellar sweet or a fabulous dessert menu greeting them. From Caribbean-inspired cakes to pavlova and loads of pies, tarts, and brûlées thrown in for good measure, this list of new and classic restaurants is sure to please every sweet tooth in town.

Please note: These are the best desserts found at restaurants, not bakeries or sweet shops. As always, the map is arranged by geographically, not by ranking.

Have another favorite destination for dessert? Share in the comments or send a tip.

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Brigtsen's Restaurant

Pecan pie, strawberry shortcake, double chocolate cake, lemon ice box. Chef Frank Brigtsen's longtime Riverbend fave excels at elevating the comforting home classics, and many folks consider this the best pecan pie in town.

Open in Google Maps

723 Dante St, New Orleans, LA 70118

Visit Website

Brigsten’s pecan pie

Saba

Saba’s desserts are stunning; produce-based and subtle but layered. Cara Peterson weaves refreshingly different featured ingredients like barberries, hibiscus, sumac, satsumas, and figs in olive oil cakes, semifreddos, and babkas, depending on the season. You can pick up holiday desserts here too —this season’s offerings are pumpkin-spiced babka, cardamom pecan pie, and cranberry and rose labneh cheesecake.

5757 Magazine St, New Orleans, LA 70115

Visit Website

Also featured in:

Apolline

Dessert is central at this Uptown Creole restaurant, still the case since the departure of chef Matt Farmer. The flourless chocolate cake with macerated berries and the orange dream tart are standouts.

4729 Magazine St, New Orleans, LA 70115

Visit Website

Flourless chocolate cake with macerated berries

Also featured in:

Zasu

Former Gautreau’s chef and James Beard award winner Sue Zemanick delights with every dish on her debut restaurant’s tight, careful menu, and dessert is no different. There are almost always specials, like the pictured chocolate cremeaux with port poached pears, whipped cream, and chocolate cookie crumble, but current items to save room for include a pistachio pavlova with macerated strawberries and citrus curd and a passion fruit creme brûlée with candied ginger, coconut shortbread, and Thai basil.

127 N Carrollton Ave, New Orleans, LA 70119

Visit Website

Also featured in:

Vessel

Former Besh Group pastry chef Amelia Watts crafts a seasonal dessert menu with vibrant flavors, textures and gorgeous platings, making sweets one of the main draws at this Mid City restaurant and cocktail spot.

3835 Iberville St, New Orleans, LA 70119

Visit Website

Bread pudding with berry drizzle from Vessel

Also featured in:

Commander's Palace

The bread pudding souffle at Commander's Palace is one of New Orleans’s most iconic dishes, as is the restaurant's version of Bananas Foster (made with the added incentive of banana liqueur), but it's hard to go wrong with a praline parfait or creme brûlée either.

Open in Google Maps

1403 Washington Ave, New Orleans, LA 70130

Visit Website

Bread pudding soufflé at Commander’s

Coquette

Pastry chef James Kubie does beautifully plated and oh so tasty desserts at this Garden District stunner, including a black tea semifreddo, coconut cake with tamarind, cashew, and sesame, and more incredible wonders that compliment chef Mike Stoltzfus' intriguing Southern menu.

2800 Magazine St, New Orleans, LA 70115

Visit Website

Also featured in:

Josephine Estelle

Pastry chef Breanne Kostyk, formerly of Northshore eatery Oxlot 9, turns out incredible seasonal desserts from fruity tarts to crostatas, with a slew of inspired cheese platings and an affogato to boot at this chic Warehouse District osteria.

600 Carondelet St, New Orleans, LA 70130

Visit Website

Also featured in:

GW Fins

GW Fins is one for classic desserts, kind whose ingredient list fills you up just from reading the menu. Customer favorites include the samoa, the “Salty Malty,” an ice cream pie with a pretzel crust, and the white chocolate and caramel bread pudding.

808 Bienville St, New Orleans, LA 70112

Visit Website

GW Fin’s famous salty malty ice cream pie

Also featured in:

Gianna Restaurant

This Warehouse District newcomer is the latest from Donald Link’s group, with acclaimed chef Rebecca Wilcomb at the helm. Her desserts are spectacular, and honor the same level of tradition and complexity as the rustic Italian cuisine she does so well for lunch and dinner. Save room for dishes like the sweet milk tartufo with amarena cherries, walnuts, and a fried rosette cookie, a lemon mousse torta, and pistachio ricotta cheesecake.

700 Magazine St Suite 101, New Orleans, LA 70130

Visit Website

Sweet milk tartufo with amarena cherries, walnuts, and honey from Gianna

Also featured in:

Bakery Bar

This fun LGD bar and eatery boasts the best lineup of doberge cake in town. The masterminds behind Debbie Does Doberge offer a good selection of flavors, from red velvet to pistachio, by the slice or even by the do-bite.

Open in Google Maps

1179 Annunciation St, New Orleans, LA

Boozy cinnamon doberge cake from Bakery Bar

Meril

Emeril Lagasse's Warehouse District eatery — which features a small plates menu of dishes under $20 — has a killer dessert program, including five ice cream and waffle cone combinations including a daily special, pecan pie, and banana pudding ice cream cake. The biscuits, sometimes drizzled with honey and sometimes with preserves, can be snuck in before the official dessert course.

424 Girod St, New Orleans, LA 70130

Visit Website

Meril’s ice cream and waffle cones are made in house

Also featured in:

Restaurant R'evolution

Restaurant R'evolution has rocked a strong dessert game since opening in 2012, but the Folse & Tromonto restaurant now boasts award-winning pastry chef Blake Abene (formerly of Stella!, Square Root, and NY's Jean Georges and Corton) who brings imaginative desserts to life. Current offerings include a satsuma tart, grape parfait, and a coconut bread pudding creme brûlée. Plus, there's a dang dessert treasure chest, people.

Open in Google Maps

777 Bienville St, New Orleans, LA 70130

Visit Website

Malted chocolate cake with blood orange sorbet

Compère Lapin

Compere’s ever-changing desserts have ranged from a delicate summertime horchata panna cotta to a Bolivian chocolate cake served with passion curd to the passionfruit mousse with chiffon cake and pineapple pictured. Flavors harken back to the Caribbean, a welcome respite in the land of bread pudding.

535 Tchoupitoulas St, New Orleans, LA 70130

Visit Website

Passionfruit mousse with chiffon cake and pineapple, currently on Compere Lapin’s dessert menu

Also featured in:

Brennan's

The birthplace of Bananas Foster, that flaming tableside dessert of bananas, rum, and brown sugar served over vanilla ice cream, is still going strong with an array of classic desserts to please the breakfast crowd. Because you should always have dessert at breakfast.

Open in Google Maps

417 Royal St, New Orleans, LA 70130

Visit Website

Antoine's Restaurant

Cherries jubilee, Cafe brulot, the Baked Alaska. This grand dame, and the oldest operating family-run restaurant, turns out an array of desserts that have been pleasing customers for 175 years. That being said, it's a trip back in time, but one good for the soul.

713 Saint Louis St, New Orleans, LA 70130

Visit Website

Also featured in:

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Brigtsen's Restaurant

723 Dante St, New Orleans, LA 70118

Pecan pie, strawberry shortcake, double chocolate cake, lemon ice box. Chef Frank Brigtsen's longtime Riverbend fave excels at elevating the comforting home classics, and many folks consider this the best pecan pie in town.

Open in Google Maps

723 Dante St, New Orleans, LA 70118

Visit Website

Brigsten’s pecan pie

Saba

5757 Magazine St, New Orleans, LA 70115

Saba’s desserts are stunning; produce-based and subtle but layered. Cara Peterson weaves refreshingly different featured ingredients like barberries, hibiscus, sumac, satsumas, and figs in olive oil cakes, semifreddos, and babkas, depending on the season. You can pick up holiday desserts here too —this season’s offerings are pumpkin-spiced babka, cardamom pecan pie, and cranberry and rose labneh cheesecake.

5757 Magazine St, New Orleans, LA 70115

Visit Website

Apolline

4729 Magazine St, New Orleans, LA 70115

Dessert is central at this Uptown Creole restaurant, still the case since the departure of chef Matt Farmer. The flourless chocolate cake with macerated berries and the orange dream tart are standouts.

4729 Magazine St, New Orleans, LA 70115

Visit Website

Flourless chocolate cake with macerated berries

Zasu

127 N Carrollton Ave, New Orleans, LA 70119

Former Gautreau’s chef and James Beard award winner Sue Zemanick delights with every dish on her debut restaurant’s tight, careful menu, and dessert is no different. There are almost always specials, like the pictured chocolate cremeaux with port poached pears, whipped cream, and chocolate cookie crumble, but current items to save room for include a pistachio pavlova with macerated strawberries and citrus curd and a passion fruit creme brûlée with candied ginger, coconut shortbread, and Thai basil.

127 N Carrollton Ave, New Orleans, LA 70119

Visit Website

Vessel

3835 Iberville St, New Orleans, LA 70119

Former Besh Group pastry chef Amelia Watts crafts a seasonal dessert menu with vibrant flavors, textures and gorgeous platings, making sweets one of the main draws at this Mid City restaurant and cocktail spot.

3835 Iberville St, New Orleans, LA 70119

Visit Website

Bread pudding with berry drizzle from Vessel

Commander's Palace

1403 Washington Ave, New Orleans, LA 70130

The bread pudding souffle at Commander's Palace is one of New Orleans’s most iconic dishes, as is the restaurant's version of Bananas Foster (made with the added incentive of banana liqueur), but it's hard to go wrong with a praline parfait or creme brûlée either.

Open in Google Maps

1403 Washington Ave, New Orleans, LA 70130

Visit Website

Bread pudding soufflé at Commander’s

Coquette

2800 Magazine St, New Orleans, LA 70115

Pastry chef James Kubie does beautifully plated and oh so tasty desserts at this Garden District stunner, including a black tea semifreddo, coconut cake with tamarind, cashew, and sesame, and more incredible wonders that compliment chef Mike Stoltzfus' intriguing Southern menu.

2800 Magazine St, New Orleans, LA 70115

Visit Website

Josephine Estelle

600 Carondelet St, New Orleans, LA 70130

Pastry chef Breanne Kostyk, formerly of Northshore eatery Oxlot 9, turns out incredible seasonal desserts from fruity tarts to crostatas, with a slew of inspired cheese platings and an affogato to boot at this chic Warehouse District osteria.

600 Carondelet St, New Orleans, LA 70130

Visit Website

GW Fins

808 Bienville St, New Orleans, LA 70112

GW Fins is one for classic desserts, kind whose ingredient list fills you up just from reading the menu. Customer favorites include the samoa, the “Salty Malty,” an ice cream pie with a pretzel crust, and the white chocolate and caramel bread pudding.

808 Bienville St, New Orleans, LA 70112

Visit Website

GW Fin’s famous salty malty ice cream pie

Gianna Restaurant

700 Magazine St Suite 101, New Orleans, LA 70130

This Warehouse District newcomer is the latest from Donald Link’s group, with acclaimed chef Rebecca Wilcomb at the helm. Her desserts are spectacular, and honor the same level of tradition and complexity as the rustic Italian cuisine she does so well for lunch and dinner. Save room for dishes like the sweet milk tartufo with amarena cherries, walnuts, and a fried rosette cookie, a lemon mousse torta, and pistachio ricotta cheesecake.

700 Magazine St Suite 101, New Orleans, LA 70130

Visit Website

Sweet milk tartufo with amarena cherries, walnuts, and honey from Gianna

Bakery Bar

1179 Annunciation St, New Orleans, LA

This fun LGD bar and eatery boasts the best lineup of doberge cake in town. The masterminds behind Debbie Does Doberge offer a good selection of flavors, from red velvet to pistachio, by the slice or even by the do-bite.

Open in Google Maps

1179 Annunciation St, New Orleans, LA

Boozy cinnamon doberge cake from Bakery Bar

Meril

424 Girod St, New Orleans, LA 70130

Emeril Lagasse's Warehouse District eatery — which features a small plates menu of dishes under $20 — has a killer dessert program, including five ice cream and waffle cone combinations including a daily special, pecan pie, and banana pudding ice cream cake. The biscuits, sometimes drizzled with honey and sometimes with preserves, can be snuck in before the official dessert course.

424 Girod St, New Orleans, LA 70130

Visit Website

Meril’s ice cream and waffle cones are made in house

Restaurant R'evolution

777 Bienville St, New Orleans, LA 70130

Restaurant R'evolution has rocked a strong dessert game since opening in 2012, but the Folse & Tromonto restaurant now boasts award-winning pastry chef Blake Abene (formerly of Stella!, Square Root, and NY's Jean Georges and Corton) who brings imaginative desserts to life. Current offerings include a satsuma tart, grape parfait, and a coconut bread pudding creme brûlée. Plus, there's a dang dessert treasure chest, people.

Open in Google Maps

777 Bienville St, New Orleans, LA 70130

Visit Website

Malted chocolate cake with blood orange sorbet

Compère Lapin

535 Tchoupitoulas St, New Orleans, LA 70130

Compere’s ever-changing desserts have ranged from a delicate summertime horchata panna cotta to a Bolivian chocolate cake served with passion curd to the passionfruit mousse with chiffon cake and pineapple pictured. Flavors harken back to the Caribbean, a welcome respite in the land of bread pudding.

535 Tchoupitoulas St, New Orleans, LA 70130

Visit Website

Passionfruit mousse with chiffon cake and pineapple, currently on Compere Lapin’s dessert menu

Brennan's

417 Royal St, New Orleans, LA 70130

The birthplace of Bananas Foster, that flaming tableside dessert of bananas, rum, and brown sugar served over vanilla ice cream, is still going strong with an array of classic desserts to please the breakfast crowd. Because you should always have dessert at breakfast.

Open in Google Maps

417 Royal St, New Orleans, LA 70130

Visit Website

Related Maps

Antoine's Restaurant

713 Saint Louis St, New Orleans, LA 70130

Cherries jubilee, Cafe brulot, the Baked Alaska. This grand dame, and the oldest operating family-run restaurant, turns out an array of desserts that have been pleasing customers for 175 years. That being said, it's a trip back in time, but one good for the soul.

713 Saint Louis St, New Orleans, LA 70130

Visit Website

Related Maps