National Geographic Traveller (UK) - Food
just desserts
Who needs savoury courses when desserts are this good? Here’s our pick of the world’s best restaurants that specialise in the sweet stuff. Words: Lucas Oakeley Cakes & Bubbles, London
As the former pastry chef of El Bulli,
Albert Adrià has a reputation for dessert perfection. Choose from the likes of
Basque burnt cheesecake, golden egg flan, chocolate yuzu castella cake, and a dish simply called ‘The Cheese Cake’. Made with baron bigod, it looks like a washed rind cheese, but the ‘skin’ is actually made of hazelnuts and white chocolate. And there’s a great list of sparkling wines to wash it all down. cakesandbubbles.co.uk
KOI Dessert Bar, Sydney
Former star Reynold Poernomo and his brothers Ronald and Arnold are the trio behind KOI Dessert
Bar, a slick, minimalist spot in Sydney’s Chippendale neighbourhood, where immaculate patisserie is served alongside stiff drinks. Try the multi-course set dessert menu, or go a la carte: the black sesame slice is a classic, but seasonal specials have included the likes of opera cake with black truffles. koidessertbar.com.au
Monèr, Mumbai
The creation of Freny Fernandes — a young chef who’s worked at Michelin-starred restaurants around the world — Monèr’s retro pink-and-turquoise aesthetic is almost as appealing as its desserts. Every dish is made with real attention to detail, particularly the petit gateaux, layers of airy dark chocolate mousse ramped up with salted caramel, passionfruit ganache and a layer of chocolate cake. instagram.com/moner_mumbai
CODA, Berlin
In Berlin’s Neukölln neighbourhood, twomichellin-starred CODA serves seasonal set menus entirely comprising desserts, all made without refined sugar or chemicals. To produce their perfect plates, chef René Frank and his team balance sweetness — achieved through techniques such as fermentation and reduction — with savoury notes. Expect dishes such as parsley root ice cream with lime vinaigrette and black garlic cream. coda-berlin.com
Milk Bar NYC, New York
The brainchild of James Beard Awardwinning pastry chef Christina Tosi, Milk Bar’s flagship store in Midtown is an ode to desserts, cakes and cookies. In a modern, minimalist space attached to the Ace Hotel, it serves crowd favourites including the Milk Bar pie — an oatmeal cookie crust with a buttery filling — and cereal-milk soft serve. Got an extra-sweet tooth? Wash it all down with a funnel cake milkshake. milkbarstore.com
Privé de Dessert, Paris
This is a different kind of dessert restaurant. Its three branches don’t exclusively serve sweets, but the savoury courses are made to look like desserts, including a ‘banana split’ of salmon tataki with roasted plantain, dill cream and lemon caramel. Desserts, meanwhile, resemble savoury dishes: the steak-puree with sauce au poivre is, in fact, a molten chocolate cake with caramel crémeux and apple compote. privededessert.com