Where to Eat Dessert-Only Tasting Menus and Other Sweet Treats in Atlanta

At Tiny Lou’s, for example, pastry chef Charmain Ware occasionally offers “Sug After Dark,” which features sweet bites paired with wines. Lazy Betty and Brush Sushi both announced a dessert tasting menu. Soon, lauded pastry chef Claudia Martinez will offer a dessert tasting menu at her highly anticipated dessert spot, Bar Ana. It’s the latest dining trend sweeping Atlanta restaurants.

However, you don’t have to order a tasting menu to enjoy the best of Atlanta’s desserts. Whether you want a comforting classic or an artfully presented treat, here are the best desserts to indulge in.

This latest update by Lia Picard includes new additions like Turkish coffee tiramisu from Bey, the classic Mountain High Pie from Bones, and the rice pudding from Gene’s, among others. The restaurants are listed geographically from south to north.

La Semilla

It’s easier than it used to be to find plant-based treats in Atlanta, but the desserts at La Semilla, a plant-based Latin restaurant, are exceptional. The small dessert menu allows each item to shine, but none more so than the seasonal offering. Examples you might see depending on the time of year include the rich, creamy strawberry tres leches or peach-stuffed empanadas served alongside lemon verbena syrup and house-made ice cream.

Gene’s BBQ

When it comes to dessert at Gene’s, the Viet-Cajun-meets-Texas barbecue spot in East Lake, it’s quality over quantity. Which is to say, there’s only one dessert on the menu and it’s perfectly enough: the Biscoff Banana Pud-Pud. The rich pudding incorporates condensed milk and whipped cream, and the Biscoff cookies add a warm dimension that goes beyond standard Nilla wafers (though they’re in the mix, too).

Polaris

Dessert with a view? Yes, please. The rotating restaurant atop the famous hotel originally opened in 1967 and over the years has attracted the likes of Sammy Davis Jr. and Gladys Knight. The scene is a little different today, but no less exciting, especially when it comes to dessert. Pastry chef James Gallo’s most notable treat is the blue dome, a chocolate mousse filled with caramel honey (sourced from their rooftop bees). The blue-tinted cocoa butter that enshrouds the dessert recalls the restaurant’s blue roof.

Tio Lucho’s

Chef Arnaldo Castillo took Tio Lucho’s desserts to the next level by teaming up with Claudia Martinez for a revamped menu. While they’re all great, the picarones steal the show. Tender, plump sweet potato-squash donut holes are fried to a golden crisp and served with a bright lemon ice cream and warmly spiced syrup.

Tiny Lou’s

About 20 delicate crepes are needed to make one crepe cake at Tiny Lou’s at Hotel Clermont, which recently celebrated its 100th year. A mascarpone cream filling goes in the center of each crepe, which holds each crepe in place. Pastry chef Charmain Ware-Jason infuses the mascarpone with playful flavor combinations that change seasonally. The crepe cake of the moment is hummingbird cake-inspired with banana curd, vanilla mascarpone, dried pineapples, candied pecans, and a pineapple glaze.

Lazy Betty

At Lazy Betty, pastry chef Lindsey Davis flexes her chops with a four-course dessert-only tasting menu offered at the bar. Among Davis’ whimsical creations are treats like vanilla hazelnut praline with vanilla caramel and toasted hazelnuts, and the sweet potato pie with calamansi curd and toasted meringue.

Little Sparrow

After a decadent meal of French-inspired fare, including those thick-cut, golden fries topped with gooey raclette, Little Sparrow’s vanilla soft serve is a light note to end on. Swirled high in a retro dessert glass, there are a few topping combinations to choose from, but nothing shines like the extra virgin olive oil drizzle, honey, and fennel pollen. It’s bright and clean with floral notes that don’t overwhelm.

Zyka

An Atlanta-area institution since 1997, Zyka on Scott Boulevard in North Decatur serves up delicious Indian fare, ranging from halal meats to vegetarian options, in a no-frills dining room setting. Ordering kulfi — traditional Indian ice cream — is a must here. The dessert comes in a variety of flavors, including pistachio and mango, and is served in a little clay pot. There’s also a location open in Alpharetta.

Brush Sushi

Brush Sushi in Buckhead has always offered a variety of desserts, including scones, cakes, and pastries. The restaurant recently announced a dessert omakase menu, too. The collaboration between chef Jason Liang, pastry chef ChingYao Wang, and pastry lead Abigail Hart features seven to eight savory and sweet dessert courses inspired by Taiwanese and Japanese flavors — like the star-shaped Taiwanese scallion nougat cracker sandwich — plus an optional sparkling wine pairing. For now, the menu is available on December 6 and 7 at 1:00 p.m. with only 10 seats available each day.

Atlas

The Michelin-starred restaurant in the St. Regis Atlanta is known for its close attention to detail and elegance — dessert is no exception. On the menu you’ll find exquisitely crafted treats like the FM Golden Rocher (named after culinary director Freddy Money). An homage to the classic gold foil-wrapped treat, the dessert look’s like its namesake with a hazelnut bonbon atop vanilla ice cream. The tasting menu is capped-off with chocolate service that includes gummy bears and caramel candies with a twist.

Bones Restaurant

Some go to Bones for the steak, some for the country club vibes at the bar, and others go for the Mountain High Pie. Order it and you’ll see why: the towering ice cream pie lives up to its name with layers of vanilla, chocolate, and rum raisin ice creams stacked with creme de menthe and Oreo crumbles. Silky meringue and a chocolate drizzle on top add to the wow factor. Fun fact: it’s always complimentary when you’re celebrating an occasion like a birthday or anniversary.

Canoe

Skipping dessert at the classic riverfront restaurant is not recommended. In fact, you may want to go with someone who has a sweet tooth so you can share more than one of Jessica McKinney’s treats — it’s hard to choose! The standout staple on the menu is the popcorn ice cream sundae with house-made peanut Cracker Jack mix and chantilly cream. Keep an eye out for seasonal items, too, like the “birthday cake” with blueberry jam, mascarpone, and cake batter ice cream.

The Chastain

Pastry chef Christian Castillo has a way of making even a simple dessert feel fancy. The desserts change to reflect what’s in season, such as a burnt Basque cheesecake with strawberry compote, vanilla whipped ganache, and and strawberry caramel tuile (a lacy, crispy adornment). His breakfast treats, like the strawberry-stuffed croissant or the raspberry-vanilla cream concha, are also worth seeking out.

Kamayan ATL - Filipino Restaurant

Is it your birthday? Nothing will satisfy more than the ube flan cake at Michelin-recommended Kamayan on Buford Highway. It is a creamy, decadent flan with a rich purple layer of ube cake on the bottom. If you want more, top it off with ube ice cream or order hot ube churros on the side. You can order the whole cake (best to call ahead) or get it by the slice. Either way, don’t leave without trying it. — Henna Bakshi, Eater regional editor, Southeast.

Spring

Brian So is known for his unfussy, minimalist approach to seasonal fare. His desserts are further proof that sometimes less is more. For example, fresh strawberries on an olive oil cake with ice wine vinegar and chantilly let the seasonal fruit shine, while the rice pudding and cruller sing with joy.

BEY Mediterranean Kitchen + Bar

It’s easy to fill up on mezze, like hummus and baba ganoush, and savory dishes like za’atar braised short rib at the pink-hued Lebanese restaurant in Roswell, but it’s worth saving room for dessert. The menu includes two standouts: the Turkish coffee tiramisu and the halawa chocolate cake. The first is incredibly fluffy and thick without feeling too rich (and the coffee-soaked lady fingers are a fun surprise at the bottom), while the halawa cake pays homage to a sesame confection with white chocolate mousse and irresistible sesame-flavored cotton candy.