The best desserts in Miami restaurants
Where you should never skip dessert
May
19
2022
This is your guide to the best desserts in Miami restaurants.
So lately we’ve been having lots of desserts. Which is sort of funny, since we’ve always considered ourselves savory over sweet kind of people.
However, we think that has to do with the execution of most desserts lacking balance and being excessively rich and sweet, to the point where one bite will suffice and we’re out.
Sounds familiar? Probably. That’s the case with many desserts. But not the ones on this list. We promise you’ll take more than one spoonful after you taste these. You’ll even do that dance when you’re about to be done, except you pick up the spoon, right back up, for one more bite. Here’s our guide to the best desserts in Miami.
MACCHIALINA
Dessert: Tiramisu
Neighborhood: Miami Beach
Address: 820 Alton Road
Macchialina is that neighborhood Italian restaurant we have loved for so many years. Since 2021 they’ve expanded, taking over what once was a small hostel and transforming it into “Il Gardino” an outdoor covered backyard patio that is cozy and a great outdoor dining option. Stop by of course for all our favorite red sauce pasta like the Cavatelli Macchialina and the Spaghetti Pomodoro.
But whatever you do, don’t skip on the most refreshing Tiramisu you’ve had. It’s made with dulce de leche and an espresso granita giving it an additional texture that is not usual when eating tiramisu. Make sure you dive deep in with your spoon.
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ITAMAE
Desserts: Cremolada & Torta Helada
Neighborhood: Design District
Address: 140 NE 39th St #136
When we talk about Itamae, it’s usually about all the bright, beautiful, and bold Peruvian and Japanese-inspired dishes consistently coming out of the kitchen daily. Including the delicious cebiches, tiraditos, octopus bañadito, and nigiri selection.
But just in case you’re the type to order one more nigiri “as dessert”, we’re here to say, “get it,” but do yourself a favor and do not skip dessert at Itamae.
Both desserts will cleanse your palate and surprise you with their unique flavor combinations. The original go-to dessert is the Cremolada with tangerine, hojicha, anf manjar blanco. And for the newest addition on the dessert menu, the Torta Helada is a must. It’s beautifully presented and is the refreshing finish you need with canistel fruit (tastes similar to roasted sweet potato), mamey seed, and hibiscus.
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HUTONG
Dessert: Bao and Soy Milk
Neighborhood: Brickell
Address: 600 Brickell Ave
Hutong specializes in North Chinese cuisine, with a focus on artisanal dim sum and exotic signature cocktails. You’re passing by for the dim sum and the Flaming Duck dinner but also for the Bao & Soy Milk at the end of your meal.
This dessert has a thin shell around the sesame seed incrusted mousse in the shape of a dumpling. The filling also has salted caramel, and white sesame praline, and is served with soy milk ice cream.
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KYU
Dessert: Mom’s Coconut Cake
Neighborhood: Wynwood
Address: 251 NW 25th St
If you have found yourself taking a stroll through Wynwood and have crossed in front of this ever so bustling spot then you are in the right place. Known for there wood-fired Asian-influenced dishes, KYU packs a punch in everything they do. And that statement stands when it comes to their classic Mom’s Coconut Cake. A tall slice of alternating layers of fluffy coconut cake and creamy coconut frosting topped off with a generous sprinkling of coconut flakes and served with a chilled scoop of coconut Ice cream seated on a bed of toasted coconut. This family recipe is hit for a reason, so KYU when you read this please share the family secret!
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BOIA DE
Desserts: Crispy Tiramisu & Affogato
Neighborhood: Little Haiti
Address: 5205 NE 2nd Ave
Located on the edge of Little Haiti and Buena Vista marked by a bright pink exclamation point is an Italian restaurant that delivers soul-warming dishes. A local favorite year after year, Boia De stays delivering in every category and that reigns true in the sweets world. Their Crispy Tiramisu is unlike no other. Straying from the typically soaked lady fingers most of us are used to, their rendition consists of Italian Pavesini biscuits that are lightly soaked and staked with delicious mascarpone layers. Now let us also say that if you are looking for an in-your-face coffee dessert the Affogato will be your dessert of choice; a scoop of Frice ice cream topped with espresso that will have you rubbing your stomach in glee after the end of your meal.
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THE RIVER OYSTER BAR
Desserts: Sticky Toffee Pudding Cake & Five Layer Coconut Cake
Neighborhood: Brickell
Address: 33 SE 7th St Suite 100
The River Oyster Bar has remained one of Brickell’s original restaurants since 2003. It’s a great pit stop after work when you’re in the mood for quality oysters and seafood in a casual setting with some great happy hour specials.
We love to munch on the snapper tartare and dabble with a few of the fish selections with our favorite salsa verde. No matter what you decide as your main course, make sure to leave room for the rich Sticky Toffee Pudding Cake with vanilla ice cream and the decadent Five Layer Coconut Cake with rum caramel. But our new favorite that isn’t new is the Key Lime Pie Cheesecake.
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LEKU
Dessert: Basque Cheesecake
Neighborhood: Aallapattah
Address: 1100 NW 23rd St
Located inside the Rubell Museum, Leku is the kind of classic contemporary restaurant you would find when globe trotting in Europe. With a casually elegant ambiance and room full of patrons engaging in Art talk, it’s where you want to unwind after strolling through a gallery. Now for you cheesecake lovers, you know we had to feature Leku’s Basque Cheesecake. For those of you who have had not a Basque cheesecake it is essentially a crustless cheesecake with a burnt exterior crust that typically has a delicious caramel note. And Leku’s ticks all the check boxes. With a lightly scorched exterior and creamy center, you will find yourself licking not only the spoon, but the plate as well.
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JAGUAR SUN
Dessert: Foie Dessert
Neighborhood: Downtown
Address: 230 NE 4th S
Jaguar Sun in Downtown, our favorite cocktail bar in Miami will be temporarily closed from May 23rd until June 1st. This is an important date, not just because this means the return of pasta at Jaguar Sun Downtown but also the return of one of the weirdest most amazing desserts. Maybe, you’ve had it before at Sunny’s Steakhouse in Lot 6 or even at Jaguar Sun.
Either way, the Foie Gras with a passion fruit mousse is a must. Don’t get thrown off by the foie gras, the flavors and textures are balanced perfectly with the passion fruit. This is for those that love savory-sweet desserts, for those that generally say they’ll skip the sweet finish. Please, don’t. You’ll like this one.
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LPM
Dessert: Gâteau au Fromage Frais a.k.a Vanilla Cheesecake with berry compote
Neighborhood: Brickell
Address: 1300 Brickell Bay Dr
LPM has been part of the Brickell neighborhood since 2017. It’s known for its amazing hospitality, beautiful decor inspired by the French Riviera, and French Mediterranean/Nicoise cuisine. They serve delicious pasta, seafood, and meat dishes using fresh Mediterranean produce such as lemons, artichokes, and olives.
After dinner, please order the Gâteau au Fromage Frais, that’s the Vanilla Cheesecake with berry compote. It’s delicate, smooth, creamy, and will melt in your mouth.
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JOE’S STONE CRAB
Dessert: Key Lime Pie
Neighborhood: Miami Beach
Address: 11 Washington Ave
You know it, you love it and it’s a local favorite for a reason. Besides being a historic spot for over a century now, Joe’s Stone Crab remains the ever highly anticipated place to eat when they open for a season. And though you may come here for the stone crabs, it’s the Key Lime Pie that is a must Every. Single. Time. A perfectly tart and evenly crusted Key lime Pie that makes you wonder if you have been eating pie at all the wrong places. To execute a perfect pie is no easy task, but Joe’s does it with ease, just order it and thank us later!
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KUSH HOSPITALITY
Dessert: Key Lime Pie
Address: Various locations
Would we really be a true dessert guide if didn’t give kudos to all the Key lime pies that exist in Miami. Kush doesn’t just serve top notch beer and a kick ass Frita sandwich that is a perfect representation of Miami, but their Key Lime Pie is up there for top pies in the 305 in our opinion. When ordering a slice of this Key Lime Pie make sure you have some friends to split it with you, but we can understand if you are one dessert per person type of individual. This homemade slice of Key Lime Pie sits on a thick graham cracker crust and dolloped with a heaping whip cream serving on top. So, with every bite you take of this sweet, tart key lime pie you get the perfect balance of crust to cream to filling.
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ZITZ SUM
Dessert: Hong Kong Style French Toast
Neighborhood: Coral Gables
Address: 396 Alhambra Cir Suite 155
Breakfast for dessert is the name of the game at Zitz Sum. When you have finished throwing down on the daily hand crafted dim sum and noodles, you have to save room to order yourself dessert. The Hong Kong Style French Toast served with milk iced tea gelato, peanut butter crumble, and condensed milk is probably one the most nostalgic dishes we have had in awhile. From the crunchy exterior of the French toast to the milk iced tea gelato served on the side, it’s like you are having peanut butter Cap’n Crunch cereal and milk for dessert. Zitz Sum is bringing out the inner child in us and we are kind of loving it.
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THE HUNGRY POST
BY NATALIE ORTIZ & ANDREA BECERRA
The best desserts in Miami
PHOTO CREDIT Susan Stocker / SouthFlorida.com
The best desserts in Miami
The best desserts in Miami
The best desserts in Miami
The best desserts in Miami
