Dessert divas: 8 spots to try luxe sweet treats in Dubai

Of boujie bakeries and the human touch…

Dessert is a tale as old as time. Sugar, spice and everything nice – it’s one of the three elements of life (the Powerpuff Girls only speak the truth). If you like the best of the best and the finest of the finest, Dubai does not disappoint.

Exquisite, handcrafted pastries and artisanal creations are tucked away in corners around the city. They tell stories; stories of love and labour and a taste for the good things in life. In celebration of that, we’ve rounded up some of the best patisseries and artisan dessert cafes in Dubai.

So, go on. Spoil your sweet tooth. Tantalise your taste buds. And remember, every time you dig into that perfectly rich soufflé or make a crack in the top of that shatteringly crispy crème brûlée, we’ll be living vicariously through you.

BRIX Desserts

Chef Carmen Rueda Hernandes’ exquisitely unique dessert experience takes the cake (quite literally) for as lavish as sugar can get. Her creations, brought to life by her talented team, will engage you in a multi-sensory love affair. The Escape, a six-course feast of delights, will take you on a gastronomic journey through different culinary traditions. From Mexico to Japan, a few exotic pit stops are guaranteed. Besides the elevated flavours, crafted lighting and careful aromas complete this escape for the senses. The Seasons does much of that, but with four courses across the different seasons of the year. Doesn’t get more peak than this.

Brix Desserts, Shop 02, Jumeirah Fishing Harbour 1, Near Omnia Gourmet, Al Urouba St, Tue to Sun 3pm to 11pm, Tel: (0) 56 525 5299, brixdessert.com

CHOIX Patisserie and Restaurant

It’s a trip down the Avenue des Champs Élysées, but right here in Dubai. Chef Pierre Gagnaire’s selection of Parisian sweet treats accompanied with the Dammann Frères tea is certified luxury. The highlight though, is the afternoon tea – ‘Dubai’s finest’, no less. It’s a glimpse into authentic Parisian culinary culture (pinkies stuck out and all that). The session is priced at Dhs125 per head, with unlimited tea or coffee daily from noon to 6pm. Besides that, you can tuck into sweet breakfast and viennoiseries.

CHOIX Patisserie and Restaurant par Pierre Gagnaire, Lobby Level, InterContinental Dubai Festival City, Mon to Sun 7am to 9pm, Tel: (0) 52 898 8491, choixdubai.com

Ladurée

Ladurée’s incredibly rich and intimate history goes back to 1862, to the tea rooms of Paris and the culture that comes along with it. Louis Ernest Ladurée started his bakery, and so began the chain of events that would eventually turn it into a pastry shop. Today, Ladurée in Dubai is serving up all the old world Parisian charm wrapped in the iconic colours of pastel green and pink. They’re something of macaron connoisseurs, so you’ll only sample the best. Other pastries, sweets and viennoiseries are no less, of course.

Ladurée, various locations, lauderee.ae 

Margaux

Another French patisserie, but what can we say, the French know how to do dessert right. Helmed by executive pastry chef Alexandre Dufeu, this boutique only caters to pick-up or home delivery. Flans, tarts, eclairs, macaroons, cakes or combinations of all of the above are available to gorge in. If afternoon tea is more your thing, the afternoon tea by Margaux at the Al Samar Lounge is the perfect choice for you. Served daily from 2.30pm to 6pm, it is priced at Dhs240 per head with soft drinks and Dhs300 with bubbly.

Margaux, Jumeirah Mina A’Salam, 9am to 8pm, Tel: (0) 58 601 7474, margauxpastryboutique.com

Madeleine et Marcel

Madeleine et Marcel by La Cantine is another patisserie that celebrates the emotion of Parisian pastry in a way few others do. Creations made with emotion, artistry and the truest techniques, Madeleine et Marcel’s offerings range from tarts to eclairs to signature artisan chocolate bars. They also offer curated boxes with a mix of different pastries for every mood. They’re made fresh on the daily. You can dine in, have them delivered or collect them from the store – whatever suits you.

Madeleine et Marcel, Ground Floor, Jumeirah Emirates Towers Hotel, 8.30am to 8.30pm, Tel: (0) 50 380 0386, madeleineetmarcel.com

Varak

Varak originates from the land of India and has more to offer than your usual cakes The boutique dessert store puts a spin on cake-making with interesting flavours like honey medovic, millet and rose pistachio. Their other unique offerings include trifles of different kinds like motichoor pineapple and raspberry pistachio – quintessential Indian flavours. Their most special product, besides the tea loaves, paan (betel leaf) bark and trifle shots, are the brittles. Little crunchy bits of goodness, with dry fruits coated in flavours like miso, umami, barbecue, tikka masala and hazelnut maple.

Varak, One by Omniyat, Business Bay, 9am to 9pm, Tel: (0)58 169 9123, varakdubai.com

Little Venice Cake Company

Dubai’s one and only couture cake house, founded in London by the legendary Mich Turner – award-winning pastry chef, food scientist, entrepreneur and queen of all things cake – really takes ‘custom’ to the next level. Their incredible creations, handcrafted with the utmost care, precision and attention to detail, will bring your dream cake to life. Doesn’t matter if it’s teetering tall, upside-down or any other kind of wild – imagination knows no bounds. Little Venice Cake Company has created for famous names like Sir Paul McCartney, Gordon Ramsey and David Beckham, so it has the celebrity-seal-of-approval. You’ll be left wishing you could have your cake and eat it too.

Little Venice Cake Company, Atlantis The Royal, Crescent Road, Palm Jumeirah, 10am to 6pm, Tel: (04) 426 2150, littlevenicecakecompany@atlantisdubai.com

Milk Bar

The treats at Milk Bar are inducing all kinds of raging sugar cravings in us, and we can’t really be blamed. If names like butterscotch bread pudding, chocolate pecan babka, sticky chocolate cake and Swedish saffron bun are not making you salivate, there’s an issue here. This neighbourhood bakery and dessert shop started as a family-owned, home-based dessert business, and has now grown into a little space where you can bond over sugar and making memories.

Milk Bar, Shop 19, Wasl 51 building, Alwasl road, Jumeirah 1, Sun to Thur 7.30am to 12am, Fri to Sat 7.30am to 1am, Tel: (04) 344 5444, milkbar.ae

Featured image: Unsplash/Bruna Branco, Keila Hötzel, Razvan Mirel