The Best Desserts in the World

At chef Alex Stupak’s newest location of Empéllon in New York’s Midtown (where he’s created a mostly new menu), pastry chef Justin Binnie brings the seemingly savory avocado to the sweet side. Binnie mixes it into a parfait with olive oil, lime, and eucalyptus yogurt, which brings out the sweetness in the fruit. He then freezes the parfait into a silicone mold and airbrushes it to mimic the shape of an actual avocado. (Served on a small plate of ice, it really is convincing.) The dessert also introduces incredible flavors—sometimes nutty, other times fruity—that most people don’t usually associate with an avocado. empellon.com

Just as the city of Hong Kong is an international crossroads, so is the restaurant Haku, where Michelin-starred Japanese chef Hideaki Matsuo collaborates with Argentinian-born chef Agustin Balbi on experimental, globally-inspired plates. The idea for their Mochida Tomato dessert stems from the fact that the tomato is a fruit (not a vegetable), so it should have a home in the dinner course where fruit is most often used. Tomato granita (or Italian-style flavored ice) is mixed with Japanese strawberries (called amaou ichigo), then served inside a carved-out tomato and topped with creamy yogurt foam. haku.com.hk

Budino means pudding in Italian, but Bestia in the Arts District of Los Angeles elevates the Italian treat to something far beyond a kid’s snack. To start, they use local chocolatier Nicole Trutanich’s brand Bar Au Chocolat for the bittersweet chocolate, which brings such richness and complexity to the dessert. It is then blended with the perfect amount of salted caramel, sea salt, and olive oil and served on a crunchy cacao crust that could be a popular dessert plate on its own. bestiala.com

When describing Bob Bob Ricard, the lavish institution in London’s Soho neighborhood, the word “opulent” would be an understatement. The restaurant, which serves an extensive menu influenced by English and Russian cuisines, is best known for its “Press for Champagne” button inside each of its many private booths. However, the Chocolate Glory, its signature dessert, draws a crowd in its own right. The waitstaff drizzle melted chocolate over a gilded chocolate ball featuring a combination of chocolate mousse and a rich, fluffy brownie within. bobbobricard.com

Chocolate bonbons, Paris-brest, eclairs, macarons, and coffee religieuse are just some of the 43 different bite-size dessert offerings (called mignardises in French) rolled out on a splendid Louis XIV cart after a meal at Joël Robuchon Restaurant inside the MGM Grand Las Vegas. It’s an extravagant close to an indulgent evening at the first and only three-Michelin-starred restaurant in Sin City. mgmgrand.com

Anna Posey, co-owner and pastry chef at Elske, caramelizes sunflower seeds—creating a brittle—then processes them into nut butter. The butter is then folded into a parfait base (like a semifreddo), frozen overnight, and topped with sour honey and bee pollen. “It’s a little firm, a little yielding, and like eating a cloud all at the same time,” says Posey who also notes that, due to its popularity, it’s the only constant on her otherwise rotating dessert menu. elskerestaurant.com

Chocolatier Jacques Genin has long provided mignardises for an extensive list of top restaurants throughout Paris (whether they care to admit it publicly or not). But in 2008, he finally opened his own charming loft-like space in the Marais where people can sit and enjoy his treats over coffee or tea. It’s not technically a restaurant like the other places on this list, but it offers a bit more than the order-and-go atmosphere of most patisseries. Chocolate is Genin’s forte, but his caramels—he produces more than 40 different flavors—have since gained equal standing among his fans. jacquesgenin.fr

Daniela Soto-Innes, chef de cuisine at Enrique Olvera’s Cosme, loved the white-corn meringue of her childhood in Mexico—and now she's brought her variation stateside. She first makes a velvety mousse by mixing kernels of sweet Long Island corn with husks (which she's burned and crumbled into a powder) to create a savory-sweet filling. She pipes this filling onto the plate and adds some burnt vanilla ice cream, then she breaks a baked corn meringue in half and bookends the mousse-and-ice-cream filling, making it look as though the meringue is bursting at the seams. Finally, Soto-Innes sprinkles more burnt husk powder and a pinch of salt on top to bring out a corn-forward pop of flavor that is both unique and unmatched in culinary prowess. cosmenyc.com

Even though chef Slade Rushing was a nominee for the James Beard Best Chef of the South, some people go to Brennan’s just for the legendary Bananas Foster—a dessert cooked tableside with dramatic flames that add a touch of grandeur. The dish, a New Orleans staple since Brennan’s debuted it in 1951, is made by cooking bananas in a silky sauce of butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, banana liqueur, and aged rum (though the high flame removes the alcohol from the rum and liqueur). The bananas are then served with ice cream and the remaining sauce is poured on top. brennansneworleans.com