The Seven Best Dessert Spots in Chinatown and Little Italy
Looking for a sweet treat in Chinatown or Little Italy, New York City?
One of our best advice for visiting New York City is to save room for dessert! In particular, there is a number of excellent desserts that you can find in Chinatown and Little Italy including a lot of hidden gems like Asian-inspired ice creams and tasty cannoli. So here are our picks for the seven best dessert spots in these two neighborhoods. And after reading this if you are hoping to try and to learn more about some of these great dessert places come take our Chinatown & Little Italy Food Tour with us!
Chinatown Ice Cream Factory – 65 Bayard St
P.C.: yelp, Christina S.
First and foremost, the Chinatown Ice Cream Factory is still the premier ice cream shop in the neighborhood. There is always a huge line but it is well worth it. Some of our favorite flavors are actually the more “unusual” Asian-inspired flavors like almond cookie, black sesame, red bean, and lychee.
Pinklady Cheese Tart – 11 Mott St
We are absolutely addicted to Pinklady’s Japanese style cheese tarts. Their fillings are creamy, light and fluffy and the crust adds just the perfect amount of crunch. They have fun flavors like ube, matcha or strawberry but our favorite is the black sesame cheese tart. Trust us, it is really hard to have just one tart!
Na Tart – 77 Bayard St
P.C.: yelp, Jacky C.
You can find egg tarts in most Chinese bakeries but Na Tart offers flavors you can’t find anywhere else. For example, if you are feeling adventurous, they have durian or salted pork floss tarts. But whether you choose a classic Portuguese egg tart or something more unusual, it all starts with a buttery, flaky crust and a smooth, slightly sweet egg filling. These pastries also make great gifts!
Mango Mango – 63 Bayard St
P.C.: yelp, Holly C.
If you love mangoes like us, then Mango Mango has to be on top of your to do list. They have mango slushes, mango ice cream, mango with grass jelly, mango crepes and a whole lot more. Of course, mango isn’t the only thing on the menu. They also have yummy red bean and tang yuan (glutinous rice balls) desserts which we also love.
Sweet Moment – 106 Mott St Frnt P
P.C.: yelp, Chelsea C.
One of our favorite desserts is flavored shaved ice aka bingsoo (sometimes spelt bingsu) and our go to place for it is Sweet Moment. These dessert towers are massive so they are perfect for sharing. Sweet Moment’s bingsoos have colorful layers of flavors like strawberry, matcha and mango, have all sorts of sweet toppings and surprises and then served with a scoop of ice cream so we can’t imagine a dessert more fun of to eat. Be sure you take a photo before your first bite!
Figo il Gelato Italiano – 178 Mulberry St
P.C.: yelp, Chris S.
There are also great dessert spots in the Little Italy too. We love gelato and when it comes to gelato, we recommend Figo il Gelato Italiano. They have all the classic Italian flavors like tiramisu and stracciatella along with delicious concoctions like their gelato panino, gelato served on a warm brioche bun.
Ferrara’s Bakery – 195 Grand St
Finally, the cannoli from Ferrara’s Bakery are easily the cream of the crop when it comes to Italian pastries. The shell is always fresh and crunchy and the filling is always amazing. If you are looking for something a little different, their lobster tail is also one of our favorites.