The best cafés in Singapore for dessert

Freshly churned gelato are hidden from sight at Dopa. Instead, the various flavours are stored in the shop’s special pozzetti – just like how the Italian gelato shops do. With each order, the frozen treat is whipped by hand to make it more ‘springy’ and elastic. Sample it as it is, in waffle cones, or sandwiched between flaky croissants. Our favourite: the home-roasted pistachio that’s toasty in colour and flavour.

While there is no shortage of cafés and ice cream parlours that serve up a mean waffle or pancake, crepes are a lot harder to find on our sunny island – let alone good ones. That’s why we absolutely adore Gather, a creperie tucked away near Raffles Hotel. Run by the same team as local favourite Punch, Gather serves crepes and galettes in a variety of flavours. We particularly enjoyed the Ratatouille ($18), where the crispy galette is stuffed with stewed tomatoes, zucchini, and eggplant. For sweet crepes, try the crepes with fig jam, camembert and honey ($18) – you’ll be surprised by how well the three go together.

Fans of the stinky fruit, you ought to pay this modern durian stall a visit. In the calm sanctuary lies unique house-made durian desserts such as the creamy durian mousse ($6.30), swiss rolls and mao shan wang choux puff ($2.20). There is also the classic D24 durian chendol ($5.90) to beat the heat. For purists, head outside and snag a seat under the tree. There you’ll be able to feast your way through six variants of durian specially handpicked by the restaurant ranging from the popular Mao Shan Wang to the lesser known Black Thorn.

Italian gelato, Korean injeolmi, and French madeleines. Iconic desserts and pastries from around the world are brought together at this creative sweet shop in Singapore. The headlining sundaes ($17.40), with two scoops of ice cream served with either a macaron or a canelé and topped with salted caramel, are fit for a queen. Some 24 ice cream options are freshly churned, and the rotating selection spotlight novel flavours (from $6.50) like milk tea made with smoky lapsang souchong, genmaicha drizzled with Manuka honey, bingsu-inspired injeolmi, and black cold brew sorbet. For light bites, the pastry shelves are lined with a variety of fun, modern bakes. Highlights include the salted caramel-topped canelé ($4.90) and the adorable bear-shaped butter shio-chan bagel ($3.50).

There’s nothing better than a bowl of shaved ice to help you cool off in the heat. Try one of Art Ice’s shaved ice while admiring the gorgeous artworks lining the walls. Opt for the coffee ($17) or pistachio ($22) flavours if you prefer something a bit creamier, but we highly recommend the dragon and passionfruit ($17). The combination of sweet and sour serves as the ultimate refreshing treat after a day of strolling around our sunny island, and the light and easy-to-eat dessert will leave you wanting more.

Mr Holmes Bakehouse is a San Francisco-based bakery best known for rolling out batches of sweet cruffin – a croissant-muffin hybrid that comes filled with luscious cream and dusted with sugar. Swing by its pink-clad home and choose from a line-up of sugar-dusted sweets where signature bakes include jazzed-up croissants and stuffed doughnuts. Fans of the savoury should definitely try the bacon jalapeno danish.

Momolato is short for ‘more and more gelato’ – a belief that most would have no problem getting behind. Here, you’ll find easy-to-eat, healthy frozen treats; tropical-inspired flavours are derived from natural ingredients and made without any artificial additives. Choose from 18 different flavours such as roasted Sicilian pistachio, refreshing Kochi yuzu shisho, and hojicha layered with oolong notes. There is even a vegan and keto-friendly range to cater to various dietary preferences. Have it scooped up in a cup (from $5.30), or served with a crispy waffle cone (additional $1.50). Dine-in seatings might be limited, but for those lucky enough to grab a table, orders of the croffle (from $7.50) are a must.

Wrap up date night at Lola Faye Café on Hamilton Road, a dessert parlour serving ice cream, waffles, and milkshakes. A big draw for Lola Faye Café is that it opens till 2am – perfect for those who crave something sweet hours after dinner. The cosy space is kitted out with tan leather seats, walls adorned with a tropical-themed design and low lighting for that intimate ambience. There are two waffles options here: Charcoal Blackout and Buttermilk Belgian. The ice creams may rotate and include seasonal flavours (from $5); crowd favourites include Hazelnut Rocher, Dark Fantasy, and Biscoff Butter.

In the mood for healthy ice cream? Kind Kones dishes out quite a variety of healthy, vegan and mostly gluten-free sweet treats. All their ice cream and desserts are made from scratch with natural and chemical-free ingredients that are unprocessed. Picky eaters will be pleased to know that the ice creams do not contain eggs, dairy products, emulsifiers or preservatives and instead, are based on coconut, cashews and/or almonds. Flavours rotate every day but the signature is the Blue Planet, which looks like Earth with green matcha cake bits and a base that is coconut, cashew and almond milk with vanilla and a natural blue pea flower dye. 

The Scandinavian-themed, wood-toned interior makes for an inviting and homey space. Tuck into Dainty cookies ($4), called småkager, as they are clearly the star of the show. Other eight different bites are also are available, including orange and chocolate, cinnamon-scented hazelnut, meringue-topped passionfruit, and chocolate brightened with calamansi. These small sweets are perfect with a pot of warm brew ($6.50), or the iced Garden of Eden ($7) bursting with an elegant floral aroma. Don't wait, pull up a rattan-backed chair, and settle down in a sun-drenched corner under the skylight.

This neighbourhood ice cream and waffle parlour deep in the heartlands of Singapore is as delicious as it is Instagrammable. It opens from noon till two in the morning, making it a popular supper hot spot. You'll always be greeted by the intoxicating scent of buttermilk waffles and generous scoops of ice cream. And things are kept mighty affordable with scoops priced from $3.90 onwards (add $0.80 for premium flavours such as mao shan wang durian) and come in unique creations like oolong lavender, honeydew cucumber and Yakult Oreo.

Creamier has made a name for itself whipping up some of the best ice cream on the island. But we’re not only talking about its strangely comforting flavours like sea salt gula Melaka, Thai milk tea and roasted pistachio ($3.30/single scoop, $5.60/double scoop). The dessert itself is flawless: not too dense and not too light, its texture delicately coats the tongue without leaving behind a cloying finish. That the ice cream isn’t too sweet is yet another plus point. The Belgian waffles ($6) are worth a return trip, too. They’re served in stacked pairs, and while you can easily crush them alone, do yourself a favour by adding a scoop ($8.80). 

You'll find this joint packed to the gills with the well-dressed set on weekends. They're probably there for the desserts. The prudently sweetened waffles, drizzled in salted caramel and vanilla ice cream ($12.50), are the perfect counterpoint to the silky, well-built cuppas (from $3.50). Other sweet brunch plates are also worth sharing, like the Summer French Toast ($21) with tea-poached pears and hotcakes with lemon curd ($14.50). 

Led by the Les Amis group’s head baker, Tarte by Cheryl Koh creates awe-inducing tarts that are a delight to consume. Prices might be a little steep ($10 for an individual tart), but each circle comes well-composed with colourful toppings and buttery crusts. Fruity inspirations take the lead, with favourites such as candied kumquat on citrus curd, Tasmanian cherry compote with cinnamon crumble, and clementines paired with yuzu cream. For the chocolate-lovers, there’s also the macadamia tart with 41% milk chocolate ganache, and another made from 66% dark chocolate.

Anyone who says you can’t have dessert for supper clearly hasn’t been to this late-night Holland Village sweets bar. The old reclining loungers have been replaced with booth seating with colourful tables, painted with chocolate-inspired art, and concrete dining bar surfaces that give the restaurant an up-to-date industrial-chic aesthetic. Dig into the strawberry caprese ($22), a strawberry ice cream topped with raspberry fluff, sakura lychee pearls, and pickled strawberries for that extra tang. Each dessert also has a recommended drink pairing (both alcoholic and non-alcoholic), to bring out the various flavour notes present.

Everybody knows toast isn’t just for breakfast – it can be eaten all-day, including as a post-meal dessert. 9toast’s signature item is the honey-glazed toast, where fluffy, white shokupan is doused in honey and topped with a variety of toppings. Try Purple Haze ($8.50), where the honey-glazed toast is topped with purple sweet potato, taro, milk injeolmi, and a rich milk cream. We recommend sharing the toast, as the richness of the toppings can become overwhelming if you’re dining solo.

The French pâtisserie carries a spread of sweets for your picking, but its made-to-order soufflés are reason enough to return. The Guanaja Chocolate option ($18.50) does no wrong – it’s decadent but retains the texture of a good soufflé, with gently bitter notes to cut through any cloyingness. Crack the top of your soufflé, drizzle a little sauce into its aerated centre, then tuck into mouthfuls of the warm chocolatey stuff. 

Although Sunday Folks at Chip Bee Gardens has closed its shutters for good, its experience store with Bynd Artisan is still open at ION. The menu serves up ice cream instead of soft serve in the form of parfaits and cakes, resulting in a more decadent and indulgent dessert. The steeper prices may deter some, but the quality and amount of effort put into making these desserts justifies them. Try the earl grey and butterscotch parfait ($18), where the earl grey lavender ice cream is paired with a tangy but sweet strawberry compote, toasted almond flakes, and earl grey pudding.

Pretty cakes paired with exquisite teas, all housed in a beautifully decorated space adorned with handpainted floral murals – that's what you can expect from Nesuto Patisserie. Helmed by Alicia Wong, the head pastry chef who's spent five years in Capella's kitchen, Nesuto serves cakes, entremets and plated desserts alongside tea pairings by Antea Social. Our favourites include the Noisette Rocher, Wong's take on a Ferrero Rocher made from hazelnut praline mousse, Guanaja 70% ganache and a caramalised hazelnut feuilletine for an added crunch. For something lighter, opt for the yuzu raspberry. The light yuzu meringue and delicate Japanese cotton sponge feel like a cloud on the tongue, with a slight tartness from the raspberries coming through.

This Halal cake brand has grown to two takeaway outlets in the city, but you’ll want to retreat into its cottage-like Jalan Besar flagship for a sweet treat. The cakes here look bang on trend, but use recipes inspired by owner Shannon Lua’s grandmother. Enjoy trendy flavours such as milo and speculoos, and salted caramel and red velvet. A slice goes for $7.90, with the option to add ice cream at $4 a scoop, while cupcakes start at $3.90 a pop. Butter Studio is open until midnight on Friday and Saturday nights, so definitely count this as an alternative to a Swee Choon supper pig out.

Run by Cordon Bleu trained Gwen Lim, Patisserie G might possibly offer some of the best cakes in Singapore. Ingredients directly imported from France ensure desserts of the highest quality – featuring the G Spot Cake ($11), its signature dessert piece. You can also find artisan coffees and a wide range of pastries and macarons ($3 a piece).

Platters of pastries and cakes tempt your tastebuds as you enter Plain Vanilla Bakery, but resist that because you’re here for one purpose: the cupcakes. Choose from a dozen flavours ($4.50 each): chocolate hazelnut’s a bold, Nutella-fuelled prize crowned with more nuts; red velvet’s made with Valrhona chocolate and capped with a thick cream cheese frosting; and cookies and cream’s a chocolatey affair with smashes Oreos weaved into its frosting. You’ll want to collect ‘em all, we promise.

You might already know that this famous homegrown bakery serves up stellar bakes of croissants ($3.50) and pastries. But you might not know about its off-the-menu secret kaya ($0.50), available only upon request. Fresh pandan juice, coconut milk, caster sugar, and egg is emulsified with virgin coconut oil to create a soufflé-like consistency. But if you’re looking for something more hearty, order the sweet stack of waffles ($21). The base of 100% sourdough waffles, made from an ancient 158-year-old starter, comes crowned with fresh mangoes and lemongrass chantilly cream. But if your tastebuds are craving something salty, the airy waffles can also be made savoury ($23) with the addition of bacon and honey ricotta ($23).