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The Duck and the Peach’s olive oil cake adorned with strawberry jam screams summer.
Duck and the Peach/Facebook

These D.C. Restaurants Crush Dessert

Find the best sweet treats to end your meal

by Tierney Plumb Updated
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The Duck and the Peach’s olive oil cake adorned with strawberry jam screams summer.
| Duck and the Peach/Facebook
by Tierney Plumb Updated

Nailing the last bite can be tricky, but pastry chefs that do desserts extraordinarily well leave diners with lasting impressions.

D.C. diners with a sweet tooth can look to these restaurants for reliable finishers that complete a perfect night out, with everything from colorful ube bread pudding to apple pie for two. For a guide to fabulous cakes for any occasion around D.C., go here.

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Ellē

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This acclaimed all-day cafe attracts folks from all over D.C. to Mount Pleasant. A display case up front is filled with desserts from co-owner Lizzy Evelyn. Her best-selling goat cheese cheesecake, currently made with Meyer lemon and toasted pistachio, stems from a recipe she came up with 20 years ago as pastry chef at Bar Pilar. A seasonal honeydew sorbet with black pepper shortbread is also a hit, and an elaborate collection of cakes are available for preorder.

3221 Mt Pleasant St NW, Washington, DC 20010
(202) 652-0040
(202) 652-0040

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Purple Patch

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Purple Patch, a neighborhood Filipino restaurant in Mount Pleasant, offers ube (purple yam) bread pudding like the one Vice President Kamala Harris enjoyed in her own backyard this spring. Other colorful desserts include cupcakes served with ube ice cream, frozen mango floats, and halo-halo loaded with red mung beans and jackfruit over shaved ice. Chef-owner Patrice Cleary also serves a vibrant ube soft serve at her new Joia Burger down the street.

3155 Mt Pleasant St NW, Washington, DC 20010
(202) 299-0022
(202) 299-0022

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Rooster & Owl

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The Michelin-rated mainstay on 14th Street NW (and its newer Falls Church sibling Ellie Bird) got a big pastry chef boost in 2022 with the hire of Jean-Gorges alum and NYC transplant Rachel Sherriffe. Decadent creations under her watch include a burnt orange pavlova or (oat milk) chocolate cremeux with espresso and caramel cream.⁠⁠ Another good ending to Yuan Tang’s four-course seasonal tasting menu is its destination hummingbird cake (caramel chili pineapple, cream cheese, and coconut sorbet).

2436 14th St NW, Washington, DC 20009
(202) 915-9004
(202) 915-9004
Chocolate cremeux features coffee-cardamom ice cream on a bed of chocolate soil.
Rooster & Owl

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Gravitas

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Chef Matt Baker’s Michelin-rated tasting room, situated in Ivy City since 2018, celebrates with a drink in dessert form. Pastry chef Aisha Momaney riffs on a Butterfinger bar with salted caramel, peanut butter nougat, chocolate cremeux, and salted caramel ice cream. Momaney is also behind small-batch ice cream shop Wild Rumor.

1401 Okie St NE, Washington, DC 20002
(202) 763-7942
(202) 763-7942

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Lutèce.

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At Georgetown’s French “neo-bistro,” award-winning pastry chef Isabel Coss seamlessly steps in after dinner service with a seasonal “Canelé” full of caramelized white chocolate, passionfruit, and banana or honeycomb semifreddo featuring 18-month Comté cheese.

1522 Wisconsin Ave NW, Washington, DC 20007
(202) 333-8830
(202) 333-8830

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Unconventional Diner

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Corporate pastry chef Kaity Mitchell complements David Deshaies’s fancy diner fare with stellar sweets like a sky-high lemon meringue pie and a luscious Basque burnt cheesecake. Its “glam Italian” D.C. sibling L’Ardente is known its seasonal soft serve and tiramisu encased in a chocolate sphere.

1207 9th St NW, Washington, DC 20001
(202) 847-0122
(202) 847-0122
Unconventional Diner’s strawberry tres leches cake.
Unconventional Diner

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Blue Duck Tavern

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The Park Hyatt’s sleek wooden establishment in the West End is famous for its apple pie that feeds two, but there are plenty of other desserts worthy of attention, such as a cake constructed with candied Virginia peanuts and Peru’s Illanka chocolate mousse. Don’t miss specialty ice creams accompanied by gooey butterscotch sauce or molten chocolate syrup.

1201 24th St NW, Washington, D.C. 20037
(202) 419-6755
(202) 419-6755
The famous apple pie from Blue Duck Tavern
The famous apple pie from Blue Duck Tavern.
Greg Powers

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Alhambra

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The luxe restaurant inside D.C.’s St. Regis hotel resurfaced last year with a reimagined menu full of modern Mediterranean dishes like smoked eggplant mousse and lamb kofta. Save room for its premiere sweets like freshly imported baklava bites presented on gold trays and black sesame chocolate cake.

Decanter, 923 Black Lives Matter Plz NW, Washington, DC 20006
(202) 509-8000
(202) 509-8000

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Centrolina

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Centrolina’s memorable Italian dessert menu includes a delicious almond cake with fresh citrus, yuzu, and white chocolate. Across the street at all-day sibling Piccolina, find fabulous cannoli, tea cakes, and cookies (try the chocolate chip lemon ricotta variety). Tonari alum Mary Mendoza is the newly named executive pastry chef at the CityCenter DC staples.

974 Palmer Alley NW, Washington, D.C. 20001
(202) 898-2426
(202) 898-2426
Centrolina puts an Italian spin on desserts.
Centrolina

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Modena

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The dessert menu at Modena is inventive, uncomplicated, and exceptional. Chocolate souffle tarts and a warm parmesan cake built with aged balsamic currently stand out on a rotating list of finales executed by newly named chef and L’Ardente alum Josh Hunt.

1100 New York Ave NW, Washington, DC 20005
(202) 216-9550
(202) 216-9550

Also featured in:

China Chilcano

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The suspiro limena, an iconic Peruvian dessert with meringue and passion fruit, is a must-order at José Andrés’ vibrant Penn Quarter fixture. Visitors should also indulge in the Ponderaciones de Kiwicha, a crispy fried spiral cookie with Peruvian chocolate cream and banana ice cream.

418 7th St NW, Washington, DC 20004
(202) 783-0941
(202) 783-0941

Also featured in:

The Duck and the Peach

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Talented pastry chef Rochelle Copper’s desserts and pastries rotate with the season at Capitol Hill’s dreamy American staple. That currently includes a gorgeous olive oil cake dressed with strawberry jam, lemon curd, and Migrash Farm Bolles grain flour. Another summer stunner features pillowy lime marshmallow, mango mousse, and pandan coconut gel (pictured). For the duration of June, proceeds from her pretty pink triangle ice cream are donated to LGBTQ+ group SMYAL. 

300 7th St SE, Washington, D.C. 20003
(202) 481-0548
(202) 481-0548

Also featured in:

Pineapple and Pearls

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The luxe sundae station at chef Aaron Silverman’s 2-Michelin-starred Capitol Hill showpiece is worth its $150-per-person price tag. The wild finale is a smorgasbord of caviar, colorful gummy bears, foie gras fat-infused cookies. amaretto-soaked truffle ice cream, umami-fied whipped cream, and of course, sprinkles.

715 8th St SE, Washington, D.C. 20003
(202) 595-7375
(202) 595-7375
Pineapple & Pearls’ prix fixe diners shell out an extra $150 apiece to order its polished ice cream bar. 
Scott Suchman

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Moon Rabbit DC

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Detail-oriented pastry chef and 2024 James Beard Award finalist Susan Bae finds room for fish sauce caramel in her green curry sponge cake finale.

801 Wharf Street Southwest, DC 20024
(202) 878-8566
(202) 878-8566

Also featured in:

Thompson Italian

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Katherine Thompson’s famed olive oil cake helped her earn a 2020 James Beard nomination for outstanding pastry chef; the same slice is still served at her NYC alma mater L’Artusi to this day. Open since 2019, the popular Italian restaurant she runs with her chef-husband Gabe Thompson also sends out a delicious rhubarb tiramisu with marsala sabayon, mascarpone, and amaretti. The Falls Church original was joined by a second location in Old Town last year.

1024 King St, Alexandria, VA 22314
(571) 431-7742
(571) 431-7742
Olive oil cake with creme fraiche mousse, maldon salt, and raisin marmellatae.

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Ellē

3221 Mt Pleasant St NW, Washington, DC 20010

This acclaimed all-day cafe attracts folks from all over D.C. to Mount Pleasant. A display case up front is filled with desserts from co-owner Lizzy Evelyn. Her best-selling goat cheese cheesecake, currently made with Meyer lemon and toasted pistachio, stems from a recipe she came up with 20 years ago as pastry chef at Bar Pilar. A seasonal honeydew sorbet with black pepper shortbread is also a hit, and an elaborate collection of cakes are available for preorder.

3221 Mt Pleasant St NW, Washington, DC 20010
(202) 652-0040
(202) 652-0040

Purple Patch

3155 Mt Pleasant St NW, Washington, DC 20010

Purple Patch, a neighborhood Filipino restaurant in Mount Pleasant, offers ube (purple yam) bread pudding like the one Vice President Kamala Harris enjoyed in her own backyard this spring. Other colorful desserts include cupcakes served with ube ice cream, frozen mango floats, and halo-halo loaded with red mung beans and jackfruit over shaved ice. Chef-owner Patrice Cleary also serves a vibrant ube soft serve at her new Joia Burger down the street.

3155 Mt Pleasant St NW, Washington, DC 20010
(202) 299-0022
(202) 299-0022

Rooster & Owl

2436 14th St NW, Washington, DC 20009

The Michelin-rated mainstay on 14th Street NW (and its newer Falls Church sibling Ellie Bird) got a big pastry chef boost in 2022 with the hire of Jean-Gorges alum and NYC transplant Rachel Sherriffe. Decadent creations under her watch include a burnt orange pavlova or (oat milk) chocolate cremeux with espresso and caramel cream.⁠⁠ Another good ending to Yuan Tang’s four-course seasonal tasting menu is its destination hummingbird cake (caramel chili pineapple, cream cheese, and coconut sorbet).

2436 14th St NW, Washington, DC 20009
(202) 915-9004
(202) 915-9004
Chocolate cremeux features coffee-cardamom ice cream on a bed of chocolate soil.
Rooster & Owl

Gravitas

1401 Okie St NE, Washington, DC 20002

Chef Matt Baker’s Michelin-rated tasting room, situated in Ivy City since 2018, celebrates with a drink in dessert form. Pastry chef Aisha Momaney riffs on a Butterfinger bar with salted caramel, peanut butter nougat, chocolate cremeux, and salted caramel ice cream. Momaney is also behind small-batch ice cream shop Wild Rumor.

1401 Okie St NE, Washington, DC 20002
(202) 763-7942
(202) 763-7942

Lutèce.

1522 Wisconsin Ave NW, Washington, DC 20007

At Georgetown’s French “neo-bistro,” award-winning pastry chef Isabel Coss seamlessly steps in after dinner service with a seasonal “Canelé” full of caramelized white chocolate, passionfruit, and banana or honeycomb semifreddo featuring 18-month Comté cheese.

1522 Wisconsin Ave NW, Washington, DC 20007
(202) 333-8830
(202) 333-8830

Unconventional Diner

1207 9th St NW, Washington, DC 20001

Corporate pastry chef Kaity Mitchell complements David Deshaies’s fancy diner fare with stellar sweets like a sky-high lemon meringue pie and a luscious Basque burnt cheesecake. Its “glam Italian” D.C. sibling L’Ardente is known its seasonal soft serve and tiramisu encased in a chocolate sphere.

1207 9th St NW, Washington, DC 20001
(202) 847-0122
(202) 847-0122
Unconventional Diner’s strawberry tres leches cake.
Unconventional Diner

Blue Duck Tavern

1201 24th St NW, Washington, D.C. 20037

The Park Hyatt’s sleek wooden establishment in the West End is famous for its apple pie that feeds two, but there are plenty of other desserts worthy of attention, such as a cake constructed with candied Virginia peanuts and Peru’s Illanka chocolate mousse. Don’t miss specialty ice creams accompanied by gooey butterscotch sauce or molten chocolate syrup.

1201 24th St NW, Washington, D.C. 20037
(202) 419-6755
(202) 419-6755
The famous apple pie from Blue Duck Tavern
The famous apple pie from Blue Duck Tavern.
Greg Powers

Alhambra

Decanter, 923 Black Lives Matter Plz NW, Washington, DC 20006

The luxe restaurant inside D.C.’s St. Regis hotel resurfaced last year with a reimagined menu full of modern Mediterranean dishes like smoked eggplant mousse and lamb kofta. Save room for its premiere sweets like freshly imported baklava bites presented on gold trays and black sesame chocolate cake.

Decanter, 923 Black Lives Matter Plz NW, Washington, DC 20006
(202) 509-8000
(202) 509-8000

Centrolina

974 Palmer Alley NW, Washington, D.C. 20001

Centrolina’s memorable Italian dessert menu includes a delicious almond cake with fresh citrus, yuzu, and white chocolate. Across the street at all-day sibling Piccolina, find fabulous cannoli, tea cakes, and cookies (try the chocolate chip lemon ricotta variety). Tonari alum Mary Mendoza is the newly named executive pastry chef at the CityCenter DC staples.

974 Palmer Alley NW, Washington, D.C. 20001
(202) 898-2426
(202) 898-2426
Centrolina puts an Italian spin on desserts.
Centrolina

Modena

1100 New York Ave NW, Washington, DC 20005

The dessert menu at Modena is inventive, uncomplicated, and exceptional. Chocolate souffle tarts and a warm parmesan cake built with aged balsamic currently stand out on a rotating list of finales executed by newly named chef and L’Ardente alum Josh Hunt.

1100 New York Ave NW, Washington, DC 20005
(202) 216-9550
(202) 216-9550

China Chilcano

418 7th St NW, Washington, DC 20004

The suspiro limena, an iconic Peruvian dessert with meringue and passion fruit, is a must-order at José Andrés’ vibrant Penn Quarter fixture. Visitors should also indulge in the Ponderaciones de Kiwicha, a crispy fried spiral cookie with Peruvian chocolate cream and banana ice cream.

418 7th St NW, Washington, DC 20004
(202) 783-0941
(202) 783-0941

The Duck and the Peach

300 7th St SE, Washington, D.C. 20003

Talented pastry chef Rochelle Copper’s desserts and pastries rotate with the season at Capitol Hill’s dreamy American staple. That currently includes a gorgeous olive oil cake dressed with strawberry jam, lemon curd, and Migrash Farm Bolles grain flour. Another summer stunner features pillowy lime marshmallow, mango mousse, and pandan coconut gel (pictured). For the duration of June, proceeds from her pretty pink triangle ice cream are donated to LGBTQ+ group SMYAL. 

300 7th St SE, Washington, D.C. 20003
(202) 481-0548
(202) 481-0548

Pineapple and Pearls

715 8th St SE, Washington, D.C. 20003

The luxe sundae station at chef Aaron Silverman’s 2-Michelin-starred Capitol Hill showpiece is worth its $150-per-person price tag. The wild finale is a smorgasbord of caviar, colorful gummy bears, foie gras fat-infused cookies. amaretto-soaked truffle ice cream, umami-fied whipped cream, and of course, sprinkles.

715 8th St SE, Washington, D.C. 20003
(202) 595-7375
(202) 595-7375
Pineapple & Pearls’ prix fixe diners shell out an extra $150 apiece to order its polished ice cream bar. 
Scott Suchman

Moon Rabbit DC

801 Wharf Street Southwest, DC 20024

Detail-oriented pastry chef and 2024 James Beard Award finalist Susan Bae finds room for fish sauce caramel in her green curry sponge cake finale.

801 Wharf Street Southwest, DC 20024
(202) 878-8566
(202) 878-8566

Thompson Italian

1024 King St, Alexandria, VA 22314

Katherine Thompson’s famed olive oil cake helped her earn a 2020 James Beard nomination for outstanding pastry chef; the same slice is still served at her NYC alma mater L’Artusi to this day. Open since 2019, the popular Italian restaurant she runs with her chef-husband Gabe Thompson also sends out a delicious rhubarb tiramisu with marsala sabayon, mascarpone, and amaretti. The Falls Church original was joined by a second location in Old Town last year.

1024 King St, Alexandria, VA 22314
(571) 431-7742
(571) 431-7742
Olive oil cake with creme fraiche mousse, maldon salt, and raisin marmellatae.

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