Best Desserts in Melbourne: Sweet Treats to Try for Yourself

Dessert may be the last part of a meal, but it’s certainly not the least. Those of us with a raging sweet tooth know that it can be the highlight of the evening, offering an explosion of flavour and texture that sends our pleasure receptors tingling.

Step up your dessert game with our favourite scoops, slices and dishes across the city. Spanning creative and classic sweets, the best desserts in Melbourne will have you coming back for seconds.

Hazelnut Praline Semifreddo at Bar Olo

A slice of Piemonte in Carlton, Bar Olo is a sanctuary of laid-back elegance amidst wood-panelled walls adorned with rustic artwork. This inviting enoteca and wine bar offers a sensory escape, where every sip transports you to the sun-kissed vineyards of northern Italy. While the regional cuisine is not to be missed, the hazelnut praline semifreddo is what gets our attention.

Shaped into an ice cream bar for easy consumption, this creamy, nutty delight is topped with edible flowers, a chocolate coating and a hazelnut crumb. 

165 Nicholson Street, Carlton

Dessert Cart at Society

The Society Dining Room is a statement of modern Australian design and sophisticated dining culture. Slip inside the fine dining restaurant to discover the chic supper-club environment and soaring windows that capture one of this city’s most spectacular settings amongst the iconic towers of the glamorous Collins Street precinct.

The menu is heaving with plates of incredible savoury dishes but we suggest you save room for something sweet, as it's almost impossible to resist when the iconic dessert cart rolls by your table to tempt your tastebuds.

Available with lunch reservations from Wednesday to Sunday, choose from a delightfully presented selection of light macarons, slices of fluffy cake, mousse trifle, tarts, pastries and berries to complete your meal on a sweet note. 

80 Collins Street, Melbourne

Croissant Cereal at JC Patisserie Boulangerie 

French chic takes an even more sweet and sophisticated turn at this tucked-away bakery in Abbotsford. Say bonjour to JC Patisserie Boulangerie, an elegant cafe serving a chocolate-drizzled dose of Parisian flair and flavour.

You'll be drawn in by the aromas of fresh pastries and bread emanating from under the roller door, but there's one particular French-inspired dish we eagerly await to order come Saturday morning.

Indulge in the croissant cereal, a bowl of crumbly mini bite-size croissants served with just the right amount of milk. Combining a satisfying trio of crunch, sweetness and flakiness, you won't find this unique breakfast dessert anywhere else. And if you can't make it on a Saturday, don't fret - the cereal is available to purchase and enjoy at home!

17 Henry Street, Abbotsford 

The Courthouse's Sticky Date Pudding

One of our favourite pubs in Melbourne has outdone itself, adding an incredible sticky date pudding to the menu. When a cold and dreary Melbourne evening beckons, nothing hits the spot like a warm, decadent sticky dessert paired with a glass of tawny port or whisky in front of one of their crackling fireplaces.

Indulge in this thick, delectable, and unctuous treat, generously drizzled with a rich caramel sauce and topped with a perfect scoop of vanilla ice cream. It's toasty, comforting, and divine.

86-90 Errol Street, North Melbourne

Park Street Pasta & Wine's Pistachio Creme Brulee

The first spoonful of Park Street Pasta & Wine's pistachio creme brulee is something akin to religious experience; a dessert nirvana, if you will.

The secret to this magnificently creamy and nutty treat? The creamy custard is paired with pistachios imported straight from Sicily. Buonissimo!

268 Park Street, South Melbourne 

Amiri Cafe's Durian Cake

The newest hangout for sweet treats in Melbourne CBD is QV's charming Amiri Cafe. Delicious drinks like strawberry matcha, mango matcha, and a banoffee tiramisu latte will certainly entice, but you're here to indulge in The Durian Deluxe set.

Prepare to ooh and ahh over this charming assortment, comprising a durian chiffon cake so spectacularly cute you might not want to eat it, durian custard coconut cream, and coconut ice cream. But eat it you must - and once you do, the tantalising fusion of creamy sweetness and bold flavour will delight. 

Shop R02, QV Melbourne 

Chimnutz 

Drawing inspiration from the delightful world of Hungarian kurtoskalacs (chimney cakes), Chimnutz is spinning sweet dreams into a delectable reality.

Here, the enchanting flavours of Eastern Europe meet the playful spirit of Australia and Asia, with tantalising variations including fruit salad custard, cheesecake and boba milk tea. 

Grazeland, 20 Booker Street, Spotswood

187 Little Bourke Street, Melbourne 

Thai Desserts at Rong Cha

Alongside a wealth of Thai street food dishes, Rong Cha is also a coffee and dessert one-stop shop, where all your sweet dreams can be had.

Thick burnt butter toast is the star attraction here - a clever crafting of crunchy and fluffy with a decadent signature topping combo of vanilla ice cream and Biscoff crumbs.

Delicious toast specials range from ube cream, fresh strawberry milk and banoffee, to Thai tea, coconut-mango and pandan. 

18 Little Lonsdale Street, Melbourne 

Cakes at Tori's 

Sometimes the best desserts in Melbourne are tucked away down a lane in a CBD bakery brimming with insanely delicious cakes... just like at Tori's.

This little bakery - with its cosy vibes, vintage interiors and artisanal cakes - offers a sweet escape from the hustle and bustle of city life. Grab a spot on their comfy couch to enjoy a delicious array of coffee, hojicha and premium matcha before choosing your sweet treat.

Their home-baked cakes and treats taste as good as they look, with everything from lychee shortcakes and madeleines with magical flavour combinations. 

Sitchu Tip: We're partial to their banoffee cake and when available, the super refreshing melon cakes are a real treat. 

28 Niagara Lane, Melbourne

Cheesecake at LeTAO

Formed in Hokkaido in 1998, LeTAO launched their beautifully minimalist Melbourne flagship to rave reviews.

In addition to their signature Double Fromage cheesecake, the shop features an array of seasonal specials and in-store exclusives. Their milk and cheese-swirled soft serve is a must-try, made better when served with a shot of Market Lane coffee.

The best part? It's open until 10.00 pm daily, making it perfect for late-night cheesecake cravings.

238 Swanston Street, Melbourne 

Grill Americano's Tiramisu

Decadent yet light, tiramisu might be the perfect way to end any meal. The Italian dessert can be found in many places, but few are doing a rendition as good as Grill Americano.

Bringing a slice of Italian elegance to Melbourne via NYC, enjoy a sensational dining experience before ordering some of the city's latest dessert magic. 

They add their spin by adding a thin layer of tempered chocolate, which adds a satisfying texture to a covetable tiramisu. The best part? It's scooped out tableside by Grill's white-jacketed wait staff. 

112 Flinders Lane, Melbourne 

Gelato at Kariton Sorbetes

Melbourne is brimming with top-tier gelaterias, but none are churning flavours as exciting as Kariton Sorbetes. The small batch shop translates beloved Filipino flavours into vivid desserts. You’ll find scoops like purple yams with caramelised coconut curds and avocado condensed milk.

Made with creamy Gippsland Jersey milk, you can get your gelato in a cup, cone or soft homemade bread bun, just like they do in the Philippines.

Sitchu Tip: Be sure to try their signature flavour, Turon, with banana gelato, muscovado butterscotch, jackfruit, candied sesame seeds and crispy spring roll pastry, or the Brazo de Mercedes, which is toasted marshmallow gelato blended with a mandarin-yuzu sorbet. 

Footscray, Melbourne & Glen Waverley

Boozy Baklava Tiramisu from Maha North & Maha East

Say hello to Maha North and Maha East's baklava tiramisu, decked out with candied filo and nuts, and layered with kaymak & honey cream and boozy sponge fingers.

Easily one of Melbourne's best desserts, you don't want to miss out on a serving of this beauty. Savour every bite of this sweet, creamy, nutty and playfully textured concoction and try your best not to float right up to foodie heaven. 

Collingwood & Windsor 

Traditional Ricotta Cannoli at T. Cavallaro & Sons

It's a big call, but this family-owned patisserie might make the best cannoli in Melbourne. T. Cavallaro & Sons has been part of the fabric of Footscray since the 1950s, treating customers to their crisp pastries filled with lush cream or freshly whipped ricotta.

They fly out the door on weekends, so swing by early and buy a box to enjoy after dinner that night.

98 Hopkins Street, Footscray

Tarts at Tarts Anon

Lockdown side hustle turned bricks-and-mortar store, Tarts Anon specialises in magnificent sweet and savoury tarts, with perfectly even, crisp shells paired with classic yet addictive fillings.

While the rich chocolate and caramel tart is their bestseller, we can’t go past their trusty lemon tart, particularly when it’s supercharged with a layer of zippy rhubarb jam.

29a Gwynne Street, Cremorne

44 Sackville Street, Collingwood

Peanut Butter Parfait at Supernormal

Supernormal’s peanut butter parfait is so good that it's been a staple on their menu since 2014. The decadent dessert sees smooth peanut butter parfait covered in a pool of salted caramel sauce, topped with a quenelle of the silkiest chocolate mousse and a scattering of crushed peanuts.

Sticky, sweet, salty and rich but never overpowering, it’s a must-try dessert for any foodie.

180 Flinders Lane, Melbourne

Bibelot Cakes

Bibelot’s opulent cakes showcase the best French pastries, each incorporating dozens of techniques and artful garnishing.

The hazelnut praline crunch cake is their signature for a reason – the nutty, choc mousse cake is an explosion of textures, combining hazelnut dacquoise, gianduja mousse, chocolate crémeux, praline crunch, chocolate chantilly, hazelnut choc crumble and salted caramel macarons. Safe to say, one slice is never enough.

285-287 Coventry Street, South Melbourne

Chocolate Soufflé at Grossi Florentino

The Grossi Florentino chocolate soufflé is Melbourne dessert royalty - it was on the menu before the Grossi family took over at the turn of the century.

Simultaneously light and rich, it's made with dark Callebaut cocoa, served in a copper pot and paired with hazelnut praline and a Valrhona dark chocolate sauce. The amaretto ice cream served alongside is genius, adding a level of complexity to the tasting experience as a whole. 

80 Bourke Street, Melbourne

Lamington Gelato Cake at Piccolina

The lamington gets an irresistible Italian remix at Piccolina, where they’ve turned the classic Aussie treat into a delicious gelato cake.

At first glance, it looks like a normal lamo (albeit round) but a bite reveals creamy semifreddo and strawberry jam loaded between layers of sponge cake.

Encased in dark chocolate and sprinkled with coconut, it’s both sweet and surprisingly sophisticated. The only part of this next-level dessert we can’t get behind is their claim that each cake “serves 2”.

CBD, Collingwood, Richmond, Hawthorn and St Kilda

The Desserts at Palette. at night. 

Who doesn't crave something sweet at night? This understated North Melbourne hangout supplies Melburnians with coffee, matcha, croffles and desserts.

A delightful combination of Korean and Australian flavours is ready and waiting at Palette. at night. with their delectable desserts impossible to resist. Think hojicha Swiss rolls, pistachio and raspberry crispy cinnamon croffles,  Basque cheesecake, and a French toast-style Biscoff brioche.

610 Queensberry Street, North Melbourne

Have you tasted the best desserts in Melbourne and are keen to try more? Bake your way to happiness with the cake recipes and cookie concoctions you’ll want to try immediately.