Sweet Cravings - Fantastic Desserts in Abu Dhabi

CHEESECAKE AT LA PETITE MAISON (LPM)

The Galleria al Maryah

After what is always a crackingly good meal, the desserts at La Petite Maison are hard to beat. The dessert menu changes quite regularly (particularly on their business lunch menu) but the one thing we come back to over and over again is the cheesecake. This is one for cheesecake purists: it comes with the most beautiful, thin crust, almost tuille-like in texture, and a creamy light vanilla top. The final layer is a gloriously clean cream cheese thinness that makes each mouthful absolutely divine. If you love a thin crust and a smooth, high quality interior, this is the one for you.

Open: 12PM - 12AM

Contact: 02 692 9600

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BASQUE CHEESECAKE AT DISTRIKT SOCIAL

Bloom Arjaan by Rotana

We're calling it: this is the best basque cheesecake in Abu Dhabi. What tips it above the others? It's so light, not at all dense and just nicely burnt on top. The result? You find your spoon going in again and again until lo and behold, it's completely finished!

By way of a plot twist, it comes with a little jug of the most beautiful passionfruit caramel sauce. Now this is a flavour combination we can get on board with! The cheesecake doesn't necessarily need it, but it ramps it up a notch for sure!

It comes in at AED45 and with 20% BBPlus discount, it's a total winner!

Open: 6AM - midnight

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ITALIAN MERINGUE CAKE AT NOVIKOV

‍The Galleria Al Maryah Island

Settled into the luxury surroundings of The Galleria Al Maryah Island, Novikov made its way from London to Abu Dhabi and brought one of our favourite desserts with it!  Beautifully light inside, the spacious restaurant curves around an open kitchen bustling with activity. Their menu is primarily Italian - but upmarket - and along with this higher price tag Novikov does deliver excellent food: it was even Michelin Selected in 2026, not a bad effort within a year of opening. 

Novikov’s tiramisu is up there with one of our favourites in Abu Dhabi, but it is their decadent Italian meringue cake - 70 of the best dirhams we’ve spent in Abu Dhabi lately - that truly captured our hearts. Light, fluffy, with toasted meringue to coat - wow! Shared between two, we struggled to finish it - it tastes light but the piece is generously sliced, and we did have the tiramisu vying for valuable stomach real estate next to it. Add it to your must-try list - you won’t regret it. 

Open: 12PM - 1AM | Sunday - Thursday | until 2AM Friday & Saturday

Contact: +97125632937

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MATILDA CAKE AT PARKER'S

Umm Al Emarat Park

The OG home of the Matilda cake in Abu Dhabi? You can’t go past Parker’s - and they nail everything from the presentation to the taste. Delivered with a flourish, a glorious pour over of chocolate before the metal shell is whisked away and the chocolate oozes across the plate - wow! This combo of chocolate sponge cake, crunchy chocolate flakes and chocolate sauce is a winner - and we guarantee you’ll keep eating, even when you think you can’t take another bite. It’s got a ritzy price tag at AED97, but it’s meant to be shared - so that takes the sting out a little bit. 

Really want to push the boat out? You can takeaway a BIG Matilda cake for AED250 - good luck with that one! Keep in mind, Parker’s is inside Umm Al Emarat Park, so you’ll have to pay AED10 entry per person - but the grounds are lovely, so you can walk off your cake-induced food coma afterwards.  

Check out some of our other favourite Matilda cakes here. 

Open: daily | 8AM - 11.30PM

Contact: 600 555551

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BROOKI x BKRY CROOKIE AT BKRY

Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club

This one might be here for a good time, not for a long time - but if you haven’t tried the Brooki x BKRY Crookie at BKRY, what have you been doing? Find BKRY at the Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club - if you’ve been to their Alserkal Avenue flagship in Dubai, you’ll already know how good their baked treats are - and this collab with the viral Brooki is the stuff dreams are made of. What’s a crookie? Well, if a croissant and cookie had a baby, this is the result - except both Brooki and BKRY are both top of their game, so it’s NEXT LEVEL good. Coming in at AED39, it’s not the most spenny dessert on the list but it’s definitely in the treat yo’self range - but the flaky croissant layered with Australian brown-butter cookie dough and milk chocolate, complete with chunks of cookie dough on top is even better than we expected. It’s messy, it’s gooey, it’s amazing.

Open: daily | 10AM - 11PM

Contact: +971 4 832 2433

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BAKED ALASKA AT FLAMINGO ROOM 

The Galleria Al Maryah Island

If a heavenly chocolate-caramel creation covered in freshly toasted soft meringue sounds like a bit of you, you’ll see why the baked Alaska at Flamingo Room makes our elite desserts of Abu Dhabi list - it might even earn a podium finish, it’s that good! Flamingo Room’s signature dessert, it’s made up of dark chocolate ganache, chocolate sponge, vanilla semifreddo, caramel, chocolate crisp and meringue with an option to flambé - and who’d turn that option down?! Certainly not us. 

It’s a dessert you’ll enjoy in style: the interiors to die for - Flamingo Room has to be one of the prettiest places to eat in Abu Dhabi, from their glamorous elevator (complete with fuzzy zebra print wallpaper) to the pink dining room. The whole space is impeccably put together, and views across the water and huge windows complement the vibe - order the baked Alaska for the ultimate Instagrammable end to your meal. A ‘highly commended’ shout out goes to Lizel’s Lemon Meringue Tart as well - yum!

Open: daily | 12PM - 12.30AM

Contact: 02 675 9301

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NOT SO FRENCH, FRENCH TOAST AT MYSK 

NYU Saadiyat Island

Breakfast or dessert? You decide! The sugar and calorie count says dessert, but if you need a morning pick me up it’s on the dessert menu anyway - we’re not judging!  The aptly named Not so French, French toast is a concoction that looks like a work of art with taste to match. Topped with Persian fairy floss, there are a tonne of yummy elements on the plate that all just work perfectly together: from the carefully piped drops of raspberry coulis to the pistachio drizzle and carefully sliced strawberries, it’s a real winner and a a decadent stand out in a menu filled with stars. 

The bakery counter here is always worth a look - especially for a take-home treat - where you’ll find Tim Tam brownies and melt-in-your-mouth cinnamon scrolls. The cafe is always bustling and lively - thanks to their location adjacent to NYU - but mysk is a breath of fresh air, right down to a flower bar and industrial chic interiors. 

Open: Monday - Friday 7AM-10PM | Saturday - Sunday 8AM-10PM

Contact: 02 626 9343

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MANGO STICKY RICE SUSHI AT AROY DEE

Mushrif Mall & Electra Street

Aroy Dee has two popular branches - Electra Street and Mushrif Mall -  serving up seriously yummy Thai food (and they also have some of the loveliest staff we’ve come across!). The menu is the same at both, but the bigger Mushrif Mall location - with its cute traditional floor seating - was where we recently found our new favourite Asian dessert!

It’s almost impossible to go past mango sticky rice when we see it on the menu, and Aroy Dee’s version (AED47) is a cut above the rest! The presentation alone scores BIG points - bite-size sushi pieces - and taste-wise, it’s in a league of its own. 

A shout out to the kanom tom - Thai coconut balls filled with cane sugar - which are also super tasty, so keep an eye out for these on the menu. Do yourself a favour and pop in - dinner is great, and dessert is even better. 

Open: daily | 10AM - 10PM (Mushrif Mall) 11AM - 11PM (Electra Street)

Contact: 028869600 (Mushrif Mall) and 026665461 (Electra Street)

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JAMIE'S CASSATA CHEESECAKE AT JAMIE'S ITALIAN

Reem Mall

Jamie's Cassata Cheesecake (AED49) edged out the tiramisu on the menu this time - if it’s got Jamie’s name on it, surely it’s his favourite, right? - and it disappeared way too quickly. A mascarpone & pistachio cheesecake, it’s topped with candied orange compote and dark chocolate shards, a really nice blend of flavours without being overly sweet! 

Jamie’s Italian has just opened their first Abu Dhabi location at Reem Mall - with big windows looking straight into the snow park. It’s a great spot to retreat to on a hot day, and if you’re looking for comforting Italian fare in a cosy environment, this will tick that box. Save room for dessert though - it was our favourite part of lunch! 

Open: daily | 10AM - 10PM | until 12AM Friday - Sunday

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TRILECE CAKE AT BOSNIAN HUT

Al Nahyan 

So we’ve been to Bosnian Hut a bunch of times - won over by their cevapi and hearty stews - but hadn’t ever tried dessert. Boy, were we missing out - their trilece cake is criminally good, and we bet it flies under the radar for a lot of diners! Maybe you’re usually too full, maybe you just don’t think Bosnian Hut and automatically think ‘dessert’, but try this cake and that will change! 

A traditional dessert made with a light, fluffy sponge cake soaked in a rich blend of three kinds of milk, it’s topped with sticky (but not overbearing) caramel. Bosnian Hut’s trilece is such an underrated sweet treat in Abu Dhabi, and will not be a non-negotiable for every future visit - at just 25AED, it's also a total steal. There’s a reason the restaurant has a loyal customer base - the food is homey and always hits the spot, the decor is quaint, and you could easily be sitting in a little restaurant somewhere in Bosnia. It’s a long time Abu Dhabi favourite for a reason - and this dessert is another gold star on their report card!

Open: daily | 12PM - 12AM

Contact: 02 566 6215

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