Restaurants & Coffee Houses with Sweet Treats
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Aromas Coffeehouse Bakery & Cafe
Why it Made the List: Baking is a science, and 🔺 Aromas Coffeehouse Bakery & Cafe in Colonial Williamsburg’s Merchants Square has over 25 years of experience formulating the perfect sweet treats in their pastry kitchen. This one gets included for an impressive assortment of professionally made pastries.
What's on the Menu: The bakery prepares 13 different types of baked goods, like pillowy danishes and gooey buns, plus 10 different cakes and pies, but the star of the menu is the Colossal Apple Pie. This warm slice of heaven is Chef’s Choice, so it’s hard to pass up.
Insider Tip: Aromas Coffeehouse Bakery & Cafe also offers a dog-friendly patio for a quick break with your furry travel companion.
Downstairs Fat Canary
Why it Made the List: Experience all the decadence of the award-winning Fat Canary in a more casual bistro located just below, Downstairs Fat Canary. Located in Merchants Square, this is a great spot to uncork a bottle of dessert wine with your treat of choice. Try the "dessert cheeses," a nod to how the Power family got their start: with a small cheese shop.
What's on the Menu: For a business with this much cheese expertise, they sure know their desserts too. Expect elegant options like shell-shaped Corn Madeleines and a daily rotating menu of refreshing sorbets. While the downstairs menu leans toward tapas fare, you can order off the upstairs menu to satisfy a sweet tooth.
Insider Tip: Visit The Cheese Shop next door for tasty souvenirs.
Little York Confectionery
Why it Made the List: Tucked into the Somerwell House (circa 1700!) on historic Yorktown’s quaint Main Street, Little York Confectionery blends indulgent sweets with old-fashioned nostalgia that’s as genuine as it gets. This is a dessert stop from another era.
What's on the Menu: Choose from house-made chocolates, vintage candies, giant lollipops, and rotating ice cream flavors. Look for signature creations inspired by Yorktown, including chocolate oyster shells.
Insider Tip: Next door, Mobjack Coffee Roasters serves up freshly roasted coffee and lattes that pair perfectly with your dessert.
Bake Shops & Creameries with Indulgent Desserts
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Pie&Dine
Why it Made the List: A new chapter for the former Jamestown Pie Company, Pie&Dine brings a loyal following and a passion for homemade pies to its Williamsburg restaurant. Everything is made from scratch with fresh ingredients, including fruit picked from local farms.
What's on the Menu: Try rich, nutty pies like Virginia peanut or butterscotch pecan; fruity pies like apple, strawberry rhubarb, or bumbleberry; or specialty pies like key lime and coconut custard. Slices and mini pies make it easy to sample a favorite — or take one home.
Insider Tip: Come hungry for a full menu of pizza and Mediterranean dishes, but save room for pie!
Carrot Tree Kitchens
Why it Made the List: 🔺Carrot Tree Kitchens is praised by locals as having the best cakes in town. In fact, this bake shop's origin story starts in the owner's home kitchen. After a challenge from her boss, Debi Helseth set out to master the classic carrot cake. Using her grandmother's recipe, she perfected the cake and never looked back. Now, we too get to sample what's cooking in her kitchen.
What's on the Menu: Adventuring burns a lot of energy, so treat yourself to something indulgent. The menu features Debi's famous carrot cake and other classics like Red Velvet, German Chocolate, and Almond Supreme cake.
Insider Tip: You don't have to overdo it — get a slice of cake to share, or even split a "baby cake" with the table. There’s also petit fours and lighter treats like coffee cake.
Kephi Greek Kitchen
Why it Made the List: This isn’t just a restaurant. Kephi Greek Kitchen is also an authentic Greek bakery with ornate confections that highlight the flavors of Greece — warm spices, honey, citrus, and sweet florals.
What's on the Menu: Keep it simple with something that isn’t too sweet, like greek yogurt topped with a homemade carrot jam, or spring for something rich and creamy like the baklava cheesecake.
Insider Tip: Embrace the cool lounge vibe and pair a Greek frappé with dessert.
Shoofly Dairy Bar
Why it Made the List: This retro, roadside walk-up dairy bar offers a taste of nostalgia in every bite. Shoofly Dairy Bar offers traditional concession-style treats and even a classic American dessert, Shoofly Pie.
What's on the Menu: The menu is huge and features every classic summertime treat, from soft serve and milkshakes to snoballs and fresh-baked Whoopie Pie. Expect plenty of dessert delights for all ages.
Insider Tip: There's no indoor seating, but shaded picnic tables provide cover on sunny days. This is also another pet-friendly stop on your Williamsburg food journey, so make sure to include their version of a pup cup in your order — a snoball topped with peanut butter, broth, and a dog bone.
Timeless Treats From Historic Taverns
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Christiana Campbell's Tavern
Why it Made the List: At Christiana Campbell's Tavern, travel back to Williamsburg's revolutionary past through dishes and desserts inspired by popular 18th-century cookbooks. Combine delicate pastries with historically appropriate dessert drinks like a nice port or a glass of sherry.
What's on the Menu: Expect classic desserts like apple pie, plus trifles and tarts, which were seen as symbols of wealth in the colonial period.
Insider Tip: This isn't a museum. It's a real tavern with huge historical importance — George Washington was known to frequent this longstanding tavern. Once you've had your fill of desserts and wine, explore other famous historic sites in Colonial Williamsburg.
King's Arms Tavern
Why it Made the List: Also in Colonial Williamsburg, the historic 🔺King's Arms Tavern offers period-inspired food and drink, plus live performances that elevate your dessert to a grand finale fit for a foodie.
What's on the Menu: The tavern is known for its bread pudding, but don't miss an opportunity to order several desserts for the table and share: the chocolate tart and pecan pie are crowd-pleasers. Plus, the kid-friendly menu also offers ice cream.
Insider Tip: Looks like George Washington dined here, too. Try one of the popular rum punch bowls for an authentic beverage from his time.
Explore More
Continue your culinary journey to uncover award-winning restaurants and unforgettable breweries and wineries. Dive deeper into Williamsburg’s food & drink scene.