Sugar, spice and all things nice: Dubai's best desserts

One of the best spots in the city to try Arabic desserts, Al Samadi Sweets has been a permanent fixture in Dubai since the 1970s. Pop over to the buzzing Al Muraqqabat Street in Deira to step into this bakery and cafe that serves everything from maamoul (spiced date cookie) to bukaj (a cashew nut-stuffed baklava pouch). It's also where you can experience one of the best halawet el-jibn – a semolina and cheese dough, filled with clotted cream and topped with syrup and rose petal jam – in town.

Its special sticky consistency makes it very different to your regular gelato but that doesn't make the mastic-filled Bachir ice cream any less tasty. Scoop up this cool Lebanese treat – that also happens to be organic – in flavours like rose, melon or milk. But, true fans go for the signature cornet achta with whipped cream and crushed pistachios.

Tapping into local Emirati culture, this premium ice cream and chocolate brand uses whole camel milk, to craft its products. Nouq has almost a dozen camel milk flavours to choose from, each with a regional twist, including caramel biscuit, honey saffron, pistachio, mint tea and Turkish coffee. Camel milk is typically known for its bold taste, but Nouq's ice cream is pasteurised, allowing for much more subtlety. You'll find it at supermarkets such as Spinneys and Waitrose, and even on the menus of leading restaurants such as the Arabian Tea House in the Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood.

Head to Lana Lusa, a chilled-out spot, for its mind-blowing pastéis de nata. The custard tarts are available to buy in a box to take away as well, if you'd like to keep snacking on the flaky pastries as you get on with your day. Other authentic desserts on the menu include the tarte de amêndoa (almond tart) and the bolo de bolacha (a no-bake biscuit cake). This cute neighbourhood-style restaurant is in Four Seasons Private Residences Dubai at Jumeirah, and offers an all-day menu filled with traditional Portuguese favourites.

This New York City-based bakery's Dubai outposts in Bloomingdale's and Dubai Festival City Mall have a big fan following. No stranger to the sweets scene, Magnolia is most famous for its cupcakes – and rightly so. Red velvet, German chocolate and banana varieties, topped with icing in pale pastel hues, share space with puddings, triple-tiered cakes and more. We suggest you get a box as you won't want to share!

It's known for its delicious spicy Thai dishes and its picturesque location on Madinat Jumeirah's meandering waterways. But true foodies know that Jumeirah Al Qasr's atmospheric Pai Thai has an additional draw – it's signature sweet treat, called Kao Niew Ma Muang, which consists of sweet mango atop sticky rice, served with a scoop of coconut ice cream. 

Perhaps Dubai’s most famous icy treat, Salt's Lotus soft serve – or 'Softies' as they are coined on their menu – takes the addictive flavour of everyone's favourite spiced cookie, and puts it into a refreshing ice cream cone (or thick shake). Visit the food-truck-turned-cafe at Kite Beach – now a local institution – to find out what all the fuss is about.

This Emirati-owned bakery has become a local institution. And, although it produces a huge range of savoury dishes, plus cookies, cakes and pastries, we suggest you head straight for its speciality milk cake options. From delicate saffron to pistachio, coffee-tinged tiramisu to fragrant rose, you're sure to find a flavour that suits your palate.

Chef Carmen Rueda Hernandez has worked in innovative, experimental kitchens like The Fat Duck which is why Brix, the dessert bar concept that she helms, is so ground-breaking. Backed by the stable behind 3Fils, the intimate venue serves up a tasting menu with the spotlight on sweet treats. Don't miss out on Nostalgia, spotlighting ingredients like peanut, salted caramel, hazelnut, mango and passion fruit – paired with a Golden Autumn drink that blends earl grey, fresh lemon and American malt.

Crisp, flaky pastry layered with vanilla cream, a mixed berry compote and topped with fresh raspberries – that's the star dessert on DRIFT Beach Club's list. And once you've had a bite of this French Le Mille-Feuille, you'll realise why the city's foodies love its dishes as much as its serene waterside setting.

Located inside several major Dubai malls like City Centre Mirdif and Mall of the Emirates, this NYC import specialises in stacked burgers and trending ‘monster shakes'. These made-for-Instagram treats are nothing short of indulgent, and layered with sky-high toppings, from peanut butter cups to cake wedges. Our favourite is the strawberry-flavoured Cotton Candy, which comes loaded with a vanilla frosted rim, a sprinkling of blue, pink and pearl chocolates, pink lollipop, rock candy, whipped cream, and of course, cotton candy.

L'ETO's cafes in Dubai Mall and across the city are always buzzing. Visitors are greeted by a wall of flowers while the boho decor offers up an ideal backdrop to enjoy the stylish menu. The cafe is best-known for its irresistible desserts and elaborate coffees. Those with a sweet tooth will want to try the crisp Napoleon millefeuille, pistachio, rose and raspberry selection, or birdberry cake – a healthier offering made with birdberry flour and layers of sour cream.