The Best Boston Area Bakeries, Donut Shops, Ice Cream Places and General Dessert Destinations

Modern Pastry in the North End of Boston (photo by Eric)

We've always regarded Boston as a sweet destination and several Boston bakeries, cafes, donut shops and other sweet tooth spots have taken that description quite seriously. Whether an Italian pastry, a creative tower of cupcakes or some novel donut and ice cream flavors like apple cider or gingersnap molasses, Boston and its suburbs really "take the cake" when it comes to yummy desserts:

There's always the age old- argument, which is better Modern Pastry or Mike's Pastry, both in the North End of Boston? We have a definite opinion on this one: both! Modern Pastry at 257 Hanover St., has been around more than 70 years and does everything well: cakes, pastries, torrone and chocolate, cookies and other Italian specialties. The feeling here is old school and the displays are a colorful wonderland of sweets. It's hard to know where to turn first, but we like the huge chocolate cupcakes. Mike's Pastry, at 300 Hanover St., frequently has lines out the door and is best known for its cannoli -- a traditional Italian pastry with a tube-shaped shell of fried pastry dough, filled with a sweet, creamy filling containing ricotta. They even have a version with chocolate cream filling and real pistachios!  Mike's goes well beyond being a single note pastry destination by offering absolutely delicious Italian and American favorites like biscotti, brownies, cannolis, cakes, cookies, fruit squares, gelati, marzipan, pies and torrone. They also serve up incredible lemon squares, chocolate layer cake and the "lobster tail" crusty baked pastry with yellow custard filling Mike's also has a bit more room than Modern Pastry with a 50-seat cafe offering espresso, a caffe latte, cappuccino or tea.

As if Modern Pastry and Mike's weren't enough, the North End of Boston also has two other standout places for sweets: Bova's Bakery and Caffe Vittoria. Bova's, at 134 Salem St., has been family owned and operated since 1932, has an array of sweets almost as impressive as Modern Pastry and Mike's Pastry, but also is renowned for its made-fresh-daily-breads. We like the “spucadella” or  "Spuckie,"  as it is often called -- a fresh-tasting Italian sub roll made here. But, I think we'll go with the delicious strawberry cheesecake here! Caffe Vittoria at 296 Hanover St. is a charming sit-down Italian cafe that is well known as a place for just desserts, but they also serve coffee and adult beverages. In business since 1929, the dessert list is indeed extensive with traditional Italian pastries like cannoli, tiramisu, cheese cake, eclairs, cakes and biscotti. What a nice place to go after a show or after an Italian dinner at one of the North End's great Italian restaurants.