The 5 Best Places for Dessert (In-Restaurant) Around Vail Valley

From silky crème brûlée and warm chocolate cake to house-made ice cream and inventive fruit creations, a memorable dessert can provide the perfect conclusion to a restaurant meal. Throughout the Vail Valley, chefs and pastry teams combine classic techniques with seasonal ingredients, offering everything from comforting American favorites to sophisticated sweets paired with dessert wines. The Best of Vail Valley recognizes restaurants that prepare the final course with creativity, flavor and thoughtful preparation.

Grouse Mountain Grill

Grouse Mountain Grill in Beaver Creek complements its contemporary American cuisine with a dessert menu that balances familiar favorites and inventive presentations. Its Tahitian vanilla crème brûlée comes with a Linzer cookie and fruit ganache, while the whimsically named Don't Cry Over Spilled Milk features a chocolate chip cookie, vanilla milk mousse, toasted milk tuile and chocolate pearls. Guests can also choose house-churned ice creams and sorbets, with flavors changing according to the chef's selections. The restaurant offers dessert wines, ports and adult milkshakes, including a Brandy Alexander and a bourbon-maple creation, for guests who want to extend the final course.

Sweet Basil

Sweet Basil has brought contemporary American cuisine to Vail Village since 1977, with a dessert program that reflects its creative culinary approach. Its sticky toffee pudding cake features Myers's rum sauce, brown sugar rum ice cream and peanut brittle, while Strawberries & Cream combines vanilla-honey panna cotta with ginger honeycomb crumble and lime-sugar strawberries. More adventurous selections include Lemon & Fennel, featuring lemon curd, fennel granita and lemon-basil sorbet, and A Walk in the Woods, a dark chocolate caramel creation with hazelnut praline ice cream. Pastry chef Sebastien Schmitt oversees the dessert offerings, which include suggested wine pairings for guests seeking a complementary finish.

Westside Cafe

Westside Cafe in West Vail brings its scratch-made comfort food philosophy to a dessert menu filled with familiar American favorites. Diners can choose cheesecake topped with blueberry sauce and whipped cream or a warm chocolate lava cake accompanied by vanilla ice cream and raspberry sauce. The restaurant also serves a Pizzookie, a partially baked chocolate chip cookie prepared in a skillet, alongside classic vanilla crème brûlée with a caramelized sugar crust. Established in 2002, Westside Cafe offers these satisfying sweets as a conclusion to its hearty lunch and dinner selections.

Ed'z

Ed'z in Edwards Plaza emphasizes fireside comfort food, creating a relaxed setting for diners who enjoy finishing a hearty meal with something sweet. The restaurant features vertical rotisseries visible from its black marble bar, while an 8-foot fireplace provides a warm focal point for the dining room. Its home-style approach to cooking creates an atmosphere suited to lingering over the final course rather than rushing through dinner. Ed'z offers a distinctive combination of rotisserie dining and a cozy setting for an evening meal.

Juniper Restaurant

Juniper Restaurant in Edwards offers an extensive dessert selection that combines classic preparations with imaginative flavors and presentations. Charles' Hot Sticky Toffee Pudding Cake features Myers's rum sauce, toffee crunch and whipped ganache, while the Chocolate S'Mores brings together house-made graham cracker, chocolate moelleux and marshmallow. Other selections include pistachio crème brûlée with chili-pistachio brittle, a lemon and strawberry tart with candied mint and cinnamon-spiced carrot cake with ginger mascarpone cream. Guests can also choose a rotating trio of ice creams or sorbets, giving the final course a refreshing alternative to the restaurant's richer desserts.

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