The Top Sweet Shops in South Austin

I rarely met a dessert I didn't like!  Here are my picks for best dessert shops in South Central Austin. Updated February 2022.

Dolce Neve, 1713 South First Street (also on E. 5th Street)

A crazy-good Italian gelateria run by Italians! They've embraced South Austin culture, and "do it" in

front of everyone. Lots of traditional (chocolate, salted caramel) and unique flavors (roasted pistachio,

lemon creme).

La Patisserie, 602 West Annie Street (also on Burnet Road)

French pastries like croissants, eclairs and a rainbow array of macarons. The morning bun is a favorite, especially slightly warmed in the toaster oven so the sugar caramelizes.

Sugar Mama's Bakeshop, 1905 South First Street

Not just cupcakes, but cakes, pies, muffins, bars... sugar heaven! Also, owned by good, socially

conscious people.

Thoroughbread, 1709 Bluebonnet

Probably best known for their sourdough bread (which is delicious), but I love their giant cookies!

Confituras, 2129 Goodrich

Comfort food: fresh, warm biscuits and house made jams.

Haleycakes and Cookies, 1700 South Lamar, #316

The most adorable decorated cookies in a ton of designs. They ship anywhere too!

The Salty Donut, 2000 South Congress

Your eyes will glaze (get it?) over upon entering the shop and seeing the stair stepper of holy donut offerings. The over the top ones like dragon + passion fruit were delicious, but I am exceedingly content with the brown butter glazed cake donut or the Texas chocolate sheetcake. 

Vivian’s Boulangerie, online 

Killer almond + chocolate croissants, tiger paws, and more. All online, order delivery or pick up with is a South Austin secret location. As of January 2022, owner Kendall Melton says she's hanging up her apron, but keep an eye on her hilarious social media for any updates.

Other spots of note: 

-- Teal House Bakery at 2304 South Congress Avenue for cinnamon rolls + kolaches

-- Word of Mouth Bakery at 1506 South First Street for cakes, baked goods and light lunches

-- Manolis trailer at 603 West Live Oak for frozen treats

-- Easy Tiger at 3508 South Lamar for bread, pretzels + baked goods

This should hold your sweet tooth for a minute!

Check out the AFBA website for MORE city guides! #ATXbesteats 

VOX Table at Lamar Union

I've been hearing the positive accolades for VOX Table since it opened last year. I was finally able to go for a recent Sunday brunch, which turned out to be a bread-lovers dream come true!

Located in the new Lamar Union complex, VOX Table sits just across from the entrance to the Highball and the Alamo Drafthouse. There's free parking in the garage, and free valet parking in the evenings. The restaurant's interior is light-filled, thanks to big windows, and the decor is a very uniform monochromatic gray and white. While that can come across as boring, here it is not; a huge painted wall above the bar keeps it interesting and tied together (not sure if this is considered a mural or just free-form design but it also mirrors the white and gray marble tabletops). Even the restroom and two private dining areas (one open alcove for maybe eight people, and a larger room that could be closed off entirely) are devoid of bright color, but all the neutral decor lends to making the food *pop* even more. There are seats at the bar, and also a few at the counter overlooking the open kitchen; it would be fun to sit here and watch the action!

My friend and I started with the potato churro appetizer, which comes with "VOX Sauce" that turned out to be a nice smoked paprika aioli. The churros were nicely crisp and squishy (the technical term!) at the same time. I can think of a ton of different uses for that sauce!

The appetizer section of the menu features a "bread of the day" with cultured butter. I am never one to refuse good bread, so when my friend suggested getting it, I was thrilled. This was some sort of whole wheat bread, and possibly sourdough... can't remember, but it was delicious!

My friend ordered the French toast, which isn't your ordinary French toast. Ricotta stuffed brioche bread with roasted strawberries and a balsamic drizzle. All it needs is some bacon. Oh my!

I opted for their version of "biscuits and gravy" which had a chicken roulade baked inside this delicious bread, with mushrooms and chicken gravy. I loved every aspect of this dish except the chicken. And the chicken wasn't bad, but I think I wanted it to be more like fried chicken and it wasn't. Texturally it just seemed a bit soft, but not undercooked. But the bread with the silky smooth gravy was divine.

Unfortunately, we did overload on bread, so we didn't leave room for dessert. Which means a return trip is in order! We had a reservation for 11 am, right when they opened, and by the time we left, the place was packed, so I would certainly recommend making one. I would love to go for dinner, and see how different the vibe and lighting is, as we were blessed with a bright sunny day.  VOX has the feel of both a causal and fine dining establishment; there were families with kids, but it was mostly adults of different ages and different styles of dress. As in very Austin. Good service and delicious food, and whoever is in charge of their different breads is amazing! Dinner and a movie anyone?

No Knead Bread!

A no-kneading multigrain bread! And it's good! A friend had told me of a book that features no-knead bread recipes, and in the February issue of Eating Well magazine, they ran five different recipes from the book, including this multigrain.

I started it late Tuesday evening, and let it rise overnight, for about 15 hours total. (Shoulda taken a picture of the first rise, but I didn't think of it!) You then stir it, put it in a Dutch oven, sprinkle it with additional seeds, slash it, and let it rise for about another 2 hours before baking.


It is a large, very heavy loaf, with a large crumb, and a very chewy crust (did I mist it with too much water when it went into the oven?). When I slice it real thin and toast it, it reminds me of those very dense Scandinavian breads. It's been great with butter, and also with pb & j. I think it would be lovely sandwich bread if I had deli meat or the like at home to put on it! It will take me awhile to go through this loaf....if you want a piece, let me know!