Haute Top 5: Must-Try Desserts in Los Angeles

Sherry Yard, Spago's James Beard Award winning former pastry chef, is now helming the whimsical Tuck Room Tavern on Wilshire, where you'll find her absolutely mouth-watering desserts such as this red velvet pavlova—a crispy vanilla meringue served with red velvet raspberry chunk ice cream, whipped cream and chocolate sauce.

Three-time James Beard Award pastry chef Dahlia Narvaez or Pizzeria Mozza fame has created one of the most iconic desserts in L.A. with her butterscotch budino: a thick butterscotch pudding topped with salted caramel and a spoonful of whipped crème fraîche and rosemary-pine nut cornmeal cookies on the side. It's simple yet decadent, and you will want more immediately after your last spoonful is gone.

It's a party at Trois Familia, the third restaurant collaboration between chefs Ludo Lefebvre, Jon Shook and Vinny Dotolo, a convergence of partnership, family, friendship and good food that is inspired by French, Mexican and California cooking. So why SHOULDN'T there be cake? The guys have created the perfect tres leches—a yellow cake soaked in sweetened condensed milk —with a plethora of rainbow sprinkles to add some colorful flair.

Barton G. has long found itself on our must-try list because of its fun factor—every dish is Instagram-worthy. While we have always recommended Marie Antoinette's Head—an amazing confection served as a bust with cotton candy floss hair and petit fours, we thought we'd try something new and very haute. That's where the Dolla Dolla Bills Y’all comes in... This rich chocolate ganache and dulce de leche tart is served under a gold brick shell torched tableside to for a playful take on s’mores. Liquid nitrogen chocolate –feuilletine golden nugget ice cream served as your decadent side. You truly need to see it to believe it.

What happens when you mix a doughnut with ice cream and stuff it with sweets? That would be the milky bun, the creation of OC-based clothing kings Andy Nguyen (CEO of IM King) and Scott Nghiem (the owner of Thorocraft footwear). The shop will take one of your favorite ice creams, add toppings like sprinkles or cereal (Fruity Pebbles and Cookie Monster are big hits) and seal them into a glazed doughnut using something akin to a waffle-iron to seal the bun. You'll find an explosion of flavor and the sticky, sweet, gooey contrast of cold and hot that literally melts in your mouth. There's nothing like it.