From British Chocolates to Cartoonish Macarons, These Sweet Shops Serve Hard-to-Find Masterpieces

From Arlington to Haymarket to Leesburg, here's where to get your sugar high.

By Alice Levitt • Posted June 8, 2021 at 7:03 a.m.

The Pure Barry at Dunbri's Desserts (photo by Rey Lopez)

Updated June 10, 2022. Sweet shops aren’t just for kids anymore. And they’re not just chains. Though Rocket Fizz and Lolli & Pops might dominate malls nowadays, there are some excellent places to get sugary snacks all over NoVA. These are three of our favorites.

Dunbri’s Dessert Café

What to ask for: Pure Barry, 99 Flake

Owners Karen and Graham Maclean hail from Scotland, and it shows in the treats available at their strip-mall destination. The Pure Barry makes use of the soft-serve ice cream at the shop, surrounding its waffle cone with a lush halo of cotton candy. The 99 Flake? It’s a vanilla ice-cream cone topped with a whole crumbly Cadbury Flake chocolate bar. That’s not the only British chocolate on offer. Whether you’re craving a Wispa or a chocolate-covered Cadbury Turkish Delight, it’s in the case. 6410 Trading Sq., Haymarket

Mocatinas

What to ask for: Cookie Monster Macarons, Italian Creamosa

Sit down and let a server bring you the sweets you desire at this full-service dessert emporium. Guests can order some Leesburg-local Zoe’s Chocolates and pair them with a glass from Stone Tower Winery. But some of the best things at this two-story, 3,000-square-foot site are exclusives. A variety of whimsical macarons include ones that look like Cookie Monster, complete with a miniature chocolate chip cookie in his mouth. Wash it down with an Italian soda enhanced with a soft-serve float. 3 E. Market St., Leesburg

Artisan Confections

What to ask for: Bittersweet Bark, honey-thyme truffle

The folks at this sophisticated chocolate shop know that ingredients matter. The chocolate itself is from Valrhona, and homemade truffles are flavored with fresh, local produce and top-shelf liqueurs in unusual combinations. The honey-thyme explodes with the flavor of the herb, amplified by the sweetness of honey. Looking for something a little less rich? Grab a dark-chocolate bark studded with dried blueberries, toasted almonds, and white-chocolate pearls. 1025 N. Fillmore St., Ste. H, Arlington

Feature image by Rey Lopez

This story originally ran in our June issue. For more stories like this, subscribe to our monthly magazine.

Alice Levitt

Contributing Food Critic/Editor

Alice Levitt has been writing for Northern Virginia Magazine since 2020. She began her restaurant critic journey at Seven Days in Vermont in 2007 before moving on to Houstonia Magazine in Texas. Her food, travel, and health innovation stories have appeared in Vox, EatingWell, Simply Recipes, Allrecipes, and many other national publications.