Best Treats to Try While Traveling

A traveler's guide to finding and tracking the best local desserts, coffee, and sweet treats in any city.

One of the best parts of traveling is eating. And one of the worst parts of traveling is forgetting what you ate. You try an incredible pastry at a tiny bakery in a neighborhood you'll never find again, and three months later all you remember is 'it was really good.' That's why I started logging everything.

Ask locals, not Google

The best desserts in any city are rarely the ones with the most reviews on Google Maps. Ask your barista, ask your Airbnb host, ask the person at the coffee shop next to you. People love sharing their favorite spots, and you'll end up at places that feel real instead of tourist traps.

Hit the markets

Wherever you are, find the local market. Farmers markets, night markets, street food markets. This is where you'll find regional specialties that don't exist anywhere else. Take photos of everything, even the stuff you decide not to buy. You can always come back.

One treat per neighborhood

When I'm exploring a new city, I try to log at least one treat per neighborhood. It forces me to wander further than I normally would, and my Treatly map ends up as this cool record of everywhere I went. A boba spot in one district, a bakery in another, gelato across town.

Don't save it for later

If something looks good, try it now. The number of times I've told myself 'I'll come back tomorrow' and then never did is embarrassing. Travel treats are time-sensitive. The shop might be closed, you might be in a different part of town, you might leave the city early. Eat the thing. Log it. Move on.