The Best Dessert Shops Near Star Kitchen, by the Record

Every mix-in at this Denver ice cream shop is made from scratch, which explains why the flavors change weekly and why people follow the Instagram just to see what's coming next. The team builds their own base, loads the pints accordingly, and sells them for pickup alongside draft beer, which is either a genius pairing or an obvious one depending on how you feel about it. A Westword Best Ice Cream pick two years running.

1. Westword 2023 · Best Ice Cream/Gelato Shop · Best of Denver
2. Westword 2025 · Best Savory Food at an Ice Cream Shop · Best of Denver

Parlor Doughnuts builds its doughnuts from laminated dough, which gives them a tall, layered cross-section and a richness closer to a croissant than a cruller. The Denver outpost of this Indiana-born chain carries flavors like French toast and raspberry pistachio, all draped in icing and clearly not interested in restraint. A doughnut shop for people who find regular doughnuts a little too subtle.

1. Westword 2023 · Best Doughnuts · Best of Denver