7 Decadent Dessert-Only Restaurants (Slideshow)

Boston's "desserterie," Finale has been open since 1998, and kept their most popular item, "Molten Chocolate," on the menu ever since. This rich signature dish is a baked-to-order warm chocolate cake with a soft center, served with coffee gelato, milk chocolate-covered almonds and Valrhona chocolate sauce. For those who can't decide on just one dish, the dessert sampler plate gives it all: Crème Brûlée, Lemon Roulade, Manjari Mousse, Pumpkin Cheesecake, Boston Cream, Whoopie Pies, Apple Cranberry Tart, and Nougat Glacé.

As the name reveals, this desert restaurant aims to serve their customers with a seductive dessert experience. The dimly lit dining room, chocolate-rimmed wine glasses, and imaginatively named menu items all contribute to a romantic and sensual dining experience. The extensive dessert menu is full of creative combinations: The signature dessert, "Better Than Sex," is a pumpernickel bread pudding that "magically bakes into a cross between a cake, brownie, and bread pudding that melts in your mouth," filled with bing cherries and chocolate, and served with white chocolate mousse. Other items include a "Between My Red Velvet Sheets" cheesecake and chocolate grilled cheese. To pair with the desserts, customers can pick one of the signature "rim job drinks" — chocolate- or caramel-rimmed glasses of wine.

This intimate, 20-seat eatery is built around an open kitchen, allowing the customers to watch the chef prepare and plate their individual desserts. ChikaLicious' three-course prix fixe menu, described as a mix of "American desserts, French presentation, and Japanese tasting portions," includes an amuse bouche, dessert of your choice, and assorted petits fours. The menu changes daily, with seasonally inspired items. A fall menu could include desserts such as butternut squash ice cream brûlée on spice genoise cake with cranberry relish and frosted pecans, and warm chocolate tart with pink peppercorn ice cream and red wine sauce. ChikaLicious also offers a selection of wines, beer, and organic coffee.

Martini bar and dessert lounge Solstice want their customers to "feel at home here whether they are in formal evening attire or something much more casual." The dessert menu includes contemporary creations such as "Chocolate Marjolaine," a dish of chocolate meringue, white chocolate mousse, ganache, and chocolate shavings, and classic dessert items such as molten lava cake. If you feel like drinking your dessert, the extensive list of handcrafted martinis — including flavors such as peanut butter cup and red velvet — can also be made alcohol-free.

At Spot Dessert Bar, traditional sweets get an Asian twist with exotic ingredients such as green tea, yuzu, and kabocha squash. The top- selling item, Chocolate Green Tea Lava Cake, is a warm and soft dark chocolate cake with green tea ganache, green tea ice cream, and walnut "soil." Smoked Coconut Cheesecake and Thai Tea Crème Brûlée are other top dessert choices. Cupcakes, bubble tea, and hot coffee and tea drinks are also offered.

Instead of offering elegant plated desserts, Sugar Box Desserts specializes in cupcakes, cake balls, and macarons. But to set itself apart from bakeries and cafés, Sugar Box offers a casual sit-down restaurant experience, where the desserts are presented on plates, and served with a glass of wine, champagne, or espresso drinks. Some cake flavors to choose from are salted caramel, wedding cake, and Oreo, along with seasonal flavors such as pumpkin and strawberry lemonade. A "cupcake flavor calendar" helps customers to know when their favorite cupcake will be served.

Serving coffee by local roasters in the morning, Swoon Dessert Bar transforms into a full-service dessert restaurant at 6 p.m. The seasonal menu changes weekly, using the best of locally sourced ingredients.  The tapas-style dessert servings allows diners to explore several different unique dishes, from avocado gelato with brûléed braised bacon to smoked ex umbris mousse with toasted marshmallows, fudge, and graham toffee.  "Chef's choice" three-course menus are available on Fridays and Saturdays, and most of the menu is also available gluten-free.