Everything Sweet in Staunton  

With Valentine’s Day this weekend, you’re probably looking to impress someone, bond with your besties, or distract yourself with something sweet. Whether you gift chocolates or cookies, treat someone to a romantic dinner and dessert, share an ice-cream sundae, or savor a scrumptious mocha latte or bottle of sparkling wine, satisfied tastebuds warm hearts. Here’s your guide to everything sweet in Staunton.

Chocolates

• Giancarlo Fine European Pastries crafts beautiful chocolates from premium Cordillera Colombian 65 % cacao single bean chocolate. Giancarlo also offers cakes, tarts, and pastries, and you should definitely try the chocolate-covered strawberries if there are any left! 

• We’re sorry to say that you’ve missed the deadline for ordering Santiago Chocolates for Valentine’s Day. However, you can put in your order for next month’s batch, buy a box at Cranberry’s, or find them on the dessert menu at Zynodoa!
• The Sweet Shoppe delights customers with cookies, candy, and cakes (both whole and by-the-slice). You might have missed the cutoff date for chocolate-covered strawberries, but we promise you’ll find something else that’s just as tasty!

Pastries & Baked Goods

• Steal your sweetie’s (or just about anyone’s) heart with a treat from Réunion. Along with their normal selection of buttery croissants,cinnamon twists, and chocolate chunk cookies, you can channel Valentine’s Day with chocolate raspberry caramel tarts, raspberry vanilla cruffins, and raspberry cream cheese heart-shaped Danish. 

• Magdalena Bake cafe serves breakfast, lunch, and coffee and specializes in empanadas, pastries, and cookies, which are baked daily. You’ll enjoy cinnamon rolls, dulce de leche croissants, and chocolate nido.

• Seed to Tail sells an assortment of pies, cakes, cookies, and dessert bars in their market, or you can order ahead of time if you want something specific.  Good bets for Valentine’s Day are the chocolate hazelnut crunch bar, 74% chocolate brownies, or pie!
• Whether you select sweet, plain, or savory toppings, Sweet Addie’s Belgian waffles will transcend breakfast. Pick a signature creation or get your waffle loaded with a mix of your favorite toppings. Can’t decide? No worries: order a waffle flight for Valentine’s Day.

Desserts

• What wine pairs best with love and chocolate? The folks at Accordia can point you toward the right bottle for that as well as any of your other favorite dishes. Look for wine and chocolate guided tastings, or try something off the menu to accompany your glass. 

• BLU Point Seafood Co. is known for its delicious seafood and raw bar, but the dessert menu won’t disappoint you either! Look for house made donut holes, dark chocolate torte, and key lime pie with cinnamon crunch crumble.

• Zynodoa specializes in inspired Southern cuisine made with fresh, seasonal, local ingredients. Make sure you finish your meal with something sweet like the dark chocolate fudge brownie or a trio of Santiago Chocolates.
• The Depot Grille has a dessert menu filled with decadent treats like cheesecake, pecan or peanut butter pie, and chocolate lava cake.
• Collins Market will spoil you with freshly baked cookies, muffins, pastries, and a well-stocked candy aisle.
• A different kind of dessert? Let’s call it eye candy, and Sunspots Studios has plenty of options blown especially for you! You can also take your sweetheart along and blow an ornament together.

Ice Cream

• Ice cream flavors change weekly at Kline’s Dairy Bar, but that’s because they’re making it fresh every day! Enjoy the custard-style goodness in cones, milkshakes, flurries, frappes… you get the picture! 

• How romantic will you feel taking your love on a date to The Split Banana for gelato? Flavors include chocolate hazelnut, strawberry cheesecake, brownie bash, and much more, so you’ll find something to make your tastebuds sing. Share a banana split and imagine your futures 5, 10, 15 years from now. Don’t lie – those futures will feature gelato!

• Wright’s Dairy Rite has been appeasing generations of sweet teeth with ice cream desserts like dipped cones, flurries, splits, milkshakes, malts, and drink freezes since 1952.

Sips

• Warm up with a hot cup of something sweet as you head through the north end of Staunton. The baristas at Sweet as Honey Coffee are serving these sweet drinks for Valentine’s Day: chocolate fudge cold brew with strawberry cold foam, red velvet mocha with cheesecake cold foam, strawberry shortbread macchiato, white mocha raspberry chai, and more!
• Byers Street Bistro is a terrific place for lunch, dinner, or a round of seasonal cocktails. Or maybe rich, creamy cocoa is what you’re craving?

• Whatever the temperature, Cranberry’s Grocery and Eatery has the sweet drink for you. They have cold and creamy smoothies, hot chocolate, an lattes and mochas (served hot or cold). Try the turtle mocha, made with caramel, hazelnut, and chocolate.

• Elli Bubble Sweet Tea serves energizing and refreshing bubble teas, warm drinks, and pastries. Make sure to pass on positive vibes with a message in the Mailbox of Love corner.  

• Ciders from Mars uses local apple varieties like Winesap and Gold Rush from local orchards in its delicious hard cider. Stop by the taproom February 13-15 for cider and chocolate flights with Laurie’s Chocolates.
• Yelping Dog Wine features both local wines and wines from over 200 vineyards around the world, so they can help you pick the perfect bottle for Valentine’s Day. You can also . enjoy an ever-changing wine-by-the-glass menu and accompany it with a piece of crème brûlée cheesecake or flourless chocolate torte.

It will be love at first bite when you celebrate Valentine’s Day with one of these delicious Staunton sweets! Be sure to check out ALL Valentine and other events here.