10 best ice cream spots in London
Not all ice creams are equal and having visited lots of top ice cream parlours in London, we’ve rounded up our top ten spots for the best gelato or sorbet on a hot (or cold!) day. And before you think that we’re always putting the kids first, here we are most certainly not. We’re confident that you’ll enjoy visiting these hidden treasures just as much as your small people, if not more!
1 Hans and Gretel, Camden
Photo @hansandgretel.uk
This is ice cream but not as you know it! Tucked away in Camden market, you’ll find this little gem of a place which transports you into a wonderland of ice cream, sweets, candy floss and toppings galore. Choose from their menu which includes artisan gelato (of course) alongside chimney cake, bubble waffles, candy floss and doughnuts, to to mention the hand coated chocolate cones. Just be warned that there is often a queue to get in but it is well worth the wait!
2 Milk Train, Covent Garden
Photo @milktraincafe
There is no doubt that a trip to Milk Train Café in Covent Garden will leave you glad you made the trip. Don’t think that their super cool minimalist interior is evidence of the ice cream based creations on offer. From candy floss trees to delicious layered scoops of artisan gelato with mouth watering wafers, toppings and add-ons. Oh, and they sell their gelato in pots by the litre, just in case one wasn’t enough!
3 Ruby Violet, Kings Cross
From ice cream sandwiches, to hampers, to DIY sundae boxes to simply two scoops in a cone, Ruby Violet has it all going on and with some of the most mouth watering flavours in the capital. You can even order an ice cream cake if you have a birthday coming up! Located near to the beautiful Coal Drops Yard development in Kings Cross, you’ll have plenty of brilliant places to sit and people watch whilst devouring your iced treat. Yum.
4 Morelli’s Gelato, Covent Garden
Photo @morellisgelato
This extremely well known and much loved institution serves their iconic sundaes in custom made Murano glassware or gelato, sorbet and soft vanilla in a cone or cup. What stands out about Morelli’s is that they churn their ice cream fresh every day and so you can be guaranteed that it will satisfy your taste buds. It’s also good to know that they also serve crepes, waffles, milkshakes and gateaux, and so even the non ice cream fan will find a treat to eat.
5 Chin Chin Labs, Camden & Soho
Chin Chin Labs serves ice cream but not as you know it. What makes them stand out from the crowd is that they hand churn ice cream with liquid nitrogen (yep!). With ice cream flavours such as burnt butter caramel and vegan banana pudding and toppings such as truffle crumble and hazelnut sand, not only will you have an incredible tasting experience but you may well try (and love) something new. They’ve been creating ice cream since 2010 and so they’re clearly getting it very VERY right!
6 Gelupo, Soho
Gelupo know so much about gelato, they have published a book about it! Opened by the founders of the well known restaurant Bocca di Lupo, the gelateria has seasonal flavours alongside heaps of high quality classics, It is open late for and end of the day sugar rush or a pre or post theatre treat. With flavours including watermelon, vegan bitter chocolate and sour cherry, as well as simpler flavours for smaller people and their tastebuds, we know that a visit will be well worth it. Oh, and they happen to deliver to inner London postcodes on Thursdays and Saturdays. Just so you know!
7 Mamasons Dirty Ice Cream, Soho
Mamasons Dirty Ice Cream serve a range of traditional Filipino desserts including the Halo Halo, a fully loaded cup of delicious ingredients like coconut strings, red bean, jellies, evaporated milk, shaved ice, leche flan, wafer sticks and topped with a scoops of ice cream, more traditional ice cream scoops in a cone in flavours such as chocolate malt and black coconut, as well as ice cream sandwiches called the bilog, served in a bun. This is a place to have fun, experiment and tickle your taste buds with new flavours and textures. You’ll love it!
8 Udderlicious Ice Cream, Islington and Covent Garden
Photo @udderliciousldn
Anyone fancy a scoop of white chocolate and wasabi or peaches and cream anyone? YES PLEASE! This small but extremely well located gelateria in Islington and more recently Covent Garden serves an absolutely huge range of flavours that make deciding what to have a particularly tricky job. From banana caramel, to birthday cake flavour to wild cherry, there is something for even the pickiest ice cream eaters.
9 Happy Endings Ice Cream, Mile End
Are you ready for THE most amazing ice cream sandwiches in London? If so, head over to Mile End or check out the big list of places which stock ‘Happy Endings’ delicious treats as the flavours and textures really are something else. For example Malted milk parfait between oaty biscuits, magic malt crumbs, half-dipped in milk chocolate or strawberry cheesecake parfait, vanilla marshmallow and strawberry jam between buttery brown sugar shortbread… you’ll never be able to look at another ice cream sandwich in the same way again!
10 Badiani Gelato, Chelsea
Stunning ice cream, stunning flavours, lots of choice… Badiani has it all! Their high quality traditional Italian gelato comes in a delicious range of flavours, all made according to their secret and very special recipe that you won’t find anywhere else. From scoops of gelato, to sorbet to pinguinos (gelato on a stick) and gelato cookies, there is heaps of choice, as well as their cakes which you may like a nosey at. Oh, and you can also grab a glass of wine there if that helps!
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