Dating back to as early as 550BC in Persia, it's safe to say that ice cream is a classic - and there's no shortage of it in our city. When it comes to all things frosted, the capital's keeping you stuffed with sweet treats 365 days of the year. From a Guinness ice cream sandwich to soft serve smothered in retro toppings and candy floss or even a chocolate and porcini mushroom gelato, there’s no combination off limits. Whether it's for dessert, a mid-afternoon snack or just because, discover the city’s best parlours, independent stockists and restaurants freezing the good stuff in our list of the 13 best places for ice cream in London.
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Ruby Violet: Ice Cream Bombes
Located in King's Cross, Ruby Violet takes you back in time with a traditional parlour where you can enjoy their sweet treats, as well as offering takeaway. You'll find a glass cabinet full of delicious flavours here, created in small batches using organic milk and fresh ingredients. Scoops start from just £4.50 each, but they also offer all kinds of weird and wonderful desserts, ice cream cakes and even their signature personalised ice cream bombes - made to order and decorated just how you like, perfect for birthdays. But for a more casual affair, swing by for a mini baked Alaska and chocolatey cocktails.
This ice cream parlour is the bombe.
Happy Endings: Guinness Ice Cream Sandwich
Available both online and from some of the capital’s tastiest restaurants, Happy Endings are the ice cream specialists churning out quirky sandos. Take your pick between The Malty One, the Strawberry Shorty or The Naughty One, to name a few, which sandwiches miso salt caramel parfait between squidgy slices of chocolate Guinness cake and a lip-smacking soy dulce de leche. They also offer ice cream cakes, soft serve scoops and tasty flavours available by the tub, so there's plenty to choose from here.
Searching for the best ice cream brand in the city? This spot is a winner.
Morelli's Gelato: Old-School Scoops
Perhaps one of the best-known London ice cream brands, Morelli's has been around since 1932, where it first opened along the seafront in Broadstairs. It now takes pride of place in Covent Garden, among 17 other shops worldwide, having passed down their family recipes through the generations. There's a daily selection of 20 different flavours to choose from here, or try out their signature sundaes with a glass of Venetian prosecco on the side.
It doesn't get more traditional than Morelli's.
La Gelateria: Quirky Flavours
After an ice cream shop in London with weird flavours? As well as offering adorable pup cups for dogs, La Gelateria has plenty of unusual offerings for humans too. They've got venues in Covent Garden, East Village and the OXO Tower, as well as on the French Riviera, where the options range from basil and chilli to porcini mushroom chocolate cream - alongside some more classic combinations. They combine traditional techniques with innovative new methods to create a unique taste, embracing the legacy of Italian gelato craftsmanship.
Could mushroom ice cream be a match made in heaven? La Gelateria certainly think so.
Gelateria 3Bis: Chocoshots
Gelateria 3Bis can be found in both Borough Market and on Portobello Road, originating from Rimini in Italy. 3Bis is the postcode of the first ever Italian ice cream factory, and they stick to their traditional roots with fresh gelato made on site every day, using their 30-plus years of experience to give a perfect scoop every time. As well as cones, crepes, waffles and milkshakes, you can find their signature Chocoshots - cup-shaped cones filled with everything from affogato al caffè to the cheesecake shot, with mix-and-match flavours on the cups.
From Rimini to Borough Market, these guys have been in the ice cream game for over 30 years.
Swift: Sgroppino
Did you know that one of the capital's best cocktail venues also doubles up as a crackin' dessert hub full of goodies? Now you do. Sure, the Sgroppino might be a drink, but the Swift classic combines sharp prosecco and Italicus before topping with the perfect scoop of tangy lemon sorbet for that ultimate sweet treat. And the best part? It'll set you back only £9, which is a bargain for their locations in Shoreditch, Soho and Borough.
Drinkable and delightful.
Dirty Bones: Ice Cream Doughnut Sandwich
Boasting locations in Carnaby and Soho, Dirty Bones knows a thing or two about American-inspired eats. The pièce de résistance? It has to be its signature (and cheat-day-worthy) ice cream doughnut sandwich, which you can fill with your chosen scoops of vanilla salted caramel, double chocolate or a mixture of the two. If that doesn't whet your whistle, opt for a more classic serving of gelato, or a refreshing passionfruit sorbet instead.
For the ultimate cheat day.
Mamasons: Filipino Ube Ice Cream
Available for home delivery across the city or in person from outposts in Kentish Town and Chinatown, Mamasons’ London dairy ice cream is well worth a try. The Filipino hub offers you brownies, buko pie and even milo doughnuts, but it’s the ube number that will really make your mouth water, with its pretty lilac colour and unique, nutty taste. You can enjoy this on its own, though they also offer it loaded up in a sundae with coconut strands, evaporated milk, leche flan and more.
From North to Central, Mamasons is a great ice cream parlour in London.
Chin Chin: Marshmallow Waffle Cup Sundae
The home of liquid nitrogen-frozen ice cream in Soho, Camden and Selfridges Food Hall, Chin Chin is whipping up some of the finest creations… and delivering them to you. From the iconic tiramisu sundae to off-piste flavours like a mouthwatering marshmallow and waffle cup mixture, these picks are as delicious as they are Instagrammable. They change up the menu every single week so you'll never get bored here, though their classic flavours such as burnt butter caramel or wild strawberry are always available.
This venue offers the best ice cream sundaes around.
Gelupo: Italian Gelato
One of our top choices for sorbet and gelato, this Italian-style favourite is the brainchild of chef Jacob Kenedy. Cool off with Gelupo's droolworthy flavours including ricotta sour cherry, fresh mint stracciatella or salted caramel and pecan. They also offer a list of monthly specials, which can include anything from raspberry and rose mascarpone to strawberry and pink peppercorn sorbet. Can't get to the Soho location? They even deliver to city centre addresses on certain days of the week.
If you’re a fan of the sweeter things in life, this ice cream shop will hit the spot.
Milk Train: Cotton Candy Cloud
With an interior that’s just as infamous as what's on sale, Milk Train makes our list for the best ice cream Covent Garden has to offer. Walk in to find gorgeous white walls and floors, decorated with pale blue leather booths and quirky neon signs. But it’s not all looks - as their ever-changing menu is a real winner. Sample their cotton candy cloud ice cream accompanied by salted pretzels, coconut flakes, popcorn, rainbow drops and more to unleash your inner big kid.
Offering ice cream via delivery or IRL, Milk Train is one for your bucket list. Credit: Anisah Audu-Evans.
Soft Serve Society: Chocolate Affogato Sundae
When it comes to the best ice cream in Shoreditch and Covent Garden alike, there’s only one name that you need to know. Housed within Boxpark and Seven Dials market, Soft Serve Society is fronting a menu of cups, cones and sundaes, with Insta-worthy candy floss iced lattes to match. Choose between charcoal coconut, matcha or a flavour of the week, all topped with your choice of marshmallow fluff and fresh sauces. Our favourite? The chocolate affogato; layering Rice Krispies, brownie bites and Oreo crumbs over vanilla ice cream with a splash of hot chocolate.
You can guarantee that this is some of the best ice cream in the world.
Amorino: Gelato Cake
It wouldn’t be right to list our favourite ice cream without a nod to the capital’s finest gelato slingers, with venues in Camden and Notting Hill. Amorino boasts organic, vegan and limited edition flavours; with classics from dulce de leche and praline to quirky combos including lime basil and blueberry cheesecake. Better yet, you can opt for it on crepes, scooped onto waffles or in the form of the luxury gelato cakes, which come in enticing flavours such as mango and passionfruit or Madagascan vanilla bourbon.
The best gelato in London? You haven’t lived until you’ve tried Amorino ice cream.
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