16 Of London’s Best Ice Cream Parlours
With record temperatures on us right now, we’ve rounded up the coolest spots for seriously good icecream parlours.
From authentic Italian gelato in Covent Garden, to creamy soft serves in Shoreditch, here’s your ultimate guide to ice cream in the city.
The Best Ice Cream Shops In London
The Ice Cream Project
In case you missed it, Anya Hindmarch’s Ice Cream Project made headlines last year for its… unconventional flavours – we’re talking everything from Heinz Ketchup to Quaker Rolled Oats. And it seems the launch pop-up was a success now that it’s returned “by popular demand” for 2023.
Where: 11 Pont St, London, SW1X 9EH
Website: www.anyahindmarch.com
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Anita Gelato
You’ll most certainly bump into someone Instagramming the gorgeous ice-cream interiors of this boutique ice-cream shop. Famous for their 150 flavours of Gelato, frozen yoghurt, sorbets, and sugar-free, vegan-based gelato, Anita Gelato has already seen global success with 15 branches around the world; Sydney, New York, Tel Aviv, Barcelona, and now London.
Each scoop of their incredible selection of sweet treats contains the freshest, highest quality ingredients and a combination of textures and flavours that are unique to Anita Gelato. Think beautifully crafted flavours like Milk Chocolate & Salted Pretzel, Mascarpone & Strawberry, White Chocolate & Pistachio Cream being some of their bestsellers.
Where: 4 Upper St Martin’s Ln, London WC2H 9NY
Website: www.anita-gelato.com
Gelateria 3Bis
After 25 years of serving gelato to the people of Rimini, 3Bis opened their first gelateria in London’s Borough Market in 2012, followed by a second outpost on Portobello Road 5 years later. Their ethos is simple – to raise awareness of the traditions and culture of their gelato, which is newly prepared every day for unbeatable freshness.
We’ve heard that their hazelnut and stracciatella gelato is incredibly tasty, but their chocoshots (scoops of your favourite gelato served in a wafer cup that’s dripping in melted chocolate) don’t sound too bad either…
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Their gelato is newly prepared every day for unbeatable freshness.
Where: Multiple Locations
Website: www.gelateria3bis.co.uk
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They’ve been brewing the matcha that goes into their signature matcha ice-cream since 1860.
Where: 33 Newport Ct, London WC2H 7PQ
Website: www.tsujiri.co.uk
Tsujiri
At Chinatown teahouse Tsujiri, they’ve been brewing the matcha that goes into their signature matcha ice-cream since 1860 – so you know it has to be good.
Soft serve flavours include black sesame, kinako and strawberry which you can try in a cup, cone, or even their incredible sundaes which contain layers of red bean, genmai, mochi, sesame paste and the cutest Instagrammable castle cracker on top.
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Chin Chin Labs & Chin Chin Dessert Club
Chin Chin have well and truly taken over London’s Instagrammable dessert scene as Europe’s first liquor nitrogen ice-cream parlour. This means that at Camden’s Chin Chin Labs, your frozen creamy flavours are made to order just seconds before, and include coffee, olive oil, banana pudding, blueberry swirl, and tahini.
Over at Soho’s Chin Chin Dessert Club, you can take your ice-cream to the next level by ordering a full pudding. Try the brûléed ice cream slice (burnt butter caramel ice cream, banana jam and pandan whipped cream), or the warm salted caramel sticky toffee pudding topped with chocolate ice cream and buttery hazelnut sand. Yum.
Take your ice-cream to the next level by ordering a full pudding.
Where: Multiple Locations
Website: www.chinchinicecream.com
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The Parlour at Fortnum & Mason
Ever wondered where the Knickerbocker Glory came from? Fortnums is your answer. They were the first people to introduce the classic dessert to the UK and we’re oh-so-thankful to them for it. And don’t think they’ve compromised on the taste and quality since then. Whilst pricey at £14.50 (it is Fortnums after all) the quality is fantastic and the flavours are classic, made with strawberry and Vanilla Ice Creams, Pineapple, Raspberries, Whipped Cream, Italian Meringue and Raspberry Coulis.
If you don’t fancy a knickerbocker glory, a range of other sundaes, shakes, floats and ice cream sandwiches are also on offer.
Where: 1st floor, Fortnum & Mason, 181 Piccadilly, St. James’s, London W1A 1ER
Website: www.fortnumandmason.com
Gelatorino
Hit Covent Garden in the summer months and stumble upon crowds of people wolfing down Gelatorio’s cool creations. The vibe is authentically Italian, like a little corner of Italy, and the award-winning gelato will transport your tastebuds there too.
The gelato is so creamy that they don’t even need to use a scoop, just a spatula to serve it to you. The flavours are classic, but wow are they delicious, with options including Dark Chocolate, Fior di Latte, and Hazelnut.
The vibe is authentically Italian, like a little corner of Italy.
Where: 2 Russell St, London WC2B 5JD
Website: www.gelatorino.com
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Where: 7 Archer St, London W1D 7AU
Website: www.gelupo.com
Gelupo
If you haven’t come across this gelato on a hot summer’s day in Soho, then you must be living under a rock. Established in the heart of London in 2010, they make uncompromisingly delicious gelato from the finest ingredients, fresh every day.
The specialist churning equipment they use means you only get the smoothest, most luxurious gelato, and flavours include Pistachio, Yoghurt & Summer Berries, and Ricotta Sour Cherry.
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Mamasons Dirty Ice Cream
“Dirty Ice Cream” is the nickname used to describe the ice cream sold on the streets of Manila – best known for being affordable, delicious, and produced using ice, salt and a steel pot. And Mamasons are known for recreating a Filipino cultural experience that’s synonymous with creating and serving food with great love.
They’ve got parlours all over London in Kentish Town, Chinatown, and Westfield White City, so you can’t really miss them. But that’s not exactly a bad thing once you take a look at their menu of flavours. We’re talking Black Buko (black coconut), Ube (Filipino purple yam, their signature flavour) and Milo (Chocolate malt). But they don’t just stop at scoops of ice-cream. You can also take your pick between their award-winning toasted ice-cream sandwich, Ube iced lattes, and a Halo Halo which mixes together shaved ice, evaporated milk, coconut strings, jellies, leche flan and Ube ice-cream.
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Mamasons are known for recreating a Filipino cultural experience - creating and serving food with great love.
Where: Multiple Locations
Website: www.dirtyicecream.co.uk
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Get fully aboard the Milk Train by adding choo-choo candyfloss to your creations.
Where: 12 Tavistock St, London WC2E 7PH
Website: www.milktraincafe.com
Milk Train
Maybe you want ice cream, maybe you want candyfloss. Maybe you want to eat it, maybe you want to post it on Instagram. It doesn’t matter – either way, you’re going to love Milk Train, leaving with a satisfied sweet-tooth and a bunch of new photos for the ‘gram.
Home to the first candy floss ice-cream cone in the UK, Milk Train’s Covent Garden concept store allows you to create your own customised ice cream and milkshakes by swirling their creamy ice cream base with different mix-ins. They encourage you to go choo-choo (and get fully aboard the Milk Train, get it?) by adding choo-choo candyfloss to your creations. You can also choose from their sundae options like Cookies ‘N’ Dream and Berrylicious Berry Mess.
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Ruby Violet
Ruby Violet will serve your ice-cream drenched in hot salted caramel sauce, alongside a glass of Prosecco. And if that’s not reason enough to check them out immediately, we don’t know what is. Located just off Granary Square in King’s Cross, their ice-cream is made from organic milk, free-range eggs and ethically sourced ingredients.
They’ve also got a range of interesting flavours, and have tried pretty much every combination over the years. Think brown toast and Seville orange marmalade; Rosemary and juniper berries; Belgian chocolate and raspberry; Sherry trifle; and Caramel Liquorice to name a few…
Think ice-cream drenched in hot salted caramel sauce alongside a glass of Prosecco.
Where: 3 Wharf Road, London N1C 4BZ
Website: www.rubyviolet.co.uk
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Grom
The only thing we want from gelato is for it to be not only delicious, but purely and authentically Italian. And that’s exactly what Grom set out to bring to London.
With over 60 stores in Italy, the Picaddilly outpost offers up the creamiest of gelato in classic flavours like coffee, chocolate, and their signature crema di Grom (pastry cream with Meliga biscuits and chocolate pieces).
Purely and authentically Italian.
Where: 16-18 Piccadilly, London W1J 0DF
Website: www.grom.it
Bubblewrap
There is a rather widespread agreement that a Bubblewrap is one of the most Instagrammable foods in the world. Created from a radical idea to make a new kind of dessert, their Chinatown launch in 2017 saw instant success. Viral videos across the globe started a worldwide dessert trend, and queues still line the streets of Chinatown for people to get their hands on the original.
And we can’t really blame them. Hot and cold, smooth and crunchy all at the same time, Bubblewraps are made with a base of bubbly waffle shaped into a cone, filled with gelato and your choice of customised toppings. Limited-edition flavours are constantly released, and creations include the Vanilla Crunch (Vanilla Gelato, Banana, Pecan and Salted Caramel) and the Berry Good (Whipped Cream, Strawberry, Raspberry, Nutella). There’s also a matcha-based waffle with Matcha Gelato, Red Bean Sauce and Mochi.
Where: 24 Wardour St, London W1D 6QJ
Website: www.bubblewraplondon.com
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Customers can choose as many different flavours as petals on the flower.
Where: Multiple Locations
Website: www.amorino.com
Amorino
Why have a scoop of ice-cream when you can have a bouquet of ice-cream? Yes, we’d like the most beautiful ice-cream cone in the world, thank you very much. The crafty geniuses at Amorino can whisk up layers of gelati and shape them to look like roses. And even better, customers can choose as many different flavours as petals on the flower (read that again, because wow) and top off their creation with a gelato-filled macaron. Choose from the likes of Vanilla (Bourbon from Madagascar, a customer favourite), Salted Butter Caramel, Passionfruit, and Organic Chocolate Sorbet.
This year, their flower-shaped ice creams are celebrating their 20th anniversary. Pop down to try the limited edition Amarenada flavour, a 100% Italian recipe which revisits one of the very first flavours they served in-store; Amarena.
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Soft Serve Society
Fancy a fancier version of a Mr Whippy? Soft Serve Society at Boxpark Shoreditch and Seven Dials Market will give you all that and more. Think premium flavours and fun-loving toppings that will keep you coming back for more.
Soft serve sundaes include Applesolutely (vanilla ice cream, oat crumble, apple stew and cinnamon sauce) and Chocolate Affogato (vanilla ice cream, shot of hot chocolate, oreo crumbs, rice krispies and a brownie bite). However soft serve cups, cones and freakshakes are also on offer.
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Premium flavours and fun-loving toppings that will keep you coming back for more.
Where: Multiple Locations
Website: www.softservesociety.com
Badiani
If it’s authentic Italian gelato you’re after – and who could blame you – then Badiani might be the scoop or three for you. Founded in Florence in 1932, the gelateria is known as one of the most famous gelato producers in the world. After a long gelato career, Idilio Badiani passed the reins to Orazio Pomposi and his two sons, Paolo and Patrizio, who run things these days.
The pistachio – obviously – is particulary luxurious, while its own celebrated signature flavour, Buontalenti, is pure gelato bliss.
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Its own celebrated signature flavour, Buontalenti, is pure gelato bliss
where: multiple locations
website: Badiani
