Come rain (the more likely option in London) or shine there’s no better dessert than a decadent ice cream. London is home to several boutique ice cream stores each with their own unique twist. Some ice cream shops focus on a range of tasty and sometimes bizarre flavours whereas with others it’s all about the accompaniments (of which there’s some pretty divine choices) and every single one we’ve tried so far we’ve loved! Explore some of our ever-expanding list of favourite ice cream shops in London and let us know if we’ve missed out your favourite.
Gelupo
Bringing the best of Italy to London with a range of delicious hand made gelato Gelupo is a popular late night spot for a sweet treat, and now you’re in the know you’ll struggle to walk past after an evening in the West End! Pick from Gelupo’s famous blood orange granita or ricotta and sour cherry, or keep things fresh and fruity with strawberry and pink pepper sorbet or lemon and rosemary gelato.
Gelupo prides itself on the freshness of their gelato with all flavours being hand made daily using the finest ingredients – you can almost taste the mint leaves in the mint stracciatella. Therefore Gelupo does unfortunately sometimes run out of certain flavours, so on a sunny Summer’s day we recommend getting here early to choose your favourite, although you can’t go wrong with any of their flavours!
There’s a cute little seating area at the back of the ice cream shop for you to devour your gelato in peace and a selection of other goodies available for purchase including biscuits, cakes, coffee and deli items all flown across fresh from Italy.
Our favourite flavours: Salted Caramel, Peanut Butter & Blueberry, Raspberry & Balsamic, Blood Orange
Chin Chin Labs
Europe’s first liquid nitrogen ice cream shop, Chin Chin Labs freezes ice cream to order and unveils new weekly flavours each more quirky than the last – currently there’s a Grilled Sweetcorn ice cream on the menu!
Chin Chin are proud of their unique method to make ice cream, hand churned with liquid nitrogen, which creates one of the smoothest ice cream’s you’ll find in London. As well as their epic flavours, be sure to add a topping or two, such as its bee pollen honeycomb or hazelnut sand, to make that perfect cup!
Chin Chin now has three outposts across London – Camden Market, Soho and inside Dinerama Street Food market, Shoreditch. Although Camden is their original location, Soho is much roomier so perfect if you’re looking to dine in and has some extra desserts if you’re not after ice cream (however if you’re reading this post I imagine you are!)
Our favourite ice cream: Burnt butter caramel ice cream topped with chocolate crack, raspberry sauce and grilled white chocolate
Mister Fitz
From famous Aussie doughnut chain Doughnut Time comes the pop up of the Summer, Mister Fitz! Specialising in ice cream sandwiches the Mister Fitz creations are drool worthy. Pick from either eight ice cream sandwiches off the menu or Design-It-Yourself. We’d suggesting going off menu to pick your all time favourites as there’s over 7 types of ice cream, 6 cookie flavours, 5 different sauces and an insane amount of toppings to choose from.
Apart from the ice cream cookie sandwich being super Instagrammable, the cute pastel pink shop is also made for that perfect “look at me and my delicious ice cream” shot. We would recommend sitting somewhere to eat your ice cream sandwich, and bringing your sweet tooth, as they’re delectably messy and rather large!
Unfortunately Mister Fitz is currently closed after an initial run last Summer, keep your eyes peeled for their 2019 launch date – we’ll definitely be making another trip this year!
Our favourite ice cream sandwich: Double chocolate cookies with one scoop of dulce de leche and one scoop of raspberry topped with either salted caramel of passionfruit sauce (they were both so good we couldn’t pick one) and honeycomb shards
Udderlicious
With a name in homage to the source of ice cream’s main ingredient you know you’re in for a mouthful of something special at Udderlicious. Udderlicious currently have two ice cream parlours in London, one in Covent Garden and one in Islington instantly recognisable by their pastel blue exteriors. All their ice cream is pasteurised and churned in store and is family run by the Raj family with over 35 years experience making (and tasting) ice cream!
Each month, Udderlicious asks its fans to vote on which flavours they want to see being served in their parlours the following month. Along with some of the classics, expect some deliciously intriguing flavour combinations, using only the best and freshest ingredients.
Our favourite ice cream: If you’re feeling fresh and fruity, their raspberry sorbet is to die for, but if you’re up for something more adventurous, try the chocolate and marmite!
Yolkin
If you want Instagrammable London ice cream that also tastes great, head to Yolkin. This little shop first made a name for itself selling pre-made macaron ice cream sandwiches. Today, Yolkin has a permanent location at 24 Rupert St, London W1D 6DQ, and offers a range of customizable treats.
Flavors come and go with the seasons, so you can expect anything from “Mango Mochi” to Easter-themed “Uh Huh Bunny”. If macarons aren’t your thing, you can get your ice cream sandwiched between cookies or brownie discs, or scooped onto a cone. And for an extra dose of charm, you can add sprinkles, chocolate chips, or even a rainbow meringue.
My favorite thing about Yolkin is the number of Asian-inspired flavors. It’s a great homage to its Leicester Square location, a.k.a. Chinatown. Exploring this area is a must for any London itinerary, and there’s no better way than with an ice cream in hand!
Recommended by Chelsea from The Portable Wife
Mamasons Dirty Ice Cream
Hidden in one of Chinatown’s many alleyways is Mamasons Dirty Ice Cream, a Filipino dessert parlour. Here they serve ube (pronounced ooh-bae!) ice cream, a bright purple ice cream made from purple yam. This is their signature flavour and you can get it in a variety of forms. There’s ube bilog (pictured), which is ube ice cream sandwich with a warm dough. You’ll have to eat it quick though before it melts! The ube ice cream has a very subtle flavour and is a little vanilla-y, a little milky. Purple yam is like a sweet potato with a much less stronger flavour so that should give you some idea of the taste.
Alternatively, you can order an ube brownie Sunday to share, perfect for a date in London or ube doughnuts to take away! The first time I visited Mamasons I was baffled by the menu but the staff are friendly and are happy to explain everything to you. What’s more, the decor here is pretty instagrammable!
Recommended by Laura from What's Hot?
Nardulli
Nardulli, located in Clapham Common, close to the tube station only 5 minutes away, serves tasty ice cream in the proper Italian Traditional way of making the gelato with all the traditional flavours you’d find in Italy right in the centre of London. Recommended by us, two Italians, this place is the real deal, transporting you back to Italy during summer with an ice cream in your hand.
Nardulli even encourage you to become addicted to their gelato! Sluuuurp! A loyalty card could be your new best friend during summer, after 10 ice creams you can get one for free. Yes, it’s true, you can get free ice cream.
You can also choose to take the Italian gelato home with you as they do take away as well. If you’re around the Clapham area Nardulli is a necessary stop on your way home as you won’t be able to resist the temptation of all the delicious flavours.
Recommended by Toti and Alessia from the Italian Trip Abroad
Find Out More…
Gelupo – http://gelupo.com
Chin Chin Labs – https://chinchinicecream.com
Mister Fitz – https://www.instagram.com/misterfitz_/
Udderlicious – https://udderlicious.co.uk
Yolkin – https://yolkin.co.uk
Mamasons Dirty Ice Cream – https://www.dirtyicecream.co.uk
Nardulli – https://www.nardulli.co.uk
