It’s starting to get warm in NYC, which means there's one thing you absolutely must have in your hand at all times—ice cream!
Bianca Bahamondes•
There’s certainly no shortage of ice cream shops throughout the city, but there are quite a few that stand out from the crowd as must-tries.
From paletitas at La Newyorkina to vegan ice cream at Van Leeuwen’s and even boozy sundaes of Tipsy Scoop, these deliciously sweet spots offer everything you could ever dream and wish for. Here are our favorite ice cream shops in NYC:
1. Ample Hills Creamery, Multiple Locations
Get your fix at Ample Hills Creamery for some of the richest churned ice cream NYC has to offer. This creamery boasts the largest ice cream production factory in all of NYC and offers tons of mouth-watering flavors it can be hard to pick. Plus, they even have store-specific flavors in their Gowanus, Red Hook, and Astoria locations!
In our opinion, their Ooey Gooey Butter Cake is an absolute must!
2. Marvel, Astoria
Marvel Frozen Dairy has been a Long Island staple for 70+ years, and in May of 2023 they opened a brand new location in Astoria, Queens! They began as a custard shop, but today on the menu you’ll find regular ice cream, non-fat ice cream, floats, slushies, sundaes, cookie sandwiches, and ice cream cakes. Plus they even have vegan soft serve! Read more about Marvel here.
📍 37-01 30th Ave.
3. Minus Celsius Ice Cream, Chinatown
For starters, if you’re looking for fun scoops hand rolled ice cream, you should absolutely check out Minus Celsius Ice Cream on Grand Street where you can get this Thai specialty with SO many topping choices!
📍 302 Grand St.
4. OddFellows Ice Cream Co., Multiple locations
The story of OddFellows’ quirky beginning gives this ice cream shop a flair that matches its ice cream flavors. Originally started by Mohan Kumar to fix his wife’s ice cream craving during pregnancy, Kumar’s vision of an “ice cream empire” soon unfolded in Williamsburg. They’ve created over 500 wacky flavors since their opening in 2013, and have a constantly rotating flavor list. Be sure to stop by to see what’s currently on the menu!
5. Whipped Urban Dessert Lab, Lower East Side
Not too long ago the Boston-based cake shop Whipped Urban Dessert Lab opened the world’s very first all-oat milk ice cream shop in the Lower East Side, following a pop-up in Williamsburg. The idea behind this shop began with their popular oat milk soft serve in their Boston shop, and has now grown from a concept to a real place. Read all about it here.
📍 95 Orchard St.
6. Morgenstern’s, Multiple locations
Now featuring 55 different flavors, expand your palette at Morgenstern’s and try some of their more adventurous flavors like Pineapple Salted Egg Yolk, Olive Oil Eggplant, Honey Lavender Peach, and so many more! Not to mention, when you max out on sugar you can order a juicy burger for a ~balanced~ diet.
7. Sugar Hill Creamery, Harlem
Inspired by both Harlem and the Caribbean and Midwestern cultures of its two owners, Sugar Hill Creamery has been serving top-notch ice cream since 2017. Offering artisanal flavors like the Nunu’s Peach Cobbler (peach ice cream with a dash of cinnamon) and the Chairsmen of the Year (blueberry cheesecake ice cream), they also serve a variety of rotating seasonal flavors to choose from!
📍 184 Lenox Ave
8. Van Leeuwen, Multiple Locations
Van Leeuwen is known for some of the creamiest artisan ice cream in the city, and has totally mastered the richest flavors that are completely vegan as well! We definitely have our eye on that caramelized banana praline.
9. Tipsy Scoop, Multiple locations
This liquor-infused ice cream shop, which “blends the magic of an artisanal, hand-crafted ice cream with the mastery of a perfectly mixed co*cktail,” is continuing to sell its spiked ice cream sundaes, sandwiches and cakes to-go. Booze + sweets = quite a heavenly combination.
10. Davey’s Ice Cream, Multiple locations
Davey’s menu consists of the classics like pistachio, caramel, chocolate chip, and more. Don’t forget about their best known secret as well: their ice cream cakes.
📍 Multiple locations
11. Soft Swerve, Lower East Side
Although soft serve ice cream never really went away, it seems that there’s recently been a resurgence in its popularity. And Soft Swerve is one of NYC’s best, known as the city’s “yammiest ice cream shop” for how it uses the Southeast Asian ube yam to make a vibrant purple swirl! Other flavors include matcha green tea, black sesame, and frozen hot chocolate, with loads of equally colorful topping options.
12. Big Gay Ice Cream, Multiple Locations
Big Gay Ice Cream started as an ice cream truck, and now has multiple locations in New York City and Philadelphia, a cookbook, and launched a limited run line of ice cream pints that are available in stores and markets from coast to coast. They’re known for their unexpected flavor combos for “both kids & for those of us who are kids at heart.”
13. Caffè Panna, Gramercy
With an ever-changing menu, you could never order the wrong thing at Caffè Panna. The location got a recent renovation and is back and better than ever. Stay tuned on their Instagram for updates on their daily flavors and pints available.
📍 77 Irving Pl
14. Chinatown Ice Cream Factory, Chinatown
If you’re looking to try something more cultural head to Chinatown Ice Cream Factory for a delicious treat. They specialize in Asian-style flavored ice creams with some traditional flavors as well! We recommend the zen butter!
📍 65 Bayard St.
15. La Newyorkina, Red Hook
La Newyorkina is a woman-owned Mexican sweets company that serves delicious frozen treats like paletas (similar to ice pops), horchata milkshakes, and ice cream in mouthwatering flavors like tres leches and Mexican coffee-salted cajeta (caramel). Oh, and you can get your scoop topped with spicy crickets if you really want to!
📍 61 Commerce St.
16. Mister Dips, Seaport
What started as a burger and chicken truck back in 2016, Mister Dips is one of the best spots for ice cream in Seaport. They offer a “Dairy Dip” ice cream that is constantly changing with the season. We also really love the soda floats!
📍 89 South St.
17. Surreal Creamery, Multiple Locations
This ice cream and bubble tea shop combination whips up one of a kind creations that combines both of their specialties! Pick up one of their Maison Jar Specials that use all sorts of crazy ingredients like matcha ice cream, fruity pebbles, and more. Or, opt for one of their Floteas (pictured above) which combine ice cream and boba into one delicious treat! The one above combines Taro Bubble Tea and either Matcha or Taro Swirled Ice Cream. We promise you won’t find anything like it. Check out their options here!
18. Emack & Bolio’s, Multiple Locations
Boasting a few locations around NYC, Emack & Bolio’s wacky flavors like Space Cakes and Trippin on Espresso have kept the story of their ice cream shop alive after all of these years! They also serve lots of vegan ice cream options too as well as sorbet, which are equally tasty. If you want to feel like a kid again, we suggest heading here since you can dowse your cones in toppings like Fruit Loops and Rice Krispies.
19. Malai Ice Cream, Carroll Gardens
Malai means “cream of the crop” in a North Indian lanague, and their ice cream surely lives up to its name. Inspired by South Asian ingredients, aromatic spices, and their founder’s upbringing, each scoop of ice cream here is creamy and heavenly. They vow to bring forward “the taste of India” through their flavors like Shahi Toast, Masala Chai, and Mayamasi Shrikhand. They come in cute little containers and they’re so yummy.
📍 268 Smith St, Brooklyn
See also: This Secret NYC Speakeasy Is Inside Of An Ice Cream Parlor
Tags:summer, sweets
