Celebrate the sunshine in this fabulously diverse city with our guide to the best ice cream and gelato in London.
First, just a quick note about the difference between ice cream and gelato. Both are made from a custard base, which is mixed and frozen; in Italy, the word ‘gelato’ (literally meaning ‘frozen’) means all ice cream but in the UK we use it for a particular Italian artisan style. Gelato traditionally has less cream and more milk in its base custard, and fewer (or no) egg yolks, hence has less fat.
Gelato tends be be churned more slowly, resulting in less air being incorporated in the mix and so has a denser, silkier texture, and is also stored and served at a different temperature: -12 to -7°C, compared with -30 to -20°C for ice cream. This means that gelato flavours tend to be more complex and intense.
Central London
Gelupo
Set up in 2010 by Bocca di Lupo chef/owner Jacob Kenedy and recently revamped, this gelateria is directly opposite the restaurant and makes all its gelato fresh on site every day. If you’re a sorbet fan, their bitter dark chocolate sorbet is amazing, as is the strawberry and pink peppercorn.
Flavours to try: Ricotta sour cherry; rice pudding; fresh mint stracciatella; pistachio
Vegan options: Yes
Website
Snowflake
Made fresh daily using organic Jersey milk, their gelato is served at the optimum temperature of -12°C for the perfect texture. Sorbet lovers try this summer’s social media favourite, the snow mango – mango sorbetto encased in a crunchy, lemon & white chocolate shell.
Flavours to try: Hazelnut; pistachio; strawberry cheesecake; dark chocolate
Vegan options: Yes
Website
Gelatorino
Founded in 2010 by an Italian couple who struggled to find authentic gelato in London, Gelatorino also serves crepes and pastries, plus a selection of Italian chocolates, biscuits and spreads to buy. There is indoor seating and some pavement tables, providing peak people-watching opportunities.
Cheapo Top Tip: They also do excellent coffee, so this is our pick for an affogato – a scoop of vanilla gelato or ice cream topped with a shot of hot espresso.Flavours to try: Breakfast in Turin (coffee & choc chip); hazelnut; pistachio; zabaione; panettone
Vegan options: Yes
Website
Mamasons Dirty Ice Cream
Mamasons is London’s first Filipino ice cream parlour; ‘Dirty ice cream’ is the name given to ice cream made in a steel drum using ice and salt, commonly made and sold on the streets of Manila.
Sorbet-wise, the calamansi (a Filipino citrus fruit) is excellent. Don’t miss the bilog – kind of an ice cream sandwich, a toasted brioche bun filled with ube ice cream and dusted with icing sugar – and then come back for their halo halo, a classic Filipino dessert with layers of coconut strings, red bean, jellies, evaporated milk, shaved ice, leche flan and a wafer stick, topped with a scoop of ube ice cream. The name translates to ‘mix mix’ as you combine the delicious layers as you eat.
Flavours to try: Ube (purple yam); black buko (coconut and charcoal); Milo; queso. Also look out for their monthly special flavours.
Vegan options: Yes
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Morelli’s
This family-run gelateria has been serving up scoops since 1907, churning their gelato fresh in-store every morning. They’re also famous for their spectacular sundaes, so maybe swerve the cone or tub this time and indulge.
Flavours to try: Butter pecan; vanilla & honeycomb; dulce de leche; banana
Vegan options: Yes
Website
Anita Gelato
From a small family kitchen to an international boutique chain, Anita gelato are known for their sauce-drenched gelato and generous portions.
Flavours to try: Milk chocolate pretzels; salted cashew; cheesecake & caramel cookies; pavlova mix berries
Vegan options: Yes
Website
North London
Chin Chin Labs
Using liquid nitrogen to freeze the ice cream does give it a smooth texture but really you’re here for the theatre of it, which never gets old.
Check out the chef’s special and load up with toppings like grilled white chocolate, bee pollen honeycomb, fleur de sel caramel sauce and marshmallow fluff. The brownie cookie sandwich and the sticky toffee pudding sundae also deserve a special mention.
Flavours to try: Burnt butter caramel; Valrhona chocolate; cinnamon bun (seasonal); the Soho branch also has dragon fruit custard and coffee with olive oil
Vegan options: Yes
Website
Ruby Violet
You can reserve a table at this ice cream parlour just five minutes from King’s Cross, which has a dizzying range of choices. Are you going for a classic couple of scoops in a cone or cup, or leaning towards an ice cream sandwich, cake, baked Alaska or afternoon tea? If you can’t decide, they have a tasting menu of any six flavours of ice cream or sorbet for £18.00. The sorbets are particularly good here: think chocolate, blackcurrant, elderflower & prosecco, Italian lemon or mint & cucumber.
But then you have to decide what to drink: wine, locally roasted coffee or – our personal favourite – a boozy ice cream cocktail? There’s even a special Scoopy Doo ice cream for your dog.
Flavours to try: Raspberry ripple; salted caramel & almond nut brittle; black sesame; damson & sour cream; raspberry, white chocolate & cardamom
Vegan options: Yes
Website
Romeo & Giulietta Artisan Gelateria
Another location that does a mean affogato, the artisan ice cream in this small family-run gelateria includes seasonal speciality flavours that you need to catch when you can, alongside some Italian classics. The dark chocolate sorbet is a real winner.
Flavours to try: Ricotta & figs; Biscokrok (biscuit base with chocolate sauce and cookie chunks); pistachio; chocolate; lemon
Vegan options: Yes
Website
Bake Street
Open for breakfast and brunch, this is the home of some legendary soft serve. Flavour combinations can be a little out there, but then vanilla is everywhere, right? Level up by using one of their amazing crème brûlée cookies as a spoon.
Flavours to try: Coffee & blackcurrant; crème brûlée latte; blueberry kefir; guava
Vegan options: Yes
No website: Instagram @bakestreetldn
Caliendo’s Gelato
This award-winning gelateria has been churning out freshly-made, creamy gelato for north London locals since 1880. The sorbets are also delicious and the regularly-changing flavours include some inventive standouts such as Sea Buckthorn & Ginger.
Flavours to try: Amarena cherries & cream; Parma violet; Fior di Latte; Belgian chocolate
Vegan options: Yes
Website
East London
La Grotta Ices
Kitty Travers makes ridiculously good ice cream from her ‘shed’ in South London, specialising in small-batch seasonal fruit flavours; this means the flavours are constantly changing, but you can’t really go wrong. She is borderline obsessive about sourcing the very best produce she can find, which lifts the final product to another level.
Sorbets deserve almost equal billing too; think inventive, refreshing flavour combinations such as raspberry & fig leaf, yellow peach & basil, or pineapple & lemongrass. She has a cookbook out if you fancy trying these at home – at the time of writing, Leila’s Shop has signed copies.
There is seating at E5 Bakehouse so you can dive straight in, but the tubs are ideal to take home; smaller sizes mean no fear of FOMO – just get one of each.
Flavours to try: Banana, brown sugar & rum; Amalfi lemon & ricotta salata; bergamot & almond nougat
Vegan options: Yes
No website: Instagram @lagrottaices
Darlish Ice Cream
There’s an Iranian feel to the flavours at this Spitalfields ice cream parlour, which is somewhat randomly situated within the Bishopsgate Institute. We recommend the baklava ice cream sandwich; it comes in a tub, so you won’t have to worry about wearing it.
Flavours to try: Iranian pistachio; honey rum, date molasses & raisin; peanut butter chocolate chip; saffron, rose & pistachio
Vegan options: Yes
Website
La Gelatiera
This old-school gelato is made using modern equipment but respecting traditional techniques dating back to gelato’s Italian heritage. Flavours tend towards the classic but are done well; the gelato has a lovely creamy texture.
Flavours to try: Sicilian pistachio; honey, rosemary & orange zest; Piedmontese hazelnut; virgin olive oil
Vegan options: Yes
Website
Happy Endings
Founded in 2014 by Aussie Terri Mercieca, Happy Endings is powered by flavour and nostalgia. Remember how amazing ice cream was when you were a kid? That’s the goal.
Their ice cream sandwiches are a riot of flavour from cookies to fillings; they change regularly but there are menu stalwarts including The Naughty One – miso salt caramel parfait sandwiched between slices of chocolate Guinness cake and soy dulce de leche – and The Gay One – malt shortbread, vanilla milk ice cream, salted caramel and honeycomb parfait with malt crumb, dipped in 42% milk chocolate.
You can find a full list of stockists across London on their website (see below); we buy ours as a post-burger treat from Lucky Chip or Patty & Bun – check out our guides to the best burgers in Soho & Covent Garden and in East London. There is also a cookbook available for dessert mastery in the comfort of your own kitchen.
Flavours to try: The Malty One; The Gay One; Strawberry Shorty
Vegan options: Yes
Website
Bebek Baklava
Speaking of ice cream sandwiches, here’s one you shouldn’t miss. Turkish pastry shop Bebek Baklava’s version has dondurma served between two pieces of their truly excellent baklava. Dondurma is Turkey’s traditional stretchy ice cream, firmer in texture than gelato (and much slower to melt) but still smooth and creamy – and very stretchy! They also serve a couple of classic gelato flavours as single or double scoops.
Flavours to try: Strawberry & cream; chunky chocolate; Turkish vanilla
Vegan options: Yes
Website
South London
La Gelateria 3Bis
A Borough Market fixture since 2012, you can watch the gelato being made using traditional equipment from Italy. You can also grab crepes, waffles and milkshakes here, plus they have seating inside for a break from the weekend market frenzy.
Flavours to try: Mascarpone & fig; hazelnut; pistachio; Eton mess
Vegan options: Yes
Website
Nardulli
Expect traditional gelato, served until late; if you’re a local, they even have a loyalty card. Situated right on the edge of the common, you have a decent chance of getting a grassy spot in the sun before your gelato melts.
Flavours to try: Liquorice; tiramisu; cardamom; fig
Vegan options: Yes
Website
Badiani 1932
These fun and brightly-coloured parlours are a family business, serving up gelato made using traditional recipes passed down from generation to generation. Their signature flavour is Buontalenti, named after the Florentine creator of gelato and made with just milk, cream, sugar and eggs.
Flavours to try: Buontalenti; La Dolcevita (hazelnut & chocolate); cheesecake; coconut
Vegan options: Yes
Website
West London
The Ice Cream Project
This regular summer pop-up from designer Anya Hindmarch is a foodie favourite every year. Challenging flavours more often found in the kitchen cupboard are turned into ice cream; there’s even a blind tasting of 15 flavours for a minimum of two people if you really want to go all out. Best date idea ever.
Flavours to try: Heinz baked beans; Maldon sea salt; Perello olives; Kikkoman soy sauce
Vegan options: Yes
Website
Levant Book Café
Prepare to spend a while in this utterly gorgeous Syrian cafe, whiling away the time alongside the fountain and olive trees in the courtyard, browsing the library or playing board games. They serve a traditional Syrian pistachio ice cream called booza which has a stretchy, slightly gummy texture, almost like mochi, which you must try.
Flavours to try: Rose; pistachio; double ashta; mango
Vegan options: No
Website
Diwan Damas
Previously aka Damas Rose, this Damascene deli specialises in cakes, pastries and home-made chewy booza ice cream, see above. Pick up some baklava and knafeh too, and thank us later.
Flavours to try: Pistachio; cheesecake; coconut; mango
Vegan options: No
No website; no Instagram
Pierre Marcolini
Primarily an artisan chocolate shop, they also make a small selection of classic ice cream flavours and a handful of vegan sorbets; predictably, the OG flavour is chocolate.
Flavours to try: Grand Cru chocolate; Grand Cru vanilla; Piedmont hazelnut
Vegan options: Yes
Website
While we do our best to ensure it is correct, information is subject to change.
