Sundaes, cones and candyfloss creations: get the scoop on the best ice cream spots in the UK – now that it might *actually* be summer. Your Insta feed will thank you for it.
1. Milk Train, London
If you want your ice cream to look like an actual unicorn (who doesn’t?) then head over to Milk Train in London’s Covent Garden. This cool new spot serves soft peaks of ice cream served with a cloud of candyfloss, with a choice of three flavours including vanilla, matcha and hojicha (roasted green tea) . Dreamy.
2. Boho Gelato, Brighton
No day out in Brighton would be complete without a trip to Boho Gelato, an Italian ice cream parlour that’s only a few minutes’ walk from the Pier. There are 24 daily-changing flavours to get stuck into, including classics such as vanilla and pistachio to more out-there eats like avocado, carrot cake and brown bread.
3. LICC, York
If you take your ice cream seriously (we know we do) then make your way down to the Luxury Ice Cream Company – otherwise known as LICC. This sweet-enough-to-eat spot has over 150 handmade flavours (say what?!), with treats such as pear and ginger cheesecake, peanut butter jelly and custard cream on the menu.
4. Morelli’s, Kent
A traditional Italian ice cream parlour that first opened its doors way back in 1932, Morelli’s in Broadstairs, Kent, has since gone global – and it’s not hard to see why. This seaside spot serves up Insta-worthy cones and spectacular sundaes, piled high with chocolate, wafers and an explosion of sparkles.
5. Science Cream, Cardiff
The first and only liquid nitrogen ice cream parlour in Wales, Science Cream in Cardiff is – you’ve guessed it – headed up by an actual scientist. It has an ever-changing, homemade menu that will take you by surprise, with flavours including Christmas tree (yep, we’re serious), bacon and egg, and black coconut charcoal.
6. Ginger’s Comfort Emporium, Manchester
Describing themselves as “an ice-cream van for grown-ups”, Ginger’s Comfort Emporium serves all sorts of mouth-watering flavours in cones and – get this – toasted hot brioche buns. Take your pick from olive oil, black salt and strawberry, marmalade and toast, and malted coconut milk to name but a few.
7. Nardini’s, near Glasgow
Ice cream with a view? Grab a cone – or two – from Nardini’s in Largs, near Glasgow. This Art Deco-inspired parlour has been dishing up the sweet stuff since 1935, and has 32 flavours to choose from. Frozen fancies include double cream vanilla, Scottish tablet and – if your eyes are bigger than your belly – the Clyde Coast Extravaganza with a whopping 12 scoops of ice cream and 16 toppings!
8. Chin Chin Labs, London
This is ice cream but not as you know it. Now a fixture of Camden Market, Chin Chin Labs is the capital’s very first liquid nitrogen ice cream parlour. Inside, it looks like a crazy scientists’ hang-out (we’re talking white lab coats and more science equipment than a chemistry class), and there’s three base flavours with a whole host of experimental toppings to choose from.