Looking for the ultimate scoop? The UK is home to a host of artisan ice cream parlours and historic gelaterias, each offering unique flavours and experiences. Whether you’re after bold, contemporary flavours or nostalgic classics, we’ve rounded up the ice cream shops that showcase the best of British ice cream craft, perfect for indulging your sweet tooth.
See our guides to the best London bakeries and best afternoon tea in London for more sweet-themed inspiration. Or, discover our best foodie picks in Edinburgh, Bath, Oxford and Brighton.
Best ice cream parlours in the UK
1. Jack’s Gelato, Cambridge
This sleek Cambridge-based gelato parlour is renowned for its queues, but it’s worth joining them. Serving inventive flavours made in small batches, ingredients are carefully considered, like coffee beans from Essex-based The Coffee Officina or Pump Street chocolate in the stracciatella. It’s a constantly changing menu, but returning flavours include hazelnut brittle, sweet-salty treacle, alphonso mango sorbet, white peach, Greek yogurt and elderflower sorbet. In summer, enjoy rhubarb and rose sorbetti, or a mince pie flavour in winter. You can even buy a 1-litre tub of your favourite flavour to keep in your freezer at home. jacksgelato.com
2. Sticks and Cones, London
This is a spot with delicious ice cream and community at its heart. It’s a place for everyone: you’ll feel equally at home here on a date or popping by with your kids. Sticks and Cones offers a rotation of ice cream and lolly flavours – there’s a ‘here to stay’ menu with flavours such as grown-up vanilla, peanut butter chunk, mint stracciatella and the kid-friendly blue moon, a fior de latte base with a touch of blue spirulina.
It also has a whole host of seasonal rotating flavours, from tiramisu to cherry stracciatella. The lollies are inspired by Mexican paletas, fruit-forward, with intriguing flavours such as mango; lychee, raspberry and rose; and pineapple, yuzu and cardamom. Everything here is made with high-quality ingredients, and with care and attention. sticksandcones.co.uk
3. Glaslyn, Snowdonia
Situated in the scenic Eryri National Park (Snowdonia), this 55-year-old family ice cream parlour won the Cadbury Trophy award for its chocolate ice cream earlier this year. Locals and visitors flock to sample its buttery, silky-smooth ice cream and intriguing flavours, such as Turkish delight and Halen Mon salted caramel. It also offers delicious pizza – perfect for fuelling a mountain hike in the local area. glaslynices.co.uk
4. Moomaid of Zennor, St Ives
Holstein Friesian ‘moomaids’ graze on Cornish cliffs before their milk is used to make ice cream on this family-run dairy farm. West Cornwall is a battleground for ice cream wars, but this classy parlour wins with its imaginative flavours. Order the espresso martini flavour for a coffee kick, or Shipwreck Extra Stormy, a heavenly concoction of salted caramel ice cream with chunks of honeycomb and chocolate. moomaidofzennor.com
5. Morelli’s, Broadstairs
This art-deco-style parlour and cappuccino bar has remained a seaside classic since 1932. A must-visit for ice cream aficionados along the North Kent coast, it sells gelato in many flavours, from vanilla and pistachio, to Kilimanjaro coffee. Or, if you’re feeling extra-peckish, order retro sundaes, indulgent milkshakes and hot waffles with a scoop on the side. morellisgelato.com
6. Swoon, Winchester (and other locations)
A south-west favourite for gelato, Swoon serves classic strawberry and vanilla, plus Italian-influenced flavours like neapolitan coffee, bacio (chocolate and hazelnut) and outstanding chocolate sorbet. Seasonal specials lure regulars back in, from stand-out panettone and hot cross bun, to peanut butter & chocolate and ricotta & blueberry. You can even order a swoon on a stick (think posh Magnum). ‘Bambino’ sizes are available for children, winning brownie points with parents. swoononaspoon.co.uk
7. Alandas Gelato, Edinburgh
Located on Edinburgh’s historic Forrest Road, the shiny gelato parlour combines Scottish ingredients with Italian craftsmanship, churning Scottish cream and milk from East Lothian into gelato in its on-site micro-factory. Alandas’s gelato is served in waffle cones, cups or shakes, and ranges in flavour from lavender & white chocolate ganache, to cranachan and Scottish whiskey & caramel. There’s also hot Belgian chocolate on tap, supplying the creamiest hot chocolates around. alandas.co.uk
8. Morelli’s, Belfast
Opened in 1911 by Italian entrepreneur Peter Morelli, this family-run parlour spans five generations, making it Northern Ireland’s oldest ice cream producer. It now sells gelato from five family-run outlets and 11 branded stores. It recently scooped the top prize at The National Ice Cream Competition, and also won a Great Taste Golden Fork award for its caramelised hazelnut ice cream in 2021. morellisices.com
9. Darlish, St Albans and London
Sample English-style ice cream inspired by the flavours of the Middle East at this ice cream parlour. Try saffron, rose & pistachio or blackberry sumac, or the signature baklava ice cream stuffed inside a pistachio-filled baklava. With many vegan options available, like coconut raspberry sorbet, and five sites including Spitalfields in London, there’s something for everyone. darlish.com
10. La Gelatiera, London
La Gelatiera stands out from the crowd due to its unusual flavour combinations, such as blue cheese & walnut or basil & chilli. All ice cream is made with natural, seasonal ingredients and Jersey milk, pasteurised on site for optimum freshness. The honey, rosemary & orange flavour is a highlight due to its fresh, slightly savoury profile. You’ll find permanent shops in Covent Garden and Stratford, but it can also be seen popping up at Brick Lane Market during the summer months. lagelatiera.co.uk
11. Joe’s Ice cream, Swansea (and other locations)
A classic Welsh institution founded in 1922, this blue-hued parlour’s must-try is its vanilla flavour, which is designed to be eaten fresh at the parlour. There are now several branches across South Wales, and it also makes eye-catching ice cream cakes to collect from store, with fun flavours like raspberry pavlova, caramel fudge and strawberries & cream. joes-icecream.com
12. Snugburys, Cheshire
This charming parlour is set on a cobbled courtyard on a family farm with three sisters at the helm. Its on-site kitchen means every element of the ice cream is homemade, including the parlour’s chocolate brownies, pavlova meringues and crisp crème brûlée sugar. Snugburys’ Tropical Twist (mango sorbet with vanilla ice cream) and Yum Yum (vanilla ice cream with pecans, chocolate, biscuits and toffee) are must-orders. Seasonal specials like a delicately spiced christmas pudding and sloe gin & damson are also on offer. snugburys.co.uk
13. Jolly Nice, Gloucestershire
Set in a former filling station, what was a mobile parlour is now a stylish shop and café. It’s considered a must-visit in the local area for gourmet burgers to-go, but it would be remiss to visit without trying some of the chilled stuff. The ice cream is made with quality ingredients (Madagascan vanilla pods, artisan coffee, honey from owner Harriet’s own farm, Valrhona chocolate, forced rhubarb from the Yorkshire Triangle) and flavours are seasonal – look for the beetroot & raspberry. jollynicefarmshop.com
14. Cadwaladers, Cardiff (and other locations)
Founded in 1927 in Criccieth, a small seaside town in Wales, this family-run business offers traditional ice cream across six locations in Wales and England. Toasties, sarnies and light bites are also on the menu, as well as freshly brewed coffees made using its own Cadwaladers 28/3 espresso blend. The Cardiff Bay location is a particularly popular spot for visitors, situated in a bustling location by the waterfront with views over the marina. cadwaladers.co.uk
15. Minus 12° Craft Ice Cream, London
Founder Gavin James believes -12C to be the ideal serving temperature for Italian gelato, hence the name. Tucked within Herne Hill railway station, this busy gelateria uses high-quality ingredients, fresh milk and cream, 100 per cent nut pastes, single-origin chocolate and cocoa powders and real fruit, with gelato and sorbets homemade in small batches on site. Recent gelato flavours include malt & miso caramel and birthday cake – a delightful scoop of soft cheese frosting smashed with homemade birthday cake. minus12.co.uk
16. Harbour Bar, Scarborough
This beloved Scarborough parlour is celebrated for its commitment to all things kitsch, with the entire place decked out in original 50s decor (a nod to its beginnings when it opened at the end of WWII). It serves a lot of sundaes using its own ice cream, churned in the one-man factory out back, alongside classics like peach melba (made with canned peaches) and soda floats. It’s big and brash, but hugely fun and buzzy. theharbourbar.co.uk
17. Gelupo, London
A Soho institution, Gelupo churns out both classic and inventive flavours daily. Notable options include blood orange, honeycomb & hazelnut, ricotta & sour cherry and bonet (a combination of coffee, rum, chocolate, egg yolk and amaretti). The gelato here is famed for its silky-smooth texture and, thanks to the churning process used to achieve the perfect density, lower fat content. Bring on that third scoop. gelupo.com
18. Krum Gelato, Chester
A relative newcomer to the area but already making waves, this Italian-owned business offers authentic gelato made using traditional techniques and machinery. Flavours change daily and showcase local seasonal ingredients – the current range includes gianduja, cinnamon biscuit and lemon, lime & bergamot cheesecake. In the colder seasons, warm up with Krum’s hot chocolates and Krumble pots. instagram.com/krumgelato
19. The Little Ice Cream Shop, Cumbria
This charming parlour in the centre of Hawkshead (with branches also in Windermere and Bowness-on-Windermere) makes gelato on a local farm using milk from its own small dairy herd. Flavours include comforting classics like Jamaican rum & raisin, rhubarb & custard and various takes on familiar desserts – think grandma’s apple pie and New York blackcurrant cheesecake. It scores extra points for the logo-stamped wafers that are wedged into each scoop. Dogs can also join in on the fun with its dog-friendly ice creams made from lactose-free milk and dog-friendly sugars, topped with a gravy bone. thelittleicecreamshop.com
20. Romeo & Giulietta, London
Husband-and-wife team Ciprian and Iuliana Sumanaru churn traditional Italian gelato in their small Stoke Newington gelateria. Flavours range from ricotta with sticky caramelised figs, to extra-dark chocolate sorbet. Along with cones, you can order an affogato or gourmet milkshake. Alternatively, pick up a large tub to freeze at home. Queues stretch down the road on sunny Saturdays, so get there early to nab one of the pavement tables. gelateriarg.london
21. Heavenly Chocolate Emporium, Carmarthenshire
This artisanal chocolate shop in Llandeilo just happens to make exceedingly well-churned flavoured gelato. With over 300 recipes up their sleeve, you can never guarantee what flavours are in store, but previous combinations include cappuccino cheesecake, pomegranate & rose and jaffa cake. The boutique interiors set a charming scene to polish off your iced treats. heavenlychocolates.co.uk
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