50 Best Ice Cream Shops in New York

“Stopped in for some gelato, Leonardo was helpful in making our decisions, patient and pleasant. We will definitely go back when we come back to Bologna.“

“A few years ago, I was hired to write a series of articles about regional Italian cuisine. Since then, I have been looking for traditional Italian gelato. Until yesterday, I have been consistently disappointed. But this? It was absolutely EVERYTHING I had dreamed about. The prices weren't ridiculous, the bathroom was PRISTINE, the staff were helpful and friendly and it was incredibly, amazingly delicious. My only complaint is that I live too far away from your stores to get it very often. But about that? My hips are less upset about the distance. :) I will definitely be back, though!“

“You don’t have to travel to Italy 🇮🇹 to taste the best and authentic Italian gelato in the city. Venchi is my favorite place if I’m craving for something sweet. Great service with friendly staff. Highly recommended.“

“Todo lo que halla jajajaja muy rico“

“I stopped by Venchi Chocolate Place and had an amazing experience. I want to give a special shoutout to Gina — she was super helpful, super sweet, and incredibly patient. I didn’t know what to choose, and she guided me through everything with such a friendly attitude.

She recommended a few chocolates, including the pistachio one, and wow… I absolutely loved it.
The chocolates here are top-quality, but Gina’s service made the visit even better.

Thank you, Gina, for the great recommendation and for being so kind.
This place is officially one of my favorites now.“

“Excellent ice cream in a wide array flavors from the most conventional to surprising new ideas. Sparkling clean shop with professionally servers. Couldn’t have been more delighted with our visit.“

“We happened by last Friday and I asked for a recommendation. I tried the cookies and caramel and it was the best ice cream I've had in a long time! I have thought about it multiple times since returning home from our trip! It's so good!☺️👏“

“Everything about Venchi is amazing. The staff could not have been nicer. The person helping us knew exactly what was vegan and the chocolate gelati was delicious. The raspberry and strawberry were yummy too - just nothing compared to the chocolate. Even the coffee had vegan options. If you’re in the area, must stop!“

“Stopped in for some gelato, Leonardo was helpful in making our decisions, patient and pleasant. We will definitely go back when we come back to Bologna.“

“It was a pleasure to work with Benjah Raphael. He was responsive to all questions, dependable and reliable in accomplishing the task at hand. I was most impressed with the turnaround and how quickly the settlement. I highly recommend him. He guarantees daily profit mining and trading for more information contact him via Financial Analyst-Benjah Raphael Email: benjahraphael293@gm Financial Analyst-Benjah Raphael“

“Place is awesome, and love their gelatos and sorbets. My mom loves the Fuji Apple flavored sorbet“

“My daughter loved the cupcakes, and i loved their price as well as the decor and feel of the bakery. Home has changed lots since ive moved. The only thing that could be better was the person at the register, he was highly engaged in his phone so his responses/interaction was quick short, kind of like he didnt want to be bothered. Overall the place the is 😍“

“All of the soft serve is amazing but i hella enjoyed their Woodside today! Ube with mochi and toasted coconut flakes was perfection!“

“delicioso helado para adultos, el local, muy bueno.“

“Finally went & was not disappointed. Just the treat I needed 😋😛“

“Love it the area is so welcoming and we didn’t have to wait long they recommended items and helped us pick our options scratchatela was very good. Would definitely recommend“

“This place offers around nine types of vegan gelati, including water-based (sorbets) and almond milk-based gelati. The gelati is excellent and very tasty. My one complaint is that they don't allow you to have just one scoop: two scoops is the minimum (for around $9); since the gelato was very filling, one scoop would actually do fine.“

“Excellent quality Italian gelato, rich flavors and smooth texture rarely found outside of Italy. Place is very cute like eating in a story book hut. Got the large size ($12) very disappointed finding a sizable air pocket at bottom of the gelato cup. 1 star taken off because feeling ripped off.“

“Caramel miso gelato is outstanding. Beautifully balanced flavours with gentle umami from the miso and a smooth, sweet caramel finish. Rich but not overwhelming, very well executed.
Service is friendly and pleasant, adding to the overall experience. A great spot for interesting, well thought out gelato flavours.“

“The first time I tried them was at the Rockefeller center which I saw it on TikTok and wanted to see if it was worth the hype. I got the s’mores hot chocolate back in December 2024 and omg the best hot chocolate ever don’t go to any of the hot chocolate spots except this one because this was truly worth the hype. Now I went to go to their actual store (Sep 2025) they had a S’mores frozen hot chocolate which I got that, the customer service was amazing! The guy & girl were really nice. Now on to my drink which was the first time I had frozen hot chocolate and it was amazing!! I had an overall great experience and definitely will be coming back again. 🤎☕️ (I’m also picky when it comes to food & drinks so when I tell you it’s worth it! It’s definitely worth it!)“

“Stopped by and had a strawberry green tea. Best of luck, guys.“

“It’s Carvel - been eating their soft serve since I was a kid. It’s always on point. This Carvel is clean and the staff is super nice (been there twice this week, don’t judge). The lack of the 5th star is there is only outdoor seating and because of location, someone is always sitting there,“

“It’s a cute little place with amazing food! My daughter loved watching them make the rolled ice cream. The ice cream tasted delicious and fresh! The flavor we chose was Crispy Mango, which had mango and strawberry, topped with fresh fruit. I definitely recommend coming here.“

“Loved trying this new hot chocolate with gelato! Nicky helped me and my bestie and was super fun and welcoming to me and everyone that came in! Definitely coming back to visit and to get more gelato. 5/5 for sure!! She suggested pistacho with hot chocolate and it was THE BEST!!!! Go try it now even in this cold weather. Thank you Nicky 🙌🏽🙌🏽🙌🏽✨✨“

“I first discovered Van Leeuwen Ice Cream while exploring Hudson Yards 🍦✨ — one taste and I was instantly hooked. Creamy, indulgent, and creative with flavors that balance classic comfort and playful twists. It quickly became one of my favorite sweet stops in the city. 🌆💖

Their recent pink ice cream collab with Ed Sheeran was such a fun touch 🎶🍓💗 — proof that they’re not afraid to innovate while keeping quality top-notch. For anyone with a sweet tooth, Van Leeuwen is a must-try New York treat that never disappoints. 🙌🌸“

“This is the only reason I visit Chelsea Market when I am in town.“

“The ice cream at Tipsy Scoop is amazing. Great flavors. I bought a flight and got to try 4 flavors all delicious. my favorite was the mango margarita sorbet. I definitely plan to go back.“

“Always a must whenever visiting the city! A person with a peanut allergies dream! Today we stopped by but the shop was closed for a private event, no worries tho because they served us our ice cream right outside in our car!! Felt so special and the kids were super excited!“

“Great ice cream and a great eating experience“

“This is my new favorite ice cream shop! My girlfriend and I were looking for a vegan-friendly place to grab dessert and Noona’s popped up on the map. I’m sooo glad it did! Shantelle and Chinesa were both so sweet, helpful, and fun to chat with. My gf and I loved the flavor options, with unique flavors like black sesame and ube vietnamese coffee and multiple vegan flavors for my girlfriend. I ended up going with the black and white sesame cookie flavor — I’d HIGHLY recommend it. The prices are a bit higher than other ice cream shops, but not that much more than most specialty shops these days, but the topping and drizzle of your choice that come with the scoop made it feel worth the cost, especially since there’s lots of yummy and unique options for that as well. I got mochi topping and red bean drizzle, both of which were perfect additions. Give Noona’s a try for delicious, out-of-the-ordinary ice cream and super cool staff!“

“Recently visited the city for a long weekend and stayed at the hotel next door. The gelato here was excellent. Loved being able to order on the tablets, which let us take time making choices (family of 5) and no worries about any orders being misunderstood. Service was quick and the cones both looked and tasted excellent!“

“Yum yum yum got the hazelnut ice cream sundae. Was one of the best sundaes i have ever had. The restaurant was super clean and the staff were super friendly. Reasonably priced especially being in the heart of time square. I will be going back on this trip. Five stars all round even in this cold January weather.“

“Went to Van Leeuwen today and had such a great experience. The girl working there was so friendly and patient while I decided what to get. I ended up trying the Earl Grey and Pistachio flavors. The pistachio was soo good but both were great. Will be coming back!“

“Always a Sunday treat for me. A nice addition having the kiosks. Friend team and environment.“

“This store is sooo cute and the chocolate is amazing. I like chocolate with nocciolo and it is very good there. Easy to get gifts, and staff super friendly and helpful.“

“Thank you for having cruelty free ice cream options.“

“Had a delicious hot chocolate affogato here today and an absolutely wonderful experience overall! Linda and Blu were incredibly welcoming and patient while we decided what to order which made the visit even more enjoyable. It was such a fun stop—great treat with genuinely kind, helpful people. The outstanding service alone makes me want to keep coming back, and the gelato and hot chocolate were the perfect bonus!“

“I’ve been coming here for a while now, and gotta say I’ve loved everything I’ve tried there! If you’re coming I’d highly recommend the peach refresher, they make the peach jam in house and it’s delicious with tea or sparkling water. it’s a family run business, and the people are the nicest!! Please go and support them!“

“The Best burguer i tasted 😍“

“We happened by last Friday and I asked for a recommendation. I tried the cookies and caramel and it was the best ice cream I've had in a long time! I have thought about it multiple times since returning home from our trip! It's so good!☺️👏“

“Peppermint ice cream. Yummy!“

“Service was warm and friendly, always a huge plus. The Toffee Caramel, I believe it was, was phenomenal, very creamy and wonderful flavor. The Straciatella not so great, not very creamy or flavorful, wouldn’t recommend. I tried the Crème Brûlée after the fact and that was lovely as well.“

“We happened by last Friday and I asked for a recommendation. I tried the cookies and caramel and it was the best ice cream I've had in a long time! I have thought about it multiple times since returning home from our trip! It's so good!☺️👏“

“A great spot for gelato, especially in the summer! The flavors we tried were all enjoyable — the pistachio was a bit on the sweeter side, while the coconut was light, creamy, and just perfect. The cookies and cream was also really good.

The quality of the gelato is definitely there, but the portion size is a bit small for the price, which might make some people think twice. Still, if you’re looking to treat yourself to some high-quality gelato, this place is worth a stop.“

“Highly recommend Sedutto ice cream, such good customer service!!“

“Salt & Straw has some of the best ice cream I’ve ever had. The monthly flavors are always something interesting. Theres some amazing classics too. Theres a flavor for everyone. My favorites are pistachios, strawberry balsamic, and coffee & love nuts. The staff is amazing, kind and knowledgeable. When the store is packed with guest they do the best they can to provide exceptional service to each customer.“

“They have a 5.0 rating as of this writing. And I can see why. They make their own gelato in house. And it’s oddly good. Way better than it should be for this little out of the way place. I’m not sure this is a destination kind of place. But if you’re in the neighborhood, it’s perfect. Kid friendly and kid approved.“

“Very good gelato. Definitely one of the best, if not the best, in NYC! Highly recommended and very well organized to serve while social distancing!“

“I visited in June and tried the fish-shaped cones - absolutely fantastic! I highly recommend this place.“