There are many incredible ice cream shops in NYC where you can get authentic Italian gelato, sundaes, sorbet, soft serve, and much more.
At many of the places in the city, you can get both classic flavors and unique flavors, made with ingredients from all around the world, and there are places where you can get frozen treats with unique cones, such as fish-shaped cones.
If you want to get ice cream in New York City but you’re not sure where to go, I got you covered! In this guide, I included the best places in the city to get a delicious frozen treat.
Best Ice Cream Shops in NYC
Stuffed Ice Cream
Why you’ll love this place: Besides gelato, you can also get a “Cruff” here, which is a combination of ice cream and a glazed donut Where to find it: East Village and Brooklyn
Stuffed Ice Cream has two locations in New York City. There’s one location in Manhattan’s East Village and one location in Brooklyn. Both locations are open every day of the week.
You can get a unique type of treat at this place, called the “Cruff”. This is a combination of a glazed donut and ice cream. You can get a customized “Cruff” by choosing the flavor and toppings that you like, or you can choose one of the “Signature Cruffs”.
You can get a customized “Cruff”, or you can choose one of the “Signature Cruffs”.
One of the best signature options is the “Cookie Road”, which is made with “Cookie Monster” and “Rocky Road” ice cream, and Oreos and chocolate syrup.
In addition to “Cruffs”, you can also get regular scoops at this place, and sometimes you can get ice cream in unique shapes, such as the shape of a snowman.
Address: 139 1st Ave., New York, NY 10003
Taiyaki NYC
Known for: Soft serve that’s served in fish-shaped cones Neighborhoods: Chinatown and Williamsburg
Taiyaki NYC is a place that you can find in Manhattan’s Chinatown and Brooklyn’s Williamsburg.
Taiyaki NYC is known for its soft serve that is served in fish-shaped cones.
The soft serve that you can get here is fresh and produced in small batches. There are both classic and creative flavors.
You can get one of the signature “Taiyakis” when you go here.
For example, you can get the “It’s Choco-Lit”, which is made with chocolate ice cream, chocolate powder, a chocolate drizzle, a wafer stick, and a custard fish-shaped cone.
You can get the “Straight Outta Japan”, which is made with black sesame and matcha ice cream, a red bean fish-shaped cone, rainbow mochi, and a wafer stick.
Besides choosing one of the signature options, you can also build your own by choosing either a taiyaki fish-shaped cone with a red bean filling or custard filling, a cup, or a matcha cone, the flavor, the drizzle, and the toppings that you like.
Going to Taiyaki is also one of the most fun date ideas in New York City.
Address: 119 Baxter St, New York, NY 10013
Soft Swerve
Why you should go here: You can get delicious soft-serve ice cream in Asian-inspired flavors at this place Where to find Soft Swerve: Several neighborhoods, including the Lower East Side, Downtown Brooklyn, and Chinatown
Soft Swerve is an ice cream shop in New York City that you can find at many places in the city, including Chinatown, Downtown Brooklyn, and the Lower East Side.
At Soft Swever, you can get amazing soft-serve ice cream in many different types of Asian-inspired flavors. Some of the flavors that you can choose from include “Ube”, “Matcha”, and “Black Sesame”.
In addition to soft serve, you can also get regular scoops, sundaes, and milkshakes at Soft Swerve.
One of the best sundaes to get is the “Strawberry Shortcake”, which is made with vanilla soft serve, a strawberry drizzle, and a vanilla wafer.
In addition to unique flavors, you can also get unique cones and toppings at this place. For example, you can get red cinnamon and black chocolate waffle cones here.
Some toppings that you can get at Soft Swerve include cereal marshmallows and crushed vanilla cookies.
Keep in mind that the flavors that are available vary by location.
Address: 85B Allen St, New York, NY 10002
Emack & Bolio’s
Why you need to visit this place: You can get many unique flavors here, such as “Maple Walnut” and “Chocolate Moose” Where to find Emack & Bolio’s: You can find it at many places in the city, including the Upper West Side, the Upper East Side, and Midtown East
Emack & Bolio’s is an ice cream store that was founded in 1975. Nowadays, there are many locations of Emack & Bolio’s throughout the United States and in other countries, including 5 locations in New York City.
At this place, you can get premium ice cream made with high-quality ingredients.
There are many creative flavors to choose from, and Emack & Bolio’s is always working on new flavors.
Some of the best flavors include the “Cake Batter”, “Maple Walnut”, and “Chocolate Moose” flavors.
In addition to regular ice cream, you can also get small-batch vegan ice cream made with coconut cream at this place, and there are many flavors of sorbet that are made with fresh fruit. A delicious vegan option is the “Raspberry Chocolate Krispy Rice”.
You can also get live cultured yogurt in different types of flavors.
Address: 1564 1st Ave., New York, NY 10028
Tipsy Scoop
Highlights: This place combines ice cream with cocktails and you can also do classes here, such as a “Boozy Ice Cream Making Class” Neighborhoods: Midtown Manhattan and Williamsburg
Tipsy Scoop is a place where you can get liquor-infused ice cream flavors that are inspired by both classic and contemporary cocktails. The place combines artisanal ice cream with cocktails.
You can find Tipsy Scoop locations, called Barlours, at several places in New York City. There’s one location in Manhattan and one in Brooklyn.
The treats that you can get here are all made with local and seasonal ingredients.
One of the best flavors to try is the “Tequila ‘Hot’ Chocolate”, which is chocolate ice cream that is infused with tequila and cinnamon.
“The Raspberry Limoncello Sorbet” is another great flavor. This is a dairy-free raspberry sorbet that is infused with limoncello.
In addition to going to Tipsy Scoop to try out unique and delicious treats, you can also go there to do various classes. For example, at the Brooklyn location, you can do a “Boozy Ice Cream Making Class”.
Address: 217 E 26th St, New York, NY 10010
Gelatoville Gelateria
Why you need to go to Gelatoville Gelateria: The gelato at this place is made with secret recipes from Florence, Italy Neighborhood: East Village
Gelatoville Gelateria is an ice cream shop that you can find in the East Village, where you can get artisanal gelato that is made with secret recipes from Florence, Italy. You can get all kinds of all-natural gelato flavors at this place.
Artisanal gelato is different from mass-produced gelato. It has a creamy texture and intensive flavors, and it contains less air than regular ice cream. Also, the gelato at Gelatoville Gelateria is made with fresh and high-quality ingredients
Some of the best flavors to get are the “Cookies”, “Pistachio”, and “Tiramisu” flavors.
You can also get delicious sorbet at this place.
In addition to delicious gelato, you can also get all kinds of coffee drinks at Gelatoville Gelateria.
Address: 163 1st Ave. unit 1, New York, NY 10003
Il Laboratorio del Gelato
Great to know: The flavors of ice cream that you can get at Il Laboratorio del Gelato often change throughout the day Neighborhood: Lower East Side
Il Laboratorio del Gelato is an ice cream store in NYC that you find at 188 Ludlow Street on the Lower East Side. This place is open daily.
Il Laboratorio del Gelato was founded in 2002 and focused on the creation of new flavors and developing new recipes. The company is now the leading restaurant wholesaler of gelato in New York City, and there is a flavor list of about 300 options, including many unique options.
At the retail store, there are 48 different flavors of gelato and sorbet, and there are sundaes, shakes, and other types of treats as well.
The flavors that are available at the store often change throughout the day, which ensures the ice cream is fresh.
Address: 188 Ludlow St, New York, NY 10002
Grace Street
Why you’ll love Grace Street: You can get “Shaved Snow” here, which is a combination of shaved ice and ice cream Neighborhood: Midtown Manhattan
Grace Street is a Korean coffeehouse that is located in Koreatown. At this place, you can enjoy all kinds of delicious Asian desserts.
One type of dessert that you can get at Grace Street is “Shaved Snow”, which is a combination of ice cream and shaved ice. It has a creamy texture and is infused with flavor.
There are different signature flavors to choose from, and it is also possible to create your own shaved show.
One of the best signature flavors is “The O.G”, which is a black sesame snow that is made with mochi, red bean, condensed milk, fresh strawberries, and misugaru.
Another great one is the “Elixir”, which is made with red bean, diced taro, green tea snow, lychee jelly, and condensed milk.
Besides shaved snow, you can get milk tea, waffles, iced teas, and much more at Grace Street.
Address: 17 W 32nd St, New York, NY 10001
Malai
Why you should go here: You can get ice cream made with South Asian ingredients at this place Where to find Malai: Brooklyn
Malai is an ice cream shop that was founded in 2015. You can find this store in Brooklyn, and it is also one of the best places for ice cream in Brooklyn.
At Malai, you can get delicious ice cream made with South Asian ingredients, aromatic spices, and local New York dairy. In addition to that, to ensure a creamy texture, the treats that you can get here are made without eggs and are churned without much air.
Malai’s menu includes many different types of unique flavors that are unlike those at other ice cream stores.
For example, a great flavor to get at this place is the “Fig on Fig”, which is made with dried fig jam and toasted fig leaves. This flavor is available during the summer months.
One of the best year-round flavors is the “Peda”. This is a milk fudge that is made with cardamom and pistachios.
You can also get many different types of non-dairy and sorbet flavors at Malai. For example, you can get the “Passionfruit Cilantro”, which is made with passionfruit and cilantro.
Visiting Malai is also one of the most fun things to do with kids in NYC.
Address: 268 Smith St, Brooklyn, NY 11231
Caffè Panna
Must-try: The “Caffè Bianco Stracciatella” flavor, a coffee-infused ice cream Neighborhood: Midtown Manhattan
Caffè Panna is an ice cream store and coffee shop in Gramercy Park where you can have delicious Italian-inspired treats. You can go here for delicious treats from Wednesday through Sunday.
The gelato that you can get at Caffè Panna is made with high-quality ingredients, some of which are imported from the country of Italy. For example, this place imports its cream from the region of Piedmont.
The menu of Caffè Panna includes all kinds of creative flavors. There are six classic flavors that are available year-round, and there are seasonal flavors that rotate weekly.
One of the best classic flavors is the “Caffè Bianco Stracciatella”, which is coffee-infused ice cream with fruity Amano chocolate shards. To see the current seasonal flavors, you can go to the Instagram page of Caffè Panna.
Address: 77 Irving Pl, New York, NY 10003
OddFellows Ice Cream Co
Why you need to visit this place: You can get unique flavors here, such as the “Vegan Matcha Latte” Neighborhoods: You can find OddFellows in several neighborhoods, including Chelsea, Dumbo, and Williamsburg
OddFellows Ice Cream Co. is one of the best ice cream shops in NYC with many locations in the city, including in Manhattan and Brooklyn.
This place focuses on crafting all kinds of unique flavors as well as making improved versions of classic flavors. Through the years, OddFellows made more than 500 different types of flavors.
One of the best flavors to get at this place is the “Vegan Matcha Latte”, which is a flavor that is made with matcha and coconut.
You can also get the “Peanut Butter S’Mores” flavor, which is made with graham cracker crumbs, burnt marshmallows, a peanut butter ice cream base, and dark chocolate.
There are also sorbet flavors. One of the best ones of these is the “Exotic Fruits sorbet”, which is made with guava, banana, mango, and papaya.
Address: 44 Water St, Brooklyn, NY 11201
Van Leeuwen Ice Cream
Must-try: The “Vegan Strawberry Shortcake”, which is made with pieces of strawberry Neighborhood: You can find Van Leeuwen Ice Cream in several neigbhorhoods, including the West Village, Williamsburg, Greenpoint, Tribeca, and SoHo
At Van Leeuwen Ice Cream, you can get all kinds of sweet treats made with high-quality ingredients. Van Leeuwen started in 2008 with a yellow ice cream truck and now has many locations throughout the city.
There are many classic flavors to choose from, as well as special flavors and vegan flavors.
Some of the best classic flavors are “Sicilian Pistachio”, “Cookies & Cream”, and “Black Cherry Chip”.
The special flavors feature more unique ingredients.
One of the best vegan flavors is the “Vegan Strawberry Shortcake”, which is made with jam from Oregon-grown strawberries, pieces of strawberry, and cold-ground vanilla.
You can also get delicious ice cream sandwiches at Van Leeuwen. For example, you can get the “Honeycomb Caramel”, which is made with sales caramel ice cream between two honeycomb cookies.
Address: 1 Water St, Brooklyn, NY 11201
Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory
Why you should visit this place: You can get classic flavors made with high-quality ingredients here Where to find it: In Brooklyn, next to Brooklyn Bridge Park
The Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory is a great place to get delicious, classic flavors. You can find this place close to the Brooklyn Bridge, at 14 Old Fulton Street in Brooklyn.
One of the best classic flavors that you can get here is the “Butter Pecan” flavor, which is made with hand-crushed pecans.
Another great flavor to get at this place is the “Chocolate” flavor. This one is made with naturally-processed cocoa powder and turbinado sugar.
The “Strawberry” flavor, which is made with delicious strawberries that were picked at their peak ripeness and turbinado sugar, is another great option.
You can go to this place every day of the week.
Address: 14 Old Fulton St, Brooklyn, NY 11201
The Original Chinatown Ice Cream Factory
Why you need to go here: You can get ice cream made with Chinese recipes at this place Neighborhood: Chinatown
The Original Chinatown Ice Cream Factory is also an amazing place to visit if you want to get ice cream in NYC. You can find it in Manhattan’s Chinatown at 65 Bayard Street.
At this ice cream shop, which was founded in 1978, you can get all kinds of delicious treats that are made with Chinese recipes, and there are flavors that are available year-round as well as flavors that are only available during certain months of the year.
One of the best regular flavors is the “Black Sesame”, which is made with black sesame seeds.
Other great regular flavors to get include “Lychee”, “Ginger”, “Red Bean”, and “Durian”.
This place is always making new flavors, and you can often discover new flavors when you go here. Some of these become regular flavors.
The Original Chinatown Ice Cream Factory also makes delicious ice cream cakes, including Chinese and Neapolitan cakes.
Going to this place is also one of the best things to do in Chinatown.
Address: 65 Bayard St, New York, NY 10013
Anita
Must-try: The “Biscuit Cheesecake” flavor Neighborhoods: Midtown Manhattan and the Upper East Side
Anita is a boutique ice cream parlor with locations throughout the world, as well as several locations in New York City.
At this place, you can get delicious handmade treats. There are more than 150 different treats to choose from, including vegan ones.
Some of the best flavors that you can get at Anita include “Chocolate Pistachio”, “Biscuit Cheesecake”, and “Belgian Chocolate”.
Two of the best vegan flavors that you can get here are the “Dairy-free Raspberry” and “Dairy-free Dark Chocolate” flavors.
You can also get a special frozen treat for your dog at Anita.
Address: 1141 Broadway, New York, NY 10001
Figo Il Gelato Italiano
Why you’ll love this place: You can get authentic Italian gelato at this place that will make you feel like you are in Italy Where to find Figo Il Gelato Italiano: Lower Manhattan and Queens
Figo Il Gelato Italiano is a gelato shop with two locations in New York City. You can get delicious, authentic Italian gelato at this place made with all-natural, high-quality ingredients, that will make you feel like you are in Italy.
There are both classic and creative flavors at Figo Il Gelato Italiano, and the gelato that you can get here is made fresh daily.
One of the best flavors on the menu is “Fragola”, which is a flavor made with fresh strawberries.
Another great flavor is the “Ferrero Rocher”, which is a chocolate hazelnut flavor that is topped with Ferrero Rocher pieces.
Some other delicious flavors to get are the “Oreo”, “Mango”, and “Frutti di Bosco” flavors.
Besides gelato, you can also have great pastries, including cannoli, and coffee drinks at this place.
Address: 178 Mulberry St, New York, NY 10012
L’Arte Del Gelato
Highlights: You can get all-natural Sicilian gelato here and the flavors are made with both Italian and local ingredients Neighborhoods: Financial District, Chelsea, and the Upper West Side
L’Arte Del Gelato is a place where you can get delicious all-natural Sicilian gelato made with high-quality ingredients. The flavors are made fresh every day with both local and Italian ingredients.
The menu of L’Arte Del Gelato includes both year-round flavors of ice cream, as well as seasonal ones. To find out which flavors are currently available, you can check out the website of this store.
One of the best year-round flavors is the “Caffè”, which is coffee-flavored gelato.
The “Pistacchio Siciliano”, or pistachio from Sicily, flavor, is a great one as well.
Besides regular gelato, there are also sorbet options, including raspberry, lemon, and coconut sorbet.
You can also get other treats at this place, including traditional Sicilian brioches with gelato.
Address: 75 9th Ave, New York, NY 10011
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Ice Cream in New York City Tips
Many of the ice cream stores that I mentioned have special flavors that are available for a limited time. Some of these places show the current specials on their social media accounts, so you can go there if you want to find out which specials there are.
When deciding where to get ice cream in New York City, keep in mind that some of the places that I mentioned aren’t open every day of the week. Because of that, I recommend checking out the opening hours before going to one of the shops.
NYC Ice Cream Shops Map
As you see, there are many places in the city where you can get a delicious frozen treat. Thanks for reading my guide to the best ice cream shops in NYC!