It’s officially summer and that means we’re on the hunt for the best ice cream in London. Whether you’re looking for something to do with the family, or simply want to sample some of the best swirls in the city, read on to join on our London ice cream tour and track down the greatest gelato out there, with vegan ice cream options too.
Gelatorino
A gorgeous gelateria in London, Gelatorino serve homemade gelato and sorbet from their Piedmont-inspired ice cream shop in Covent Garden. Opened by Antonio and Gabriella, an Italian couple who wanted to bring the experience of an authentic gelateria to London, their ingredients keep it classic, and their small batch gelato is hand crafted daily by their professional gelataio (or gelato specialists).
The menu is tweaked based on the availability of seasonal ingredients, but a range of traditional flavours are always available. Try one of many 1-star Great Taste Award approved options - the classic Sicilian Pistachio gelato, 72% dark chocolate blend, Piedmont hazelnut flavour and gelato Gianduja, which is the perfect balance of rich chocolate laced with a 30% hazelnut butter. Enjoy the smoothest swirl served guilt-free in a biodegradable cup, while sat at the shopfront seating, watching the world go by.
Website: Gelatorino.com
Instagram: @Gelatorinolondon
Mamasons Dirty Ice Cream
Mamasons is London’s first Filipino ice cream parlour with three ice cream shops in Soho, Kentish Town and Westfield Kiosk, by Westfields Shopping Centre. They serve so-called ‘dirty ice cream’, inspired by the colloquial Filipino term used to describe the ice cream that’s commonly sold in Manila, the capital of the Philippines. It’s traditionally hand-churned in a steel pot with coconut milk, ice, and salt to speed up the freezing process and creates a thick and creamy dairy-free ice cream that Mamasons have cleverly churned into sweet and savoury flavours.
Try the well-loved purple yam ‘ube’ flavour or sample a sorbet, like the citrussy Calamansi – sometimes referred to as a Filipino lime, a vegan ice cream option that’s perfectly balanced with sweet and tart flavours.
Website: dirtyicecream.co.uk
Instagram: @mamasonsdirtyicecream
Gelupo
Gelupo is a front-runner for best Italian gelato in London - co-founded in 2010 by Chef-patron of Soho’s well-known Bocca Di Lupo, Jacob Kenedy and Victor Hugo. Each batch of gelato at Gelupo is made fresh daily with a rotating monthly menu that features the best ingredients the season has to offer – head over in July to sample their celebration of strawberries featuring a strawberry and pink peppercorn sorbet, or rice pudding and strawberry jam gelato. If you prefer the classics there’s no need to panic, they serve a list of always-available options like Stracciatella, Pistachio and a dairy-free coconut sorbet, too.
Website: Gelupo.com
Instagram: @Gelupogelato
Festok
If you’re looking for something different on your tour of ice cream shops in London stop in at Festok, you won’t be disappointed. Based in Marylebone, Festok is a London-based Lebanese ice cream parlour serving artisan scoops of traditional Lebanese flavours and vegan ice cream options too. Lebanese ice cream is made with orchid powder and mastic gum, a Mediterranean tree reskin that gives the ice cream an elastic-turned indulgent quality when churned and scraped with cream.
The Middle Eastern menu features well-loved flavour combinations like pistachio and rose, as well as nutty Halva, molasses-like Date, gently spiced Turmeric, and sweet Carob.
Website: Festok.London
Instagram: @Festoklondon
Amorino
A contender for the best ice cream parlour in London, Amorino is an international ice cream chain famed among the social media savvy for its aesthetic style and presentation. Available in London hotspots like Victoria, Notting Hill and Camden, Amorino serve beautiful ice cream arrangements in cones and pots, with their flavour recommendations precisely placed into petals and formed into flowers. Try their seasonal spring and summer ice cream and sorbet flavour combinations or sample what else is on offer like their delicate gelato macarons, waffle sticks, crêpes, and classic Italian pastries.
Website: amorino.com
Instagram: @amorinouk
We hope you try one of our picks for the 5 best ice cream shops in central London, serving a range of traditional and more unique flavours. For a bit of flair and sit-down service, why not stop by at The Clermont tea lounge? You can book afternoon tea at The Clermont Charing Cross or London Victoria with three tiers of sweet and savoury samplers, perfect for a summer day out, hen do, or even a baby shower.