If you’ve been following our Instagram account you already know we love lots of New York ice cream shops (especially Joshua). If not, you should check it out.
Ice cream is one of our main sweet stops when traveling (or not traveling).
Like most things in New York, there are tons of options and it can be hard to sift through them all to pick one. This is especially true if you’re visiting for a short time. There’s only so much ice cream you can eat in a single trip…
Well, we’re here to help you tame the information overload and find the best New York ice cream shops immediately.
Granted, best is a subjective thing, but at the very least they’re guaranteed not to suck.
Grom
Back in his University days, Joshua studied abroad in Florence, Italy for a few months. He traveled around the country during his time off and has returned to Italy many times since then.
What does this have to do with ice cream in NYC?
When he was in Italy a professor recommended Grom and he loved it.
When he got back to NYC he had a stroke of good luck. They soon opened their first US location. Ingredients are imported from Italy and the gelato is made fresh in the shop. They’ve since expanded to a few more locations around the city.
There are tons of great flavor’s, but pistachio and extra dark chocolate are the perfect combinations.
Grom
1796 Broadway New York, NY 10019
April-October: Sun-Thurs 11am-midnight / Fri-Sat 11am-1am
November-March:Sun-Thurs 12pm-11:30pm / Fri-Sat 11am-11:30pm
Morgenstern’s
We had to wait in a long line to try this old school ice cream parlor style place, but it’s totally worth the wait. Like most of the places we recommend, they use high-quality ingredients and everything is homemade. But, beyond the high-quality ingredients, they stand out for their unique flavors.
Some of our favorites were burnt honey vanilla and black coconut ash. I know it sounds a little weird, but it’s fantastic.
Morgenstern’s
2 Rivington St. New York, NY 10002
Sun-Thurs 8am-11pm / Fri-Sat 8am-midnight
Chinatown Ice Cream Factory
Oh, the creative concoctions they have here…
Imagine fantastic ice cream, but with flavors from China and other parts of Asia. They have standards, like vanilla and chocolate, but you should really make a point to try some of the more unique options, like black sesame or durian.
This tiny little shop is right in the heart of Chinatown and usually has a line stretching out the door. So expect a wait and to eat it standing outside, but it’s totally worth the effort.
Chinatown Ice Cream Factory
65 Bayard St. New York, NY 10013
Mon-Sun 11am-10pm
Davey’s
Another fantastic shop with flavors that are more classic than odd. Joshua gave them the pistachio test and they passed with flying colors.
What’s the pistachio test?
You can tell a lot about an ice cream shop by the quality of their pistachio ice cream. It should be creamy with more of a light brownish color. If it’s too green, that means they add a bunch of fake crap to it and you should assume they do the same to the rest of their flavors.
Beyond their fantastic pistachio, you may want to try strong coffee or chocolate chip. Also, check the seasonal flavors.
Davey’s
137 1st Ave. New York, NY 10003
Fall/Winter Sun-Thurs 12pm-11pm / Fri-Sat 12pm-midnight
Oddfellows
I think the name says it all…
Oddfellows makes odd flavor combinations taste fantastic. Like Morgenstern’s there’s a very classic ice cream parlor vibe to the place but here it’s mixed with a little more wackiness.
Not only do they have extremely unique flavor combinations, such as raspberry pink peppercorn and black pepper strawberry, but they also change them daily.
Oddfellows
175 Kent Ave. Brooklyn, NY 11249
Sun-Thurs 12pm-11pm / Fri-Sat 12pm-midnight
New York Ice Cream Will Make You Smile
This admittedly subjective list of fantastic ice cream shops is going to blow you away. We’ve tried to include a wide range of ice cream styles to dazzle your tastebuds in unique ways.
Grom is a place to savor the intense flavor of their natural ingredients and the airy creaminess of Italian gelato. Chinatown Ice Cream Factory will impress you with their unique flavors. Davey’s will give you the classics, while Oddfellows and Morgenstern’s will give you weird combinations—but you’ll love it.
Eat up and enjoy!
Soon we’ll be showing you what eat when your sweet tooth isn’t asking for ice cream…