Just right when the weather is scorching and maybe even more so on the many, many days it's not - we pick out London's best ice cream and gelato purveyors. And if you're looking for soft serve, check out our guide here.
The Dreamery
Where: 20a Halliford St, London N1 3HD
Unequivocally London's trendiest ice cream salon right now, The Dreamery is hidden away on an Islington backstreet opposite its sibling restaurant Goodbye Horses. Its USP is pairing freshly made ice cream with natural wines, but of course, the hugely Instagrammable illuminated ceiling doesn't hurt any. Recent options have included salty ricotta with blueberries or blood orange and olive oil sorbet and the menu changes regularly.
Follow them on Instagram @dreameryldn
Caliendo’s
Where: 182 Kentish Town Road, London NW5 2AE
Award-winning Caliendo's picked up the gong for the UK's best ice cream parlour in 2023 against stiff competition. As to why, well almost two hundred years of gelato-making family history certainly helps. Here in Kentish Town, they combine Italian artisan skills with relationships with local producers. The result is a mixture of classic options like Piedmont hazelnut or salted butter caramel alongside more outlandish options like Marmite and toasted sourdough or a vegan pistachio macaron.
Follow them on Instagram @caliendos_gelato
Big Kid
Where: 1 Kingly St, Carnaby, London W1B 5PA
If you want to channel that Pavlovian childhood reaction to the sound of an ice cream van, then Big Kid is where you want to try next. Their ice cream is all small batch and some it is highly experimental, think ice cream tasting of McDonald's fries or olive oil baklava. Having popped up all over London, they're back in Carnaby, perfectly timed for the summer.
Follow them on Instagram @bigkidicecream
Araw
Where: Pop-up at Brityard (until end of September)
Inspired by her Filipino heritage, owner Keziah's artisanal ice cream business was born during lockdown. Since then, she's built up a deeply obsessed fan base who love trying ice cream flavours from all over the world. This summer, she's popping up at Brityard on Regent Street with a range that includes Ube Halaya, Matcha & Black Sesame Praline and a mango sticky rice flavour that we really, really want to try.
Follow them on Instagram @arawlondon
Chin Chin
Where: Camden and Soho
Chin Chin's take on making ice cream with liquid nitrogen has meant that it's continued to be hugely popular in both its locations. The thing to note is that it's not just a party trick, the ice cream they make here really does taste smoother because there are no ice crystals. Flavours vary depending on the branch, but look out for their viral Glazed Potato Peel Soft Serve, drizzled with a potato peel glaze and finished with salty potato stick chips or the honey butter ice cream that comes with their French toast.
Follow them on Instagram @chinchinicecream
The Ice Cream Project
Where: Mayfair
Open only at summertime, this is a pop-up by Anya Hindmarch that does something very different with its ice cream. All the flavours are based around classic brands, so if you ever wanted to try Ovaltine or Twiglets ice cream, this is the place to go to. This year's mad flavours include Bird's custard or Bisto gravy ice cream, along with Irn-Bru sorbet.
Open until: 17 August 2025
Follow them on Instagram @anyahindmarch.
Ice Cream Union
Where: Bermondsey factory (Saturdays only) and Chelsea ice cream parlour
One of the longest established new wave London ice cream producers, it’s all about attention to detail from this crew who will specifically select the best produce for their ice creams. They have a standalone store in Chelsea in addition to their Bermondsey factory (which opens every Saturday). Flavours include everything from cornflake to banana split and their dulce de leche is particularly moreish. There's also a seasonal Aperol Spritz sorbet to look out for in the summer.
Follow them on Instagram @icecreamunion
Bears
Where: Brook Green
Bears is an Icelandic-inspired soft serve store where you can expect flavours like lemon curd with marshmallows and biscoff crumbs. Seasonal ice-cream flavours include things like basil, white chocolate chip and passionfruit swirl or vegan sorbets like mango and jasmine tea. All the soft serves come with a choice of toppings that are dipped, rolled or smashed into the ice cream and they do ice cream cakes too.
Follow them on Instagram @bearsicecream
Festok
Where: Covent Garden
Looking for Lebanese ice cream? Then Festok's boasts of being the only supplier in London of the ice cream with a particular light texture. They offer classic flavours like rose and chocolate, but have also come up with their own like halva, date and turmeric cake. And if you're a pistachio addict, then you'll be in heaven here.
Follow them on Instagram @festoklondon
Gelupo
Where: Soho
Jacob Kenedy (of Bocca di Lupo) and Victor Hugo (not the author) came up with Gelupo in 2010 and opened it right opposite the restaurant. New flavours from the popular Soho store this summer include ricotta, chocolate and pepper (in one scoop).
Follow them on Instagram @gelupogelato
Bilmonte
Where:30 Great Windmill St, London W1D 7LW
This Italian gelataria doesn't have any branches in Italy - just London and Barcelona. Apparently their 'unconventional' approach to gelato making made it more suitably for a foreign market. Italy's loss is our gain as they're serving up some of the smoothest gelato in the West End. Double pistachio hits the sweet spot for today's trends but the ricotta and biscotti crumble, if it's on, is also worth getting.
Follow them on Instagram @bilmonte.london
Happy Endings
Where: Stockists across London and Pavilion Cafe in Victoria Park
Best known for their amazing ice-cream sandwiches, this London company prides itself on using the best ingredients whether that's organic chocolate from Original Beans or Jersey and Guernsey cream from The Estate Dairy. You’ll find Happy Endings ice-cream sandwiches across London from Gladwells in Camberwell to Superette in Islington and they also do soft serve from the hatch at The Pavilion Cafe. One of our favourites is The Naughty One - Miso salt caramel parfait between squidgy slices of chocolate Guinness cake and soy dulce de leche.
Follow them on Instagram @happyendingsldn
Le Gelataria
Where: Covent Garden, Oxo Tower, Stratford
La Gelateria co-founder Antonio has ice cream in his blood - his grandfather used to make ice cream in a small village in Calabria. And when Antonio and friend and co-founder Stephane decided to launch their own gelateria then first took a year out to travel around Italy for inspiration. It paid off, as their gelato has won multiple awards since opening. Everything is handmade in small batches, daily, on-site with flavours that you won't find anywhere else, including porcini chocolate cream and Kentish cobnut sorbet.
Follow them on Instagram @lagelatiera
Fortnum & Mason's The Parlour
Where:181 Piccadilly, London W1A 1ER
Fortnum's lays claim to an important moment in UK ice cream history, being the first place in the country for ice cream lovers to sample the delights of a Knickerbocker Glory. The sundae was first served up there in 1956 when sugar rationing came to an end. Now you can head to The Parlour where the menu includes sundaes, soft serve and bouji coupes like an olive oil and sea salt ice cream that you can top with golden oscietra caviar.
Follow them on Instagram @fortnums
Morelli’s
Where: 20a The Piazza, The Market, London WC2 8RB
Morelli’s opened a year after Marine Ices - in 1932 - on the Kent coast in Broadstairs and now have their own shop in Covent Garden (as well as branches around the world). Flavours you’ll find here might include cherry meringue or caramel panna cotta. Go all in and get a sundae with a jug of hot chocolate sauce to pour all over your creation.
Follow them on Instagram @morellisgelato
Oddono's
Where: Stoke Newington, South Kensington, Battersea, Hampstead, East Dulwich, Chiswick, Wimbledon
A place for ultra-smooth Italian gelato - the original store opened on Bute Street back in 2004. As the name suggests it’s an Italian family behind it - founder Christian Oddono’s grandmother was the gelato-making inspiration. With over 130 flavours on their books, favourites are still the classics - chocolate, nocciola (hazelnut), bacio (milky chocolate and hazelnut), and pistachio ice cream. They also do a very good banana sorbet for vegans.
Follow them on Instagram @oddonos_gelati
Romeo and Giuletta
Where: Stoke Newington and Leyton
Inspired by their time living in Verona, the husband and wife team behind this Stoke Newington ice cream parlour focus on classic, well-made Italian flavours. Think black cherry, hazelnut or supreme pistachio with the odd seasonal special like ricotta with caramelised figs.
Follow them on Instagram @gelateriarg
Snowflake Gelato
Where: Westfields Stratford and London, Bayswater, South Kensington, Marble Arch, Soho & The O2
Winner of loads of Good Taste Awards, founder Asad and gelato chef Paolo named their ice-cream company Snowflake because all their ice cream is made by hand, no two batches are the same. Like snowflakes. Raw organic Jersey milk gelato is the order of the day here, served at the perfect no-brain freeze temperature. Flavours include their award-winning blood orange, date and honey and sea salted caramel. This summer look out for their incredibly cute ice cream fruits.
Follow them on Instagram @snowflakegelato
Soft Serve Society
Where you'll find them: Boxhall City, Seven Dials Market
Taking inspiration from Asia, Soft Serve Society broke Insta with its inky charred coconut soft serve when it first launched. Toppings are a big thing here - cover your cone with honeycomb and popcorn or opt for a sundae like the Oh Snap with vanilla soft serve affogato, salted caramel sauce, gingerbread crumbs, salted caramel bits and waffle. They're also big on freak shakes and candyfloss lattes.
Follow them on Instagram @softservesociety.
Udderlicious
Where: Islington, Covent Garden, Crouch End
Raj and Raj opened their Islington store back in 2013 (Mr Raj's family having been in the industry for years) and there are still queues down Upper Street on hot days. Flavours are voted for by customers and current ones include malt and crushed maltesers and birthday cake. There's a particularly strong vegan range of options too.
Follow them on Instagram @udderliciousldn
More ice cream
Fortnum and Mason (St James) - The Parlour here features sundaes and also a range of vegan ice creams.
Gelatorino (Bloomsbury) - Watch the ice cream being made in front of you at this Covent Garden shop. New boozy sorbet flavours include beer!
Nardulli (Clapham) - There’s always a queue at this Clapham parlour - their cherry gelato and coconut flavours are particularly popular.
Unico (Various locations) - There are vegan options for everything here. Founder Elena has longstanding ties to the Italian ice cream industry.
See also
The Hot Dinners guide to summer
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