Manhattan's Cool Ice Cream Shops - NYC
Beat the heat with artisanal ice cream, Italian gelato, and fruity sorbets.
IL Laboratorio Del Gelato - Lower East Side
If creamy frozen treats are your thing, then you'll definitely want to make
this state-of-the-art ice cream shop your home away from home. And, with a typical NYC heatwave fast upon us, that's not a bad thing at all.
You could say that ice cream runs deep in the DNA of Il Laboratorio's founder
Jon Snyder.
Starting at the tender age of nine, Jon spent his Summers working behind the counter at the Carvel Ice Cream shop that his grandparents, Antoinette and James, owned in Cortlandt Manor N.Y. Not content to simply earn spending money, Jon was fascinated with the ice cream-making process. It was love at first taste!
When Jon turned 18, his ice cream journey took a bit more of an adventurous turn when he visited Italy with family and discovered the pleasures of gelato. The magic that a cup of gelato could weave on a person's taste buds was unforgettable.
After a seven-year stint working on Wall Street as an investment banker, Jon decided that the time was right to do a career 180 and take his passion for frozen desserts to another level.
Thus, in August 2002,IL Laboratorio Del Gelato was born. Jon's mission was simple; bring the world's finest ice cream to the world's greatest city.
The brand's motto is " Purity. Precision. Perfection". You'll most certainly agree that something special is going on in the lab from the moment that the first spoon of gelato hits your tongue.
Within the pristine confines of IL Laboratorio, Jon and his team of gelato artists
stay true to the traditional artisanal method of making gelato. But, that's not to say that they don't also use their imagination to come up with concoctions that would astound an old-school gelato artist.
Using only the freshest ingredients, IL Laboratorio sources their milk, cream, fruits, etc. locally whenever possible. Whether you prefer your scoop ( or scoops ! ) in a cup or waffle cone; this gelato is always made with tender, loving care.
There are too many tempting flavors to mention in one article and they are forever coming up with something new. But, a few of their most popular offerings include dark chocolate, vanilla chocolate chip, mocha, blood orange, mascarpone, pistachio and the incredible maple walnut gelato.
In addition to their line-up of decadent gelato and light, refreshing fruit-filled sorbets, IL Laboratorio has special gelato cakes that are available. The signature cake creation is, what else but, IL Lab, which gives you layers of fresh cherries, mascarpone, dark chocolate, meringue and vanilla gelato.
You'll also want to try their thick and creamy espresso shake and the delectable gelato and soda floats.
Location and Hours
188 Ludlow Street
New York N.Y. 10002
(212) 343-9922
Monday to Sunday: 10:30 AM to 10 PM
A La Mode Shoppe - Upper East Side
This charming spot is kind of a throwback to the good, old-fashioned ice cream parlors of yesteryear. It's the perfect place to take the kids and get them out of the house for a while. And, make no mistake about it; you will enjoy the excursion, too. After all; who doesn't like ice cream?
So, here's the scoop on A La Mode Shoppe. The place was founded by long-time
ice cream lovers who didn't want kids and adults with nut allergies to live in a world where they couldn't enjoy frozen treats.
Co-Founder Sandy Roth and her ice cream artisans leave out the nuts, sesame seeds and eggs and, when you taste their creations you WON'T be able to tell the difference from the ice cream that you're used to eating.
You can stop by and they will gladly give you a sample. from that moment on you'll be hooked. When it's just too hot to venture outside, the great news is that A La Mode Shoppe DELIVERS via Uber Eats, Postmates and Doordash.
Most of their dairy-free flavors are made with oat milk and include classic vanilla, chocolate, apple pie and pumpkin spice.
The signature offering from their "traditional" ice-cream line-up is "Cooks". This delectable concoction is a blend of vanilla ice cream and chocolate cookie crumbles, all swirled together with chocolate fudge.
The aptly named "Wired" brings scrumptious coffee ice cream together with oodles and oodles of rich chocolate chips. The "Pink Sprinkle" features pink vanilla ice cream with rainbow sprinkles throughout.
If you love strawberries, then go straight for the Chocolate Strawberry blast. It has chunks of REAL strawberries layered in. But, keep in mind that this option is only for a limited time. When it's gone for the day; it's gone.
What sets A La Mode Shoppe apart from other scoop shops is the fact that a section of the store is devoted to children's toys and apparel. So, why not do a little shopping while you're getting a sundae or a cone?
Location and Hours:
360 East 55th Street
New York, N.Y. 10022
(917) 639-3401
Hours :
Monday Closed
Tuesday-Thursday 12 PM to 8 PM
Friday-Saturday 12 PM to 9 PM
Sunday 12 to 8 PM
Emack and Bolio's - Upper West Side
This ice cream ROCKS !. And we mean that literally! Emack and Bolio's was founded by none other than famed music business attorney Bob Rook. Over the years, Bob has worked with rock n' roll legends such as U2, The Cars and Aerosmith. If that's not street cred, we don't know what is.
Bob's ice cream shop was originally meant to be something of a hobby/investment; not to mention a chill place where the musicians he knew could hang out after a gig. However, you can't keep great-tasting ice cream a secret for long. In no time at all, word had spread and lines began forming at the counter.
What makes Emack and Bolio's ice cream so special, you may well ask? It's all in the flavor blast!
There are dozens of options to choose from, but let's start with bananas foster, chocolate addiction, almond coconut bar and peach, a flavor that you can't find in too many places anymore. From there, let your taste buds roam to the outrageous salted caramel chocolate pretzel and Trippin on espresso. What a boost of energy!
Into the Vegan lifestyle? Well, Emack and Bolio got you covered with offerings such as the divinely decadent chocolate pudding and toasted coconut.
The folks at Emack and Bolio are into good vibes and great quality. Even their milk is carefully sourced. Their ice cream does NOT contain milk that comes from cows that have been injected with the genetically induced hormone RBST.
In addition to the brand's Vegan selections, they also have non-dairy sorbets that are made with fresh fruit. Try a heavenly cup of raspberry, lemon, or mango sorbet and you'll feel immediately refreshed, no matter how high the heat index may be. All sorbets are made with non-GMO coconut cream, pure cane sugar and organic coconut oil.
Emack and Bolio lay claim to having invented the flavored cone way back in 1980.
Their cones are still dipped in luscious chocolate or, if you prefer, rolled in various toppings like crushed Oreos, fruit loops and rainbow sprinkles.
Besides their flagship store on the Upper West Side, you can find Emack and Bolio all over town, from Midtown and the East Side to Fort Greene, Brooklyn. Give 'em a try. You'll be so glad that you did.
Location and Hours :
389 Amsterdam Avenue at 79th Street
New York, N.Y. 10024
(212) 362-2747
Hours
Monday to Sunday 1 PM to 9:30 PM
Sam's Fried Ice Cream - Lower East Side
If you are looking for something familiar but with a bit of an edge to it, you will find it at this no-frills shop. The thought of fried ice cream might sound a little strange, at first. But, rest assured, once you take the plunge, so to speak, you won't be able to stop eating it.
Appropriately enough, Sam's fried Ice cream was launched in 2011 at a local street fair. Now, after years of being the "main event" for dessert fanatics at various street festivals and community events, Sam's has its very own home. And you are an honored guest.
Now, before we go any further, it might be a good idea if we were to explain just what fried ice cream is. Basically, you take a scoop of ice cream, but please make sure that it is frozen really hard. You then coat the ice cream in a batter of some sort and, very quickly, deep fry everything. The end result should be a warm, crispy shell that envelops a, believes it or not, STILL cold scoop of ice cream. See; told you that you'd be interested.
One of the store's most popular items is fried ice cream which has been liberally dusted with powdered sugar. Another can't-miss choice is the flash-fried ice cream surrounded by an oreo cookie crumble crust.
However, you, the customer, are always encouraged to create your own fried ice cream treat. It's a ton of fun!
Step 1: Choose your flavor. There are numerous options, ranging from the basics, vanilla, chocolate and strawberry to more exotic offerings like birthday cake, green tea, cookies and cream plus blueberry cheesecake.
Step 2: Choose your crust. Options include actual bread crumbs, frosted flakes, the aforementioned Oreos and fruity pebbles.
For the third and final step, go crazy with your toppings. My goodness, there's everything and anything you can imagine available including caramel syrup, chocolate drizzle, Reese's Pieces, M & M's as well as made-in-house whipped cream.
By the way, Sam's is currently running a special. A mere $7 will get you an indescribably addicting 16 oz. Nutella shake. How good is that?
Sam's creations are the best of both worlds, straight out of the freezer and into the fryer with a salty, crunchy bite enveloping a sweet and creamy frozen delight.
Location and Hours :
37B Orchard Street
New York, N.Y. 10002
(212) 224-0003
Hours :
Monday and Tuesday Closed
Wednesday-Thursday 3 PM to 9 PM
Friday-Saturday 2 PM to 11 PM
Sunday 3 PM to 9 PM
Stuffed Ice Cream - Lower East Side
The two "mad scientists" behind Stuffed Ice Cream are Alan and Jackie, two long-time friends with a flair for innovation, especially when it comes to new ways to enjoy that good old-fashioned American staple, ice cream.
Alan is a Brooklyn native with a bachelor's in chemistry, who enjoys combining his entrepreneurial spirit with a passion for dessert-making. Jackie comes from a family of food entrepreneurs. He jumped at the chance to open a business in one of the most vibrant, up-and-coming neighborhoods in the LES.
The duo's signature creation is the CRUFF, a perfectly toasted glazed donut that is stuffed with a scoop of your ice cream and toppings of choice. You have never, ever seen or tasted anything like this before!
The name CRUFF is derived from a combination of the words CReam from ice cream and stUFFed.
The buzz is all around town! The Cruff has been featured on the Food Network as well as Fox 5 news. The NY Post even ran a short story about this unusual but delicious creation.
A must-try is the Cookie Road Cruff which consists of cookie monster and rocky road ice cream topped with Oreos and chocolate syrup, all sandwiched between two layers of that so good glazed donut.
You'll also love the Thai Kwon Dough, made with Thai Iced tea ice cream, Vietnamese coffee ice cream, almonds and a shot of condensed milk.
Fruity Pebbles and Cinnamon Toast Crunch together with Captain Crunch and a caramel drizzle are the ingredients that make the Cereal Killer a one-of-a-kind treat.
Fear not, though. if you're not feeling a donut with your frozen dessert that's not a problem. You can get your one, two, or three scoops of red velvet, vanilla, white chocolate, or whatever ice cream on a cone.
Location and Hours:
139 First Avenue
New York, N.Y. 10003
Hours ;
Monday to Friday 4 PM to 10 PM
Saturday and Sunday 2 PM to 10 PM
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