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Come summer, London queues for ice cream, and the city rewards the wait with everything from silky Italian gelato to nitrogen-frozen scoops and inventive artisan flavours. This guide covers where to find the best cone in town.
Gelato and artisan scoops
Gelupo, opposite Bocca di Lupo in Soho, is many Londoners' favourite for intense, freshly churned gelato in flavours that change with the seasons. Ruby Violet in King's Cross and Tufnell Park makes small-batch ice cream with real personality, and Oddono's is a long-standing name for classic Italian-style gelato. La Grotta Ices brings a farmers' market sensibility with seasonal British fruit.
Something different
For a bit of spectacle, Chin Chin Labs in Camden freezes its ice cream to order with liquid nitrogen and finishes it with torched marshmallow and other flourishes. Across the city, soft-serve specialists and gelaterias keep the scene playful, so whether you want purist gelato or edible theatre, London delivers.
What is the difference between gelato and ice cream?
Gelato is the Italian style, made with more milk and less cream and churned slowly with less air, giving a denser, more intensely flavoured result served slightly warmer. Ice cream has more cream and air for a lighter texture. Gelupo and Oddono's are top London names for gelato.
Where is the best ice cream in London?
Gelupo in Soho is a perennial favourite for gelato, while Ruby Violet and La Grotta Ices lead the artisan scene. For novelty, Chin Chin Labs offers nitrogen-frozen ice cream. The best depends on whether you want classic gelato or something more inventive.
Where to go next
Follow it with more sweets in the best desserts in London and the best bakeries in London.
