NYC Ice Cream: 3 Places For Your Summer Cravings
The weather has just gotten warmer and sunnier…and this means it’s time for cold food, including ice cream! These three places are my top go-to NYC ice cream shops for good flavors. Each shop has its own unique twist, whether in flavors available, presentation, or speciality. Two of the shops are located in the borough of Manhattan and one is in Brooklyn, just two subway stops away from Manhattan. So here are my recommendations for your summer cool-down treat:
1) Sundaes & Cones (95 E. 10th St., Manhattan)
Sundaes & Cones is located just northeast of Washington Square Park in the Manhattan area of NoHo, surrounded by the NYU campus. The shop itself has pretty little lights in its large windows in the evening and has a bench outside to enjoy your ice cream, as well as indoor seating. Or you can always take your ice cream to one of the neighborhood parks just a few blocks away!
The shop mainly sells ice cream and cute ice cream cakes, but also sells cookies and coffee for colder weather. Ice cream here is super delicious! The ice cream comes in so many flavors. There are the more common flavors of vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, pistachio, and rum raisin. But there are also unique flavors of sesame, taro, lychee, and mocha chip. Flavors can change according to season too: pumpkin in the fall and…yes, lavender in the summer! It always takes me a few minutes to decide on what flavor(s) I’d like! My current favorites are the lavender and the green tea rose swirl. (And if you haven’t guessed, it was the lavender ice cream that initially got me in the door!)
2) Amorino (several locations in Manhattan: 414 Amsterdam Ave., 721 8th Ave., 60 University Place)
Amorino is known for its incredible gelato in a plethora of flavors. No lavender here, but a solid spot for hazelnut, pistachio, raspberry, etc. You can get multiple flavors in a cup or on a cone. I really recommend getting a cone…they strategically place the bits of gelato to form the shape of a rose! The parts of the flower are nicely arranged by color, from the inner to the outer layers. It is nearly too pretty to eat!
Tip: Due to this ice cream rose, this is a perfect stop for a summertime date! My husband actually took me here on our second date, topping off a stroll through Central Park!
And if you’re not in the mood for gelato, try their luscious hot chocolate!
3) The Chocolate Room (269 Court Street, Brooklyn)
The Chocolate Room specializes in…yep, you guessed it…chocolate! Incredibly good chocolate, in fact. Their main Court Street location features a nice dining area overlooking a back garden. It’s a beautiful spot to sit near the windows in the quieter afternoons, or to meet with friends in the busier evenings. It it also located right next to the local movie theater, Cobble Hill Cinemas, so it’s a perfect location to catch a dessert before or after a movie!
Known for their fantastic desserts…I personally love their flourless chocolate cake with raspberry framboise sauce…it is well worth the stop. Along with cakes and other baked goods, they also offer different flavors of chocolate truffles, candy, popcorn, drinks, coffee/tea, and ice cream! Their ice cream flavors are more limited than a specialized ice cream shop, but each packs a fantastic flavor. My favorites are their mint chocolate chip and fresh strawberry flavors. Each of them has real ingredients. The mint is actually mint from the mint plant with rich dark chocolate chunks, and the strawberry actually has bits of fruit in it. I honestly am extremely picky about mint chip ice cream and now hesitate to get it anywhere besides The Chocolate Room.
You can have your ice cream plain in a cup or cone, with toppings, in a sundae, in an ice cream sandwich, on a brownie, or in your hot chocolate or coffee! They also make milk shakes using two scoops of ice cream, meaning you can pick two different flavors. I usually go with mint chip and Madagascar vanilla for my go-to milkshake, although I imagine Belgian chocolate would go just as well with the mint chip.
So when you’re feeling a tad too warm and needing a bit of energy, treat yourself at one of these three amazing places. Each of them has their unique perks, so pick one that fits your preferences. Or feel free to visit all three! No judgement here;)
