Best Ice Cream in NYC

We're still waiting for another summery weekend to come along so we can sample all our favorite ice cream in NYC. In anticipation of that day, we put together this list of the delicious hotspots to hit. Extra points for those who make it to all five in one day!

Sundaes and Cones

With something for everyone – purists, dieters, and daredevils – you can’t go wrong at this classic spot, where servers will indulge you with any number of tastes you want. And with some flavors that boggle the mind (corn, anyone?) you might need to try a lot. Sundaes & Cones also has our vote for the best ice cream cakes in NYC, which they will decorate like a work of art.
Typical flavor: Pistachio almond

95 E 10th St, Manhattan
(212) 979-9398

Van Leeuwen

Craving some ice cream on the go? Track down the Van Leeuwen Ice Cream Trucks, which turn ice cream into street food and bring the sweet treat to you! The three trucks yellow trucks cruise Manhattan and Brooklyn, delivering ice cream made with fresh milk brought locally from Lewis Country. Pastries and gourmet coffee are also served in the mornings and the trucks circulate until 11pm, so you can get your fix late into the night.
Typical flavor: Currants and cream

Various locations in Manhattan and Brooklyn; see twitter.com/VLAIC
(718) 701-1630

Chinatown Ice Cream Factory

Chinatown might not be the first place you’d turn for a tasty sundae, but why not? After all, ice cream was supposedly invented in China centuries ago, during the Tang Dynasty. See why at this popular spot, where traditional flavors like chocolate and butter pecan appear next to more unusual options like wasabi and taro. A dozen exotic sorbet options round out the menu.
Typical flavor: Lychee

65 Bayard St, Manhattan
212-608-4170

Lula's Sweet Apothecary

With 1950s-era duds on the employees and a working soda fountain, this ice creamery looks like it’s stuck in a time warp, but the ice cream here certainly isn’t! Every flavor on this menu is vegan and non-dairy, so even the lactose-intolerant can indulge. We promise you won’t miss the milk -- plus, you’ll feel good knowing that even the containers are made from corn and 100% biodegradable.

Typical flavor: Chocolate peanut brittle

516 East 6th St, Manhattan
(646) 912-4549

Blue Marble

Brooklynites flock to this Boerum Hill hotspot, which became such a smash hit upon opening in 2007 that it quickly opened another location in Prospect Heights. The shops are committed to being eco-friendly and Brooklyn-based (even the art on the walls is by local artists). Simplicity is the key to Blue Marbles success, with seasonal flavors that are all-around crowd pleasers.
Typical flavor: Sweet cream

420 Atlantic Ave, Brooklyn and 186 Underhill Ave, Brooklyn
718-858-1100