The 41 best places for ice cream in the UK

From a hipster hangout in Hackney to a favourite with William and Kate in south Wales, Hannah Evans asks foodies for their favourite parlours

https://www.thetimes.com/life-style/food-drink/article/41-best-ice-cream-places-parlours-uk-vvdqw5pfh

https://archive.ph/Xxy0T


The Prince and Princess of Wales visit Joe’s in Mumbles (no 32) and, right, ice creams from Harris & James in Aldeburgh (no 39)
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Everyone knows the best way to finish a day by the seaside or an afternoon picnic is with an ice cream. Nobody knows this more than Iona and Rob Gore, who make Brickell’s — some of the finest scoops in Britain, crafted with all-natural ingredients and milk from the family farm in Westcombe, Somerset. They have some simple guidelines on how to find top quality ice cream, from texture — “If it’s really easy to serve and not melting then there is probably a lot of air and stabilisers in there” — to flavour: “Look for any references to ingredient origin on the menu, as this will be a good indicator that they think carefully about their sourcing.” From retro parlours on the south coast to award-winning gelaterias in south London, these are our favourite ice cream shops in the UK.

London



1. Ice Cream Union, Chelsea and Bermondsey

https://icecreamunion.com/

Whisper it: Ice Cream Union is London’s best-kept secret. For 18 years it has been whipping up ice cream and sorbets for some of the city’s favourite restaurants, from the Michelin-starred Trinity in Clapham to Fortnum & Mason. Now it has two shops where you can try its 50-plus flavours yourself — one in Sloane Square, open seven days a week, and another in Bermondsey, open on Saturdays.



2. The Dreamery, Islington

https://www.dreamery.london/

A parlour founded on a simple concept: ice cream is best served with wine. Since going viral on TikTok, this bar has had queues going out of the door for its pairings. There are always six scoops on the menu (past flavours have included oolong and prune, croissant, and mint chocolate chip) plus changing sauces and a small wine list.


Fig and mascarpone, Hannah Evans’s favourite at Sundae

3. Sundae, Brockley

https://www.instagram.com/sundaegelato/

All the gelato at this parlour is churned in batches in the kitchen out the back. It might be small, but the flavours are a big deal: summer berry cheesecake, Guinness, dark chocolate and orange, and (my favourite) fig and mascarpone, which appears some weeks as a special.

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