The Top Ice Cream in New York City

New York City is home to an ice cream parlor of every stripe, so whether you prefer an artisan scoop, an exotic flavor, a traditional gelato cone, or a full-blown dessert extravaganza, there’s a spot just for you. For an exotic taste like black sesame or wasabi, try the Chinatown Ice Cream Factory. For a hip gourmet outing, head to Cones for an Argentinean style scoop in an innovative flavor like green tea. For purely authentic gelato, head to Sant Ambroeus, an upscale New York City bistro with a hidden jewel of an ice cream cart. If what you really want, however, is a funky place where you can linger as you do a bit of damage to a towering ice cream sundae, head to the famed Serendipity3, a former haunt of Andy Warhol. When it comes to ice cream, New York City truly has it all.

Chinatown Ice Cream Factory
65 Bayard Street between Elizabeth And Mott
212-608-4170
http://www.chinatownicecreamfactory.com/

The Chinatown Ice Cream Factory has a range of offbeat ice cream flavors like black sesame, peanut butter and jelly, and wasabi. That means that if you’re feeling adventurous, you can find something at the Chinatown Ice Cream Factory that is unlike any other ice cream cone in New York City. If you’re an ice cream enthusiast interested in trying something completely new and different, you’ll want to check out this long-standing New York City institution. The Chinatown Ice Cream Factory has been dishing out scoops to New York City residents for over twenty eight years. With staying power like that, you know their ice cream is really something special.

Cones
272 Bleecker Street at Morton
212-414-1795

Cones is the preferred ice cream parlor of downtown New York City hipsters, who flock here in droves for the “helado” dairy treats, made in the style of Argentinian gelato. The real draw is the artisan flair behind the gelatos and sorbets at this ice cream parlor, which are soft-frozen instead of hard-frozen, creating a robust, springy texture that satisfies even the most demanding foodies. The range of flavors at Cones is impressive, and with offerings like corn, black cherry, and Brazilian green tea, even the most jaded New York City resident will be able to find something new. Cones has a few small tables, but primarily does take-out, so grab a cone and stroll around the neighborhood. There is no official website for this popular ice cream spot, but you can learn more from firsthand reviews of Cones at Yelp.com: http://www.yelp.com/biz/Hlj1BRYzB2xJxl8_UEnrDw

Sant Ambroeus
259 W. 4th Street at Perry
212-604-9254
http://www.santambroeus.com/
new/home.htm

To the uninitiated, Sant Ambroeus looks like just another four star bistro tucked away in one of the more charming streets in New York City. However, to those who’ve ventured inside to grab a cup of take-out gelato, Sant Ambroeus is a beloved ice cream paradise. The specialty here is authentic Northern Italian gelato, bursting with intense flavor. New York City has many hidden jewels, and the creamy, luscious Italian ice cream at this spot is one of the best.

Serendipity3
225 E. 60th Street between 2nd and 3rd Ave
http://www.serendipity3.com/main.htm

Famous for its elaborate desserts, playful ambiance, and bohemian history, Serendipity 3 is perhaps the premier ice cream parlor in New York City. Packed with offbeat dÃ?©cor details, Serendipity is famous for its mixture of highbrow design elements (like original Tiffany lamps) and lowbrow ones (like an old gas station sign rescued from a salvage yard.) Perhaps it was this unique atmosphere which prompted artist Andy Warhol to name the place his “favorite sweet shop.” Generations of New York City kids and adults have crowded around the tables to sample the towering ice cream sundaes and impressively elaborate dessert dishes like the famously icy and gargantuan “Frrrrrozen hot chocolate,” a kind of culinary precursor to the frappuccino. Serendipity is open late, until midnight during the week, until 1am on Fridays, and until an impressive 2am on Saturday nights, which makes it a perfect place for a midnight ice cream splurge. Be warned, however; on a weekend evening, you’re more likely to see throngs of tourists than New York City residents, so if you want a more authentic Serendipity experience, stop in for an ice cream sundae during the week instead.