13 Places to Get Seriously Good Ice Cream in London
There are few things more satisfying on a warm London day than walking around with an ice cream that is already melting faster than you can eat it.
And London has no shortage of places to get one.
But we're not talking about just grabbing a supermarket tub or stopping at the first ice-cream shop you happen to see.
London has proper Italian gelato, handmade ice cream, experimental flavours, soft serve, sorbets, ice-cream sandwiches and places where the flavours are so unusual that you might need a minute to decide whether you're actually brave enough to order them.
So whether you want a classic pistachio gelato, something fruity and refreshing, an extravagant dessert or an ice cream that tastes like absolutely nothing you've tried before, these are some of the London spots worth knowing.
And yes, there are plenty of famous names on this list.
But I've also included a few places that are worth knowing if you're willing to venture beyond the most obvious tourist streets.
1. Gelateria Romeo & Giulietta - Stoke Newington
If you're serious about gelato, this is one of the places I'd put near the top of your list.
Gelateria Romeo & Giulietta
Based on Albion Road in Stoke Newington, Romeo & Giulietta has built a reputation for silky, traditional Italian-style gelato.
Time Out named it its number-one ice-cream parlour in London in 2026, praising its authentic Italian gelato and recommending combinations such as pistachio with ricotta and caramelised figs.
And there are some particularly interesting choices if you're willing to move beyond the standard chocolate-and-vanilla combination.
Try the ricotta with caramelised figs if it's available.
Or go for the extra-dark chocolate sorbet if you want something vegan.
The shop is at 137 Albion Road, Stoke Newington.
Best for: Proper Italian-style gelato and adventurous flavour combinations.
2. Gelupo - Soho
If you've walked around Soho and suddenly decided that you absolutely need gelato, this is the place to remember.
Gelupo
Gelupo has been making gelato in Soho since 2010, and its current menu includes everything from classic hazelnut and pistachio to more unusual flavours such as ricotta sour cherry, mint stracciatella and burnt caramel with pecans.
The menu changes regularly, so part of the fun is seeing what they've got when you arrive.
And this isn't just a shop selling generic scoops.
Gelupo makes its gelato fresh by hand, and the current menu includes both gelato and sorbetto, with several vegan options.
It's also conveniently located in Soho, so you can easily combine it with a wander around Carnaby, Chinatown, Covent Garden or the West End.
Best for: Italian gelato with flavours that go well beyond the basics.
3. Chin Chin Ice Cream - Camden
This one is for people who want their ice cream experience to feel slightly different.
Chin Chin Ice Cream
Chin Chin is known for making its ice cream using liquid nitrogen, giving the experience a slightly futuristic feel.
The flavours aren't always what you'd expect either.
Its London locations have become known for inventive combinations and toppings, making this less of a simple “one scoop in a cone” experience and more of a dessert stop.
Visit London's current guide lists Chin Chin's Camden and Soho locations and highlights its liquid-nitrogen preparation and changing flavour selection.
If you're already exploring Camden Market, it's an easy place to add to the day.
Best for: Experimental ice cream and a more theatrical experience.
4. Oddono's - South Kensington
Sometimes you don't want an Instagram gimmick.
You just want really good gelato.
Oddono's South Kensington
Oddono's has become a familiar name around London, particularly for its Italian-style gelato.
The South Kensington shop on Bute Street is particularly convenient if you're visiting the Natural History Museum, Science Museum or V&A.
This is the kind of place I'd recommend when you want something straightforward and reliable rather than a giant dessert covered in toppings.
Get a couple of flavours, find somewhere nearby to sit and enjoy them while wandering around South Kensington.
Best for: Traditional gelato after a museum day.
5. Nardulli's - Clapham
South London has its own long-standing gelato favourite.
Nardulli's Ice Cream
Nardulli's is based right by Clapham Common and describes itself as a traditional Italian ice-cream parlour supported by Italian ice-cream makers.
That location is part of the appeal.
Get your ice cream and then take it into the Common.
No complicated itinerary.
No need to find a restaurant.
Just gelato and one of London's biggest green spaces.
Nardulli's also currently operates a loyalty scheme where you can get a free ice cream after collecting ten.
Best for: A classic Clapham ice-cream-and-park afternoon.
6. Gelateria 3BIS - Borough Market
If your idea of a perfect London afternoon involves Borough Market + gelato, this is an easy combination.
Gelateria 3Bis Borough Market
Gelateria 3BIS has a location at 4 Park Street, Borough Market, as well as another London location on Portobello Road. Visit London's current guide describes it as an artisanal Italian gelateria focused on traditional Italian ice cream and sorbet.
The Borough Market location is particularly convenient because you can turn the whole thing into a food crawl.
Browse the market.
Eat something savoury.
Then finish with gelato.
Honestly, that's a pretty good London afternoon.
Best for: Gelato after exploring Borough Market.
7. Ice Cream Project - Chelsea
Now we're getting into much stranger territory.
Ice Cream Project
Ice Cream Project is not really the place to visit if you just want vanilla.
The concept is built around unusual and unexpected flavours, and the 2026 menu has included things such as Euthymol toothpaste, OXO stock cube and Capri-Sun Orange. Time Out ranked it third in its 2026 London ice-cream list.
Yes.
Toothpaste ice cream.
It's the sort of place where you might look at the menu and spend five minutes wondering whether you're actually going to order what you're reading.
The point isn't necessarily that every flavour will become your new favourite.
It's the experience.
Best for: People who want to try something they definitely won't find at their local ice-cream van.
8. Udderlicious - Islington
If you're around Upper Street and fancy something cold, Udderlicious is another name worth remembering.
Udderlicious Ice Cream
The shop at 187 Upper Street is known for its handmade ice cream and broad selection of flavours.
There's also a Covent Garden location, making it useful if you're already in central London.
What makes it appealing is that it sits somewhere between a traditional ice-cream parlour and a modern dessert stop.
You can keep it simple with a couple of scoops or go for something more indulgent.
Best for: Handmade ice cream around Islington and Upper Street.
9. La Gelateria Della Luna - Fulham
For a quieter west London option, head towards Fulham.
LA GELATERIA DELLA LUNA
La Gelateria Della Luna is based on Fulham Road, and it's another option for people who want proper gelato without necessarily heading into central London.
That makes it especially useful for west London residents.
And sometimes that's exactly what you want.
You don't need to make an entire trip into Soho just because you're craving gelato.
Find somewhere good closer to home.
Best for: West London gelato without heading into central London.
10. Araw Ice Cream - Borough Yards
If you want something more inventive, keep an eye out for Araw Ice Cream at Borough Yards.
The Infatuation currently describes Araw as a place for inventive ice creams in Borough Yards, making it another interesting stop around London Bridge.
This is particularly good if you've already explored Borough Market and want something different from a traditional Italian gelateria.
The surrounding Borough Yards area also makes it easy to turn the visit into a wider food-and-drink afternoon.
Best for: More unusual ice-cream flavours around London Bridge.
11. Bilmonte - Soho
If you're already in Soho and want another option beyond the obvious gelato names, there's Bilmonte on Great Windmill Street.
Bilmonte
4.8•Ice cream shop•Closed
Website•Directions•020 3302 3490
Its current London listing shows it operating as an ice-cream shop in the heart of Soho, making it another convenient stop if you're exploring the West End.
And there's something useful about having several good ice-cream options close together.
You can wander.
Look at the menus.
Pick the one that appeals most.
Or, if you're really committed to the cause, try more than one.
Best for: A spontaneous Soho ice-cream stop.
12. Badiani Gelato - Covent Garden
Badiani brings another Italian gelato option to central London.
Badiani Gelato Covent Garden
Its Covent Garden shop is at 2 Mercer Walk, making it easy to combine with an afternoon around Covent Garden, Seven Dials and the West End.
Badiani is particularly well known for its Italian gelato tradition, and its London presence gives you another option when you're looking for something more traditional rather than an over-the-top dessert.
Best for: Italian gelato in the heart of Covent Garden.
13. Venchi - for when you want chocolate AND gelato
And finally, there's Venchi.
Venchi
Venchi is an Italian chocolate company, so its London shops naturally combine chocolate and gelato.
That makes this one particularly dangerous if you have no self-control around chocolate.
You can get gelato, but you're also surrounded by chocolate.
And then you have to make the difficult decision of whether one scoop is enough.
Venchi has multiple London locations, including Great Marlborough Street, Piccadilly and Covent Garden, so it's easy to find one while exploring central London.
Best for: Chocolate lovers who don't want to choose between dessert and chocolate.
So, where should you actually go?
The answer depends on what you're craving.
For classic Italian gelato
Romeo & Giulietta
Gelupo
Oddono's
Badiani
Nardulli's
These are the places I'd start if your priority is the gelato itself rather than an elaborate dessert.
If chocolate is your personality
Go to Venchi.
You're getting gelato in a chocolate shop, which is basically a dangerous combination designed to empty your wallet.
If you want something completely different
Go to Ice Cream Project.
This is where you stop asking:
“What's your favourite flavour?”
and start asking:
“What is actually in this?”
If you want something fun for Instagram
Chin Chin is a good shout because the liquid-nitrogen preparation gives the experience a little more theatre than simply watching someone scoop ice cream into a cone.
If you want ice cream + a nice afternoon
Try:
Nardulli's + Clapham Common
or
Gelateria 3BIS + Borough Market
or
Oddono's + South Kensington museums
or
Badiani + Covent Garden
Those combinations turn an ice-cream stop into an actual London day out.
Don't just order vanilla
This might be the biggest mistake you can make when visiting some of London's better gelaterias.
If you're going somewhere specifically because it's known for making interesting flavours, try something you wouldn't normally order.
At Gelupo, that could mean ricotta sour cherry or mint stracciatella. Its current menu also rotates seasonal flavours, so there's always a reason to look at what's available that day.
At Romeo & Giulietta, try the ricotta and caramelised fig combination if it's available.
At Ice Cream Project, embrace the madness.
And if you're at Venchi, well...
You probably already know what you're ordering.
Chocolate.
When is the best time to go?
Summer is obviously the most popular time.
And that's when you should expect queues at some of London's best-known ice-cream shops.
Time Out's current 2026 guide specifically notes the queues around Romeo & Giulietta when the weather is warm, while other popular spots can also become busy during hot weekends.
So if you don't enjoy waiting:
Go earlier in the day.
Or visit on a weekday.
And remember that opening hours can change seasonally, particularly for smaller independent shops.
Check the shop's current hours before making a special trip.
What about vegan ice cream?
London is actually pretty good for this.
Many of the gelaterias and ice-cream shops on this list offer sorbets or plant-based options, but the exact selection changes.
Gelupo's current menu, for example, marks several of its fruit-based sorbets and some other flavours as vegan.
Romeo & Giulietta has also been highlighted for its black cherry praline vegan option.
But if you have an allergy rather than simply a dietary preference, always check the current allergen information directly with the shop rather than assuming a sorbet is automatically safe.
London's ice-cream scene is much better than you might expect
London isn't Italy.
It isn't Rome.
It isn't Florence.
And yet, somehow, the city has developed a seriously good ice-cream culture.
You can find traditional Italian gelato in Stoke Newington.
Experimental liquid-nitrogen ice cream in Camden.
Unusual flavours in Chelsea.
Chocolate and gelato in Soho.
Independent Italian ice-cream parlours in Clapham.
Gelato beside Borough Market.
And enough options in central London to make choosing one unnecessarily difficult.
That's the fun of it.
So the next time the sun finally decides to appear over London, don't just grab the nearest ice cream you see.
Go looking for a really good one.
Because there is a very good chance that somewhere in London, someone is making a scoop that is considerably better than the one you were about to buy.
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