Memorial Day weekend is upon us – and we all know what that means: It’s the official start of summer. And, the official start of ice cream season. Let the ice cream eating commence!
Downtown has put together the complete guide over all the best places in Lower Manhattan to go get your ice cream fix.
Van Leeuwen Ice Cream
Van Leeuwen keeps it simple, serving the classic ice cream flavors we all love, made solely with fresh ingredients. Whether you want a traditional vanilla bean ice cream or a more indulgent chocolate banana cream pie, Van Leeuwen satisfies everybody’s sweet tooth. And we literally mean everyone: they are experts when it comes to vegan ice cream! Being vegan doesn’t mean you have to skip dessert.
Address (several locations): East 7th St; West 10th St
Closest subway station: Astor Place; Christopher St
Ample Hills Creamery
Ample Hills Creamery has nailed the chunk-to-ice cream ratio. And let’s be honest, there’s nothing better than biting into big chunks of cookies, cakes and chocolate in your ice cream. Their ooey gooey butter cake will make you melt inside — ice creams aren’t the only ones that melt, you know — and the snap mallow pop with rice krispie clusters will bring you straight back to childhood.
Address: 73 Gansevoort St
Closest subway station: 14 Street / 8 Avenue
Ice and Vice
Why buy flowers when you can have an ice cream bouquet instead? Ice and Vice isn’t your typical ice cream shop, replacing waffle cones with red velvet bowls and scooping up as many flavors as you want. You can even add a fruity pebble ice cream pie or a brownie ice cream sandwich on top, because there’s simply no such thing as too much ice cream. The names are as cool as the ice cream, from no whey (labne, burnt honey preserved lemon) to basic B (Mexican vanilla, black lava sea salt), al though there really is nothing basic about these flavors.
Address: 221 East Broadway
Closest subway station: East Broadway Rutgers St
Morgenstern’s finest ice cream
Good things come to those who wait. Although this may not be true for everything in life, the saying does ring true when it comes to desserts in NYC. There’s a reason why there is always a line at Morgenstern’s finest ice cream — their flavors are more than just fine. Every scoop is full of flavor, and you’ll be dreaming about their ice cream for days. Favorites include the malted chocolate, French vanilla and banana agave. Bananas are healthy, so it’s totally ok to have all three of these.
Address: 2 Rivington Street
Closest subway station: Spring St
Melt Bakery
Do you love cookies as much as ice cream? Can’t choose between a cookie or a scoop? Melt Bakery has you covered with their ice cream sandwiches. Fall in love with their Lovelet; cream cheese ice cream between two soft red velvet cookies, or satisfy your chocolate craving with their Morticia; crackly chocolate cookies and malted chocolate rum ice cream.
Address: 132 Orchard Street
Closest subway station: Delancey St
Oddfellows Ice Cream
Odd fellows Ice cream is everything you imagine an American ice cream parlor to be like. The shop has a retro look with red and white stripes on the walls, neon signs and of course the Stars and Stripes. Their flavors vary from American classics, such as s’mores and chocolate chunk, to more experimental flavors such as avocado and chorizo caramel swirl. Looking for something a little more filling? Create your very own Oddpocket: two scoops of ice cream, stuffed into a warm brioche bun with a topping of your choice (only at their East Village location).
Address: 75 East 4th Street
Closest subway station: Bleecker St
DŌ, Cookie Dough Confections
DŌ makes your childhood dreams come true, scooping edible cookie dough in as many flavors as you can possible imagine. No, it isn’t ice cream, but it’s served in ice cream cones or cups, and they feature several ice cream options too! Their ice cream sandwich consists of ice cream between their signature chocolate chip cookie dough; the cookie dough ice cream pie will put you on a high and their ice cream sundae gives you cookie, ice cream and cookie dough. Whatever you do, don’t tell your doctor.
Address: 550 LaGuardia Place
Closest subway station: Bleecker St
