Where Chefs Eat Ice-Cream in London

In our opinion, ice-cream and gelato are year-round foods. But the frozen food group really shines as temps rise. With three piping-hot days of freedom ahead of us, we asked the owners of some of the city’s best palettes where they eat ice-cream and gelato – and what they order.

I don’t have a particularly sweet tooth, but ice-cream is my weakness. I am always good at seeking out the city’s best frozen assets and I can’t get enough of the gelato at Venchi. There are quite a few branches now and I simply can’t pass by one without indulging. I fantasise about the dense, creamy texture and I love that their flavours are quite traditional. I can’t bear the insolence of bizarre, far-fetched flavours. I’ll stick to vanilla please – at least where ice-cream is concerned.

Oddono’s in Dulwich – their cookies and cream tub is [in my] top two and it’s not [at number] two. Proper creamy gelato, generous portions and it somehow always hits no matter the weather. It’s one of those spots I end up recommending to everyone because once you’ve had it, nothing else really compares.

I like to eat ice-cream at Romeo & Giulietta, which is my local in Newington Green.

I love La Grotta because her flavour pairings and obsession with seasonality matches mine. With a nod to the past, everything also feels so fresh. I recently tried one of her choc ices which I fell totally in love with. We’re hosting a pop-up on May 24 at Fink’s, no tickets required, just rock up for delicious ice cream and tasty wines. 

One of my favourite ice-cream brands is Brickell’s – it's from the wonderful team behind Westcombe Dairy. They use delicious British ingredients with nothing untoward added in. Their ricotta stracciatella and roasted strawberry are my two favourites. The Passage Pantry in Angel stocks the tubs.

For a scoop, it's got to be Gelupo. Again, they use British milk and are also now making their waffle cones with Wildfarmed flour. I’m a bit of a purist when it comes to ice-cream and gelato flavours, so I love the fior di latte with perhaps an extra scoop of the sour cherry ricotta atop.

Gelupo is just a stone’s throw from Kiln and somewhere we always send our guests post-spicy Thai food. My favourites are the ricotta and sour cherry, but when it’s available the mango and sticky rice gelato has to be the best.

I have a weak spot for soft serve, and one of my favourite spots is Soft Serve Society. I love that they always come up with fun, unique flavours while still doing the classics so well. Nothing beats a chocolate soft serve there. 

La Glace Alain Ducasse in Borough Yards is somewhere I go quite often. Everything they make is great but their fresh herb sorbet is particularly good.

We actually tend to avoid a lot of the more expensive ice-cream spots in London and instead keep an eye out for the classic Mr Whippy vans. I’m a big Arsenal fan, so I sometimes stop by Tina’s Ices in Highbury Fields before or after a game. I like to support traditional Mr Whippy vans, and oyster Whippy ice creams are a proper childhood favourite of mine, so I'll always get one. It’s a wafer shell filled with sticky marshmallow, dipped in chocolate and desiccated coconut, then filled with 99p Whippy ice-cream. They used to cost £1.20 and they’re now about £5, but even today, if there’s an oyster available, I’ll order it.

It has to be Gelupo, it’s just around the corner from the Lina Stores deli on Brewer Street and not too far from Lina Stores on Greek Street, so is perfect for popping in for a quick scoop. They make the most delicious Alphonso mango sorbet, which is now back in season and on the menu. I’ve been dreaming about it since last year!

I tend to go to St John for a cup of sorbet and a shot of vodka. Both pair really well with a plate of madeleines, so often I'll skip dessert if I'm out for dinner and just head to Bread and Wine. 

Ice Cream Union off the King’s Road is my absolute go-to. 

On my days off, I’m often stopping by my local corner shop for a White Chocolate Magnum or a Cornetto. But, when it comes to gelato, I’m a huge fan of Gelupo in Soho – in particular their rice pudding special. It’s got an amazing texture and a good amount of nutmeg. They have great sweet and savoury flavour combinations there: chocolate and thyme, a black pepper ripple, that sort of thing. I’m due another visit. I’ve also heard great things about Tano Gelato, an Argentinian gelato spot in Dalston – firmly on my list for this summer.

Definitely Gelupo. I was lucky enough to try some with the gelato savant Giancarlo [Moranduzzo, Gelupo head chef] early in the morning with a coffee. This is the best time to eat gelato in my opinion, and now is the season for their alphonso mango and the cherry is divine.

Gelupo is by far my favourite spot in central, and mint chocolate chip is the best ice-cream flavour ever created. Their mint chocolate stracciatella is up there with the greats. Wherever Soft & Swirly is popping up is always worth a trip, too – not to be missed.

If I’m eating anywhere in Soho I’m getting ice cream from Gelupo afterwards. So many stunning flavour choices, always updating with the seasons. I find it hard to not have the ricotta and sour cherry which is a signature of theirs, but all of the flavours are rich, balanced and delicious.

If I’m anywhere near the restaurant, I’ll grab a couple of scoops from Bellissima Gelateria in Highbury – usually pistachio (or hazelnut) because it’s properly nutty and not overly sweet. It’s the perfect little reset after service. I’m also a big fan of the soft serve at Jolene in Newington Green – I’ll go classic vanilla (whatever the seasonal topping is), as it’s super clean, creamy, and just hits the spot without being heavy.

Jonathan Burton has just re-vamped The Parlour at Fortnum & Mason. It’s the perfect pitstop for a sweet treat after a shift. My favourite is the Cherry Knickerbocker Glory with cherry soft serve. 

Jefferson’s is probably my go-to in London. They’ve got shops in Balham and Brixton, and we actually use their ice cream in our milkshakes at Heard, which says a lot because we’re pretty obsessive about ingredients and quality. What I respect is that their philosophy feels very similar to ours at Heard. Everything’s made fresh daily in their south London kitchen using organic milk, natural ingredients and properly considered flavours. There’s a real focus on quality and sustainability, and you can genuinely taste that in the finished product. I’m usually drawn to the sea salt caramel or strawberry compote. The flavours are clean, balanced and taste exactly how they should. Nothing overworked, just really good ice-cream made properly.

Soho Dairy – it’s just around the corner from Khao Bird; they have a stall on Berwick Market. It’s delicious and we love to support our independent neighbours. My favourite flavour is wild raw honey.