The best ice cream shops in NYC

Morgenstern is a contemporary twist on your classic ice cream parlor, boasting serious attention to texture, flavor and use of natural ingredients. The ice cream hotspot offers ice cream cakes in addition to ice cream flavors like Blueberry Milk Chocolate, Vietnamese Coffee, Durian Banana and Salted Pretzel. The original location on Rivington St is going strong, while the newer and larger flagship on Houston St has plenty of outdoor seating.

Here you’ll find kooky combos like chorizo caramel swirl and a spicy lime tarragon sorbet made the old-fashioned way. Milk, which is locally sourced and pasteurized in-house, is infused with flavor even before the freezing process begins. Steer kids to the maple bacon pecan, mango or aromatic strawberry lavender sorbet, or splurge for the to-die-for cornbread sundae, topped with blueberry compote, maple syrup and bacon-scented whipped cream, and nab a seat at the red-topped counter for house-made sodas and thick shakes spun from the daily offerings.

This popular artisanal ice cream chainlet got its start as a pair of roving trucks. Its sunny café in Boerum Hill is outfitted with black-walnut tables, pendant lighting and a glass-paneled facade. Kiddos will definitely dig the vanilla, chocolate, strawberry and mint chip. The adventurous will be fond of flavors like honeycomb and ceylon cinnamon. Find other locations online. 

This burger and soft-serve stand operates out of a 1974 Airstream trailer that's parked on the rooftop park of the William Vale Hotel elevated promenade. There are juicy burgers, and here are waffle fries, but you're here for the “dairy dips” ice-cream cones that come in flavors like Jacker-Crax (buttered caramel popcorn with salted peanuts) and Hawaii Five-0 (Tahitian vanilla scoops with pineapple preserve and toasted coconut). A second location in the Seaport District is scheduled to open.

This dessert paradise brings ice cream to the next level with a rotating menu of flavors crafted from the freshest ingredients. You could order your ice cream in a plain ol' cup, but why would you when you can get it on a warm brownie? The location in Gowanus has booths and counter seating, but take your treats to the outdoor roof deck where you can take in stunning views of the Manhattan skyline, or you can swing by the stand on Pier 5 at the Brooklyn Bridge Park, where the menu is smaller but the views are even more majestic.

This old-timey soda fountain shop offers a dreamy menu of ice creamy treats including floats with soda made in-house and Adirondack Creamery ice cream. Grab a stool at the counter and watch your sundaes be handcrafted right in front of you. You can always make a meal of it, and start with a grilled cheese or other lunch counter fare.

As the name suggests, Soft Serve specializes in soft-serve ice cream. But it's so much more than your standard vanilla-or-chocolate setup: The Asian-inspired flavors include purple yam, Hong Kong milk tea, black sesame, matcha and so much more. Soft Swerve has four locations and counting. 

The long list of flavors available at this Lower East Side locale is enough to make anyone’s mouth water: lavender honey, banana chocolate chip and maple walnut, to name a few. Little ones looking for something out-of-the-ordinary can taste any of bizarre flavors like wasabi and sweet potato while the grown-ups cool off with a cup of chocolate amaretto crunch, bourbon pecan and vanilla rum.

This colorful East Village outpost is the brainchild of graphic-designer-turned-dessert-maven David Yoo who takes his ice cream very seriously, churning out all-natural sweet cream-based parlor classics like Salted Caramel and Roasted Pistachio. But if you’re looking for high-gear decadence, go straight for their signature Peanut Butter Pie Milkshake—a heavenly blend of Mexican vanilla ice cream, chocolate sauce, whipped cream and an entire slice of peanut butter pie.

A family-run Chinatown institution for more than 30 years, this popular scoop shop sells offbeat flavors like black sesame, lychee and avocado.

What started as an ice cream truck expanded into a brick-and-mortar shop in the East Village. Today, their refreshing treats can also be found in the West Village and Philadelphia’s Center City. Beat the heat with rich flavors like the Rocky Roadhouse Cone, chocolate ice cream with toasted almonds, melted chocolate chunks and mini marshmallows. If you’d rather savor their desserts slowly and over the course of several days—if you can resist devouring it all in one sitting—ice cream pints in seven flavors can be ordered order online or through retailers across New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and Pennsylvania.

The small-batch wares at this Brooklyn mini-chain are crafted on a Hudson Valley farm from organic dairy and sugar. Kids can top the cold stuff with all-natural, often locally harvested toppings, including honey, hot fudge, sea salt, Nunu chocolates or, for the daring, balsamic vinegar.

CoolMess puts hungry customers in the driver's seat and lets them choose the basics that lead to a great sundae: the foundation, a vanilla, chocolate or strawberry sorbet, followed by a myriad of toppings. Play it safe with chocolate sprinkles and gummy bears or really amp things up with Reese's sauce, Oreo cookie crumbs or chocolate pretzels. This Instagram-worthy venue is the perfect spot to host a party, so keep it mind for your little one's upcoming birthday bash!

OK, OK, so this might be a cereal bar, but you have plenty of options to spice up the breakfast dish with a cone or cup of your favorite ice cream. If you so choose, we highly recommend trying a scoop of your favorite flavor and pairing it with your go-to cereal cereal (yep, unhealthy options like Fruity Pebbles and Cocoa Puffs are among the options), adding a fun topping like chocolate chips or Teddy Grahams and rounding out the fun with a chocolate or strawberry caramel drizzle. 

We're on the fence as to whether our favorite invention from Momofuku pastry chef Christina Tosi is her crack pie or the ice cream version of her silly-brilliant, much-copied dessert invention, the Cereal Milk shake. Like the addictive drink after which it's named, the ice cream base is made by steeping toasted Corn Flakes in organic whole milk to give it its familiar yet decadent, trademark flavor and adding a bit of salt and sugar; then it's poured whipped in the soft-serve machine. Have your cone garnished with toasted Corn Flake crunch, which adds both flavor and bite to the creamy indulgence

You’ll never go back to artificially-flavored sugary popsicles after a taste from any of People’s Pops’ offerings. Seasonal flavors such as strawberry basil and blackberry pear ginger are handmade in Brooklyn using fruits bought at NYC greenmarkets, herbs and organic cane sugar. These options are certainly a notch up from what your kids get at camp!

This old-school Queens venue will take you back to the good 'ol days with its quaint ambiance and fun selections such as egg creams (yum), sundaes, malteds and classic cups and cones. All the ice cream is made in house—this is the real deal, a taste of ice cream from another era.

The Staten Island go-to—which first came into existence in 1932, but has since changed locations—has been satisfying families everywhere with hand-made ice cream cakes, classic candies you can no longer find in the stores and events such as open mics and workshops that the whole gang will love. 

Perfect for little ones who just can’t decide between a soft-baked cookie and a cold summery treat, the crafty Melt Bakery serves up a delicious dose of both. As the only shop in the city that sells ice cream sandwiches exclusively, you might expect business to lag behind other, more traditional shops, but owner Julian Plyter is confident in two things: “They’re perfect for kids because they aren’t messy at all. Parents love that!”—plus, he swears he makes the only (correct) Snickerdoodle in Manhattan. Kid favorites here include the Lovelet, a red velvet whoopee pie with cream cheese ice cream and the Classic (with chocolate chip walnut cookies). Most sandwiches also come in mini sizes.

Manny Rameriz started working at Dichter’s as a delivery boy in 1982, when he was a student at Bronx Science High School. He took it over in 2007, becoming the caretaker of a neighborhood institution that opened in 1943. But Dichter’s isn’t a quaint nostalgia trip, it’s a busy pharmacy and lunch counter where members of the community come to grab a sandwich and a black and white cookie, or sit and linger over the Manny RX, a signature sundae big enough to share.

This East Village ice cream shop offers classic picks like vanilla and chocolate and then turns the tables with quirky offerings such as wasabi, ginger, corn, tiramisu and black sesame. There's also non-fat and no-sugar-added ice cream or frozen yogurt if you're feeling like going that route! Last but not least, little ones will be happy to know that they can sample any flavor they want before selecting their perfect cone.