Highest-rated ice cream shops in New Haven by diners

Nothing makes people quite as happy as a trip to the ice cream shop. Thankfully, there are endless options offering enough goods to tantalize anyone's palate. Across the U.S., nearly 17,800 ice cream shops serve up tasty treats to satisfy Americans' cravings.

While most of us would agree that there's no such thing as bad ice cream, there are still elements that keep customers coming back to one ice cream shop over another. A sense of newness and surprise are two big draws. Shop owners aim to please by using quality ingredients to experiment with new mashups—consider the rising trend of ice cream combined with pie. Some put unique spins on global treats, like Japanese mochi and Italian gelato. Others create giant Instagram-ready concoctions that become the highlight of social media.

Consumers have learned that smaller scoop shops may be more adaptive to real-time reactions, which means embracing new concepts, such as delicious dairy-free options. They can also ditch chemicals and give plant-based food coloring a try to see how it resonates with their customers.

But where artisanal shops really shine is in their ability to push the envelope to create amazing new flavors and limited-edition offerings that have customers eager to not miss out on what's next.

Seasonal ice creams feature fresh ingredients and flavors that evoke a particular time of year. Partnerships with local businesses can result in crave-able combinations highlighting local specialties. Many local shops also dabble with exotic flavors—savory ice cream, anyone?

To find out who's scooping up the best options, Stacker compiled a list of the highest-rated ice cream shops in the New Haven area using data from Yelp. Data is as of June 24, 2025.

Businesses were selected using Yelp's ranking system, which calculates an adjusted rating value that takes into account the number of ratings as well as the rating score itself. Only businesses with at least 20 reviews and within a 10-kilometer radius of New Haven were considered. Also, in an effort to highlight independent businesses and local chains, those with more than 10 locations nationally, based on our Yelp data, were not included.

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#24. FroyoWorld

- Rating: 3.1/5 (34 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 300 Universal Drive North North Haven, Connecticut
- Categories: Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt
- Read more on Yelp

2 / 24

#23. Milkcraft

- Rating: 3.2/5 (165 reviews)
- Address: 280 Crown St. New Haven, Connecticut
- Categories: Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt
- Read more on Yelp

3 / 24

#22. Libby's Italian Pastry Shop

- Rating: 3.2/5 (344 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 139 Wooster St. New Haven, Connecticut
- Categories: Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt, Desserts, Bakeries
- Read more on Yelp

4 / 24

#21. Frosty Twist

- Rating: 3.3/5 (51 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 22 South Broad St. Milford, Connecticut
- Categories: Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt, Coffee & Tea
- Read more on Yelp

5 / 24

#20. The Sandpiper Restaurant

- Rating: 3.3/5 (232 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 161 Cosey Beach Ave. East Haven, Connecticut
- Categories: Seafood, Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt, Chicken Wings
- Read more on Yelp

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#19. Shake Shack New Haven

- Rating: 3.4/5 (339 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 986 Chapel St. New Haven, Connecticut
- Categories: Burgers, Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt, fast food
- Read more on Yelp

7 / 24

#18. Vivi Bubble Tea

- Rating: 3.7/5 (156 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 940 Chapel St. New Haven, Connecticut
- Categories: Bubble Tea, Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt, Poke
- Read more on Yelp

8 / 24

#17. Bill's Carousel Ice Cream

- Rating: 3.7/5 (69 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1185 Whalley Ave. New Haven, Connecticut
- Categories: Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt, Hot Dogs
- Read more on Yelp

9 / 24

#16. Ashley's Ice Cream

- Rating: 3.9/5 (68 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 2100 Dixwell Ave. Hamden Plaza Hamden, Connecticut
- Categories: Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt
- Read more on Yelp

10 / 24

#15. Scoopy Doo's

- Rating: 3.9/5 (57 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 37 Helwig St. Milford, Connecticut
- Categories: Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt
- Read more on Yelp

11 / 24

#14. Dip-Top

- Rating: 4.0/5 (42 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 263 Boston Post Road Orange, Connecticut
- Categories: Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt
- Read more on Yelp

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#13. Ashley's Ice Cream

- Rating: 4.0/5 (266 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 280 York St. New Haven, Connecticut
- Categories: Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt
- Read more on Yelp

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#12. Jennifer's Ice Cream

- Rating: 4.1/5 (63 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 388 Main St. East Haven, Connecticut
- Categories: Bakeries, Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt
- Read more on Yelp

14 / 24

#11. Kelly's Cone Connection

- Rating: 4.2/5 (65 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 2538 Whitney Ave. Hamden, Connecticut
- Categories: Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt, Soup, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp

15 / 24

#10. Ashley's Ice Cream

- Rating: 4.2/5 (104 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1016 Main St. Branford, Connecticut
- Categories: Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt
- Read more on Yelp

16 / 24

#9. Saray Bakery and Cafe

- Rating: 4.3/5 (24 reviews)
- Address: 108 Boston Post Road Orange, Connecticut
- Categories: Bakeries, Turkish, Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt
- Read more on Yelp

17 / 24

#8. Ice and Fire Ice Cream

- Rating: 4.3/5 (42 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1201 Boston Post Road Milford, Connecticut
- Categories: Juice Bars & Smoothies, Bubble Tea, Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt
- Read more on Yelp

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#7. Wentworth's Homemade Ice Cream

- Rating: 4.3/5 (179 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 3697 Whitney Ave. Hamden, Connecticut
- Categories: Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt
- Read more on Yelp

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#6. B & B Flower Farm

- Rating: 4.5/5 (39 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 668 Jones Hill Road West Haven, Connecticut
- Categories: Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt, Florists
- Read more on Yelp

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#5. Arethusa Farm

- Rating: 4.6/5 (646 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1020 Chapel St. New Haven, Connecticut
- Categories: Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt, Cheese Shops
- Read more on Yelp

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#4. Elena's On Orange

- Rating: 4.7/5 (40 reviews)
- Address: 831 Orange St. New Haven, Connecticut
- Categories: Convenience Stores, Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt
- Read more on Yelp

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#3. Micro Creamery of CT

- Rating: 4.7/5 (49 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1652 Litchfield Turnpike Woodbridge, Connecticut
- Categories: Desserts, Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt, Juice Bars & Smoothies
- Read more on Yelp

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#2. Briellies Gelato & Cafe

- Rating: 4.8/5 (30 reviews)
- Address: 529 Main St. East Haven, Connecticut
- Categories: Gelato, Cafes, Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt
- Read more on Yelp

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#1. Natural Kitchen

- Rating: 4.9/5 (62 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 107 River St. Milford, Connecticut
- Categories: Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt, Bubble Tea, Poke
- Read more on Yelp