Highest-rated ice cream shops in New Haven by diners
Highest-rated ice cream shops in New Haven by diners
Ice cream is a treat that can be enjoyed all year round, although the volume produced during the hotter months signals otherwise. The majority of ice cream and other frozen desserts in the U.S. are made between March and August, with July being the busiest month of all, according to the Department of Agriculture.
Many Americans have memories of their pastel green mint chocolate chip scoop dripping down their waffle cone at the height of summer or cooling down with their sprinkle-covered chocolate and vanilla soft-serve twist. Ice cream tends to scream nostalgia, but the range of available flavors has evolved since the days when the dessert was mainly limited to vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry.
Of course, that doesn't mean those aren't still top-tier choices. According to a May 2024 survey of 2,200 American adults by the International Dairy Foods Association and Morning Consult, the top 10 ice cream flavors today are still the three classics (vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry, in that order) followed by butter pecan, cookie dough, cookies and cream, mint chocolate chip, chocolate chip, rocky road, and peanut butter or peanut butter cup.
Nowadays, many ice cream shops offer fresh combinations and ingredients you may never have imagined could be made into ice cream, concoctions like black sesame cookies and cream or honey lavender. Some ice cream shops boast flavors with even more unheard-of ingredients and combinations, like the savory tarragon olive oil or pineapple with pink peppercorns.
Ice cream creators have also expanded into rethinking frozen yogurt, soft serve, and vegan options. Dairy-free folks no longer have to order the only sorbet on the menu. There are nondairy milk ice creams made from plant-based milks like oat or almond and other plant-based products like avocado or sunflower butter.
And then there are the toppings, one of the best parts about getting a scoop at your local shop. Pour on the condensed milk or dulce de leche. Sprinkle bits of honeycomb or your favorite childhood cereal.
Ice cream shops everywhere have made it their job to serve up the smoothest, creamiest, and most crave-able options. To find out who's doing the best job of it, 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 10 reviews were considered. Also, in an effort to highlight independent businesses and local chains, those with more than five locations nationally, based on the Yelp data, were not included.
Read on to determine where you'll get your next cup or cone from!
#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
#23. Milkcraft
- Rating: 3.2/5 (165 reviews)
- Address: 280 Crown St. New Haven, Connecticut
- Categories: Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#22. Libby's Italian Pastry Shop
- Rating: 3.2/5 (344 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 139 Wooster St. New Haven, Connecticut
- Categories: Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt, Desserts, Bakeries
- Read more on Yelp
#21. Frosty Twist
- Rating: 3.3/5 (51 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 22 South Broad St. Milford, Connecticut
- Categories: Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt, Coffee & Tea
- Read more on Yelp
#20. The Sandpiper Restaurant
- Rating: 3.3/5 (232 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 161 Cosey Beach Ave. East Haven, Connecticut
- Categories: Seafood, Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt, Chicken Wings
- Read more on Yelp
#19. Shake Shack New Haven
- Rating: 3.4/5 (339 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 986 Chapel St. New Haven, Connecticut
- Categories: Burgers, Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt, fast food
- Read more on Yelp
#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
#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
#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
#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
#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
#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
#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
#11. Kelly's Cone Connection
- Rating: 4.2/5 (65 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 2538 Whitney Ave. Hamden, Connecticut
- Categories: Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt, Soup, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp
#10. Ashley's Ice Cream
- Rating: 4.2/5 (104 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1016 Main St. Branford, Connecticut
- Categories: Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#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
#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
#7. Wentworth's Homemade Ice Cream
- Rating: 4.3/5 (179 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 3697 Whitney Ave. Hamden, Connecticut
- Categories: Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#6. B & B Flower Farm
- Rating: 4.5/5 (39 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 668 Jones Hill Road West Haven, Connecticut
- Categories: Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt, Florists
- Read more on Yelp
#5. Arethusa Farm
- Rating: 4.6/5 (646 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1020 Chapel St. New Haven, Connecticut
- Categories: Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt, Cheese Shops
- Read more on Yelp
#4. Elena's On Orange
- Rating: 4.7/5 (40 reviews)
- Address: 831 Orange St. New Haven, Connecticut
- Categories: Convenience Stores, Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#3. Micro Creamery of CT
- Rating: 4.7/5 (49 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1652 Litchfield Turnpike Woodbridge, Connecticut
- Categories: Desserts, Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt, Juice Bars & Smoothies
- Read more on Yelp
#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
#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
