Highest-rated ice cream shops in New York City by diners

Written by:
June 25, 2024
Markus Photo and Video // Shutterstock

Highest-rated ice cream shops in New York City 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 York City 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!

1 / 29
Surreal Creamery

#29. Surreal Creamery

- Rating: 4.4/5 (475 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 538 2nd Ave. New York, New York
- Categories: Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt, Bubble Tea, Desserts
- Read more on Yelp

2 / 29
Van Leeuwen Ice Cream

#28. Van Leeuwen Ice Cream

- Rating: 4.4/5 (570 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 152 West 10th St. New York, New York
- Categories: Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt, Desserts, Coffee & Tea
- Read more on Yelp

3 / 29
Soft Swerve

#27. Soft Swerve

- Rating: 4.4/5 (107 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 379 3rd Ave. New York, New York
- Categories: Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt
- Read more on Yelp

4 / 29
Matcha Cafe Maiko

#26. Matcha Cafe Maiko

- Rating: 4.4/5 (223 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 132 Bowery New York, New York
- Categories: Coffee & Tea, Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt, Shaved Ice
- Read more on Yelp

5 / 29
Tipsy Scoop

#25. Tipsy Scoop

- Rating: 4.4/5 (152 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 270 Metropolitan Ave. Brooklyn, New York
- Categories: Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt, Desserts
- Read more on Yelp

6 / 29
Island Pops

#24. Island Pops

- Rating: 4.4/5 (130 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 670 Nostrand Ave. Brooklyn, New York
- Categories: Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt
- Read more on Yelp

7 / 29
Wowfulls

#23. Wowfulls

- Rating: 4.4/5 (329 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 90 Kent Ave. Brooklyn, New York
- Categories: Desserts, Waffles, Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt
- Read more on Yelp

8 / 29
Wafels & Dinges

#22. Wafels & Dinges

- Rating: 4.4/5 (1561 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: New York, New York
- Categories: Waffles, Food Trucks, Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt
- Read more on Yelp

9 / 29
Seed + Mill

#21. Seed + Mill

- Rating: 4.5/5 (344 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 409 West 15th St. Chelsea Market New York, New York
- Categories: Desserts, Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt, Gluten-Free
- Read more on Yelp

10 / 29
Ample Hills Creamery

#20. Ample Hills Creamery

- Rating: 4.5/5 (1671 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 623 Vanderbilt Ave. Brooklyn, New York
- Categories: Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt, Coffee & Tea
- Read more on Yelp

11 / 29
Aubi & Ramsa

#19. Aubi & Ramsa

- Rating: 4.5/5 (123 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1165 Broadway New York, New York
- Categories: Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt
- Read more on Yelp

12 / 29
Sugar Hill Creamery

#18. Sugar Hill Creamery

- Rating: 4.5/5 (321 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 184 Lenox Ave. New York, New York
- Categories: Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt, Coffee & Tea, Desserts
- Read more on Yelp

13 / 29
Taiyaki NYC - Williamsburg

#17. Taiyaki NYC - Williamsburg

- Rating: 4.5/5 (319 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 294 Bedford Ave. Brooklyn, New York
- Categories: Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt, Desserts, Waffles
- Read more on Yelp

14 / 29
Smoove Ice Cream

#16. Smoove Ice Cream

- Rating: 4.5/5 (276 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 279 Grand St. New York, New York
- Categories: Desserts, Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt, Bubble Tea
- Read more on Yelp

15 / 29
Caffè Panna

#15. Caffè Panna

- Rating: 4.5/5 (604 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 77 Irving Place New York, New York
- Categories: Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt, Coffee & Tea
- Read more on Yelp

16 / 29
Ray's Candy Store

#14. Ray's Candy Store

- Rating: 4.5/5 (508 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 113 Avenue A New York, New York
- Categories: Desserts, Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt, fast food
- Read more on Yelp

17 / 29
Figo Il Gelato Italiano

#13. Figo Il Gelato Italiano

- Rating: 4.6/5 (597 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 178 Mulberry St. New York, New York
- Categories: Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt, Gelato, Patisserie/Cake Shop
- Read more on Yelp

18 / 29
Sam's Fried Ice Cream

#12. Sam's Fried Ice Cream

- Rating: 4.6/5 (485 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 37 Orchard St. New York, New York
- Categories: Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt, Desserts
- Read more on Yelp

19 / 29
Anita Gelato

#11. Anita Gelato

- Rating: 4.6/5 (142 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 207 West 45 St. & 7th Ave. New York, New York
- Categories: Gelato, Waffles, Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt
- Read more on Yelp

20 / 29
Anita Gelato

#10. Anita Gelato

- Rating: 4.6/5 (549 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1561 Second Ave. New York, New York
- Categories: Gelato, Waffles, Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt
- Read more on Yelp

21 / 29
Anita Gelato

#9. Anita Gelato

- Rating: 4.6/5 (410 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1141 Broadway New York, New York
- Categories: Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt
- Read more on Yelp

22 / 29
Sundaes Best

#8. Sundaes Best

- Rating: 4.6/5 (274 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 315 5th Ave. New York, New York
- Categories: Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt, Gelato
- Read more on Yelp

23 / 29
A La Mode Shoppe

#7. A La Mode Shoppe

- Rating: 4.6/5 (126 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 360 East 55th St. New York, New York
- Categories: Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt, Party & Event Planning
- Read more on Yelp

24 / 29
Aubi & Ramsa

#6. Aubi & Ramsa

- Rating: 4.6/5 (144 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 38 Little West 12th St. New York, New York
- Categories: Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt
- Read more on Yelp

25 / 29
Stick With Me

#5. Stick With Me

- Rating: 4.7/5 (357 reviews)
- Price level: $$$
- Address: 202A Mott St. Ste A New York, New York
- Categories: Chocolatiers & Shops, Desserts, Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt
- Read more on Yelp

26 / 29
Bread & Joe

#4. Bread & Joe

- Rating: 4.7/5 (119 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 618 4th Ave. Brooklyn, New York
- Categories: Coffee & Tea, Bubble Tea, Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt
- Read more on Yelp

27 / 29
Ample Hills Creamery

#3. Ample Hills Creamery

- Rating: 4.8/5 (122 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 816 Washington Ave. Brooklyn, New York
- Categories: Donuts, Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt
- Read more on Yelp

28 / 29
Sweet Dynasty

#2. Sweet Dynasty

- Rating: 4.8/5 (126 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 5918 5th Ave. Brooklyn, New York
- Categories: Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt
- Read more on Yelp

29 / 29
Lady Moo Moo Ice Cream

#1. Lady Moo Moo Ice Cream

- Rating: 4.8/5 (140 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 365 Chauncey St. Brooklyn, New York
- Categories: Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt, Desserts
- Read more on Yelp

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