Top 3 BEST Places to Get Ice Cream in NYC

Big Gay Ice Cream (photo: Yelp)

This is my 2015 Top Three Best Places to Grab Ice Cream* in NYC - and believe me, there's a whole lotta' places to go in the Big Apple, but these are the top three I'd recommend to anyone - whether you're a local or a tourist, any day of the week:


1. Big Gay Ice Cream
I just can't pass up on a Salty Pimp. Don't judge the names or the guy who serves ice cream with blue lipstick - the place is delicious as are the people that work there. Oh, and I really like the boozy Rue McClanahan! I have yet to grab a Chai Shake, but oh, dear foodies, this is for my next visit....!


2. Chinatown Ice Cream Factory

Chinatown Ice Cream Factory (photo: NYCgo)

They have some delicious  flavors to sample here - I love the black sesame combined with a scoop of the purple taro - there's something about the two of those flavors together that just work. If you're going to go, please try the caramel bacon swirl and let me know what you think!

Van Leeuwen (photo: Eater)

3. Van Leeuwen Artisan Ice Cream
The name is annoying but the flavors are fresh and clean. Find one of their on-the-go mobile ice cream trucks or their store front locations and prepare to have a summer that says, "ahhhhh!" Currants and cream get my attention right away, as does their approach to making their products. On their website, they write "We celebrate ingredients perfected by nature, not science." With six trucks and three stores around Brooklyn and Manhattan serving homemade ice creams, fresh pastries and Toby's Estate Coffee, you'll want to check them out.

*Just for clarification: This blog post highlights ICE CREAM, not gelato, which is a completely different category of its own.