Ok ok I know, I am slightly late with this post. So late, in fact, it isn't even summer anymore. I planned to write this last month when we were in the middle of a heatwave, but adulting happens and before you know it it's September, what's a gal to do?! However, this is England, we love to wear shorts in 15-degree weather, we rarely take our umbrellas out, and come December we refuse to acknowledge the fact it's bloody cold, so we can eat ice cream all year round right? I do anyway...
I am writing this article mainly to myself because I have an absolute obsession with a particular American ice creamery that is not in the UK, or even Europe. My husband is sick of me suggesting we go on holiday to the US purely so I can eat 800 calories worth of ice cream every day, I am hoping to find a new obsession, based in London.
I heard mixed reviews about this place. It is instantly recognisable these days andlocated in Covent Garden, its popularity has blown up massively over this past summer. Don't bother getting there early, it doesn't open until 1pm each day, however, if you want a chance of taking a photo of your ice cream against the pretty floral backdrop, you will need to start queueing around 15 minutes before it opens.
After hearing some negative things about their ice cream, I was pleasantly surprised by the taste of the soft-serve ice cream! And they really do look as good as the photos, the candy floss rings, however, are somewhat impractical (my friend ate mine in the end).
I would give this an Instagram rating of 5/5, a taste rating of 4/5, but the chaotic atmosphere inside the ice cream parlour is a little stressful. I wouldn't sit in there to eat the ice cream because of how busy it is (this will improve outside of the summer season hopefully), however, it melts quickly so finding a spot to eat it in peace before being covered in gooey bubblegum goodness was difficult.
It's clear to see that many cafes and restaurants across the capital are creating food with Instagram in mind. Some people find this annoying, for me, it's bringing out people's creative sides, and I love that. Whipped London is a dessert cafe in Holborn combining ice cream and cheesecake! My favourite? The cookie monster! Everyone knows cookie dough is the best thing since sliced bread.
A little taste of Japan in London. Yaki Yaki might look like a very modern-day dessert but the actual flavours have stuck to their traditional roots. Who doesn't want to eat ice cream straight out of a little fishy cone?
So why fish? These fish cones are supposed to be seabream, a royal fish in Japanese culture. But don't worry, it doesn't actually taste like fish in any way! It is purely for aesthetic purposes.
Did someone ask for an ice cream macaron sandwich? No, but that's only because we hadn't thought of it! These little treats are so cute and their designs are always being updated!
Whilst the ice cream (and the churros!) look incredible, recent reviews suggest they look better than they taste. With an interior just as pretty, the cafe can get very busy and photos hard to take. So if you do want to pop in for a photo, make sure you get there early as they don't take table reservations!
Ever heard of nitrogen ice cream? Me neither until I stumbled upon this place. I won't go too much into detail but think of it as a rather funky looking scientific experiment and poof you get some ice cream from it! Imagine super cold ice cream decorated with flowers and you will reach the below...
Anyone else starting to see a trend in how many places use the word 'milk' in their name? Yep me too. Milk Cool is no different. Located in Notting Hill, Milk Cool is bashing out all the rainbow soft-serve ice cream you could hope for, and with a ring of candy floss too. All the ice cream is nut-free so this is the perfect option for those with nut allergies it's pretty tasty too... You can even indulge in a six-tier, six flavour ice cream, all for the gram hey?!
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