City Baby’s Top 8 Ice Cream Shops in the East Village

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Summer is on the horizon, and what better way to celebrate than with copious amounts of ice cream?  (Okay… so you may want to hit the treadmill straight afterwards, but the endeavor is well worth it!). As you know, yours truly equates ice cream cones with sunshine and rainbows, so you know that I have all the time in the world for scoping out the most delicious sort.  It just so happens that the East Village is a prime destination for fantastic ice cream – so read on, check these spots out out, and enjoy every last flavor!

 

1. Sunades and Cones

95 East 10th street, New York, NY 10003

Tel. 212-979-9398

 

I stumbled upon this place quite haphazardly with my girlfriends a while back (the best kind of discovery in my book), and was immediately drawn.  It’s super cute inside, plenty spacious for the little kiddos, and what’s better, they have crazy flavors like wasabi ice cream, in case you want a kick in the tastebud.  The black seasame is another knock-out flavor. 

 

2. Odd Fellows Ice Creams Co.

75 East 4th Street, New York, NY 10003

Tel. 917-475-1812

 

Gourmet ice cream, with a flagship shop in Williamsburg, offering 8 rotating flavors (all made in Brooklyn!).  Try the Thai ice cream variety, it is nom nom.

 

3.  Big Gay Ice Cream

125 East 7th Street, New York, NY 10003

Tel. 212-533-9333

 

It all started with an ice cream truck, and is now a full-fledged phenomenon.  Besides, you really can’t go wrong anywhere that has a bedazzled unicorn on its wall.  Try the hand-dipped Salty Pimp, a cone of soft serve vanilla run through with Dulce de leche and subsequently dipped in a chocolate shell.  Simply beautiful. 

 

4. Davey's Ice Cream

137 1st Avenue, New York, NY, 10003

Tel. 212-228-8032

 

This Ice Cream jam is super cute and packed with retro-style, and we love the fireplace out on the back (perfect for babies and strollers!).  Go for the hardcore coffee flavor if you happen to be in the mood for a little pick-me-upper, or perhaps the Mexican Vanilla Bean.

 

5. Momofuku Milk Bar

251 East 13th Street, New York, NY 10003

Tel. 347-577-9504

 

Who said that soft serve had to be conventional, by any stretch of the imagination?  How about some pea-nut soft serve?  It comprises a mix of pea and almonds, and all around fantastic.   If you’re a sweets lover, then you should not miss out on the almighty Cereal Milk.  While you’re at it, why not go for the “cornflake crunch” topping?  It’s fabulous.  (P.S.  Momofuku Milk Bar just recently opened up their SoHo outpost on Wooster, check it here).

 

6. Van Leeuwen Artisan Ice Cream

48 East 7th Street, New York, NY 10003

Tel. 718-715-0758

 

Like many fabulous artisanal ice cream shops, Ben Van Leeuwen’s ice cream franchise had its beginnings out of a truck, and the ridiculousness of the flavors and taste speak for itself.  In addition, they also have a solid line of vegan flavors just in case you’re off the dairy. 

 

7. Mikey Likes It Ice Cream

199 Avenue A, New York, NY 10003

Tel. 646-896-1836

 

Throwback themes, delicious flavors, great vibes and music – need we say more?  They have fun flavors like Foxy Brown (mocha ice cream, crushed Oreos, sea salt caramel swirl) and Ice Ice Baby (triple vanilla with Madagascan, Mexican, and Tahitian vanilla beans).  Plus, any place that has a flavor featuring Michael Jackson (old school style) is my kind of joint!

 

8. Snowdays Shavery

241 East 10th Street, New York, NY 10003

Tel. 212-982-8881

 

Okay, so not quite ice cream, per se, more like artisanal shaved ice.  Though seriously, where else can you get something like the Seoul (an amalgamation of black sesame, green tea matcha, and shaved ice garnished with mangoes, mocha balls, red bean, and drizzled with condensed milk and crushed almond).  This combo alone should help motivate you!