July may have been a bit of a wash out but with at least another month of summer left, we’re ever optimistic that the UK will be basking in sunshine once again! We all love a gloriously sunny summer’s day but of course we wouldn’t be British if we didn’t moan about it being too hot, so what better way to cool down than to indulge in a frozen treat?
To prepare for this impending heatwave (it’s going to come, we’re sure of it!), TripAdvisor has revealed its list of the UK’s very best ice cream parlours, based on the reviews and opinions of TripAdvisor travellers*.
The number one spot goes to Di Polas in Hastings, East Sussex, followed by Cornwall’s Perran Daily Ice Cream Parlour in Perranporth.
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Di Polas, Hastings, East Sussex (5 out of 5 bubbles of TripAdvisor, 185 reviews)
Jumping up from second place in 2014, Di Polas is perfectly located on the South Coast seafront and is revered locally for its wide selection of enticing flavours, including Sea Salt Caramel and Malteser.
One TripAdvisor traveller said, “Lots of flavours of ice cream to choose from... I had Sea Salted Caramel, Banoffee and Cappuccino. Highly recommend the Sea Salted Caramel! Absolutely delicious...A lovely little treat. Will definitely be going back.”
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Perran Dairy Ice Cream Parlour, Perranporth, Cornwall (5 out of 5 bubbles of TripAdvisor, 122 reviews)
New entry for 2015 – Located just a short walk from Perranporth Beach, Perran Dairy Ice Cream Parlour serves up homemade artisan ice cream made from local clotted cream and milk. Visitors can also enjoy treats such as Belgium Waffles, sundaes and crepes.
One TripAdvisor traveller said, “We are regular visitors to Perranporth and this place is top of the list of things to do every time. So many choices, over the week we tried Jaffa cake, Toffee Crisp all the usual flavours but the Jammy Dodger ice cream is amazing.”
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Frank and Beans Gelateria, Lyme Regis, Dorset (5 out of 5 bubbles of TripAdvisor, 61 reviews)
New entry 2015 – Named after the owner (Frank) and her dog (Beans), this gelateria boasts a vast selection of delicious flavours including; hazelnut, salted caramel, basil and chilli, carrot cake and for the adults – a mojito sorbet with white rum, fresh mint and lime juice.
One TripAdvisor traveller said, “Ice cream served with knowledge and a smile. Superb taste and pure flavour - wonderful. We will keep returning for more and more indulgence.”
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The Looking Glass Ice Cream Parlour, Llandudno, North Wales (5 out of 5 bubbles of TripAdvisor, 218 reviews)
New entry for 2015 – Located in the seaside town of Llandudo, The Looking Glass makes all of its ice cream and sorbets on-site, using local ingredients. Flavours are constantly updated and for those who enjoy the oldies, classic treats such as Banana Split are on offer. Milkshakes are served up in glass milk bottles and the ice cream parlour’s twist on a cream tea sees a fruit scone served with vanilla ice cream and mixed berry sorbet.
One TripAdvisor traveller said, “The tastiest ice-cream ever! Ferrero Roche ice cream - highly recommended. Love the decor and the friendly staff. A good end to a beautiful day.”
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PJ’s Ice Cream Parlour, Weston-super-Mare, Somerset (5 out of 5 bubbles of TripAdvisor, 86 reviews)
New entry for 2015 – Run by a husband and wife team, Peter and Jan Field launched PJ’s Ice Cream Parlour eight years ago. Using milk sourced from the South West, PJ’s offers 40 different flavours of ice cream and thousands of combinations of ice cream sundaes.
One TripAdvisor traveller said, “A taste of heaven at a price which does not necessitate taking out a second mortgage. Top quality, great taste and a good amount for £1.40 a scoop. Run by people who know their ice cream - visit here, your taste buds will thank you.”
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Gelato Village, Leicester, Leicestershire (5 out of 5 bubbles of TripAdvisor, 163 reviews)
New entry for 2015 – The owners of this ice cream parlour hail from Turin, Italy and serve the people of Leicester and its visitors artisan gelato and sorbetto. Their products are produced in-house using traditional Italian methods. Visitors to this ice cream parlour will never get bored as flavours are updated daily.
One TripAdvisor traveller said, “This is not a standard ice cream parlour, it is on a whole new level. The friendly staff serve gorgeous gelato! Magnifico, stupendo, bellisimo!”
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Creme Pen Cei, Ceredigion, Wales (5 out of 5 bubbles of TripAdvisor, 132 reviews)
New entry for 2015 – This traditional ice cream parlour located overlooking the harbour specialises in handmade gelato while also serving a selection of paninis, smoothies and fair-trade coffee.
One TripAdvisor traveller said, “Lovely ice cream in a huge variety of flavours to suit adults and kids alike. Between the 6 of us (2 adults, 4 kids) we tried Bubblegum, cherry, strawberry, chocolate, bounty, cookie dough, mint choc chip and raspberry ripple - all fantastic.”
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Moomaid of Zennor, St Ives, Cornwall (5 out of 5 bubbles of TripAdvisor, 186 reviews)
Up one place from ninth in 2014, the small family business, Moomaid of Zennor makes Cornish ice cream in the purpose built ice cream parlour located on their farm. The ice cream is made fresh and mixed by hand, from the milk of the farm’s very own cows. Flavours on offer include salted almond praline, Turkish delight and chocolate and chestnut.
One TripAdvisor traveller said, “Absolutely love this place for good flavour ice cream. Definitely my favourite place to go in St Ives. My wife says I'm greedy because I always have a triple scoop!”
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Tutti Frutti, Reading, Berkshire (5 out of 5 bubbles of TripAdvisor, 249 reviews)
A local favourite for both ice cream and coffee, this family-run establishment situated in Reading train station is known for its exploration of unusual flavours, including Pimms Sorbet and English Trifle.
One TripAdvisor traveller said, “The team at Tutti Frutti always impress with their excellent cakes, amazing ice cream and super service. I would recommend this place to anyone in and around Reading.”
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Mary’s Milk Bar, Edinburgh, Scotland (5 out of 5 bubbles of TripAdvisor, 385 reviews)
Mary has worked as a chocolatier for the last five years and trained in Bologna, Italy at the prestigious Carpigiani Gelato University. Tucked into the bustling Grassmarket, Mary’s Milk Bar boasts a magnificent view of Edinburgh Castle and offers a selection of flavours with new ones introduced every week.
One TripAdvisor traveller said, “You must go here - the best choclate ice cream since Italy! The place is a dream of 1950s retro. Mary and her staff let you taste their wares and oh my what wares they are – fantastic. I can't rate it highly enough.”
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For more information, please contact Hayley Coleman at hcoleman@tripadvisor.com or call 0203 194 21500203 194 2150.
*The TripAdvisor ranking of top ice cream parlours in the UK is based on the quantity and quality of reviews for ice cream parlours, giving more weight to recent reviews. Ice cream parlours were identified as those tagged under the ice cream filter or with at least 50% of reviews mentioning ice cream or gelato and a minimum of 20 reviews overall.
