Discover the World's Most Creative Ice Cream Spots: From London to Sydney

Ice cream is an essential holiday indulgence. Skip the ordinary vanilla and explore innovative parlors worldwide—from London and Sydney to Los Angeles and Tokyo—where experts craft extraordinary flavors and techniques. Treat yourself to these standout spots!

London

Chin Chin Labs by Paul Richards (image courtesy of Chin Chin Labs)

London's culinary scene thrives on innovation, extending to casual treats. In Camden, discover Europe's first liquid nitrogen ice cream bar at Chin Chin Laboratorists (chinchinlabs.com).

Artisans in lab coats and goggles mix flavored cream with liquid nitrogen, creating instant, creamy custard amid dramatic vapor clouds. Flavors rotate creatively, from cigar-smoked salted caramel to strawberry infused with hay for a Wimbledon twist.

California

California's eternal summer inspires playful ice cream shops along the coast, from Los Angeles to San Francisco.

Sprinkles Ice Cream (image courtesy of Sprinkles Ice Cream)

In Beverly Hills, Sprinkles Ice Cream (www.sprinklesicecream.com) serves cereal- and candy-loaded scoops in red velvet waffle cones or between fresh cupcake tops. At LA's MILK (www.themilkshop.com), oversized macarons sandwich flavors like Thai iced tea instead of traditional fillings.

Humphry Slocombe (image courtesy of Frankeny Images)

San Francisco's Humphry Slocombe (humphryslocombe.com) pushes boundaries with beet, foie gras, and cheese ice creams. Their prosciutto flavor—salted pork infused with fennel and black pepper—is a local hit.

Puerto Rico

The Caribbean's heat makes ice cream a daily delight. In Lares, a mountain town in western Puerto Rico, family-owned Heladería Lares has offered over 50 flavors daily since 1958.

Honoring local traditions, they create ice creams from sweet potato-cinnamon, rice and beans, rice pudding, corn, and even codfish. This unpretentious spot reimagines Latin American cuisine through frozen treats.

Tokyo

Tokyo redefines conventions, including ice cream with squid ink, charcoal, wasabi, cactus, and eel flavors.

At Ice Cream City in Namja Town (Sunshine City, Ikebukuro), an indoor theme park features soft-serve machines and freezers stocked with wild options, including raw horse meat.

For sweeter profiles, Nana’s Green Tea (www.nanaha.com) at Tokyo Skytree offers modern Japanese twists: powdered green tea ice cream with red bean, frozen matcha lattes, and parfaits.

Sydney

Sydney's patisseries, parlors, and carts from Bondi to Surry Hills deliver inventive ice creams, gelatos, and popsicles.

Gelato Messina (image courtesy of Gelato Messina)

Gelato Messina (www.gelatomessina.com) specializes in all-natural, homemade gelatos. Standouts include Royale w/ Cheese: chocolate crackle 'burger' with white chocolate, apricot gelée, cucumber, and raspberry.

Pâtissier Adriano Zumbo (adrianozumbo.com), Sydney's dessert visionary, offers pineapple-ginger ice cream and popping candy-coated sandwiches.

Caitlin Zaino, founder of The Urban Grocer (www.theurbangrocer.com), travels globally to uncover cutting-edge food experiences.

Craving unique desserts? Check out How sweet it is: destinations and their desserts