Gelato, soft serve, sorbet, sherbet, rolled ice cream, liquid-nitrogen ice cream… the list goes on and on. If you follow me on social media, you know that I am a huge fan of ice cream. Because I’m tired of answering everyone’s questions of “omg, where did you get that from ice cream queen,” here are some of my favorite artisan ice cream parlors near Cooper (by proximity).
Oddfellows
Famous for their ice cream sandwiches and fresh waffle cones, this shop originating from Brooklyn has flavors that change daily. They range from traditional vanilla to unconventional miso peanut butter, and they let you try all of their daily flavors! Oddfellows also donates $0.05 for every serving of ice cream they sell to the Food Bank for New York City.
#SpoonTip: Don’t forget to ask for a stamp card — 10 stamps get you a free scoop with the homemade waffle cone instead of your standard cake/sugar cone!
Address: 75 E 4th St, New York, NY 10003
Hours of Operation: 12pm-11pm (Sun-Thurs); 12pm-12am (Fri-Sat)
Van Leeuwen
With their monthly specials (that you can send in requests for), Van Leeuwen has amazing classic and vegan ice cream (perfect for lactose-intolerant ice cream addicts like me)! The ice cream is super rich and flavorful, and you can try as many flavors as you want. They have limited seating, but the store is perfect for grabbing a warm drink or studying, with super friendly workers.
#SpoonTip: Don’t forget to ask for a stamp card (only good for beverages) and also bring in your own cup for a discount!
Address: 48 E 7th St, New York, NY 10003
Hours of Operation: 8am-12am (Mon-Fri); 9am-12am (Sat-Sun)
Amorino
Created in the heart of Paris by two close friends, Amorino serves authentic Italian gelato withorganic, and natural ingredients without preservatives. With several boutiques around the world, they serve sorbets and gelato with seasonal flavors too. You can choose as many flavors as you’d like, and if you get it in a cone, they make it into a gelato rose for you!
#SpoonTip: Although they have three sizes of serving, don’t hesitate to ask for all the flavors you want — they’ll make you a lovely rose with all the flavors you choose, even if you ordered the smallest size.
Address: 60 University Pl, New York, NY 10003
Hours of Operation: 11am-11pm (Sun-Wed); 11am-11:30pm (Thurs); 11am-12am (Fri-Sat)
Morgenstern
Focused on serving texture-driven ice cream, Morgenstern has variety of unique flavors with vibrant colors (such as coconut ash and edible schoolyard) that change from time to time. They also have a “sorBAE” flavor that changes monthly, and they also serve soft serve. The lines are always insane for this shop, and they also take orders for ice cream cakes!
#SpoonTip: Don’t forget to check out their Instagram for holiday specials (like this one for Mardi Gras).
Address: 2 Rivington St, New York, NY 10002
Hours of Operation: 8am-11pm (Sun-Thurs); 8am-12am (Fri-Sat)
Soft Swerve
Located in Chinatown, Soft Swerve has authentic Asian flavors such as matcha green tea and black sesame, along with unique flavors like Ube and Coconut. With various toppings, you can customize your own concoction or pick from one of the many combos. Everything here has vibrant colors, making it perfect for getting that instagram-worhty picture!
#SpoonTip: You can ask for multiple flavors that’s not offered as a “swirl” option, they’ll just stack different soft serve on top!
Address: 85B Allen St, New York, NY 10002
Hours of Operation: 12pm-11pm (Sun-Thurs); 12pm-12am (Fri-Sat)