By Alex Edwards
As the temperatures continue to rise, you might find yourself craving something ice cold to soothe the sweat drops accumulating across your forehead. Rather than reach for some water, satisfy another craving – the sweet kind – with a frozen sugar rush. We’ve gathered the coolest, literally, places in town to grab an icy bite that’s so much more than just your regular ice cream cone.
Milk Train Cafe
If you’re into Instagrammable treats, Milk Train in Covent Garden is the place for you. With soft serve surrounded by a ring of candyfloss, the ice cream is literally a dream. You can load up with toppings, and have it all floating on a cloud. Reviewers say the queue at the cafe in Covent Garden takes about 30 minutes and it’s not cheap, but the ‘gram is so worth it.
Maxwell’s
This bar and grill in Covent Garden is the birthplace of a frozen treat so massive you’ll have to fast for an entire day just to finish one. The Freakshake comes in 20 different flavors and is basically a milkshake spilling with oversized toppings, like entire donuts, cakes and cookies. Among the newest concoctions is a Unicorn Freakshake topped with whipped cream, candyfloss, marshmallows, candy and a unicorn horn. And no matter how outrageous your order, all shakes are £7.95.
Chin Chin Labs
The mad scientists over at Chin Chin have been creating crazy concoctions for years, all with the use of liquid nitrogen. The dessert bar in Camden Town has new flavor combos each week, piled with toppings for a sundae if you wish. Recently, the founders opened Chin Chin Dessert Club in Soho with a new menu of outrageous treats, like the Avo-Taco that includes waffles and avocado ice-cream.
Yorica!
If you like to keep it healthier but still get that frozen fix, Yorica! in Soho is your next stop. Vegan, dairy free, gluten free, nut free and egg free, all the ice cream and fro-yo are all-natural and sustainable. You can even add animal-free toppings like fresh fruit and sauces.
Pan-n-Ice
In Westfield Stratford City, Pan-n-Ice claims they’re the UK’s leading seller of rolled ice cream and yogurt. The process involves taking a base (ice cream or froyo), adding a topping to be mashed in, flattening then rolling it back up. Also known as stir-fried ice cream, the East Asian method is made from scratch right before your eyes.
Yolkin
Innovation at its finest can be found at Yolkin with their macaron ice cream sandwiches. Each is made from scratch using free range eggs, without any stabilizers or preservatives. The flavours are constantly changing, with each one prettier than the last. If you want to get your hands on one of these, before they sell out, check the schedule because they tend to pop-up around town at various times.
Bubblewrap Waffle
If you’re willing to stand forever in a queue just for a waffle, then this Chinatown staple is for you. The treat comes from Hong Kong, and consists of an egg waffle, made out of an egg-shaped machine with milk and flour. To cool off, add ice cream to your creation along with any toppings you can dream up.