Our favourite seafront ice cream parlours
Going to see the sea this summer? Look out for one of our ten favourite UK ice cream parlours while you’re there.
Nardini's, Largs
Surely Scotland’s most famous ice cream parlour, Nardini’s of Largs, North Ayrshire re-opened in December 2008 following a multi-million pound refurbishment to restore the beautiful art deco building to its full potential. It’s been serving ice cream since 1953 among beautiful surroundings, with views of the Clyde.
It’s a café and restaurant too, but the highlight is the wonderfully executed ice creams – especially the sundaes. The 32 flavours are all prepared on the premises under the tutorage of Director David Equi, who was crowned the ice cream ‘Champion of Champions’ in 2006 and 2008. David also has his own parlours in the Scottish towns of Hamilton and Cambuslang.
Flavours range from the classic (‘double cream vanilla’) to the more unusual, including ‘Scottish tablet’ and ‘peach and passion fruit cheesecake’.
Ciccarelli, Blyth
Another ice cream parlour with astounding views, Ciccarelli Artisan Gelateria sits on South Beach, Blyth. The Italian family-run business only makes gelato, which is actually very different to ice cream – it has less fat in it (using more milk than cream), and tends to be churned at a steadier pace than ice cream, making it denser than its English counterpart.
The Gregorio family have been making gelati in Northumberland since 1966, using Italian ingredients and fresh cream/milk sourced from the local dairy. And apparently, they’re the only authentic gelato producers in the whole North East!
The best flavour is their ‘Nutella’, but also try ‘rhubarb & custard’, ‘lemon meringue pie’ and ‘Mojito’.
Poco Gelato, Southend-on-Sea
It was in 1932 when Massimiliano Rossi opened 'Rossi's ice cream parlour' in Southend (now Poco Gelato), and although the parlour is no longer in the family, his legacy still remains.
The team uses seasonal ingredients in their gelato and sorbetto, and stick strictly to organic milk only. They go to great lengths to keep everything as fresh as possible – their mint choc chip gelato, for instance, is made by infusing sweet milk with bushels of fresh mint and drizzling it with single-origin dark chocolate.
There are 24 flavours in the cabinet at any one time, including such delights as 'roasted banana', 'lavender and honey', 'dulce de leche', 'raspberry coriander', and 'ricotta choc chip'.
Fusciardi’s, Eastbourne
‘Enjoy the taste of Italy in Eastbourne,’ say Fusciardi’s Ice Cream Parlour. Established in 1967, the family-run business is a favourite with locals and sells 18 different flavours of ice cream, and 24 varieties of sundaes.
It was actually an Italian emigrant, Antonio Fusciardi, who set the shop up in Eastbourne, but it was his sister, Teresa Fusciardi, who has run the parlour since 1984. She worked relentlessly to make it a success and was given ‘the lifetime achievement award’ in 2011 at the Women in Business Awards for East Sussex.
You can’t go wrong with their ‘toffee crunch’ or ‘maple walnut’ flavours, but if you want to be a little more exotic, give ‘pear and cinnamon crunch’ a go, or ‘peach and prosecco’.
Nauti But Ice, Porthleven
A funky harbourside ice cream parlour in Pothleven which, alongside the obvious, sells great coffee and beautiful cakes – including a legendary Bakewell tart.
Nauti But Ice don't actually make their own ice cream, instead choosing to sell that most Cornish of ice cream brands – Roskilly's. You can actually go and visit the organic farm/factory where they make Roskilly's. Stroll the meadows, or take a guided tour, and you’ll get to meet the 125-strong herd of Jersey cows that are so important to the brand.
Roskilly's flavours range from ‘toffee & hazelnut’ to ‘mint choc chip’, ‘raspberry yoghurt’, ‘mocha’, ‘orange and mascarpone’, and ‘mango sorbet’. But our personal favourite is ‘chocolate brownie’.
Joe’s, Swansea
Joe’s Ice Cream is fairly new compared to the other parlours listed here, having opened up in Swansea in 1992. But the Cascarini family at Joe’s still use the same recipe that Joe Cascarini used when he first started making the stuff at a café in St Helen’s Road years before.
They stick to fairly simple flavours at Joe’s, but have worked hard to perfect them. Try ‘chocolate swirl’, ‘cappuccino’, ‘caramel swirl’, or ‘strawberry’ for starters. And there are actually three parlours to choose from in Wales – two in Swansea, and one in Cardiff.
They also make ice cream cakes upon request, which sound pretty exciting. They look fantastic too – like genuine birthday cakes, but made with an ice cream base instead of a sponge one. Our favourite is the ‘rocky road’ cake, which is made from caramel and chocolate ice cream topped with marshmallows, chocolate biscuit balls, fudge pieces and chocolate sauce. Delicious.
Gelato Gusto, Brighton
There are oodles of ice cream parlours to choose from in Brighton, but Gelato Gusto (main image, above) is just about our favourite one. They’re based in North Laine and make their gelato every day upstairs, using fresh milk and cream from a local Sussex dairy.
It’s a lovely place to sit in and eat your ice cream, set over two floors and decorated in fresh, seaside colours. Plus it’s got an interesting back story – BAFTA award-winning producer/director Jon Adams set Gelato Gusto up after deciding to quit the daily commute from Hove to London in order to spend more time with his family. In fact, Jon trained at the University of Gelato in Bologna, Italy before opening up the shop in March 2012.
There are 30-odd flavours of gelato and sorbet to choose from every day, including ‘sea salt caramel’, ‘dark Ecuadorian chocolate’, ‘banoffee pie’, ‘syrup sponge pudding’ and ‘Jaffa cake’. Plus every week they introduce a new guest flavour.
Morelli’s, Portstewart
Morelli’s on the prom in Portstewart, Northern Ireland, has been selling award-winning ice cream since 1911. The Morelli family has been in Ireland since the turn of the century, and are self-proclaimed experts at making gelato.
Their ice cream sundaes menu is a treat to read, let alone eat. As well as the classic Knickerbocker glory, you could also try ‘banoffee pie’, ‘tiramisu’ (including Ferrero Rocher ice cream), or our personal favourite, ‘Morelli’s madness’. That is, seven scoops of ice cream and ‘a little bit of pretty much everything else’ – the staff even ring a little bell when this once gets served.
Enjoy your massive sundae al fresco in the historic (and beautiful) ‘Sundae garden’, built by Angelo Morelli in 1957.
Verdi’s, Swansea
Another Welsh cracker, based on the seafront in the Victorian fishing village of Mumbles, birthplace of Dylan Thomas. There’s enough room at Verdi’s for 400 people, and the outdoor seats have panoramic views across Swansea Bay.
The family-run café offers 30 different flavours of ice cream, each one made fresh every day using cream and milk from local dairies. They’re experimental with their flavour combinations, too – we love the sound of ‘coffee nut sundae’ and ‘gelato affogato’, which is gelato with either a liqueur or a shot of espresso poured over it. Or maybe the ‘Amarena cherry gondola’ sundae, if you’ve got enough room for it.
Morelli’s Gelato, Kent
Another ‘Morelli’s’ for our list – although it’s got nothing to do with the one previously mentioned in Northern Ireland. It’s actually a chain, with parlours dotted all over the world. But the very first Morelli’s was opened along the Viking Bay in Broadstairs, Kent back in 1932.
Walking inside is like stepping back in time – there’s a soda fountain, jukebox and pink leatherette booths, as well as over 25 toppling ice cream sundaes to enjoy (we’ve got our eye on the ‘banana royale’, pictured left). It really is like something straight out of ‘Grease’.
Have we mentioned your favourite ice cream parlour here? And if not, what is it? Talk to us in the comments box below.
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