Though it’s named after a famous neighborhood in northwest Harlem, Sugar Hill Creamery is actually located in Mount Morris, to the south. Founded in 2017, the small-batch scoop shop is known for its ice creams with quirky names, like “sweet socialism” made with Madagascar chocolate and “chairperson of the board” with graham crackers and blueberry jam. There are additional locations in Hamilton Heights and Dumbo.

This kosher ice cream shop got its start in Boston in 1975 and has since spawned an empire of scoop shops across the globe, with locations in Thailand, South Korea, and Singapore. The pint-sized location on the Upper West Side is filled with kids at all times of day, who line up for the chain’s cones covered in cereal and candy. Find other locations in Fort Greene, Midtown, the Upper East Side, and in Albany, New York.

Serving the Upper East Side for more than 30 years, Sedutto is an uptown tradition, filled with classic flavors in both ice cream and yogurt. There are more than 30 flavors of ice cream on the menu, not including seasonal specials like egg nog, peppermint, and cinnamon. Moosetracks, birthday cake, and vanilla bean are among the traditional options, but it’s also known for a slew of wine ice creams and sorbets, which actually include booze.

Morgenstern’s is a destination-worthy ice cream shop, with straight-ahead as well as novel flavors such as chocolate with Sichuan peppercorn, burnt honey vanilla, and durian banana. If you’re interested in burgers and fries beforehand, you won’t be disappointed by those, either. Should you crave something more unusual than scoops, you can take the road less traveled with an ice cream “burger,” a Neapolitan scoop on a burger bun.

Find a sea of unconventional ice cream flavors at this family-owned institution in Flushing, open since 1997. The ice cream is dense and chewy, with unusual options that run the gamut from cranberry vodka and French toast to lox and pizza. Traditional flavors are there, too, like rum raisin and pistachio. Cash only.

Van Leeuwen, which started as an ice cream truck in 2008, has grown into a formidable chain with locations in California, Texas, and Washington, D.C. Its first locations were here in New York, where its solid scoops of ice cream can now be found in the freezer aisles of most grocery stores and even some bodegas. Almost all of its most popular flavors can be ordered vegan, and look out for seasonal and stunt flavors, like Kraft mac and cheese ice cream.

The historic Chinatown ice cream shop, run by the Seid family since 1978, specializes in flavors that are more common in Chinese cooking, like lychee, egg tart, black sesame, and red bean. The zen butter, made with peanut butter and toasted sesame seeds, is a must-order, tasting like the ice cream equivalent of sesame noodles. More traditional scoops like coffee and pistachio are sold here, too — labeled online as “exotic flavors.”

Open since 1925, Eddie’s Sweet Shop is said to be New York’s oldest ice cream parlor. Don’t expect hipster scoops mixed with miso and gooseberry: This Queens institution specializes in simple flavors (coffee, maple walnut, and vanilla fudge) served in cones or in towering sundaes with “the works” (hot fudge, whipped cream, and a cherry). The 18 flavors offered here are still made from the same recipe.

The building that houses Brooklyn Farmacy and Soda Fountain was actually pharmacy, back in the 1920s. After being closed for decades, the space was restored and reopened in 2010, retaining some of its old-school charm and a few relics from the original. Sundaes come in a variety of flavors for around $12, topped with ingredients like shortcake, peanut butter, potato chips, and hot fudge, most of which are made in-house. Ice cream floats (homemade soda with a scoop of ice cream) are another specialty.

Eggless ice creams with Southeast Asian flavors are the draw at Malai, a Cobble Hill scoop shop that started as a stand at Manhattan’s Hester Street Fair in 2015. Ice creams made with masala chai, Turkish coffee, rose, and baklava are among the dozen or so flavors offered here, while a wider selection of pints is available online and at grocery stores across the city.

In the spring and summer, the crowds at this Prospect Heights ice cream shop spill out onto the sidewalk — a small block party made up of teenagers, families, and their pets. The Social comes from Jackie Cuscuna and Brian Smith, the founders of ice cream chain Ample Hills, which opened its first storefront in 2011, filed for bankruptcy during the pandemic, and is now owned by food manufacturer Schmitt Industries. Cuscuna and Smith went on to open this ice cream shop in 2021, where scoops come in whimsical flavors like popcorn, Cap’n Crunch, and hot dog.

Located next to a gas station in Sunset Park, Sweet Dynasty serves creamy scoops that aren’t overly sweet. The range of flavors includes red bean, durian, taro, and milk tea, all of which are made in the back of the tiny shop. The black sesame is a crowd favorite.