Van Leeuwen Artisan Ice Cream

Unbelievable! I’ve heard of Van Leeuwen, I’ve walked by Van Leeuwen, but I had never had Van Leeuwen until now!
I was more than satisfied with my honeycomb ice cream, and it was well worth the $ 5.50. Absolutely delicious — there was so much amazing was in this small cup that it did not need any toppings or additional flavoring — fantastic!
Highly recommend — definitely stop in on a hot summer day, or post-​dinner!

Van Leeuwen is one of my go to ice cream spots in NYC and I try to visit at least once every time I’m in the city.
I like that they have nondairy options even though I haven’t tried any of them. But if you have friends that are lactose intolerant this would be the perfect spot.
My favorite and go to flavors are earl grey and dark chocolate. This combination is absolutely delicious. The earl grey is creamy and tastes just like earl grey. I always wish I got an extra scoop of it by the time I’m finished. And the dark chocolate is really rich and creamy.
Great spot for ice cream if you’re in the area!

After eating lunch, the next was definitely dessert. It’s been so long since I wanted to try their Earl Grey ice cream and it didn’t disappoint. I had a small cup mixed with honeycomb. The combination was delicious! Would definite try that again! I was disappointed that they didn’t have pistachio though. That’s my usual go to flavour!
My boyfriend had the classic strawberry and chocolate combination. I loved the strawberry! Very yummy too. Can’t wait to come back!

Walking out of a ice cream place with a bad feeling; defeats the whole purpose of coming in the first place…
And that’s how I felt! And not because the ice cream was above average, and good enough for me to think about coming back, but because the service was atrocious and obnoxious… Rude, and unfriendly! I’m not here to preach about mannerisms, and stuff; just about common courtesy! Treat your costumers as human beings. just one example is: when I asked nicely if I can try another flavor, instead of telling me it’s store policy, he reacted in an obnoxious manner by implying that I was trying to rip him off by not making a purchase, despite the fact that my companion — standing right next to me — was already eating the multiple flavors she chosen after tasting…
And I can go on and on.
Now that I have that out of my system, let’s talk ice cream! None of their flavors, besides their honeycomb that I didn’t have a chance to try, they were out of it, were something special, or worthy of the craze this place gets… This ice cream parlor shouldn’t be a Destination! Especially compared to morgensterns, ample Hills, Brooklyn bell’s, and ice & vice…
Tip: if you wanna try their honeycomb, you gotta come early, because they usually run out of it in the middle of the day.
So to wash away my bad taste, my friend dragged me to IL Laboratorio de Gelato…

Vegan. Ice. Cream.
Lactards of the world, rejoice! Finally a lactose-​free ice cream that does not taste like coconut milk, ice, or whatever awful dairy substitute that many places use. Plus, they had more than a handful of vegan flavors, including some specials (matcha green tea!), whereas a lot of other places I’ve seen generally only have one or two lactose-​free or vegan flavors.
Mint chip + dark chocolate (both vegan) are creamy and delicious. The places to sit are cozy, and the entire spot is just delightful on a rainy afternoon.

My first Van Leeuwen Artisan Ice cream experience was at this location and second was at the Cobblehill, Brooklyn location. This first experience wasn’t the best of the two. It was because I decided to try the Salted Caramel Ice Cream, which didn’t satisfy (just a personal thing, was never a fan of that flavor anywhere). However I got the Pistachio flavor and it was the bomb. Every spoon was filled with the rich pistachio taste to it. This is why I got pistachio again on my second time. Pistachio here never disappoints! Will continue getting that flavor whenever I’m here. Trust me on this one, unless you’re allergic, there shouldn’t be anything stopping you. It’s that good.

Ordered the Honey Comb and Earl Grey ice cream. Overall I thought the ice cream was a bit sweet but still think it is worth the trip for the Earl Grey Ice cream flavor!

A solid ice cream place in East Village, particularly if you are looking for a vegan option and don’t mind the usual ice cream flavors (chocolate, vanilla, strawberry, etc.). For a specialty ice cream shop, prices are reasonable. They also sell by the pint, so if you want to take something home, they are more than happy to help you pack it!
We stopped by late on a weeknight, and there were still plenty of people wandering in and out. It looks like they also serve coffee and tea here, which is nice. There are plenty of tables for just chit-​chatting or (if you are so inclined) working!
Not my favorite of all the ice cream places in East Village, but would definitely bring a vegan friend by!

Not a huge sweets person, but I always have sudden urges for ice cream! I definitely recommend earl gray and chocolate (if you’re a fan). It’s a great balance between semi-​bitterness from the rich chocolate and the sweetness from the earl gray.
This place has a decently sized dining area, but no bathroom. You won’t be disappointed!

It all started with a misunderstanding, when two friends (who lived next door to the Cobble Hill version of this place) realized that they had been wrong all along. You see, although VLAIC (as the locals don’t call it) OFFERS vegan ice cream, they don’t serve EXCLUSIVELY vegan ice cream. Vegan ice cream is a neat draw, a small quirk that might encourage vegans or the lactose intolerant or the people who wish ice cream were less «cream» and more «ice banana».
But with the «news» that this place has normal, real-​people ice cream too, my friends tried it out and were suitably impressed, as expected. In fact, they told me that it was their favorite spot, a notable shift from never having tried it. Well, it doesn’t take a lot to convince me to get ice cream, so sure enough a few weeks later here we were. And guess what? It’s GREAT. Delicious mint chocolate chip, coffee, and chocolate ice creams (but I could only pick two), and the flavor combinations were great. It’s on the same level as Ample Hills and Mikey Likes It/​Zach Enjoys It Too, and definitely destroys Davey’s. A great find!

I spent less than a week in NYC this trip, and I think we went 4 times. The vegan ice creams are spot on. I mean, just absolute perfection. I was hooked on the specials. One was Pumpkin with sugar cookies or something like that, and the other was a peanut butter crunch. I wish I could remember the names, but I’m a couple months late on my review. The ice cream is creamy, not icy as a lot of vegan ice creams tend to be. Next time I’m back, this will be one of my first stops without a doubt!

All i can say is… wow. Seriously, WOW. As an avid ice cream lover, I must say this is top 3 best ice cream I’ve ever had. There are so many good flavors to choose from I had a really tough time deciding. I went with the salted caramel, vegan chocolate chip cookie dough, and espresso. All three were beyond incredible. The flavors really pop, it feels like your tastebuds are dancing. Every single bite is more than you can even imagine. The ambiance is really cute as well, it has an old school vibe and there’s plenty of seating. I will be back asap to try more flavors.

Pretty good ice cream spot but really nothing special.
$ 7 for 3 scoops and $ 10 for a sundae.
Tried the Continental sundae which was pretty good. I liked the red currant sauce.
I tried Carmel, Earl Gray, and Honeycomb. They were all pretty good but the ice cream flavors almost all taste identical

One of my favorite if not my only favorite ice cream shop!
My current favorite flavor: earl grey, honey comb, salted caramel.
Funny story, I was telling myself that I’ll be good and not over indulge and sure enough i left the place with a giant bowl of three flavors of ice cream… All three of these are heaven on earth type of ice cream. They have other flavors that I need to try next time I stop by.
My recommendation to go here during weekday, it gets crazy here in weekends and you won’t have the luxury of taking your sweet time in trying all the different flavors that might intrigued you.
They have multiple locations in NYC and outside of NYC. If you’re in the mood to try to make your own ice cream and impress someone, highly recommend to get the book.

Really good ice-​cream. Stumbled upon this place after going for Ramen. Pretty cool looking place on the inside and had an old school feel. Got two scoops in a bowl, Vanilla aged in bourbon barrels and salty caramel. They were both really delicious but the caramel was to die for! I have eaten a lot of ice cream and this was rich!!! Only downside was it was a bit pricey, but it was worth it!
Will be back! They even have vegan flavors!

ah ice cream such a lovely treat! but when you have given up dairy its hard to come by
fear not
go to Van Leeuween you will be very happy
it looks like ice cream it tastes like ice cream
yummy creamy
its a very cute shop ice cream in the freezer cases right up front to see
tables and a counter so you can sit and enjoy
big menu board
plus coffee
they have many vegan options for toppings
they have vegan sundaes with all the fixings including special cherries
I opted for coffee and salted caramel with almonds topping
delish
friendly staff
its a great place I’ll be back

On one hand, I’m lost and afraid.
For years, and even prior to my Unilocal habit, I’d thought I had ice cream figured out. You had flavorful, diverse, handmade ice cream that someone had been able to master in more or less every major city around the world (Bi-​Rite in San Francisco, Salt & Straw in Portland, Annie’s in Austin, etc. etc.) and then you had a gelato craze that was sweeping the country (finally) with mixed success. I thought I knew ice cream — I didn’t know ice cream.
On the other hand, I’m relived.
Because New York is stacked on great ice cream, and while I’d honestly thought I’d hit most of the culprits, Van Leeuwen clearly evaded my hunt for years, which is the real travesty here given that this was some of the best ice cream I’ve ever had. period.
Star 1: How were the service and atmosphere?
The pseudo-​home style kitchen vibe and décor will never get old, and Van Leeuwen executes it perfectly. You’ve got cookies in jars, books lining shelves, and ice cream making tools of old here and there to put you in the mood, which to be honest isn’t necessary given how good the product is, but I appreciated it nonetheless. It’s worth pointing out that the flavor selection at Van Leeuwen isn’t as diverse as what you might find elsewhere, and they don’t do ice cream sandwiches, but calm down — you’ll be just fine. Star Granted.
Star 2: How were the portions relative to the cost?
$ 5.50 is becoming a frequent price tag for ice cream and gelato alike in this city, so I didn’t bat an eyelash when that’s what rang up for my regular serving in a cup (two flavors). It wasn’t a big portion, but this wasn’t a ripoff value wise. Star Granted.
Stars 3 and 4: How was the food?
Well, that’s it then — I can retire from ice cream tasting. «You need to try the honeycomb… trust me» a friend said several times. Honeycomb. Honeycomb? Will I like that? I liked that.
I honestly can’t even fully describe why I liked the honeycomb ice cream so much. The flavor and consistency were perfect even if it didn’t taste anything close to what I expected (I expected a mix of vanilla ice cream and honey), and the honeycomb pieces topped it all off in a way that I could have eaten it endlessly.
The salted caramel was the cherry on top of an already perfect cake, with a not too sweet (which is all too common these days with caramel anything) flavor offset by a hefty dose of salt, which I enjoyed. This was flawless — plain and simple. Dual Stars Granted.
Star 5: Would you eat here every day if you could?
This is the best ice cream I’ve had in New York, and arguably the best I’ve had in the country (watch out Salt & Straw). Star Granted.

Wow, this ice cream is amazing, and I’m not even a big ice cream person! I saw this place featured on a TV show (well, the food truck was featured), but the food truck is not out in the winter so I went to the storefront location.
Even with store-​bought ice cream, I am picky and only like Breyers because they use just a handful of all-​natural ingredients. Van Leeuwen is the same, making delectable treats with just a few locally-​sourced ingredients.
I got the small cup, which came with two scoops and thus up to two flavors. I chose strawberry and pistachio. Both were phenomenal, and I think it cost a little over $ 5.
The sole employee was okay; she was a bit distracted since she was on the phone the entire time she helped me, but the ice cream quality and taste is the reason for my rating.
Self-​serve water is available on the counter, utilizing stainless steel cups and a nifty metal water dispenser. The rest of the interior was fairly simply decorated, but clean. Not too big of a place overall, but there are a few tables/​booths as well as a dining counter near the window.
Try it! =)

Came here for dessert after a very late lunch and I was impressed! I got the regular sized ice cream cup (comes with 2 flavors) and it ended up being $ 5.50, which is cheaper than most ice cream places. Despite this, do note that the scoops are smaller than at more expensive places. I got the Earl grey and Honeycomb flavors and I thought both of them were delicious! The Earl grey had a nice and subtle bitter taste to it and wasn’t overly sweet. It was well complimented by the sweeter Honeycomb flavor that I loved! It had a great honey taste to it and also had crispy honeycombs in it that provided a nice crunch to the ice cream!
This place also sells coffee and pastries so it more closely resembles a café than an ice cream parlor. The cashier was very nice and the decorations were pretty neat. One thing that infuriated me, however, were the customers. Seating is very limited so I found it ridiculous that some people decided to hog up chairs by putting their jackets on them. Please be more considerate!!! Other than that, definitely give the ice cream here a try!

Vegan Options /​/​Ice Cream Shop
Dairy Free + Artisanal
When I was a kid I used to dream of the day when I could have ice cream for breakfast.
Fast forward several decades and Van Leeuwen made it happen!
My all time favorite Vegan ice cream is their cashew Mint Chocolate chip. It rivals any other Mint chocolate chip ice cream even without the dairy. So naturally, walking by I had to stop for a minute to taste any and all flavors that were dairy free.
Pretty good! Grabbed a couple of cookies for friends, and enjoyed by scoop of ice cream for breakfast. Would love to see more flavors without dairy.
The Scene: Fantastic for Fanatics
Destination Rating: 7
Date Rating: 2
Hob Nob Potential: 3
Note: Grab a seat in the window and watch the world walk by. The Cashew Mint Chip really is that good. I dare you to try it.

Les meilleurs glaces vegan au monde !
Par hasard, après avoir déjà merveilleusement bien dîné d’une pita chez Taïm non loin nous passons devant ce glacier et comme il fait très chaud… On se retrouve dedans sans trop comprendre pourquoi ^^
Je m’apprêtais à devoir prendre un médicament pour bien digérer le lactose lorsque je vois qu’ils proposent des glaces sans lactose.
Chocolat, beurre de cacahuètes, pistache, vanille… j’ai oublié les autres parfums parce que ceux là sont ceux qui me parlent le plus.
C’est parti pour un cornet pistache et beurre de cacahuète… Et qu’est-ce que c’est bon ! Je n’aurais jamais imaginé qu’une glacé sans crème puisse être aussi bonne.
Le secret: du lait de coco (comme c’est très riche on né perd rien en onctuosité par rapport à la crème traditionnelle).
Ils ont plusieurs adresses dans le coin. J’en ai testé deux (mon avis reste le même).
Une adresse à tester absolument car ils font surtout à la base des glaces traditionnelles qui, il semblerait, sont incroyables !!!