Cultural traditions are not the only similarities New Orleans has with the Caribbean Islands: there’s also an often too-accurate weather resemblance, one that demands for a daily refreshment if you wish to keep the motors running. Thankfully, the city’s tropical temperatures have inspired an exceptional variety of ice cream parlors to help both visiting tourists and locals cool off. Here is our guide to the best places in NOLA to indulge in frozen delight.
Conveniently located in the Uptown and Lakeview areas of New Orleans, The Creole Creamery is an old-school style ice cream parlor featuring delicious, artisan creations made in-house every day. The sweet joint, which prides itself on providing visitors with a unique ice cream experience in a casual surrounding, is a local favorite because of their ever-changing flavors and unusual creations, such as the fountain classics and the creamery specialties. If you are up for a real sugary treat, Creole Creamery hosts a challenge where anyone who is able to finish a Tchoupitoulas sundae (one of their most outrageous specialties yet) will be immortalized with a plaque in their hall of fame.
A New Orleans tradition since 1905, Angelo Brocato is famous gelato and Italian desserts store located in the Mid-City neighborhood of New Orleans. Set inside a pastel-pink setting, the 100-year institution – which has been operated by the parlor’s founding family since the moment of its inception – fosters a remarkable menu guaranteed to satisfy both young and more mature crowds. Aside from their frozen options, Angelo Brocato offers customers with delicious options that range from the classic spumoni and handmade cannoli to Italian cookies and coffee.
Sitting at the heart of Magazine Street in the Uptown/Garden District neighborhood is the award-winning dessert boutique Sucré. Inspired by the French word for sugared, Sucré, which opened in 2007, serves a delicious mix of hand spun gelato and sundaes, as well as handcrafted chocolates and macarons, super-premium coffees, garnished plated desserts, and many gluten free options every day of the week. The store prides itself on ‘using quality local ingredients in all products,’ which means that, during your visit, you won’t be disappointed.
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Hansen’s Sno-Bliz
Established in 1939, Hansen’s Sno-Bliz is a family-owned sno-ball (the Louisiana variation of what the rest of the country calls snow cones) stand located on Tchoupitoulas Street. Believed to be the oldest sno-ball stand in the United States, this refreshment spot is famous for its finely-shaved ice and homemade syrups. Today, Hansen’s still creates its own flavor variations every day and makes sno-balls with the original ice-shaving machine Ernest Hansen built in the 1930s. The sno-ball stand is open every day except for Sundays and Mondays, from 1p.m. to 7p.m.
Serving fresh, light flavors, Ice Cream 504 is a cozy, locally owned ice cream spot located on Jenna Street in the Freret Corridor. Offering customers over a dozen homemade, small-batch flavors with only the freshest ingredients, including chocolate, peppermint, butter pecan, strawberry, peach, and blueberry among others, this Uptown delight is open every day of the week except for Mondays and Tuesdays beginning 2p.m.
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Plum Street Snowballs
On the block of Plum and Burdette Street in Uptown New Orleans sits Plum Street Snowballs, a colorful neighborhood stand first established in 1945. Serving over 50+ sno-balls from March through October, this vintage spot, which represents NOLA’s authentic culture, serves its house-made creations with real snow made from a generations-old patented ice machine, fruit-flavored syrups and delicious condensed milk.
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La Divina Cafe e Gelateria
Inspired to make from-scratch artisanal gelatos and sorbettos with an authentic Italian taste, La Divina Cade e Gelateria is an authentic Sicilian café located on the historic French Quarter. Opened in February 2007, the locally-owned gelataria, which opens everyday of the week from 8:30a.m. to 11:00p.m., crafts frozen delights with all natural, local and organic ingredients. The Italian-inspired café also features an extensive food menu filled with everything from Belgium waffles and cinnamon toast to grilled cheese and bacon and house-made pizza.
