Roberto 

Situated on Goodramgate, Roberto is a traditional gelateria owned by Tuscan-born ice cream maestro Roberto Culivicchi, who makes all of the shop’s delicious gelato himself. Specialising in the authentic Italian treat, this popular little shop offers many unusual and intriguing flavour combinations, many of which you’ll likely never have tried before. These include passionfruit cheesecake, pistachio cream, lemon and basil, fig and ricotta and a Guinness sorbet. Roberto also sells refreshing homemade semifreddo lollies along with hot drinks and a range of cakes, waffles and crepes that can be eaten in its cosy cafe. A Tripadvisor review says: ‘I adore this place. The ice-cream is wonderful and the crepes are to die for. Everyone there is so cheerful and they have a dog friendly attitude compared to other stores in the area. The fur babies even get treats if they are allowed by the owner.’

Two Hoots Ice Cream Boat 

A novel alternative to an ice cream van, Two Hoots Ice Cream Boat can be found on the River Ouse between Rowntree Park and Danesmead Wood. This floating gelato shop is hard to miss due to the giant pink cone with sprinkles that acts as its figurehead – it also plays the tune of Greensleeves as it sails along. Two Hoots started life in 2013, when Steve Blakeman decided to transform a retired working boat into his own innovative mobile business. The boat serves traditional dairy ice cream and gelato with regularly changing ‘lick of the week’ specials. These include options like roasted strawberry, stem ginger or clotted cream. Dairy-free ice cream is also sold here, along with flavoursome sorbets such as pink grapefruit and bergamot or Sicilian lemon and raspberry sorrell. A Google review describes Two Hoots as a ‘cute little boat [with] good service [and] excellent quality creamy ice-cream’, saying: ‘All the flavours I tried were great but I think cherry is my favourite.’

Zidane’s Indulgence

Located on Heslington Road, this fast food and dessert shop is heaven for those with a sweet tooth. Zidane’s Indulgence serves up all manner of fun and fantastical puddings, including sundaes, waffles, crepes, freak cakes and hot chewy cookie dough. In the gelato counter here, you’ll find tempting flavours such as bubblegum, Lotus Biscoff or strawberry cheesecake. These can be bought as a tub or cone and can be taken away or eaten in the restaurant’s homely interior. A Tripadvisor review says: ‘We’ve been [to Zidane’s] twice now and both times were great. The second time we sat in. There are nice wooden board games to play while you wait [and] we played Connect 4, which was a nice nostalgia trip. The seating is comfy, and although it’s not a large [cafe] it’s clean and really nicely decorated. Definitely a good place to go for a luxury treat of an evening. I’d highly recommend it, there’s nothing else quite like it in York.’ 

Paradiso Dolce Salato

This stylish yet welcoming Italian cafe and deli opened its doors on Walmgate last year. Paradiso Dolce Salato is owned by Paolo Silesu, the man behind Sardinian restaurant Il Paradiso del Cibo, and its talented team also includes pastry chef and gelato maker Elisa Peterle. The cafe has a contemporary interior, which incorporates the original flooring from back when its premises belonged to the tile shop Bert & May. Here, you can tuck into homemade gelato in seasonal flavours like pumpkin, creme brulee, pistachio or red velvet. For an even more indulgent pick me up, Paradiso Dolce Salato also offers luxurious ice cream sundaes. A Tripadvisor review says: ‘I came across this place as I had given up trying to find a decent ice cream shop where I could sit down. [It serves a] good variety of ice creams and the prices are good too.’

Images- @https://www.zidanesindulgenceyork-direct.co.uk/?l=en, @luxuryicecreamco, @robertogelato.