This summer is one of the hottest on record in Virginia, so that got us thinking about delicious ice cream. Luckily for all of us, Richmond is brimming with ice cream shops, offering everything from classic scoops to dairy-free options. Here’s a quick overview of some of the top ice cream spots in town. Just for fun, we are running a simple poll at the end to see where everyone prefers to go to cool down and have a cone.
ed. note: As usual with these polls, we are not going to get every place on the list at first, so if we missed one tag us, or email us at hello@rvamag.com, and we will add them. And we are not the only ones thinking about local ice cream, for extra fun, check out the RTD Ice Cream Tournament HERE.
Bev’s Homemade Ice Cream & Cafe
We have a soft spot for this Carytown staple since it was one of the only ice cream spots in town when this magazine started back in 2005. Bev’s is really good still and this list is making us want to go over there right now for a scoop. Choose from everyday flavors like Espresso Oreo or rotating specials that always include a sorbet, sherbet, and sugar-free option.
Blue Cow Ice Cream Co.
Originally from Roanoke, Blue Cow now has locations in Richmond’s Village and Short Pump, offering a variety of flavors.
Bruster’s Real Ice Cream
With 150 handcrafted flavors of ice cream, yogurt, Italian ice, and sorbet, Bruster’s prepares at least 24 flavors daily, perfect for fresh waffle cones and premium desserts.
Crossroads Coffee and Ice Cream
A Forest Hill favorite since 2002, Crossroads is a low key coffee shop where you can get a delicious scoops, listen to live music on occasion and get a bite to eat.
Dalia’s Ice Cream & Bakery
Offering frozen treats, custom cakes, and pan dulce, Dalia’s is a one-stop shop for dessert lovers.
Davvero Gelato, Mobile
Known around town for its dairy-free gelato made with homemade oat milk, Davvero is set to open a permanent spot in Lakeside this summer.
DeLuca Gelato
Specializing in Italian-style gelato and sorbetto, DeLuca offers over 36 flavors daily. They make everything in-house, including pasteurizing their own gelato mix.
Ellie’s Hot Dogs & Ice Cream
It’s really easy to miss. Opened last year in that little spot across from the old Kitchen 64 restaurant, Ellie’s serves Hershey’s ice cream, sundaes, milkshakes, and tasty hot dogs on an outdoor patio where dogs are welcome. We have had the dogs and they are pretty good.
Gelati Celesti
With seven Richmond locations, Gelati Celesti has been a family business since 1984. They offer thick, creamy ice cream in baked-in-house waffle cones. Try any of the 24 house favorites and 85 rotating flavors.
Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams
As our longtime readers know, we prioritize local businesses and typically avoid chains, but Jeni’s is an exception worth mentioning for its nationally acclaimed ice cream. Located in the Carytown Exchange, Jeni’s opened in March 2023. Renowned for unique flavors like Wildberry Lavender and Everything Bagel, this national chain began in Ohio in 2002.
jiji frozen custard, Mobile
Find this Midwest-style frozen custard truck at events around Richmond.
La Michoacana
Offering a variety of sweet treats including paletas, shakes, and aguas frescas, La Michoacana is a must-visit.
NarWhals Rolled Ice Cream
Richmond has only one spot for rolled ice cream and that is NarWhals in Carytown. We admittedly have never been but now in the mood for a few scoops and their custom mix-ins like Cinnamon Toast Crunch and mint Oreos.
The Neighborhood Scoop, Mobile
This mobile favorite often pops up at outdoor events and community gatherings like The Market at 25th in Church Hill.
One Way Cream & Goodies
Known for its cereal-infused ice cream and creative toppings, One Way Cream is a must-try for anyone in the Jackson Ward area.
Ray’s Italian Ice & Frozen Custard
Visit Ray’s for custard, sundaes, and more at their Lauderdale and West Broad Village spots.
Ruby Scoops Ice Cream & Sweets
Opened by Rabia Kamara in 2020, Ruby Scoops offers unique flavors like passionfruit sorbet and ube ice cream. Kamara also won the top prize on the Food Network show “Ben & Jerry’s: Clash of the Cones“ which became an immense source of pride for the city and sent people running for a taste of her award winning ice cream.
Scoop
Located on Strawberry Street in The Fan, Scoop comes from the owner of WHISK bakery. They offer unique flavors like cardamom honeyed pistachio and brown sugar cookie dough.
Spotty Dog Ice Cream Co.
Now with a permanent spot, Spotty Dog offers New England-style ice cream with unique flavors like malted Madagascar vanilla.
Study Hall aka Charm School
Charm School made an immediate impact when it opened on Broad Street being touted as yet another sign that the Arts District was about to take off culminating with being named Virginia’s Best Ice Cream Shop in 2019 by USA Today. For a number of reasons that was not to be, but now they have Study Hall, a soft serve walk-up window in Forest Hill that stands out for its pastel color scheme, unique flavors, vegan-friendly options and their carefully crafted social media that has some of the best Instagram ice cream imagery anywhere.
Sweet Spot Ice Cream Café
Sweet Spot rotates through over 300 flavors, with 40+ available daily, ensuring there’s always something new to try.
The Treat Shop
Serving breakfast sandwiches, BBQ, donuts, and delicious ice cream. We went by one of their locations at West Lake to meet with ‘Cowboy Tony’ and there was a line out the door. Everything we had was super good especially the donuts. You can see that video HERE.
Westray’s Finest, Mobile
Originally an ice cream truck, and that is still happening, but as of last year Westray’s has a shop in The Fan that is known for flavors like Madagascar Vanilla and inventive blends like Cookie Clockout.
Explore these spots and let us know your favorite! Vote below for the top ice cream spot in Richmond.
Main photo is by Claire Paisley @clairepaisleyphoto from Bev’s Homemade Ice Cream & Cafe Instagram.
