This post is accurate as of May 2021.
London has boomed with vegan options in the past decade, and with this has come an increase in vegan ice cream and gelato options. Most places you come across these days will have at least one vegan option. The list I've provided below isn't exhaustive, and nor have I tried them all, but hopefully it can serve as a vegan London ice cream starter roadmap for anyone looking.
TSUJIRI Matcha House – 47 Rupert St, London W1D 7PD
The non vegan branch of this business, established on Newport Court in London's Chinatown, opened what was meant to be a short term vegan pop up shop just on the other side of Shaftsbury, in Soho. Over a year later it's still, but I am not sure if it's still 100% vegan. If they are still serving the same menu as in 2020, you can look forward to Matcha and Hojicha tea soft serve sundaes and other Japanese desserts.
Persepolis – 28-30 Peckham High St, London SE15 5DT
While this is a cafe and not an ice cream shop, you'd be a fool to miss out on the Persian inspired vegan ice cream sundaes (not to mention their vegan knickerbocker glory).
DÁPPA
This all vegan soft serve company sells in various locations, including restaurants, which you can find here. London vegans go wild for it.
Bubblewrap
You will surely already know this place due to every annoying influencer in or visiting London posing with a cone shaped bubble waffle full of ice cream. They always have vegan options. It's a meal, not a snack.
Yolkin – 24 Rupert St, London W1D 6DQ
Another Chinatown option, Yolkin specialises in macaron sandwiches. They have some vegan ice cream flavours though too, including pandan coconut, mango mochi sorbet, soy sauce caramel, and black sesame.
Crosstown
Another business that launched a shedload of vegan offerings in recent years, Crosstown also serves vegan ice creams (for you to purchase alongside your 8 billion quid doughnut). There are plenty of locations and I don't know which serve vegan ice cream so you'd better double check.
Happy Endings
These guys don't have a shop and are known for providing ice cream sandwiches to restaurants and shops. There's just one vegan option but it's a doozy: the East Side Vegan, a miso and corn cookie with corn and cashew ice cream plus smoky salted caramel. You can order to collect or visit one of the restaurants/shops listed on their stockists page.
Black Milq
This company sells dairy free ice creams, but little information is provided on the website.
Mamasons – 32 Newport Ct, London WC2H 7PQ
The calamansi and soursop sorbets at the Filipino ice cream parlour are vegan, and they may have some other vegan dessert options as well.
Prime Gelato – 216 Shaftesbury Avenue, WC2H 8EB, London
Prime Gelato, located right by the New Oxford Street end of Shaftesbury, is founded by a Genoese pastry chef. Prime has a minimum of 6 vegan gelatos at all times (and plenty of sorbets that are all vegan). The coffee hazelnut and roasted almond are highly recommended. This is probably the best vegan gelato in London.
La Gelatiera Artisan Gelato – 7 New Row, Covent Garden, London WC2N 4LA
First off we've got La Gelatiera, located in Covent Garden (a short walk from Leicester Square). It's not uncommon to find vegan friendly sorbets, but it makes all the difference when a shop labels their products (it may not seem like an issue, but constantly asking about ingredients can be exhausting).
My positive feelings toward this business also stem from the owner's willingness to discuss his shop with some random blogger off the street (and it's quite obvious there's a lot of passion behind what he's doing).
I've stopped by the shop a few times now and they always seem to have at least four or five vegan options (always on your left, front row, as you face the counter). The chocolate chili is sublime (only a tiny fraction of a kick) and the fruit flavours are all natural and refreshing.
Almost as ace as the fact that they make such delicious sorbets is the big plexiglass window in the floor, which sits directly above the kitchen where the ice creams are made. Note to self: remember you wear skirts and dresses 85% of the time.
Amorino
With a few boutiques across London, Amorino has at least one flavour with the Vegan Society logo attached (organic sicilian citrus).
Gelupo Gelato – 7 Archer Street, London, W1D 7AU
London vegans rave over this place, which features a range of dairy free frozen treats (usually several at any time). Predictably, the chocolate gets great reviews, but you will also find (depending on the day) colourful vegan flavours like coffee, coconut, avocado, blood orange, coconut, and raspberry. I've even heard rumour of a Pimms sorbet.
Udderlicious – 187 Upper St, Islington, London N1 1RQ
These guys serve chocolate with sea salt sorbet that is vegan (along with perhaps some other flavours).
Snowflake Luxury Gelato – Soho and Westbourne Grove
Snowflakes lists their vegan sorbets on the company website, and flavours include the usual fruity suspects plus intriguing flavours like kiwi banana and apple elderflower.
Chin Chin Laboratorists – 49-50 Camden Lock Place, NW1 8AF
This liquid nitrogen ice cream parlour nearly always has a dairy free option.
Oddono's Gelati – Several London Locations
A reader recently alerted to me to a tasty coconut sorbet available from Oddono's. There are a few branches around London, but the location where the coconut sorbet was found is in the food hall at Selfridges.
Don't forget the milkshakes!
Of course I know there are more London vegan ice cream options that either aren't yet on my radar or have slipped my mind. Do you have any favourites not on this list? Please let me know in the comments below and I'll add it to the list.
