Coolest ice cream parlours in town

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10 April 2012

A new breed of dessert bar has hit the capital, offering top-notch ice cream and first-rate frozen yogurt (ice cream's more virtuous cousin) in a wealth of new and exciting flavours.

These design-conscious parlours have fully modernised everyone's favourite summer dessert, putting it firmly centre stage. Here's where to find the best scoop in town.

Freggo
The Gaucho steakhouse group has opened the UK's first Argentinian ice cream parlour next door to its Piccadilly restaurant. Freggo lies in a smart alleyway in Swallow Street, home to lots of alfresco dining.

This is ice cream made the traditional Argentinian way and many of the ingredients are flown in especially — the milk is from cows that freely roam the Pampas and the walnuts are picked in the wine-growing region of Mendoza.

Top-selling flavours include Malbec & Berries and the seriously rich Dulce de Leche (a caramel of sweetened milk). Prices start at £3.95 for two scoops.

In Argentina clubbers often head home with ice cream in hand and Freggo wants to introduce the same concept here — it's open until 2am.
27-29 Swallow Street, W1 (020 7287 9506; freggo.co.uk)

Snog
For ice cream fiends who are watching the waistline, Snog in Soho opened in March and offers high-quality frozen yogurt in funky surroundings. With a sister establishment in South Kensington, Snog has also just launched in Westfield and a fourth shop, in Covent Garden, will open in November. Inside you'll find a riot of pinks and cool light fittings, resembling a futuristic diner.

The yogurt comes in three flavours — natural, green tea and chocolate — and it's all natural, made from live, fresh yogurt (no powdered milk here), sweetened with agave nectar, an extract of Mexican cactus. As no sugar is involved, a small pot contains no more than 100 calories, so you'll still be able to fit into your swimsuit after a few scoops.

While the yogurt itself isn't all that sweet, the toppings are there to add a sugary hit: healthy options include raspberries, kiwi fruit and slices of banana, while the not-so-healthy include brownies and chocolate buttons. Prices start at £3.55 for a small pot with one topping, and go up to £6.15 for the biggest pot with three toppings.
9 Brewer Street, W1 (020 7494 3301; ifancyasnog.com)

Frae
Dedicated to frozen yogurt made from organic ingredients, this little shop has just opened in Angel's Camden Passage. The yogurt comes in two flavours — original or green tea — and there are 18 toppings to choose from including mango, pomegranate, mini Oreo cookies and Kit Kat.

As well as the yogurt being fat-free, the packaging is fully biodegradable, so you can feel doubly virtuous. Prices start at £2.35 for a small tub. Toppings are 65p each.
27 Camden Passage, N1, (07834 177926; frae.co.uk)

Yu-foria
Leo Bedford, Yu-foria's owner, first came across frozen yogurt in the United States and, wondering why it wasn't popular in the UK, decided to open a shop over here.

Like Snog, his brand of fat-free frozen yogurt is devoid of artificial flavours. It's made from the milk of Cumbrian cows. Found at the Transport Museum end of Covent Garden, the shop is already proving a hit with local workers who want something a bit healthier than traditional ice cream.

There are three choices of flavour: natural, chocolate and a fruit-based flavour that changes weekly (recent guest appearances were made by strawberry and mango). Then there's a choice of 20 toppings, including marshmallow, chopped banana, blueberry, fudge, pistachio, Oreo cookies, granola, and milk and white chocolate.

On top of that there is a variety of sauces, including caramel, white chocolate or fudge, to undo all the good work. But aside from the naughty toppings, this shop is virtuous in more ways than one — the packaging is fully biodegradable and recyclable, and all ingredients are sourced from the UK. Prices start at £2.80 for a small tub, and toppings are 20p each.
Unit 19a, Covent Garden Market, WC2 (020 7240 5532;yu-foria.com)

Benugo
Those busy Benugo brothers launched Benugo Gelato last month, offering a new range of high-quality ice creams to suit the sophisticated tastes of Londoners. The 12 flavours on offer are as English as Pimm's and cucumber sandwiches — creamy lemon curd ripple, gooseberry fool and raspberry ripple to name but three.

The ice creams will be available at all the usual Benugo shops — including the cafés in Marylebone, Mayfair, Shoreditch, the Serpentine Bar And Kitchen, and Westfield. At the Serpentine, ice cream is served from a retro-chic Citroen H van transformed into an ice cream mobile. Available in both scoops and cartons, the ice creams are made from natural ingredients and start at £2 for two scoops.
Serpentine Road, Hyde Park, W2 (020 7706 8114; benugo.com)

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