Ice cream near me: 7 of Greater Manchester’s favourite ice cream parlours – including Grandpa Greene’s and Lazy Sundae

Spring is well underway, the sun is shining and everyone is looking forward to the upcoming summer months. And when it comes to warm weather treats, there’s one thing that the whole family can enjoy – ice cream.

From the classic cone and flake to luxury Italian gelato, Manchester has a wide selection of ice cream parlours and dessert cafes to satisfy your sweet tooth. Here are some of our favourites.

Grandpa Greene’s

Even though it is located in Saddleworth, a fair distance away from Manchester city centre, it seems like the whole of Greater Manchester is talking about this award-winning luxury ice cream spot. Grandpa Greene’s offers over 30 different flavours of dairy ice cream, including all the classics, as well as more adventurous flavours, such as bubblegum, raspberry pavlova and cookies and cream. They also have a selection of plant-based ice creams that come in flavours like Lotus biscuit and passionfruit and mango, as well as fruity sorbets. You can choose between different flavours of cone (smarties, honeycomb, edible tub, to name but a few).

If you’re after more than a couple of scoops, their sundae dessert menu includes the Kinderella (Nutella ice cream, kinder ice cream, whipped cream, hot Kinderella sauce & Bueno biscuit) and the GG’s Mess (raspberry pavlova ice cream, strawberry ice cream, fresh berries and meringue pieces). There are also waffles, brownies, pancakes and donuts – all served with ice cream, of course. Prices range from £3 for a simple waffle cone and £10.50 for a sundae.

Ginger’s Comfort Emporium

If you’re after something a bit quirkier, head to the first floor of Affleck’s Palace, where you will find Ginger’s Comfort Emporium. They have a carefully curated selection of house classics and specials, which are also mostly vegan. The unique flavours on offer include Malted Coconut Milk, Chocolate, Ginger & Rosemary and Pear, hibiscus & Mint sorbet.

The parlour is open 10.30am-6pm, Monday-Saturday, but you can also hire the Ginger’s van for weddings and other events, and they also pop up at other events and festivals in and around Manchester.

Oasis

Oasis is the go-to dessert spot in South Manchester, located on Manchester Road in Chorlton. It has a huge selection of around 40 flavours, which you can enjoy in a cone, on a waffle, in a sundae or banana split. If you want to keep it simple and stick with a cup of ice cream, the biggest portion size they’re offering is eight scoops for £14 – perfect for sharing with friends and testing out as many flavours as possible.

Ice Shack

Many restaurants and cafes are embracing plant-based cuisine and expanding their menus to cater for vegan customers, including Ice Shack in Withington, which only sells vegan ice cream. The flavours they offer change regularly, so you’ll never get bored of going back for me. Some of the recent ones include Victoria sponge, pear, rocky road and hummus, which certainly has us intrigued.

Lazy Sundae

Lazy Sundae is definitely one for aspiring food bloggers and anyone on the hunt for Instagram-worthy desserts. You can find them on Tib Street in the Northern Quarter and they will also soon be opening a store in the Arndale, ahead of their plans to expand nationally. Their ice cream and dessert menu are heavily inspired by the travels in South East Asia, with flavours such as mango mochi, Vietnamese coffee, Earl Grey Biscoff and honeydew milk, which you can enjoy on their own, or in a cereal cone, cookie tray or shake.

They also serve up bubble teas, milkshakes, croffles (a croissant-waffle hybrid) and they also describe themselves as Manchester’s original souffle pancake spot. Prices range from £4 for a one-scoop cone to £7 for a croffle ice-cream sandwich.

Dunham Massey Ice Cream Farm

Dunham Massey on the border of Cheshire and Trafford was recently named Manchester’s most-visited tourist attraction. And the ice cream at the Dunham Massey Ice Cream Farm has got to be one of the reasons this area is so popular. The ice-cream is handmade using a home recipe in flavours like White Chocolate and Orea, Malteaser, Caramac, Custard Cream.

Milk Maids

This dairy farm ice cream parlour in Bolton gets especially busy on sunny days so be prepared to queue. They have a wide selection of flavours that can change throughout the day, including all the classics. Some of the most interesting flavours we have seen recently include Parma Violet, Pina Colada, Manchester Tart and peaches and cream. Prices range between £3 for a wafer cone and one scoop and £7 for a waffles and ice cream.