Reviews of il laboratorio del gelato. (Ice Cream Shop) in New York (New York).

il laboratorio del gelato

927 Reviews

380 Comments

Ice cream shop

Ice cream shop

188 Ludlow St, New York, NY 10002, United States

Description

Information of il laboratorio del gelato, Ice cream shop in New York (New York)

Discover the opening times, the location, contact, popular times, photos and real reviews by internet users.

This place has a very good rate, they treat their customers well and you’ll feel welcome, super recommended

Map

Open hours of il laboratorio del gelato

Reviews of il laboratorio del gelato

Vatika M

There are so many flavours!!! The concept of this gelato lab is amazing. You can tell by the variety of interesting flavours they do try to create new out of the box, good tasting flavours in their lab. The quality of the gelato is really nice too. Asides from gelato, you can make your milkshakes and affogatos and get drinks as well.

Moonyoung Lee

Very thick and creamy ice cream. Their pistachio and dark chocolate flavor is a must try. Was one of the best I have had. Was about $8 per person for multiple scoops. Would come again

Mary Shi

We got the Ginger and Cucumber, as it was recommended by cashier. SO DELICIOUS, beautiful creamy texture, not too sweet, unique flavors, and tasted so refreshing. The flavor was spot on. Not overpriced. It’s so cute that it comes in a little rectangle tub. I must come back to try all the other cool flavors, this was the best gelato I had in NYC.

Leif Nord

The bestest ice cream in the whole NYC! Never had I been so cooled with sorbets (it's 33oC today!) and amazed by the fullness of the taste! Highly recommended!

Aditi Kulkarni

Highly recommended! I am not a huge gelato or ice cream person but I loved clean flavors here. Usually pista flavored gelato is loaded with green food coloring but this tasted like real pistachios. Wasn’t too sweet either, well balanced.

Yibing Zhu

This place is amazing! For those of you who likes refreshing taste, this is the place to go. All the flavors, especially the fruit sorbet flavors taste exactly like the fruit itself. This is a must go place every time I come to New York! This is butterfly pea flower, peach sorbet, watermelon sorbet

Alan Varghese

Amazing gelato and sorbet at a great price, with a mind-blowing 40± options (including many vegan ones) to choose from. A great way to cool off on a summer day. I had 4 flavors and in all of them the flavor stood out very well, with most having a mild sweetness. The gelato texture was also good. I liked the cucumber and Turkish fig the most.

Taylor R.W.

The gelato was delicious with a unique variety and numerous flavors. We each ordered a small cup that came with 2 scoops. We tried the matcha, ube, salted caramel, espresso, and mint—high quality and delicious! The hardest part is they aren’t allowing samples so be ready to order more or trust that you’ll enjoy. The ambiance is definitely lab like with the fluorescent lights in the back! The window concept is really nice as you walk up, you can see the equipment and the working stations behind the counter.

Thomas Craver

So. Many. Flavor. Choices! Cute little gelato shop. Decently priced. And a nice palette change after eating at Katz across the street.

Trivikram Kamat

Must try ice cream if you're in the Lower East Side. There are lots of flavors, avocado being the popular one among reviewers on Google Maps. I tried coconut too, and it was great!

dough_ dy

The Gelato was amazing soo tasty the pistachio tasted so real! The only thing was the placed smelled like weed. We had our Gelato and ran for our lives.

Rob Jelinski

Had 3 scoops— the fresh mint, beet, and blueberry… all flavors were SO TASTY and fragrant!! Great pricing and generous portions. Will definitely be back again to try other flavors like Basil and Chocolate Bourbon.

Cece Yang

We had brown butter pecan and black sesame. Staff were friendly and recommended great flavors. I’ll be back again to try other specials.

Justin Nguyen

Here’s the deal: the gelato / sorbet was yummy - especially the lychee and milk chocolate graham cracker flavors I tried. However, the service and operations were beyond weak. Out of interest in seeing this spot improve in the future, I would like them to add some kind of crowd rope divider so people don’t all clump around the gelato / sorbet stations peeping to see what flavors are available. Which brings up my next point, which is that it’s nearly impossible to tell what flavors they have without putting your face against the glass… the signs are so low and angled without any thought that you literally have to tilt you head and move between the two stations to see what they have - not ideal at all. Lastly, on the day we went, there was a group that literally held the line up because they were trying to get the attention of one of the staff members there they knew and started a full blown conversation with them… like no respect for the dozens of people waiting patiently for their turn. There’s a time and place for everything, but with limited staff here, you really cannot block the flow of service. Overall, gelato /sorbet was yummy, but service was poor. If they don’t improve on this, I wouldn’t be so inclined to go here again.

Ian Chou

Gelato shop with 300 flavors. The store rotates between 48 flavors but you can online order any flavor 2-3 days in advance if you want a pint of it. They also offer sorbet options which are lactase free. Cucumber ⭐️⭐️⭐️ not my favorite but it definitely tastes like a fresh cucumber for those who love cucumbers Zabaglione ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ egg yolk, sugar, and wine. Tastes kind of like a egg custard Apple cinnamon ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ my favorite flavor of the bunch. Tastes like an apple pie Chirimoya ⭐️⭐️⭐️ a fruit that has a tropical flavor that I would describe as somewhere between a mango-ish and banana? Not my personal favorite

a MarinatedFish

Who the hell decides to make wine as a flavor for FRICKEN ICE CREAM? It do go hard tho

Daniel A

Good, not amazing. A decent array of generally basic, single ingredient flavours. Less creamy than expected as well.

w t.

Hands down, top ice cream in nyc. Must try. Creamy but not greasy. Melts fast, which translates to quality. Looks made in small batches, so it stays fresh. Really really good. Would come back.

Anthony Parris

Delicous!!!!!!! The avocado ice cream was bomb! I really wish they allowed samples because they had way too many amazing flavors.

Matthew Bahr

Edit: the cucumber gelato is insane in the best way. It has no right to be as good as it is. Il miglior gelato negli Stati Uniti. Don't let it's aesthetic deceive you: this is head and shoulders above any other gelato in NYC both in terms of AUTHENTIC ITALIAN GELATO and in terms of taste. Smooth, crisp flavors with the penchant for experimentation you'd expect from a place named Laboratory. If I could give 6 stars I would.

Spencer Nguyen

This is one of the best ice cream places I have ever been to. We got the blackberry, espresso, Fuji apple, and bourbon. Every flavor was top notch and and extremely flavorful. We literally could not have enough.

Pablo Mozas

Great gelato. They should consider switching to plastic-free cups and spoons though.

Poonam Rai

Went in for after lunch dessert. Such a wide selection to satisfy my palate. Loved the cucumber and black sesame flavor I got. Will definitely go again to try more flavors.

Andres SaImernon

Some excellent flavors! I’m partial to mango and raspberry myself but also recommend the blackberry. Constantly rotating selection.

Julia

My favorite gelato place in NYC. The flavors I've tried are all strong. I wish they had more locations!

Marijn de Vries Hoogerwerff

I love this gelato place, it has this laboratory industrial kind of design so maybe not a cozy little Italian place but something unique and stylish. And what is of course the main thing here, is the very good gelato, very well made, with a little espresso, hmmmm, yummy..

Jim H

The price is a bit high for the quantity of product you're given, but the taste and mouth feel of the gelato is pretty close to what you can expect among the best competitors outside of Italy (IMO, no gelato made in the USA that I've had so far comes close!) I tried the Juniper which was oddly refreshing given its mild pine flavoring. The salted caramel is decadently delicious (along with the hazelnut pictured below)! A good stop if you're craving a cold, creamy treat with a variety of flavors for your choosing.

Eric San José

Easy to see right off of Ludlow Street servicing the Lower East Side and the adjoining areas of Manhattan. Parking on the Street is available but it fills up fast especially at night and on the weekends. Clean facilities. No public Restroom. Wide variety of flavors. Sorbet and Gelato. On the expensive side so bring your credit cards. Small servicing of 2 scoops is $4.75 as of 8/4/2019. Thank you to the owner for responding. You're welcome. ESJ

A TRUTH PRODUCTION

Definitely the place to go if you want some gelato. The coconut gelato is amazing!!! But it often sells out so go early if you want to have it. The service is great, everyone was friendly and helpful. You can also taste before buying a specific flavor. Great anytime dessert place.

aq xin

Delicious gelato! My fave I got was the butterfly pea tea flavor. Hope to try more different flavors when I'm back again.

Chelsea Kinsman

Amazing flavors and quality, but dinging them one star for the horrendous layout of the store. The flavors aren’t listed anywhere in the store so you can’t figure out what you want while in line, and the flavors listed on the website have little in common with the store flavors. So after waiting in line, you get to the front and you have to decide quickly without seeing the options or lose your place in line so you can look at the flavors. They also don’t provide samples. Will go again because the quality is 💯, but only a couple small changes to the store layout could make this into an efficient, top notch experience. It’s not that right now.

Amado Hernandez

Delicious. Great service. Lots to choose from. Must try the Fuji Apple and Dark Cherry my favorites. Ahhh🍧🏙🇮🇹🤘 …

Laura laurabergleedesign

love their gelato and the variety of new flavors ! also the sorbettos are very good

SHA

Great place, best ice cream, overall customer service is great. Tons of different flavors to choose from, Definitely recommend 😊 …

Betsy Van Die

The name is a little pretentious, but the gelato was quite delicious and very pretty. The person that waited on us was rather unfriendly, but we didn't have to wait long because only one other customer was in there.

R

Yeah here it’s always delicious , feels fresh clean and ready to go! the prices are a little inflated but it’s what you can expect from being in Manhattan and the flavors are unique. It is nice that they change out weekly the flavors. they also have the option of preparing a pint to go. definitely were stopping by if you are in the area!

Kevin C

First time there for the 3 of us. Gelato was delicious ... we each had something different - mocha, peach, strawberry, lemon and birthday cake. Reasonable prices and friendly staff. Well worth the trip and certainly recommend.

Vanessa S.

Great gelato! The quality is awesome and they offer a huge variety of flavors. We went there around 8pm and the shop was quite dirty. Didn’t feel comfortable sitting down, so we enjoyed our gelato outside.

Hiep Nguyen

Good ice cream spot, nothing too crazy. The flavors are good and plentiful to choose from. J personally like olive oil, it tasted super light but satisfying

Carmen Chan

One of my favorite gelato place in NYC! My fiance and I have been here once before and we were so eager to return again and we were finally able to again! Their pistachio is one of my favorite flavors but unfortunately, they didn't have that the 2nd time we went. They make their ice cream and sorbets there at the "lab" daily. They come up with surprising and exotic flavors and you just cannot miss out this ice cream shop if you ever visit Manhattan!! Can't wait till we get to enjoy again!

Andre Asmara

Super love this place since they serve some unique flavors. I had Thai chili chocolate with a hint of spicy kick on my mouth & basil (surprisingly taste delicious). Would definitely be back to try more flavors soon!!!

Xiomara Maldonado

Gelato is kept under the table surface (the better way!) and made fresh in the back. Great customer service. I won't tell you my fave flavors because it might be all gone when I go to get it. But you can taste test! Totally worth your time and money. My whole family enjoys it here.

electro wasabi

Lots of flavors, more on the traditional side. Lots of sorbets which is great however the one I had did not have an enjoyable texture. It s was too icy, the sorbet would granulate a lot and you had to chew it. When chewing the basically ice, it felt like someone was scratching a chalkboard, where ur teeth were the board and the ice cream were the nails. The mocha and raspberry gelato were good, with a nice consistency. Expensive.

N21

Best ice cream/ gelato in the city by far. Best flavors, texture, and isn’t overpriced like other nyc spots.

Yinzi Jin

Hands down one of the best ice cream I have ever had. So many options, I ordered Thai tea, toasted coconut and salted caramel, all three are so good. The shop is clean and neat. Will come back for more ice cream!

James Concepcion

Amazing gelateria that has the ambiance of an ultra clean laboratory with staff in lab gowns and ice cream served in rectangular tubs. There are many flavors to choose from but to me the best judge of an ice cream is the vanilla and they most probably have the best version in town. Servings are a bit small for the price but who needs too much quantity when the quality is just so good. You can always get seconds. I do always when I visit.

Caroline Spitzer

I love coming to il laboratorio del gelato. It’s always a special trip and treat but with it. The flavor variety is always pretty phenomenal. This most recent trip they hadn’t filled the case fully, but still managed to make a great flavor combo: green apple sorbet, brown sugar gelato, and honey chestnut gelato. All were excellent!

Haydee Villanueva

The gelato tastes pretty good but I don't like that it's not fresh like other gelato places I've been to. There were ice chunks in my gelato. They really need to keep it fresh. I hate that crunch in my ice cream from a chunk of ice. Also, the table I sat at was dirty and the spoon broke. It's not strong enough to really scoop out the gelato. The sample they gave was so small, I had to buy the gelato just to really know what it tastes like.

Lady Zabyth

Extremely delicious gelato, my favorite was the basil, but they were all superb!

Average Socialite

How cool is this place? Had the Labor Day special - balsamic vinegar ice cream with a scoop of strawberry - the perfect blend of salty and sweet. Very clean, large space & the perfect treat on a summer day. Open now with Covid restrictions in place. Support local!

Josie Rossum

Tried out the kiwi, orange hibiscus sorbet, sesame, and pistachio. Love the pistachio the most! The pistachio is as good as the Venchi’s!

Stephanie Massine

Heads up - this place used to do samples. I was shocked when I visited yesterday and the employee told me no samples. With lots of unusual flavors, you’re doing a disservice to your customers. You can’t just order tarragon or butternut squash gelato without tasting it first. Just implement a sample limit so customers don’t abuse it.

Candice Johnson

The Gelato is insanely good... aside from you pay a pretty penny for these tiny little scoops. Their varieties are by the many and its difficult to see them all because there's no menu and ita usually crowded and you can't see all the choices.

Esther

Favorite gelato place in NYC. Affordable and unique in flavors. Perfect way to end the day.

K Mac

There are so many flavors of gelato, it's hard to decide which to choose. The pumpkin, salted caramel and green tea are recommended. The first taste of whipped cream will make you stop in your tracks. A dessert in itself! So creamy and delicious. The Pumpkin is clean, rich and light. Salted caramel flavors are so robust, simply decadent. Green Tea tastes like fresh grass with a tang. You will be ruined after a trip, nothing can compare. 😥

Daeun Choi

Salted caramel flavour is deep and creamy. I had it with hot americano - super!

Saadia Toor

Il Laboratorio has ruined me. I simply cannot eat any other ice cream or gelato. Their flavours are not only unique but also incredibly true. So the strawberry actually tastes like strawberries. The nut flavours are unbelievable- do not pass them up!

Vivian Cao

This is hands down my favorite gelato place in NYC. Every flavor I’ve ever tried here has been amazing and for the most part the perfect level of sweetness. No matter how many gelato places in try, this is still my top recommendation.

Jonathan Gan

One of my favourite gelato places - definitely a must-try! Gelato is intensely-flavoured and absolutely delicious. It's laboratory-themed, as the name might suggest, so some people find the store lacks atmosphere - I feel it adds to the theme.

Ashleigh Batton

Italian-style gelatos and sorbets; traditional, innovative and new flavors. Il Laboratorio del Gelato is a staple for my family year round! If you're curious about the "innovative and new flavors," alongside traditional flavors you will find fun things like calamansi/calamondin, watermelon, red bean, papaya, cantaloupe and grape to name a few. I absolutely recommend Il Laboratorio f[e any lover of gelato or sorbet. They also make espressos and coffee beverages. Note: there are NO SAMPLES/SAMPLING.

bruno korbar

Some of the best ice-cream in NYC, with exciting ever-changing flavours, and (what is for NYC at least) decent price. It is a must visit, especially after, let's say, lunch at Katz. My favourites were cinnamon and toasted white sesame.

James Wade

They have great selection of flavors and the gelato itself is very good. Prices seem pretty normal for this area and there is enough seating inside if you're trying to get away from the survey heat.

YP

Probably one of the best gelato I've had in life. Was a tough choice picking from their insanely wide range of flavours

Mistie Cogbill

So amazing! Seasonal flavors were cantaloupe and peach sorbet. I got the cantaloupe and lemon. Husband peach and blackberry. Super nice counter staff...I wish there was a space to wash hands, but what else is new.

Alejandro Perez

One of the best gelato in the country. My two picks are always dark chocolate and salted caramel. Delicious!

Nicolò

Feels more like an American ice cream place than a gelateria. There are basically no classic gelato flavors offered: no chocolate, no pistacchio, no hazelnut etc. Tastes alright but I’m not a big fan of their flavors.

Lynette Lee

The variety of flavours were overwhelming, although option to taste 2 flavours per person was available it still didn’t quite help with the decision making. Also, disheartened to see the number of spoons dispensed. 2 spoons for tasting + 1 with order. Management, please consider using metal spoons for tasting, and or not giving out new spoons with order.

Sasha Detti

Absolutely adore the plethora of flavors available here - from simple ones like a lemon sorbet to shiso leaf or basil ice cream. Whatever you may have a taste for, you are sure to find your fix here. Also love the fact they serve the ice cream in cups that are mini version of their pint - so smart! Make sure you go and try their delicious flavors, you will definitely not regret it. I’d recommend the plum sorbet, the pistachio ice cream, and the hot chili chocolate. But tbh there’s so many it’s impossible to pick one! This is definitely one of my go to places for authentic gelato and sorbetto 😊

Vernon Williams

It’s pricy but then gelato should be considered an indulgent treat. Many flavors very unique and made fresh. The staff was nice and the space eclectic.

Carolina Castro

Great spot, lots of flavors to choose from and the malted shakes are very good also. I love the passion fruit gelato.

Anna Jakrlin

Not too sweet, v authentic flavors! Delicious!

Will

It's good. Unique flavors. Gelato is pretty excellent.

Mike A

Whenever I'm near the area I have to go here. One of my favorite places in the city for ice cream. The visible equipment in the back and layout in the front definitely gives the whole "a sort of laboratory" feel which is fun and customer service is always receptive, polite, and just great. And of course you get amazing stuff. So far I've tried...at least vanilla, dark chocolate, dulce de leche, mocha, fior di latte, green tea, ube, and black sesame (yes, not an adventurous list, I know, I know) and the only thing that didn't strike me as amazing was black sesame since they seemed to lean more into the bitter notes than the nutty ones. It's also very nice that you get scoops of several flavors here since, well, you will want to try several. Enough where if you bring others you may just want to think of it as one big communal order instead of several individual ones from the beginning.

Peggy Snyder

Tell them it's your first time. They'll roll out the red carpet and let you try everything!!! Black olives and goat cheese ice cream, eat it or spread over bread?Hands down fave is honey lavender, not too sweet or too flowery/herbal. Plus, kids sizes just aren't for kids. But do yourself a favor and order up a size bc as you cone shrinks, you'll be wishing for more.

Martin Kupfer

Amazing ice cream. Genuine ingredients. Most likely the best ice cream in New York!

Jake Stowe

This is hands down, no question, the best ice cream in New York City if not the entire country. If you rated this ice cream below 5 stars, you’re playing yourself.

Discover Places

Flavours to try: avocado, toasted black sesame, black fig, basil.... Hmmm and pretty much everything else. Have fun kids!

Ansh Jain

My favourite ice cream in the entire US. These guys know what true ice cream is - innovative as well as classic flavours, bold tastes (esp the black sesame - yum!!!). The shop has a minimalist and sophisticated look - perfect for what's in store when you dig in!

Wunil Kim

Not a big fan of gelato but this place blew me away! Very balanced flavors and it’s clear that they put a lot of time in considering their flavor combinations

r davis

The best experience you could ask for while buying gelato on the streets of nyc. The friendly italian speaking server added to the experience of the delicately crafted artisan gelato. Grazi

Alexander Kanov

The affogato is just amazing. Regular gelato – pretty good.

Mélanie Davroux

Best gelato in downtown Manhattan if not all of Manhattan. Always new flavors to try, and solid staples. This ice cream to me feels like the one I would make at home with an authentic Italian ice cream machine and simple / healthy ingredients, and real fruits. Not too sweet not over the top ice cream like typical American chains.

Michael Mindlin

Interesting concept, nice staff and of course a bunch of flavors. HOWEVER, quite small portion size. Also, I found the few flavors I tried to be very mild aka you could hardly taste the actual flavor. Maybe it’s nostalgia, but I think I like my gelato experience to remind me more of my trips to Italy 🇮🇹 and not a science lab lol

Joanna F

Pretty good gelato with very reasonable price.

MOTIVATION REALITY

This place is best for the gelato lovers. I tried the Dulce de Leche double scoop. 😋 …

Evita Rasmussen

Had the two scoops waffle cone with amaretto crunch and black mission fig gelatos. Flavors were subtle and amazing. Happy it was not sweet and you taste the flavor of the ingredient the gelato is named and not diluted by sweet or sugar but the natural taste of the ingredient. Service was efficient and friendly. I always loved ice cream. Such a comforting food. This place is a definite return. Only wish I could go back 300 times a year!

Dror Gorelik

The best ice cream to be found in NYC. They have hundreds of unique flavors prepared in house. Friendly smiling staff. The flavors are well distinguished. Not too sweet and the texture is just....PERFECT. A little bit off the Broadway beaten track but well worth the diversion. Don't miss it.

Glen Apfelstadt

This is the place to get your fix of high quality, velvety textured gelato! If you're looking at this comment then click directions and get here as soon as you can! I promise you, you will not be disappointed!

Lisa Standke

There's lots of good ice cream in this area, but il laboratorio del gelato wins for selection and for their ability to serve a lot of people without making you wait for a long time. They're a little stingy on how many samples you can try, but this admittedly helps them cut down on the wait time. They've got all the classics, a solid number of sorbets and dairy free options, and a huge variety of unique but not bizarre selections. It's the only place I can consistently find peanut butter ice cream.

Avinash Salgam (Avi)

Too small of serving sizes and you can only taste 2 flavors. Tough to enjoy not being a local of the area.

michelle rosenberg

This is hands down the best gelato in NYC. They don’t mess around with crazy inventive flavors and long silly descriptions, instead they are flavor purists. There isn’t just an “orange” or a “fig” flavor here, there is a “blood orange” and a “mission fig” and often you have a choice between different fig and orange varieties. The serving size is large enough to enjoy, but not so large that you feel sick. I only wish they would occasionally suggest flavor combinations so I wouldn’t spend so much time deciding what to get.

vicky freese

Best ice cream place in the city by far! Ice cream that tastes like the flavour it's supposed to be, not too sweet, silky smooth. Coconut, black sesame, pistachio and fig are awesome. I'm sure they are all amazing but I could only eat 4 scoops!

Christie Ray Harrison

Incredible gelato flavors and variety, but usually a long wait and the staff are not very friendly - very businesslike and austere, which fits the lab vibe but doesn't really make you feel welcome. Note that they have a strict limit of two samples per person so be strategic about what you sample! Highly recommend the black cherry and the chocolate chocolate chip. Avocado is good too, just different.

Leonardo Torres

I love the variety of flavors. Basil is my favorite.

Bernard K

Really enjoyed the ice cream. The flavor, the right level of sweetness, the right texture...it was all perfect. I look forward to coming back. The wait can get a bit much. Worth the wait, but just be prepared if it's busy to have a few minutes to spare. Wheelchair accessible. Can easily get in with no ramp required.

Thomas G.

Not bad but nothing special. Normal gelato with some interesting flavors like ‘olive oil’(?)! A small cup with two flavors is $4.75. Inside there are a few stainless steel window sills to sit on an two very small tables. Very industrial and not welcoming. I guess you are supposed to go in and leave quickly.

Henrik Brodtkorb

This is the best ice cream experience I have had anywhere. Yes, there really is a lab and there are hundreds of flavours. They deliver to many NYC restaurants and the flavours range from classics (vanilla, chocolate, cookies and cream) to the adventurous (pumpkin, beetroot, etc). All the flavours are authentic and delicious. The only gripe is the portion sizes, but you're paying for excellent quality.

Adrian Brügger

Excellent spot, although a bit cold in decor. I LOVE their no-nonsense operation and ecclectic flavors. Where else can you get flavors like Guinness, rhubarb, Turkish coffee (actually tastes like Turkish coffee), malt, stracciatella, (on top of the usual stuff, of course)? Highly recommended for anyone looking to get outstanding single flavors that are meticulously to the point. Not a place to go get Oreo cookie rocky road with double fudge and sprinkles on top, and that makes me more than a little happy on the inside!

basheer bergus

great gelato - tons of unique flavors to choose from. sometimes the lines are long, but I've been getting lucky lately and breezing through. staff is super friendly and it is always nice to try a few of the unique flavors (I really enjoyed the pink peppercorn and the lavender/honey)

Craig Moskowitz

This wall to wall white colored, laboratory-like looking ice cream shop had about 3 dozen small batch produced ice cream flavors. Each of the flavors we tasted were well balanced representations of their titled flavor. I wondered about the avacado and was pleasantly surprised at how well and complex it tasted. It tasted like a perfectly sweetened dessert version of guacomole. It has to be tasted to appreciate how well balanced it was. I was with my wife so we compromised. It worked out well since we shared a scoop of honey lavender, a flavor I would not tasted if left to my own devices. WOW! What a surprise. Lavender is ordinarily a strong scent, but here at il laboratorio del gelato they found a balance between the honey and lavender that will bring me back knowing full well they are constantly rotating their flavors. With such a great variety, if not honey lavender, there's sure to be flavor for you.

Evgenia D

What a pleasant surprise! If you wonder what real gelato is, this is the closest. Natural ingredients, no colorant, less sugar than in traditional oversweetened American ice cream and unbeatable creaminess.

MO HAROON

Great Gelato! They have a large selection and very friendly staff. My favorite is Pistachio.

Weimin Yu

Gelatos with both classical and creative flavors. Outstandingly fresh.

Stu Stewart

Just stumbled in after seeing the ridiculous line at Katz’s Deli. Amazing place. It’s a laboratory. The design is sleek and minimalist. The gelato and sorbets come in huge variety of flavors. I got Honey Crisp Apple Sorbet, Watermelon Sorbet, Cranberry Sorbet, and Lemon Basil Sorbet (you can get containers with 1, 2, 3, or four scoops of different flavors). All were great, but Honey Crisp and Cranberry were my favorite.

M Mandal

Their choice of flavors are just wow! I had looked forward to trying the basil gelato, but unluckily they did not have it on the day we visited. Ended up trying lemon ginger marmalade, and thai chili dark chocolate. Both quite yummy.

Fabrizio Andreuzzi

Great taste, rich variety, high quality ingredients and good value for money. The gelato is fresh and made on premises. In my view, one of the best spots for gelato in NYC. I am a happy and loyal customer.

Sharon W

The flavor i got was the honey lavender and the basil. The basil seem to be very popular. They have a lot of other flavors but i really did not know which one to pick. When i got to taste both of the flavor, i can't tell them apart because it taste so similar. I thought they would taste different since i am sure basil should not taste like honey lavender. Now it get me thinking if other flavors are similar as well. I think this is my first and last time coming here because it did not wow me enough to come back again.

Sichao Wang

Best of the best. Every flavor is tasteful and authentic. Sesame, strawberry, basil, every flavor you can think of is good!!!

Liana Lu

Amazing flavors and impeccable customer service. I've been to both the Ludlow location and the former union square location (which is now closed which makes me sad because that location was so much more conveinent). They always have a wide variety of unique flavors. Very reasonably priced as well compared to competitors - $8.25 for four flavors in a cup or a sugar cone. I got the black mission fig gelato, kiwi sorbet, honeycrisp apple sorbet, and the orange hibiscus sorbet. My favorite surprisingly was the orange hibiscus sorbet considering I'm normally not a big fan of hibiscus flavored stuff. The orange complements the acidity of the hibiscus well. My sisters got black sesame gelato, beet sorbet, avocado gelato, tangerine sorbet, and lychee sorbet. They loved theirs as well. The girls who helped us were very patient and eager to help. They honor their words there and if something happens to your ice cream or you're not happy with it or you drop it (as did in my case), they replace it for you with no problem. I wish they had a points system though or rewards program. Here are some future flavor suggestions? 😋 - hojicha (roasted green tea) gelato - guava sorbet - tamarind sorbet - peach basil - jackfruit sorbet - roasted chestnut - thai basil Definitely looking forward to returning for some more exciting flavors in the future.

Breece W

Super delish! The gelato here is so good and creamy. The variety of exotic flavors make for a delicious tasting experience. I had the Chocolate cinnamon the first time. The next time I had something else even more delicious.

Shally Very

Service: 5 star Gelato: 5 star Layout: 5 star Everything about this place makes me happy, from floor to ceiling Glass walls, to the authenticity of the Gelato flavors... They have 48 out of 400 flavors on display, so whenever you stop by, look out for new flavors. I don't have a favorite flavor here: but what I got was the following: watermelon, basil, blackberry port, maple, amaretto crunch, oh! And don't worry, I shared it with a friend... In My opinion that's the best Gelato place in NY; if not in the country, mainly due to the authenticity of the flavors... It tasted exactly as the label said. Cheers, See ya'll on July 15. (national Ice Cream day) and happy gelotology!

Margaux Rogers

So many different flavors - some that are unthinkable as gelato! they let you try flavors but only 2, so make sure to review EVERYTHING (meaning make sure you look in both sections and don't miss any) before deciding what to try. I always order 2 scoops, 2 different flavors, and generally the same ones (I love soapy flavors so, earl grey, rosemary, lavender, etc, depending on what they have) and I use my two "tastes" for crazy flavors that I don't necessarily want to order but want to try (ie corn, cream cheese, etc).

Bing Reid

I love the ice cream and sorbets that come from here. Very creative. I can use some of their sorbets to place on top of my cold soup! No one makes those type of sorbets. I wish they’d be somewhere in midtown East or upper Eastside too

The One and only Pinky Pinky

I have been at least a dozen times. The flavors are inventive and unique. They have about 300 rotating flavors, and about 3 dozen flavors at any given time. You are allowed two tastings per person. I wrote to them on their FB page asking about a flavor I have been chasing for years. Every time I go they do not have it. Which is cheddar cheese. There some chocolate people and some cheese people. I am a cheese person! They did get back to me and said they don't have it too often and to email them every now and again to see if they have it. I do not spend as much time in the area any more. There are 300 flavors but they are not all available just about a dozen flavors. But it is really good but they just never have the flavor I want.

Casey Penk

Great gelato, very dense and flavorful. Pomegranate and dark chocolate were incredible, and even better as a pair. Prices are decent. Not cheap but it is a fairly nice establishment. The staff were not the most engaged, and when a sick customer came in and asked to use the restroom they refused. Do not appreciate that kind of standoffish service.

Jessica

This place is quite big, clean and has an airy feel to it, however, it doesn't have a lot of seating. They have quite a selection of icecreams and sorbets that are really delicious! Some that are unique like avocado and fuji apple.. etc. The scoops were kinda small since it came with a small container. I was definitely craving for some more sorbet after..

Thani NYU

Really good gelato, massive selection, but the staff need to fix their attitude and be a little more lively.

Mandy H

The gelato and sorbet here is the best you'll have. Everything is made from fresh ingredients, on the premises, which you can watch from outside. There are over 250 flavors that are rotating all the time, so you'll never get bored. You have to try some of the more unique ones, I promise you they're all tasty. Specifically the olive oil, thai chili chocolate, honey lavender, and black sesame gelato. My favorites are the maple, honey lavender, roasted coconut, and Bailey's gelato, and the mango sorbet. It's also not that expensive considering most ice cream places in the city, try it out!

David Tattersall

Simply astonishing; wide variety of flavours which taste nothing like you've ever tasted before. Will convert anybody who doesn't really like ice cream that much (just like it did me). Get a cup and try 2-3 flavours. The best is Fuji Apple Sorbet.

Maverick Selementi

Staff was so nice and patient despite the long line, loved the assortment of flavors they had, appealing to all my family, and how easy the ordering process was

Bob Lou

There is an incredible amount of variety here, and the five flavors I tried (chocolate amaretto, green tea, toasted white sesame, pear, and toasted coconut) tasted as described. Pear was very faint compared to the other bold flavors. Toasted coconut and chocolate amaretto especially good. Nonetheless, the gelato form factor is amazing in that it is not to heavy, but it is still satisfying. And there are so many flavors!

Avi Sarfaraz

High quality Gelato spot, many unique flavors with friendly staff and cool hipster vibe. Portions are reasonable, not overly large but make up with wide variety and high quality. For a Gelato joint, it is a solid decision.

Jason Hu

I love this spot because of the endless variety of flavors. Citrusy fruity and creamy and even Carrot flavor? They have it all. If your ever in the area definitely stop by to satisfy your dessert stomach and/or a delicious palette cleanser

Danning Ge

The best gelato in the city. Love the ube flavor!

lrgonly

Flavors are perfect. Texture of some of the sorbet is a little grainy but that’s nitpicking.

Daniel Levine

It's worth the trek to the Lower East Side to get a mouthful of the city's best Italian-style ice cream. A dozen flavors are offered daily, all of which are made here in their exhibition kitchen from seasonal ingredients. We've had their explosive black sesame, lavender and ginger flavors, but the super-intense dark chocolate is the one that we dream about when we're away.

Jeremy

I had the passion fruit gelato and it was really good. It had a pretty potent first bite but it was very addicting. My date had a scoop of the basil and ginger ice cream, both of which were equally good. Going to have to add this as another place I'll be frequenting in the future.

Harris

Great ice cream here

Maria Cocco

So many delicious sorbetto options for those of us that avoid dairy (for whatever reason). Had the persimmon today and it was ridiculous. Have loved the mango, lemon mint, lemon basil, and apple varieties in the past. The honeydew is also exceptional. I hear the gelato is also amazing. 😉 …

hansel tan

My fiance and I stop by here to try their amazing varieties of gelato. I mean, they have tons of flavor, your typical Fior di Latte to some exotic south american fruits. I got their malt shakes of Fior di Latte and Graham Cracker, it was way too sweet, yet very creamy. Definitely worth a try.

Julia S. Chen

Best gelato I've had in the states so far

Justin C

Love this place. Great gelato with a rotating set of interesting flavors. The line is never too long. Prices are comparable to other ice cream places around, but the experience is superior in my opinion.

mami ma

The quality was great and the staff was very friendly. The only thing that I, the ice cream junkie didn't like about it was the portion(or the price)

Mickey Davis

I live near this place and the gelato is quite okay as is the sorbet(to). I have known the owner for years. He started Ciao Bella and it was originally terrific. The Laboratorio is about the same quality. But it suffers from a few major defects. The customer service is an issue. There are often plenty of customers but rarely much service. Today there were twenty customers. There was one person serving. A bit disconcerting. It happened exactly the same last week so it wasn't a one off. And before that as well. And the gelato comes in over a hundred flavors. The problem is they are all manufactured elsewhere. That's a problem Insurance. Whatever you do, don't buy sorbet prepackaged. It sits in a freezer and solidifies. You get a nicely flavored block of ice. You don't do that to sorbet which is mostly water. Gelato, perhaps. When I say not manufactured here of course I mean the various flavors.

Tiffani Grace

I've had better gelato, but they have some good flavors. It's pricey, and the cup sizes are small. Also, they limit you to only two samples, but luckily the ladies let me try more. My favorite flavors were the black sesame, dulce de leche, and the chocolate kahula.

Jonathan Gough

So good! I had the mocha and dark chocolate. Absolutely amazing. The mocha was so rich. Tasted like there were coffee beans ground into the gelato. Dark chocolate was to die for! Never had gelato that dark and rich before.

Luis Armando Ocaranza Ordaz

Great assortment of flavors, all the ones I've tried are delicious. The place is also very nice, with large windows that make it feel very open and you can also see the behind the scenes, which make you feel great about the quality of the gelato.

Vladimir Jovanovic

If you're down to try flavors of gelato that you never thought could work, this is the place for you. I'm talking about really weird flavors like beets for example. Beets and 200 other flavors. Other than that, I would honestly put an average tag here. Gelato is truly delicious, but not the best out there. I know this place is popular, but I just wasn't that blown away with the experience. Interior really looks like a laboratory and it has it's ups and downs. It's a great gimmick, but then again it didn't feel really natural to order something heavenly as gelato at a lab. Definitely worth checking out, just don't expect much. Be prepared to wait, it looks like it's always crowded.

Katherine Lee

Gelato as perfection. An endless stream of classic and unexpected flavors. Looks unpromising because it's so very stark and clinical; the line is a little weird and challenging on a hot day with everyone craning to see the day's offerings in the case, but it's worth the wait. I love the black grape sorbet, black sesame, blueberry, salted caramel... La sigh. The list goes on and on.

Cliff Wood

While the flavors were delicious, the prices were high and the staff weren't all that friendly nor in any hurry to take an order. The way the flavors were displayed makes them impossible to read except from right next to the counter, and the counter is seriously inefficient at handling crowds . I will say this, the fig gelato and apple sorbet taste amazing.

Lina P

Good flavors of sorbets and Gelato. I had mascarpone Gelato and blood orange hibiscus sorbet, low key think the mascarpone made my stomach queasy.

Samantha Forbes

Visited Il Laboratorio at the recommendation of a friend on my recent trip to NY and was not disappointed. The line was a bit odd, and you have to take a number like you're at the deli counter. Once its your turn, there are a huge assortment of flavors to choose from, ranging from standard Vanilla to odd like celery or pink pepper. They carry sorbets as well, and allow you to have a couple sample tastes before making a selection. I thought the blueberry, toasted almond and the fresh mint were perfection.

Sara Norris

Great selection of water-based gelato. The Melon was delish. The staff was really nice... Next time I'm in NY I'll come back!!

Joanna Wong

Customer service needs some work; workers can be rude and rush you, especially during busy hours. But besides that, delicious gelato with a wide variety of different flavors. Limit of 2 samples per person.

poppyseed dancer

Recommend above the gelato I’ve had through the years in Italy

Gabriel Minniear

Phenomenal gelato. Great flavors, reasonable prices.

Allan MacLeod

What sets this place apart from other gelato shops, in addition to the unique and rotating flavor options, is the fact that they use much less sugar than most other places. This lets the flavors speak for themselves, and makes more subtle flavors possible, like rosemary, that would be overpowered by a ton of sugar. I don't get the same sugar crash I do at other places, which makes me come back more often than I might otherwise.

Kevin Raz

Good thing I do not come here often, otherwise I will be obese within a week. I've tried gelato in its very origin, Italy, and I have to say, not many places can replicate it. Il Laboratorio del Gelato comes very, VERY close. Aside from the flavors they typically sell in Italy, they also have their own unique flavors, some seasonal ones especially. One of them the last time I went had wasabi in it. Therefore, it's not only for those who desire the good old taste of Italy, but also for those adventurous foodies out there.

Ryan Lewis

Nothing of the texture and creaminess of the best Italian gelato is lost in the pursuit of interesting and sophisticated flavors. Not overly sweetened either. The best I've had, including many trips to italy.

Sean Wang

The selection here is enormous, so you may need to take a few minutes to decide which flavors to get. If it's not too crowded, don't be shy about asking for samples! I love their fruit sorbets, which contain little bits of fruit in them. I especially recommend the Fuji apple!

Tyler Lund

Delicious gelato from an interesting location. The building seems unnecessarily huge compared to the counter and the atmosphere is like some clinical laboratory. The selection of flavors is great and everything is delicious. The prices were also pretty good for high quality gelato.

C Valentin

Short wait outside as per covid precautions they are only allowing 3 people in at a time. A little pricey but extremely delicious. I had the cherry sherbet. Line moved pretty quickly and staff were friendly.

Fausto Palazzetti

This is a pretty massive gelatoria. Most of the space is used for the actual "laboratory" which you can get a glimpse into if you walk around the outside. The ice cream store itself, is pretty basic, just a few cases of ice cream, and a coffee bar on the end. The first thing you'll notice when you walk in is how bright it is, like you need sunglasses bright. But I guess that's fitting with the name and all. The second thing you'll notice is the ice cream. There are about 50 flavors on rotation from their over 200, and I plan to try them all, they are seriously good, and the flavors are intense. You can tell they're made form the real thing, no artificial anything here. The ice cream is a little on the rich side, but that is a sign of quality. I'll definitely be back.

Drew Grady

High quality gelato in a clean and comfy environment. Large selection of flavors made with fresh ingredients. Concord grape and Baileys Irish Cream are fire!

Kara Thrace

They're pricey so share with a friend. The basil flavor is very good and if they have honey lavender go with that. When my friends got other flavors and I stuck with lavender they ended up jealous. There's limited samples since some people might only want to try it for the novelty. No tables but there are seats by the windows.

Irina Makagon

Hundreds of flavors of ice cream and dozens of of flavors of sorbet. They don't just have an apple sorbet, they have green apple sorbet, fuji apple sorbet (which is lovely), etc. I strongly recommend trying the fuji apple sorbet, blackberry-port sorbet, and honey-lavender ice cream, but there are no *bad* flavors here. Plus, you can always ask for a taste!

Lynae Wheelhouse

We happened to walk past and were curious about this shop. We couldn't decide on a flavor, so we tried 4. The lavender honey, fresh mint, licorice, and Thai chili dark chocolate were fun to enjoy. With over 300 favors, we have many more to look forward to.

Sharon Man

Lots of choices, from traditional to unexpected, like espresso, dark chocolate sorbet, blueberry, raspberry (our favorite), fennel, mango jalapeno, beet, green tea, Greek yogurt, zabligone...

Kevin Chan

It's one of the best gelato's i've ever had in NYC. Period. Situated in the Lower East Side and close to Katz's. It's the perfect snack or dessert if you are coming from the salty pickled meats of Katz's deli. Not too many sit down or tables but having your ice cream isn't really a sit down experience. Wonderful service as the folks behind the counter are open to explaining each flavor and giving a taste. The gelato is creamy and full of flavor. Definitely gives you a punch and you are carried away to the flavor you picked. My favorites are the salted caramel, buttery with that burnt caramel flavor and the salt takes it up a notch. Also a fan of the hazzlenut as you get that roasted hazzlenut taste with bits of nuts in the gelato. All very refreshing, well made, and satisfying.

Lady Ace

The stark white lab offers fresh delicious gelato in over 100 flavors. While some are "ordinary" like mango and strawberry, others are a bit "wild" like pink peppercorn, olive oil, rice, wasabi and guinness flavor. I came in here late on a Wednesday night and the place was busy but it wasn't super busy where I wasn't able to score two tastings and seat to enjoy my gelato. I have noticed no matter what time you go, there is always a huge array of gelato to sample. The staff was very nice and patient even after a lunatic came in to steal the simple syrup and ran away with it. If you love gelato, do yourself a favor and come try the different flavors this place has to offer.

Isaiah

Amazing! This place is so creative in their gelatos. Initially I wanted to stay safe and get a vanilla and maybe vanilla, but when I saw the flavours of honey lavender and olive oil, I knew I had to try those. Best decision of my life.

Rachel Antonio

I make every effort to stop at Il Lab when on the Lower East Side. They have the best gelato in NY! I love the flavors like honey lavender, Guiness, mission fig... Really everything is good. If I feel like being a fatty, I will get the chocolate dome on top. If you're lucky, John the owner will scoop your ice cream.

AJ Arriaga

Really great flavors at more than your average gelato price. Really creamy stuff. Some interesting and subtle flavors like olive oil. A good place for good gelato

PandaDomo NYC

Love this gelato shop! It looks like they make everything on site. The gelato is packed with rich flavor and very smooth. The green tea/matcha gelato was amazing because it had such a rich matcha flavor but it was not powdery, artificial or overpowering. If you like green tea I highly suggest you try the green tea gelato. Their scoops were also generous. A small container fits 2 scoops, which is the perfect size for lunch time dessert :)

Shan Poon

Smooth and creamy gelato with innovative flavors. My favorite is olive oil!

Nija Phelps

The gelato is delicious and there is a great variety of choices! Nice, patient staff; clean and cute space. Just a little bit pricey, so 4 stars instead of 5. Highly recommend.

Kimberley Pizza

Amazing! One of the best gelato places I’ve been to. I love the variety in unique and creative flavors. Perfectly balanced and smooth. A must try!

Lauren Fulton

Amazing gelato with interesting rotating flavors! Lots of options. Only downside is the general scrum of trying to see the flavors and get served before paying, but they have a ticket system for when it gets too busy

Chili Pedi

Fig ice cream could have been more strong on the fig taste and fragrance. Enjoyed the pistachio. However, doesn't seem worth the money for the size of scoops.

O O

Love this place! They always have excellent and interesting flavors. The Dark Chocolate is THE best!

Renje Grimes

+++ - Must be 100 different types of flavors. It really is a gelato laboratory. - The alcohol flavors (I think I remember a Guinness flavor, and a bourbon flavor), really taste like the alcohol in which they're flavoring + - Line moves relatively quickly - I got the salted caramel with cappuccino drenched all over it...'twas great (menu says vanilla, you can get whatever flavor you want, and you get two scoops, so you can mix and match) - - Nada, aside from the line TIPS: - Don't forget to take a number as soon as you walk in - You get two flavors to try, don't try a flavor in which you are interested in buying, try two different flavors so you can maximize your gelato experience - Although I've tried several delicious combinations, I'm not going to recommend any. You should go crazy, invent your own

YJ EO

Pretty pricey for a small amount of ice cream, but I guess that's what you pay for "New York quality." I got a scoop of the thai tea and green tea ice cream. You can tell its made from quality ingredients and it's way better than häagen dazs green tea ice cream. It was sweet but not too sweet and had that slight herb taste that makes it taste authentic. But was it worth it? I ended up throwing out half of it because it wasn't worth wading through the melted mess it become 5 minutes after I left the shop.

Akane Diamond

Great flavors. Very, very good. Friendly staff helped this first time Gelato taster learn the difference between Gelato and Sorbet.

Edward Maddalena

I can not recommend the Gelato Lab enoug!! I had my eyes opened to this by a friend and have made sure to pass along the favor. The shop has a rotating selection of unique and delicious flavors of gelato that may seem odd, but are actually delicious. Always a must whenever I'm in the area

gagan verma

hands down the best gelato in the city. service can be surly but it’s ok - scurry away with your gelato and hang in the community garden down the block.

Claudia Nolasco

My favorite place to go to eat ice cream, they make to many different kind of ice cream, I really recommend this place

Susie Santaniello

The Gelato was great, but the scoops were small. There were 2 girls behind the counter one made it normal the made my 2?scoops like 1 scoop. I don’t mind paying but I want what I want

R.

While ILDG has some interesting flavors, I can't help but feel they've abandoned their creativity. Years ago they were trailblazers and visiting here was a culinary adventure, but now it's all about tourists and deciding if their been-there, done-that treats are really worth the extra calories. If you've never been here before, you'll probably say yes. Me, I don't think I've been seduced into buying a cone in the last three or four years.

Jacob K

Very tasty, huge selection, slow service. Website rudimentary. But the worst part is their phone outgoing message. The sound quality is so bad you can hardy understand it. Forget about ordering by phone. It sounds like they don't really care about your phone order. Hope it's not true.

Raffi Asdourian

iL Labortatorio del Gelato used to be a small hole in the wall that was making some of the most innovative flavors of gelato I had ever tried. While it was only natural for them to expand into a larger territory, the heart and feel of the original spot has been lost to a more corporate iteration. Yes, there are still many flavors and most are excellent, bannan being my personal favorite. But the spot has become a bit of a tourist trap, especially considering it's proximity to Katz's Deli, which is a bit of a turn off. Bottom line: The gelato is still good but the passion for breaking new ground seems to be lost.

Andrew Hochberg

Very good flavors on what they have. But they advertise over 200 flavors and at any one time they have maybe 25 on hand and of those more than half have dairy. That's certainly a disappointment for the lactose intolerant.

Lillian Ahmad

Literally the best ice cream / gelato place in the city. Blackberry and green tea were really good flavors. I bet all of them are but I just had two scoops.

Cameron Hernandez

This is the best Gelato in New York. If you get a milkshake, you HAVE TO try a dark chocolate and salted caramel thick shake!!! Simply heavenly.... just phenomenal.

Miki Tamura

I really like all the creative flavors that one would not find in a normal gelato place. I had pecan and bourbon gelato, and milk chocolate malt and it was delicious!

Albert C

It is indeed the lab of gelato...this is my favorite brand of gelato and I hate the Lower East Side, but I go to the Lower East Side for this gelato. They have unique ingredients like sesame and lavender (separately as two flavors, not together). Their sorbettos are very good as well. My favorite are the honey and green apple (again two flavors, not together).

A P

Toasted Coconut and salted Carmel were awesome. Others weren't great. 5.50 for two scoops. Each one is $1.25 additional. I'll be back once more before I leave NYC.

Bruce Qua

Excellent gelateria with 48 rotating flavors, largely gelatos, but also sorbetos, in a clean modern space. An excellent place to pause while walking among the Lower East Side art galleries. Limited two-person table seating, also bench seating along the front and side windows. Accept cash and credit cards.

shimmeringpath

Best pistachio gelato in the city - amaretto crunch and banana are excellent too - highly recommended - two scoops [ 2 different flavors ] for $4.75

Thanmayi R

Absolute best gelato in the US. If you're lucky enough to find the Turkish fig flavor, get it! Salted caramel is also amazing.

PAUL epstein

The best Gelato around! Yummy yummy yummy

Oliver Kot

I was referred to this place when my friend, a self-proclaimed "seasoned new yorker", told me that this was the best ice cream place in new york city. I could understand why after trying it. I became interested in different gelato places, including grom and l'arte del gelato, but I still think the laboratorio is the best. They have flavors that explode in your mouth and flavors that subtly creep into you, and everything in between.

Kristiyan Georgiev

Hands down, best Italian ice cream. All flavor a are great, freshly made behind the counter. My advise is get the milk chocolate frosting.

Zeno Lee

I would not necessarily equate the gelato here with the ones you find in Italy. It does not have enough buttercream to qualify. At least that's the way I have experienced it on the dozen or so times I've been. In Italy, the amount of buttercream content in Gelato is regulated. In the U.S. it is not so anything can be called "gelato" with no legal consequences. Despite this however, it is a decent place for "ice cream" with a variety of flavors. For real gelato look elsewhere.

Fadi Castronovo

I loved having ice cream at the laboratorio. I went there with my family after a great dinner and had amazing chocolate pistacchio Ice cream. There are a ton of options and even gelato cakes!

Roman O

High quality ice cream (or gelato if you wish) very creamy and great tasty flavors. Highly recommended for either locals or tourists.

Shari Solo

OMG OMG OMG. 250 flavours. A connoisseur’s delight. Cardamom, peanut butter.. rice?! All so good.

Daniel C

The decor is a bit sterile but you don't come to Il Laboratorio to sit down. The selection is enough to pique your imagination. Great place to swing by and share few scoops after a meal nearby or pickup a fresh pack to take back home.

Max Eddy

Featuring a rotating list of gelato and dairy free sorbet, this is one of the best places to get a frozen treat in LES. The lines can be ridiculous so be sure to grab a number when you come in.

Taka Takeuchi

Their ice cream is halfway between a gelato and ice-cream. Heavier and more consistency. Funnily enough for a place with an Italian name, the flavours available are not very Italian. For eg, when I was there, there was no caffè or straccitella!

Will Richards

Sadly they didn't have the avocado made when I went. Had the olive oil (deliciously savory) and thai chili chocolate (slow, delayed burning). Wicked friendly service.

Charles Douglas Wingate

One of my favorite exotic ice cream/gelato spots in the City. It's relatively expensive, but from the big picture perspective, actually a cheap thrill compared to illicit drugs or something else so satisfying to the senses. 👍🏼 …

Kenneth Karan

Delicious rich gelato, exotic flavors. I had dulce du leche, and Mission Fig which tasted like a gelato version of Fig Newtons. Friendly and patient staff.

Guha Arunkumar

Loved the maple flavour. So much variety available here!

Javier Kohen

Some of the best gelato in NYC. Over a hundred flavors of gelato and sorbet rotate regularly, many of which are unique in the city. They reportedly supply many big name restaurants in NYC.

Grace Martinez

Cool Place, good price, great flavors! Is a really good choice! Try the avocado flavor 🤩 …

Smilynn Zhang

Love their ice cream! A delight find. They have some interesting flavors such as honey lavender. Quality ice cream!

Kevin

If you're jonesing for gelato this is the place to be. They feature a variety of flavors that aren't seen in most gelato shops and boy, they are delish!

Mauricio V

The portions are small but the diversity of flavors is amazing. The texture is also creamy just like a good gelato should be.

Joseph Wang

One of the best gelato places in the city. They have very large rotating selection and you can see the huge, clean kitchen in the back where everything is made. Try the carjeta; it's my favorite.

Mo Mu

Situated opposite Katz Deli, it looks very clinical and simple. But the gelato is awesome, and they have the classics as well as some very creative flavours.

Sean Nadon

Amazing gelato never been disappointed with any flavors. My favorite are the different apple flavors really refreshing.

Robert Martinez

Super fresh sorbet is so refreshing, can't have the gelato as I am lactose intolerant but has a great reputation with travelers as well as people from the neighborhood

Esther L.

Do you know the difference between green grape and red grape? Between bourbon maple and maple walnut? Between black sesame and toasted white sesame? Between fuji apple and apple? Find out here--IN GELATO FORM. Il laboratorio is always a great spontaneous stop-in; they're open relatively late too. Even if you leave without buying anything, you're allowed to sample two of their 48 flavors on display per visit... Go down the block and cleanse your palate with some salty salty Katz and come back. Pro tip... Ask nicely for a sprinkle of malt powder on your gelato!

Parris Whittingham

I love ice cream and this place makes me smile. The flavors are a bit odd (chocolate spice) but the taste is fantastic!!!!! Also, try lavender....if you dare :)

Dorie Lederfajn Paparo

Oh my goodness. If you haven't been here yet, get moving. Year-round destination to get your ice cream on. Thank goodness for the new, bigger location, now they have all of their flavors at once. Nocciola, come to me now!

Elizabeth Guynn

Surprised this place is not more crowded! The line moves very fast so don't shy away! There are so many different flavors from traditional to unique (and dairy free options!) great spot on houston!

Anastasia Gureev

I’ve visited for few times and expected to find bazil ice cream(as described on web page) but there was empty container

maxximus787

A great place with some amazing flavors. Everything here tasted wonderful. My favorites were the toasted white sesame and the hazulnet amaretto crunch.

Jana Borer

One of the best ice cream locations in the city. Very unique flavors which sometimes sound strange but are all delicious.

Jeff Morse

Best gelato I've had. Very flavorful and a great texture. Tons of fun flavors

Jessie Huang

fun little dessert eatery. tons of unique flavors that change regularly. i've only been once and got the creme fraiche and malt. both flavors hit the spot for me.

Cameron Korb

They have the most unique flavors you will ever taste in gelato. Definitely worth trying!

Kai Osorio

The selection varies day to day but the sorbets actually taste like what theyre supposed to. The cantaloupe and pear were absolutely delicious!

Nassim Benali

All of their sorbets are vegan. Fantastic selection of flavors which change frequently so there's always something new to try.

Sam Riegel

Always wonderful flavors... The two sample limit is tough to contend with but their gelato is consistently fantastic

Alexandria Johnson

The best gelato in nyc! Honey lavender is outstanding. Best pistachio too!

Lyndsey Jane M.

My favorite gelato in NYC. The different flavors have really different consistencies/textures, but they're basically all good.

Kyle Aitken

A great place to cool off during the summer months, with a wide variety of gelato to choose from. I recommend trying one of the more obscure flavors like the black pepper gelato.

Alejandra Galan

It's one of the best gelatos I've tried worldwide. Love how they innovate with creative flavors

Ivana Chen

So so good! The scoops are pretty small, but the flavors will explode in your mouth! I loved the grapefruit.

Mark

All you could ever want. But don't get attached to any one flavor. There are 300 flavors but only 48 available for scooping at any one time.

Winny

ube , mascarpone , mango and dark chocolate are good

Jason Mather

Always fun new flavors. Place can be a bit crowded on summer nights but... well there's a reason everyone else is there, it's a great idea and it's never disappointing!

Kira Denise

The best ice cream and great customer service! I'm hooked for life for their cinnamon ice cream

Jahlil Fardan

One of the gems of East houston directly adjacent to the world famous Katz Deli. After a salty sandwich indulge in a sweet and chilled fresh flavored sorbet of many flavors on tap.

Desmond Alque

Best Gelato and Sorbet in NYC. The people that work there are supper nice, and the flavors are always being updated.

Ronald Roberts

Good spot for delicious Gelato. Have a wide selection of flavors too!

Gisela Jimenez

Delicious! I had the guava and dark chocolate- great combination. Place is clean. Staff is friendly. Highly recommend.

Ally K.

Love their variety of flavors and how they are always switching things up. Got the sweet potato and apricot flavor which was so surprisingly magical in combination !!

Umme Shital

Lovely gelato shop. So many flavors to choose from but serving is very small for the price you are paying.

C J

Very good selection of flavors. Pretty small servings, but you do get to choose two flavors in the small size

Samsung GS6

Nice products, but improvements needed: please add sugarfree items. Also, how about ticketing customers like a bakery. Getting served can be chaotic.

Michael Ferraro

weird flavors and pricey plus loses one star for no sample spoons but the things i had were delish

Taylor Alvarez

So many interesting flavors and everything is delicious. If your in the Lower East Side this place is worth trying!

Vincent S

They had so many flavors and they were all good! I would recommend the salted caramel, it was definitely my favorite

Susanne Vejdemo

Absolutely amazing. I had their vegan chocolate ice cream and it was fantastic.

Zhikun Zhao

I give this place 6 stars, minus one for not shipping to other parts of the States :(

Chinonye Olumba

It was okay. If you like vegetable and fruit flavored flavored ice cream then this is the place for you. Personally, I wouldn’t visit again.

Alicia Kenny

Lots of flavors to choose from. Great tasting and creamy icreamlike texture. Great location, near other good restaurants and shops.

Chris J

Excellent. Their Gelato isn't just overloaded with sugar. Effort has been made to produce a fine tasting Gelato.

A G

This place is so fun! Lots of flavors to choose from. It usually takes a while for me to decide. The salted Caramel if My favorite!

Nurdan Celik

Amazing taste with many flavors to choose from..very friendly staff..

Serena Cao

One of the best places to get gelato, they have so many flavors you can choose from.

Gregory Breeze

Excellent gelato. Closest thing to the real stuff in Italy. Specialty flavors are especially good.

Bradford Webster

The gelato and sorbet here are glorious! I tried 6 different flavors and all of them were amazing.

Liz Wash

Salted caramel is pretty good! It's a surprisingly big place - plenty of room to sit and enjoy in the warmth :)

Emma Ramsay-Saxon

Always a great choice! I love that the flavors change with the seasons! My all time fav is probably Honey crisp apple

Chef Ek

A real gelato the way it should be . Not over sweet and most original flavors. Highly recommended !

Chris Fung

Fantastic experience- smooth gelato and strong flavors- not to disappoint!! Highly recommended!!

Cristian Soriano

First time there today and tired olive oil and kiwi. Best ice cream I ever had, will definitely come back again!

UltraEric

Been there a couple of times, and I really love their gelatos!!!

Alex Abramowitz

They have a good variety of ice creams. The staff is friendly. It's a bit pricey though.

Dr Jesica Mac Leod

I love how clean this place looks and it is open till late. They have great vanillas and chocolate flavors, perfect for a late night ice cream craving.

Viren Doshi

Good gelato! They let you try two different types and have a large selection. Would go back again.

Paulina Barria Hamamé

One of the best ice cream stores, I have been. Good interior design, related very much with the concept of a laboratory.

Andi

Nice staff and good Gelato!

Tess Camacho

Great gelato. I enjoyed the their ice cream. To many of flavors to choose from.

Dave Bledin

Plato's perfect form of gelato. The flavor profiles are interesting and precise. In a league of its own.

Ido Achrak

very nice selection of flavors. you can only try 2 flavors per person, but all in all very nice.

Teddy P

Fantastic gelato with a lot of unique flavors. The fruit gelatos are really nice.

Dina R. D'Alessandro

Fantastic, delicious, quality gelato. Can't wait to go back and try more flavors!

Jessy Yokole

Excellent! It will taste super good no matter what you pick! Basil and Black Sesame really are great.

D. T.

Fantastic Gelato..a very good selection of flavors a must go to if your near

Jisoo K

I've never been disappointed with a flavor here. Black mission fig and creme fraiche are my favorites.

Phil C

Sooo gooood. Moar please. Just get a couple of flavors that you think would be good together or use the chart on the wall. They are all delicious.

Ken Yang

Pretty good. I tried the yogurt and coconut flavors. Kinda pricey though. Still preferred Pinkberry original flavor.

Marta Victoria Herrera

OMG! The best gelatto in NYC! We had beet- cucumber- ginger , out of this world

Shannon Holsted

Salted Carmel is sooooooo good! This is embarrassing to admit, but I had to go back and get a second serving because I just couldn't resist. This place is SWEET :)

Maurizio Drocco

The basil gelato is a piece of art

Vicky Lau

Awesome digs with cool clean industrial feel. Some more seating and pumping music instead of an eerie cold silence would make it more of a happening joint.

Varun Chalupadi

Best gelato you can get on this side of Rome. Turkish fig is amazing but a rare find!

David DeVos

MY FAVORITE place ever! The use fresh bananas in the banana flavor and it's amazing! And the staff is always super nice.

Frank “Frankbeingfrank” Hassu

Great flavours... High quality gelato... Pricey but good

Desiree Nelson

Sooo many flavors of Gelato. Since we found it we stop in anytime we're in the neighborhood. Love it

William Grisaitis

Even better than Van Leeuwen's

Omer Salahuddin

Rich gelato chocolate. Wide variety of flavours. Slightly expensive but would go again if in the neighbourhood.

Ismail M

I wish summer can lost forever! So I can eat this AMAZING stuff that they make here ... Pistachio and toasted coconut are the best ! =)

Jaycee Crawford

One of the best gelaterias in NYC!!! Amazing and unique flavors of sorbet and gelato

Marie Bullock

Tasty and rich gelato in so many amazing flavors (loved the dark chocolate)

Nolan Orgel

It's been a while since I've dropped in here but the flavors are a fun change from the basics you expect at other places.

Ove Omang

Very good ice cream. At least 20 different flavours. Yummy.

Abid Esmail Bodal

Amazing flavors. I loved the licorice and my wife liked the lemon ... sorbet

Miltreda Kress

Other than the ignorant customers that push you, bump you or push between you while your in line just bc they are too impatient to wait until it's their turn to pick their flavors without saying excuse me/sorry, it was very good.

Roz Mays

The portions ate smaller then what I'd like for the price, but still worth it. The flavors were terrific!

Chaz Antonelli

Always amazing flavors and wonderful staff but not very much seating and this place can get crazy at times with people clamoring for service

Fatima Gutierrez

Amazing flavors, great customer service and always a great time!#strawberry#lucuma#mango

Miguel Garcia-Diaz

Great ice cream, more flavors than you can try in a lifetime!

Davide Baroncelli

Just tried their sorbets, good but not great. The creams didn't look inviting to the trained eye...

Bevy Lugo

Love their Ginger and tosted coconut. What a selection of flavors to try.

Rosario Russo

Very good place for Italian gelato. A little too much pricey though, some servers are not kind at all

Ildiko P

The ice cream is really good,great quality. The portion is small thought,especially for the price.

Ching Teng

Love their sorbets! Almost every flavor of sorbet is delicious.

Christopher Law

Really great gelato! Definitely up there with some of my favorites in Europe.

A M

Fabulous ice-cream. Tried ginger chocolate and salted caramel flavours. Fabulous!

Sofía Mosqueda

great and creative flavors.

Ben Slivka

Best gelato in the world (and I have been to Italy 3 times for a total of 8+ weeks)

Linnis Paris

Tasty ice cream; really good fresh mint and bourbon flavours.

Arezou Attar

They have interesting flavors!

J. B.

Yummy! Portions could be larger for the price, but the gelato is light and delicious!

Swetha Mandava

But why can I just get one flavor? Tsk tsk tsk! Good flavors nevertheless

Eduardo Funcia

2-4 flavors. Get in line, ask, pay, love it. Milk chocolate topping is a must.

Paloma Lara

Not worth the hype. The Whole Foods on Bowery has better ice cream/gelato.

Roland Gadrinab

Large variety of different flavors. Loved the sea salt caramel and hazelnut

David Bledin

Scientifically perfect gelato. Excellent flavors where the purity really comes through.

Jose Rodriguez

Delicious...and they give you 2 scoops for $5.... when the current trend is 1 scoop for $5

S L

Lots of flavours, it will blow your mind, check out this place!! 2 flavours in one cup.

Matthew Loh

Interesting flavors of gelato like celery and lavender ice cream. I recommend the watermelon gelato

Martin P

crowded. some flavor can be temporarily unavailable.

Katalena Mermelstein-Knox

Kinda industrial feeling, a little grungy. Taped paper signs are incongruous with the sleek, modern style and supposed fanciness lwvel

Joseph Kashimallak

Absolutely delicious. Best frozen treats, and unique flavors!

Cristina Florido

Don’t event waste your time going to another ice cream place. The best in the city and opens late !

Helen Ye

Wide selection of flavours. Great place to try something new. Kind of small portions

danze nyc

I guess I'm glad that their gelato is on the expensive side so I won't consume a gallon daily……

Joel Drake

Good Gelato, but had to wait a long time. They don't have a good lineup/queing system.

nik Noronha

Kiwi - exactly what I expected it to be and I hated it Milk - amazing Pistachio - 10/10 Affogato - 💯 …

Torrin Emory

only been here once but tried many different samples and was finally able to settle down on one (it was so hard though to just pick one), will be back soon!

Karen Ortiz

Try the herb gelatos, such as basil or rosemary. The cheddar gelato was kinda nice in combination

natalie lynn

Honey Lavender and Fresh Mint were divine! I will definitely return!

Oren Zaguri

What an amazing ice cream. Whatever you do, Don't miss the chocolate classic one.

DAISY JOHANA VILLARRAGA

Best place in town to eat gelato....so many flavors to choose

Ahmed Ali Taha MD, FACS

The place is clean and served by college girls. The ice cream is not that great, it is not that enriched with flavour!

Efrat Fishbein

Wow! !what an ice cream! Delicious and with such original flavours! ! Highly recommended!

Mondale Clark

This small hole in the wall was quite nice no in and out of the door very private actually. I would love to come back.

Rosario Med

Ask for an affogato it’s delicious

Paul Gumbinner

great ice cream, often in delicious but unusual flavors.

Doni Mckoy

Rotating options of hand made gelato! Kinda pricey but worth the treat.

Andrea Cornaglia

The two flavors I tried were totally meh and the service on the rude side. Totally overrated.

Sonia Moshtaghi

My absolute favorite

Amy Suchodolski

Creative flavors! Super punchy!

Sompob Prasertkun

Love love love their ice cream. Wish I can go there more often.

Robert Harris

Very cool flavors and helpful staff. High quality ingredients.

Timothy Collier

Simply the greatest ice cream I've ever had in my life. The end.

Shane P

Expensive but worth it. Nice dessert to have after eating from Katz across the street.

David Sewell

Decent gelato. Lots of interesting flavors. It's an institution.

Curt

Broad, rotating flavor selection, but everything seems to sweet for my palate.

Yann Howe Kwan

Flavours are so real. Quiet when i went in the afternoon. Limited seating.

Jose Del Rio

Great ice cream but the service is not very organized

Tapan Rajpura

Best chocolate gelato in NYC😍😍😍 taste I miss everyday everyday everyday everyday haha …

Anna Chan

Gelato and service was great. Place is clean, cool, and a nice place to rest.

Steve Gio

Unusual gelato flavors, good quality, interesting people-watching in this popular hangout neighborhood

Claudia Martinez

Amazing spot to have ice cream and have fun this summer delicious flavors.

Bebe

So many flavors of gelato to choose from and so creamy.

Vaneet Dadra

This place can do a bit with its ambience but the ice creams are awesome!

Diana M.

Get the black grape sorbet! very potent ripe fruity punch taste!

Boaz Toledano

Couldn't believe these flavors would be so delicious

Francisco Melo

By far, the best ice cream I’ve tried in NY.

חלי מוצרפי

many flavours of ice cream. some are very good.

Gregor J. Rothfuss

Great place for trying lots of different ice cream flavors

Tobias Nilsson

Amazing quality and selection. I've been in Italy multiple times and this was just like the real deal.

Mario Rivera

Gelato was quite good but the waffle cones were terrible.

Richard Seaman

Nice place good dessert after going to Katz deli fight across the street.

Ragheed Al Ameen

Great selection of flavors and it taste as real as it should be!

Agnes Lin

SO MANY FLAVORS and the staff were super friendly and the cups are cute

Marina

Best ice cream in Nyc!!!! Salted caramel is amazing!

Mike Harm

Way more flavors than you’d guess by looking in from the street.

Adam Rogal

Great flavors. Some tourists don't know to take a number though.

Peter Pabian

No other place to go for when you need your Gelato fix.

Brian Isganitis

The pistachio and mocha flavors are excellent.

Justine C

Favorite gelato spot in the city

Zhenya

Huge ice cream flavor selection and delicious too

Oded Lachish

Great ice cream. Crystals exactly the right proportion.

Christopher Laine

So. Good. Devoured before photo could be taken. Recommend the black sesame.

Tyler Hamm

Awesome Gelato selection

Alex Amaya

Best ice cream .. summer time is long line

m greene

The mango and dark chocolate sorbet is delicious!!!

Rodolfo Berain

The best gelato I've ever had.

Benjamin Becerra

If Rick and Morty had a gelato shop this would be it, it's wub-a-lub a dub-dub !!

Colin Peterson

Great selection, fun and funny staff, wonderful gelato!!!

Daniel Eison

Great flavors. Toasted marshmallow is amazing.

Michael Maurer

Wonderful service. Great gelato. ❤

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