The best ice cream in North Wales
There are few pleasures as simple, or as satisfying, as an ice cream in North Wales. It might be eaten on a harbour wall with the tide creeping in, on a village green while the church bells ring the hour, or halfway along a windswept beach where the sea air makes every flavour taste brighter.
Of course, this is North Wales, so sunshine is not a strict requirement. A blustery coastal walk, a mountain hike, or even a grey afternoon exploring a medieval town can easily end with a cone in hand. If anything, that first bite of cold sweetness feels even more deserved after a brisk walk.
Here are some of our favourite places across the region for exceptional ice cream, each paired with a nearby Boltholes & Hideaways stay whose colours feel just as joyful as the scoops themselves. Think pistachio greens, strawberry creams and raspberry sorbets. After all, if you’re going to plan a North Wales adventure around ice cream, you may as well lean fully into the theme.
Red Boat Gelato, Anglesey
Stay nearby at The Papered House, Beaumaris
Across Anglesey, Red Boat Gelato has developed something of a following, and with good reason. Owner Tony trained at the world-famous Carpigiani Gelato University, mastering the traditional Italian art of gelato before bringing those techniques back to North Wales.
The result is beautifully smooth gelato made with excellent ingredients and inventive flavours. Classics like Madagascan vanilla and strawberries and cream sit alongside more playful creations such as Bakewell tart or mango and passionfruit. If you spot the tiramisu flavour, a Great Taste Award winner, don’t hesitate!
You’ll find Red Boat in several spots across the island. The Beaumaris shop might be the most scenic, where cones are enjoyed with views across the Beaumaris Castle and the waters of the Menai Strait. In Menai Bridge, the parlour operates from what may well be the smallest ice cream shop in the UK, a former ticket office that somehow still manages to produce serious queues on warm afternoons.
If you make it as far as the green by the castle or the benches along the strait, you’ll have the perfect place to enjoy your scoop… though with gelato this good, we suspect it may not survive the walk.
A short wander away sits The Papered House, a bold and joyful townhouse whose interiors feel almost designed to match a gelato menu. Pistachio greens, sage tones and elegant wallpapers fill the rooms, while the glass-roofed kitchen and dining space invites long breakfasts and late dinners. Outside, the garden zigzags with porcelain paths towards a gazebo dining area and fire pit, the sort of place where summer evenings stretch long after the ice cream shops close.
Two Islands Ice Cream, Abersoch
Stay nearby at Ty Draw
Small batch, carefully sourced and made with Welsh dairy, Two Islands Ice Cream captures the spirit of the Llŷn Peninsula perfectly: simple ingredients, done exceptionally well.
Flavours change daily depending on what’s being churned that morning. You might find peanut butter and jelly one day, roasted hazelnut the next. There’s a refreshing honesty to it all: rich, creamy ice cream made fresh, sold quickly, and enjoyed close to the sea.
Fortunately, Abersoch offers no shortage of places to savour it. Wander down to the harbour wall, take a slow stroll along the beach, or sit in the village square watching paddleboarders drift back into the bay. Though again, with flavours this good, patience may be required to make it that far.
Nearby sits Ty Draw, a house that feels as colourful and cheerful as a seaside sweet shop. Bubble-gum pinks, deep blues and warm dusk tones run through the bedrooms and living spaces, while huge sofas and a sociable kitchen encourage everyone to gather after a day outdoors.
Abersoch’s beaches are on the doorstep, from the golden sweep of Llanbedrog Beach to the rolling surf of Porth Neigwl. Spend the day in the water, wander back through the village for an ice cream, and return to Ty Draw where bi-fold doors open to salty air and sea views.
Glaslyn Ice Cream, Beddgelert
Stay nearby at Cuddfan
In the heart of Beddgelert, Glaslyn Ice Cream & Pizza has been making ice cream since 1970, earning the title of the oldest parlour in Eryri National Park.
Their gelato is still made on site each day using fresh Welsh milk from a local dairy and traditional Italian methods. The recipes deliberately include very little air, giving the ice cream its famously dense, buttery texture. Twenty flavours typically line the menu, from classic vanilla and mint choc chip to Turkish delight, pistachio, or salted caramel made with Halen Môn.
An ice cream here has become almost a rite of passage for visitors to Beddgelert. The village green, the stone bridge over the river Glaslyn and the surrounding mountains provide a backdrop that’s difficult to improve upon.
Just down the road lies Cuddfan, a traditional quarryman’s cottage whose red window frames against white walls feel uncannily like strawberries and cream: an ice cream colour scheme if ever there was one.
Inside, the cottage is cosy and welcoming, with a wood burner perfect after a long mountain walk. Outside, the garden leads to a rushing mountain stream crossed by a private bridge. Sit in the summerhouse with the sound of water rushing past and you may well start considering a second trip back into the village for another scoop.
Parisella’s Ice Cream Parlour, Conwy
Stay nearby at Claremont
Few names carry as much ice-cream heritage in North Wales as Parisella’s Ice Cream Parlour.
Founded in 1952 by Italian ice-cream maker Domenico Parisella, the family business has been producing ice cream in Conwy for over seventy years. Today they offer more than seventy flavours, from dependable favourites like vanilla and chocolate to more adventurous choices including Amaretto & Black Cherry or Ferrero Rocher.
Their chocolate ice cream even won Best Flavour at the 2022 National Ice Cream Competition: a moment of quiet triumph for Domenico’s grandson Tony.
The medieval town itself is a lovely place to linger with a cone. Wander along the harbour walls beneath Conwy Castle, perch beside the quay watching fishing boats return, or simply enjoy the hum of the high street.
Just along the coast sits Claremont, a soft pink Victorian townhouse overlooking the promenade at Llanfairfechan. The colour alone could easily pass for raspberry sorbet, and inside the house continues the theme with playful interiors and sea views stretching across the Irish Sea towards Puffin Island.
Evenings here often end in the sitting room watching the sun drop behind the sea, the sort of moment that pairs perfectly with a tub of ice cream from Conwy.
Cariad Gelato, Porthmadog
Stay nearby at Hafod Cae Maen
In Porthmadog, Cariad Gelato brings a touch of Italian flair to the harbour town.
Their rich artisan gelato blends classic Italian inspiration with local Welsh ingredients, milk, cream, fruits and blossoms, creating flavours that feel both authentic and distinctly regional. The gelato is served from a charming Italian three-wheel Piaggio Ape, adding a dash of theatre to every scoop.
With a Tripadvisor Travellers’ Choice Award, the gelato is clearly doing something right. Enjoy it on the harbour front overlooking the boats, or wander along the Cob where wide estuary views stretch towards the mountains.
Not far away, Hafod Cae Maen feels like the countryside equivalent of a lemon or even mint gelato: fresh, bright and wonderfully uplifting. Pale yellow and green tones echo the surrounding gardens and estuary views, while the house itself offers enormous space for gatherings. Long dining tables, cosy reading nooks and terraces where the scent of flowers drifts across the lawn.
The garden alone could keep guests happily occupied for days, with swathes of lawn, croquet games and views across the water towards distant peaks.
Ice Cream Weather? Always.
North Wales rarely waits for perfect sunshine before embracing the small joys. Ice cream is one of them, whether eaten in blazing summer light or wrapped in a scarf beside a windswept harbour.
From Italian-trained gelato makers to family parlours with decades of experience, the region takes its ice cream surprisingly seriously. Pair that with colourful boltholes nearby and you have the makings of a deliciously indulgent adventure.
So, whether you’re exploring medieval towns, wandering mountain villages or strolling along the coast, keep an eye out for the nearest parlour.
After all, in North Wales, any weather is good ice-cream weather.
