When I arrived in Philadelphia, I started a Tweet thread of ice cream shops that are or aren’t as good as Rain or Shine back in Vancouver, which was the ice cream place I frequented most often since they have a location on the UBC campus. (I don’t have a thread or a list for ice cream shops in Vancouver, but you really can’t go wrong with Rain or Shine or with Earnest.)
Here I collect a list of the shops that are as good as Rain or Shine, ordered from west to east. Prices are for the smallest (non-kid’s) scoop in a cup, including 8% tax, excluding tip. This isn’t a total ranking of the ice cream shops, because I think they’re all worthwhile to visit if you want ice cream. However, I’ve put stars 🌟 next to the ones I especially like, so if you find yourself equidistant between an entry with a star and one without, do go for the one with a star instead of flipping a coin.
This list only has shops specializing in ice cream scoops (which they call “hard” or “frozen” ice cream here, for some reason, as if anyone would want unfrozen ice cream). I will not include soft serve, rolled ice cream, shaved ice, or large ice cream chains like Ben & Jerry’s or Häagen-Dazs — if I can buy a pint at a grocery store back in Vancouver, there’s no point including it on a Philly-specific list.
Update (2025): Unfortunately, a number of shops have closed since I first started this list. Those ones have been crossed out below.
Brewerytown
Harper’s Ice Cream
2827 W Girard Avenue
Single scoop: 4.32$
Over the Moon Ice Cream
2623 W Girard Avenue
Single scoop: 4$
Centre City
1-900-ICE-CREAM 🌟
229 S. 20th Street (bw Walnut & Locust) / 1244 N Front Street (Fishtown)
Single scoop: 6.48$
Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams
1901 Chestnut Street / 1322 Frankford Avenue (Fishtown)
“Single” scoop (two flavours): 6.75$
This is a chain store.
Van Leeuwen Ice Cream
3631 Walnut Street (UCity) / 115 S 18th Street / 119 S 13th Street / 1601 Frankford Avenue (Fishtown)
Single scoop: 6.21$
This is a chain store.
Vita 🌟
261 S 17th Street
Small gelato (two flavours): 5.75$
Bottega Rittenhouse
263 S 17th Street
Single scoop: 4.90$
Gran Caffè L’Aquila
1716 Chestnut Street
Small gelato: 5.94$
Their gelato is also sold at Alice Pizza.
La Sera Dolce e Cafe
1610 South Street
Small gelato: 3.78$
Passyunk
Birdhouse Gelato
806 S 6th Street
Small gelato: 4.16$
Milk Jawn 🌟
9 E Passyunk Avenue (by Dickinson) / 946 N 2nd Street (NoLibs)
Single scoop: 5.94$
Arctic Scoop
2 E Passyunk Avenue (by 13th & Moore)
Single scoop (w/ topping and drizzle): 5.40$
Bella Vista
Anthony’s Italian Coffee & Chocolate House
903 S 9th Street (by Christian)
Single scoope: 5$
Queen Village
Cuzzy’s Ice Cream Parlor 🌟
618 S 5th Street (by South)
Single scoop: 4.50$
Fishtown
Weckerly’s Ice Cream 🌟
9 W Girard Avenue (by Frankford) / 265 S 44th Street (West Philly)
Single scoop: 4.99$
Cloud Cups
2311 Frankford Avenue (by Dauphin)
Single scoop: 5$
Float Dreamery 🌟
1255 E Palmer Street (on Thompson)
Single scoop: 5$
Mount Airy
Zsa’s Ice Cream 🌟
6616 Germantown Avenue
Single scoop: 5.94$
Manayunk
Tubby Robot Ice Cream Factory
4369 Main Street
Single scoop: 5.12$
Honourable Mentions
Bodhi
Society Hill — 410 S 2nd Street
Oat milk ice cream: 5.40$
A coffee shop that makes their own oat milk
and a very thick, pudding-like delicious oat ice cream.
Safa Plant Company
Manayunk — 4165 Main Street
Rose and saffron ice cream: 4.86$
Not in the main list since it’s not an ice cream shop,
but for some reason this teahouse-turned-plantstore has one (1) single ice cream flavour
and it’s really good??
Matcha Panda Cafe
Chinatown — 202 N 9th Street (by Race)
Soft serve: 7.29$
They have a matcha and a hojicha flavour.
A little ridiculously expensive, but the flavour is excellent and very strong.
The Igloo
Graduate Hospital — 2223 Grays Ferry Avenue (in front of Grays Ferry Triangle)
Single scoop: 5.93$
Despite being froyo-focussed, they have surprisingly decent in-house ice cream as well.
Vanderwende Farm Creamery
Centre City — 243 Market Street
Single scoop: 6.48$
According to their site, they use milk from their own cows, which I think is very unique and impressive.
A shame that the ice cream is incredibly melty, way too sugary, and overall not that good.