Just picture it: a sunny summer beach day with an ice cream cone in hand — can you think of a more perfect pairing? Luckily, Virginia Beach has loads of parlors, scoop shops and creameries where you can satisfy your sweet tooth. Delve into this delicious guide to discover the best places for ice cream in Virginia Beach.
The Sweet Spot
Oceanfront & Inland
With two locations in Virginia Beach — one Inland at the Fairfield Shopping Center and one in the Oceanfront region, just a block from the golden sand and Atlantic Ocean — The Sweet Spot has quickly become a crowd-favorite. Prioritizing fresh, high-quality ingredients, the 32 flavors of ice cream span the gamut from kid-friendly cotton candy to caffeinated coffee. As an added bonus, The Sweet Spot also serves up delicious funnel cakes, churros and bubble waffles, which you can enjoy with your ice cream scoop of choice or on their own.
Kohr Brothers Frozen Custard
Oceanfront
With three Oceanfront locations, Kohr Brothers Frozen Custard rules the region’s sweet treat scene. Originally started in Coney Island back in 1919, the business slowly expanded, bringing its creamy frozen custard to a handful of states along the Atlantic, including, of course, Virginia. Choose from half a dozen single-flavor options, as well as several two-flavor “twist” variations, to enjoy during a sunny stroll on the Virginia Beach Boardwalk.
Lolly’s Creamery
ViBe Creative District, Oceanfront & Inland
A Virginia Beach staple, Lolly’s Creamery has three locations spread throughout the town — and another in nearby Norfolk — serving up a rotating menu of delicious homemade flavors. While all of their creations are delicious, their classic menu staples, like cookie monster, double dark chocolate and real deal vanilla, are always sure to please.
Have a Lolly’s craving on the go? Be sure to keep an ear out for the bells of their Joy Bike coming down the boardwalk to deliver ice cream all summer long.
Dream the La Cream
Oceanfront
Have you ever wanted to really, truly indulge? Open seasonally, Dream the La Cream is the Virginia Beach ice cream shop to visit to make that happen. Its ice cream-packed milkshakes are the highlight, with each one absolutely overflowing with creamy, sugary goodness. Depending on the flavor you choose, it’ll be topped with a bit of sweet, whimsical flair, like chunky toasted marshmallows or giant puffs of pink cotton candy. Even if you’re not in the mood for an over-the-top milkshake, stop by Dream the La Cream for an ice cream sandwich, a banana split, or just a regular ol’ scoop in a cup or cone.
Gelati Celesti
The Artery & Inland
The Richmond-founded Gelati Celesti creates their ice cream using techniques normally reserved for gelato, making for a more dense and rich final product. Add decadent seasonal and year-round flavors like salted caramel, coffee & cream and chocolate decadence to the mix, and this ice cream will make your taste buds sing.
Gerald’s Ice Cream
The Artery District
Pick from more than 30 freshly churned ice cream flavors — and all the toppings — at Gerald’s Ice Cream in The Artery District. Made from scratch in-store using high-quality ingredients, Gerald’s ice cream is then flash-frozen with liquid nitrogen, giving it its delectably dense and smooth consistency. Plus, with a slew of seasonal and classic flavors to choose from — from banana peanut butter to horchata — there’s always something you’ll love.
Want to take your ice cream tasting experience to the next level? Try the ice cream flight to sample up to six of these fun flavors.
Blue Cow Ice Cream Co.
Chesapeake Bay
Ask Virginia Beach locals about their favorite ice cream spot in town, and there’s a pretty good chance they’ll bring up Blue Cow Ice Cream Co. Tucked away in an unassuming strip mall in the Chesapeake Bay region, this ice cream shop has some of the coolest flavors around, like Blue Cow patty (essentially chocolate on chocolate), orange cardamom and the crowd-favorite goat cheese with blueberry swirl.
Gilly’s Creamery
Inland
Experience a good, old-fashioned scoop of ice cream at Gilly’s Creamery. Located within the artisan shops of the Virginia Beach Farmers Market, Gilly’s is a hidden gem. To make their ever-changing list of flavors, they prioritize fresh, often seasonal ingredients, making every scoop pack even more of a flavor punch. After you’ve enjoyed your cone (or cup, no judgment here), take some time to browse the market for other locally owned artisanal treats and goodies.
Sundae Scoop
Inland
The veteran- and Black-owned Sundae Scoop makes sure that both the ice cream and the waffle cone are a little extra special. The former comes in a variety of classic and rotating flavors, including cookie monster, ube and salted caramel butter pecan. The latter — the often overlooked waffle cone — gets just as much attention, as they’re freshly made to order and also come in a variety of flavors, including blueberry, chocolate and espresso.
Be Free Craft Ice Cream
Inland
Be Free Craft Ice Cream may be one of the best kept secrets in Virginia Beach. Not only does this veteran-owned and -operated spot use some of the highest quality ingredients and techniques to make their ice cream, they also get creative with the flavors. The multi-faceted Sea Salt Assault, rich Pin-Up Espresso Brownie and peanut butter-focused Reese’s Reloaded are just the beginning.
As if the ice cream alone weren’t enough to draw you in, Be Free Craft Ice Cream has some incredible pastries and craft coffee drinks for you to enjoy as well.
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Written by Sarah Etinas
As a full-time freelance travel writer and editor, Sarah Etinas is always on the lookout for her next adventure. With a passion for exploring new destinations, she's covered everything from the vibrant food scene in Hawaii to the stunning outdoor landscapes of Florida. Her work has been featured in renowned publications like TimeOut, TripAdvisor, Thrillist, and Lonely Planet. When she's not writing, Sarah practices what she preaches by hiking to beautiful waterfalls, visiting local markets, and dining on the most unique dishes she can find.
