Residents and tourists alike will be flocking to Southend this weekend to enjoy the final bank holiday of the summer.
With the sun beaming down on the city, plenty of visitors will be looking for the best place to cool down with an indulgent ice cream.
Whether you’re craving a fruity sorbet or a classic Mr Whippy, there are a number of places to choose from offering many varieties of the sweet treat.
We’ve selected the five best parlours and restaurants, according to customer reviews on Google, to narrow down your selection:
Rossi Ice Cream
You cannot list the best ice cream spots in Southend without mentioning Rossi’s famous and long-running seafront parlour.
The business has become a firm favourite with visitors since it launched in 1932, becoming as synonymous with Southend as the famous pier and Adventure Island.
With a 4.4-star Google rating, the Western Esplanade shop has plenty of glowing reviews from new and loyal customers. One reviewer hailed it the “absolute best ice cream in Southend”.
Another wrote: “You can’t visit Southend and not visit Rossi’s ice cream parlour – it’s a tradition and long may it continue. Delicious ice creams, cakes and treats all await, the service is quick and staff are always friendly. I look forward to a visit back to Rossi’s soon!”
Roberto’s Beachside
This family-run gelato shop also tops the list, serving its hugely popular ice cream and doughnuts along the seafront.
The Western Esplanade joint is hailed the “ideal place for takeaway at any time of the year for all the family” by Visit Southend.
Customers are full of praise for their ice creams on Google, with one reviewer commenting: “Best ice cream and donuts in southend! Staff are great too.”
Another added: “Best place in Essex to get ice cream. Best ice cream I’ve had for ages. Also love the fact they are open late, allows for everyone to get down there and grab a tasty quality ice cream.”
Scoops 37
This Southend seafront ice cream parlour has become so popular it opened a sister site earlier this year – boasting one branch in Marine Parade and another at Pier Hill.
Scoops offers an extensive range of sweet treats including milkshakes, 30 flavours of ice cream, hot donuts and waffles, and a unique warm chocolate tap.
One reviewer wrote: “Definitely the best place to get ice cream or milkshakes in Southend.”
Another five-star reviewer commented: “Best tea in town and the ice creams pretty nice too. Mark and Theo are really friendly and helpful, can’t wait for the weather to warm up a bit so I can have loads more ice creams.”
Creme Crazy
Another Western Esplanade business, Creme Crazy is family-run and offers a variety of sweet treats including doughnuts, ice cream, crepes, milkshakes and waffles.
With a 4.8-star rating on Google, it is rated one of the best in Southend by customers.
One reviewer says: “I came for the doughnuts after reading all the amazing reviews – did not disappoint and even came back for more at the end of the day.
“Best ice cream in the area and I wish I could give more than five stars. If you’re ever local, definitely treat yourself.”
Cookies and Cones
Leigh Broadway’s Cookies and Cones is the most popular of the two Southend branches.
The south Essex business, with branches across the county and country, was crowned the “best takeaway in the South East” at the Just Eat Restaurant Awards earlier this year.
While it is most famous for its large, small and personalised cookies, the huge selection of ice cream flavours are equally popular.
A happy customer reviewed: “This place is great. Ice cream was really really good.
“Really impressed with the customer service, the lighting and vibe inside. Even when we arrived a few mins before they closed, they still were happy to serve our group.
“Definitely coming back.”
