It seems like many shops selling the lovely cold desserts of ice cream and gelato have been popping up all over Singapore lately, and I’ve likewise also been appearing at these spots. Well, only those in the central area, anyway (had my eye on a certain ice cream shop in Yishun but uh, I’m not going there just to eat ice cream).

These are the ones I tried recently and here are my thoughts on them. Dining in isn’t allowed currently in Singapore but since many of these places are still doing takeaways or selling take home pints I think this might still be useful!

1) Gelato Labo, Farrer Park/Lavender (and Clementi, River Valley)

Bright, fruity and delightful, are words I would use to describe the gelato here. They offer quite a few vegan, dairy-free options that are suitable for people with specific diets, and I think they did these really well.

The beautiful vibrant colours of the artisan ice cream called out to us upon entry, and every bite of the (not too) sweet, fresh and fruity small batch, unique handmade flavours we chose (Prosecco, Strawberry & Rose S$6 and Mango & Granny Smith Apple Jelly S$5) were both refreshing and satisfying. I also loved the tasty, crispy waffle cone (+S$1.40) which had little bits of herbs in it (lavender I think)!

Definitely worth a visit, I want to go back soon to try more flavours.

Happiness Meter – 9/10

2) Three’s A Crowd Cafe, Little India (and Tampines)

I recently discovered this new, cosy little ice cream shop in the back alleys of Little India that seemed to have a nice range of ice cream flavours and an interesting Ondeh Ondeh waffle too (which I haven’t tried yet, lol). Had the Maple Waffle (S$6, because the flavours I wanted to have really didn’t go with ondeh ondeh), with Oreo Mint and Earl Grey scoops.

The ice cream was rather delicious, kind of on the creamy, soft side, but the waffle was just okay – would’ve prefered it to be a bit moister on the inside (but the exterior crispiness was quite nice).

Pricing seems quite reasonable with scoops going for S$3 onwards, tubs at S$14-$18. I brought tubs of Speculoos and Mango Passion to my friends and they liked it – I also enjoyed these two flavours more than the two I tried previously. Their ice cream seems rather homely, and comforting. And I have to say, their Double Chocolate looked seductively good in the gallery when I went to buy these tubs the other day…

Happiness Meter – 8/10

3) Momolato Café, Bugis

Walking into the shop, one might feel like they were transported into a botanical mod-paradise – with white walls, hipster decor (wood and magazines), and lots of plants.

Lovely ambience to chill at and I really liked the Ecuador Chocolate Arabica Coffee ice cream we had (dairy free, vegan), but was a tad disappointed in their Kochi Yuzu Shisho as it was refreshing but a little bland (S$4.90 per scoop, plus $1 for premium flavours). It had some kind of tea leaves in it but these just gave it a bit of a tannic taste and didn’t do much for me.

It did have an interesting offering different from the rest though – keto ice cream and cones, which is probably really great for some people. I did quite like their Pandan cone, thought it was a nice complement to the chocolate ice cream – just felt that the flavour could have been stronger – it was pretty mild.

Happiness Meter – 7.5/10

4) Monarchs & Milkweed Gelato, Bugis

Tried their signature Soursop Mint here (was trying to avoid dairy) and it was nice though not particularly memorable. It had a firm texture and balanced flavours, and I liked that the cone was fragrant and crispy.

It’s an aesthetic, friendly space and I would like to go back and try other flavours.

Happiness Meter – 7.5/10

5) Dopa Dopa Creamery, Clarke Quay/Raffles Place

You know a place is serious about their gelato when they keep it hidden away in covered metal containers, to protect their delicate constitution from temperature changes in the air.

The Ferrero Rocher flavour I had was a little on the light side, but I did really like its hand churned consistency and texture (soft and creamy). Heard good things about the Roasted Pistachio and Coconut Pandan with Gula Melaka flavours too so perhaps I have to give it another try!

Happiness Meter – 8/10

6) Madame Ooze, Chinatown/Telok Ayer

Ooh….ze, what a name! I guess with that name, one might expect something to be flowing there – and I suppose, their cold, creamy scoops of ice cream do somewhat ‘ooze’ after a few minutes on top of their warm, toasted croissant. This is their signature combination and it’s absolutely delicious – the crisp, flaky bread goes well with the flavourful ice cream, especially the Dark Chocolate one.

The seasonal White Peach flavour was quite enjoyable too, sweet and refreshing and great to balance out the rich chocolate, but might not have been the best choice to go with the croissant. The bits of Raspberry were also a delightful addition to the overall combination, providing some nice sweet and sour hints in every bite.

Their decor is really cute and quirky, with many comfortable looking sofas and bright coloured decorations – although not really applicable right now, but it’s a nice place to chill at when dine in is allowed once again!

Happiness Meter – 9/10

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There we have it folks, this is by no means a comprehensive list, just some new places to try. There are of course the usual favourites like Creamier, Birds of Paradise, Tom’s Palette and all, and some others I haven’t tried yet but want to, like Dimanche 49.

Still looking for my 10/10 ice cream, recommedations anyone?