From its creamy consistency to its unique flavour profiles, we can’t resist an indulgent scoop of ice cream. After all, Hong Kong’s sun is much more bearable with these sweet creamy creations.
Luckily for us, the city has a lot of ice cream shops to visit, all of which present rows of decadent flavours, use different kinds of milk to match every diet possible, and wow us with their unique collaborations.
To help you in your hunt for a sweet scoop, we asked the team at Tatler Hong Kong to share their favourite ice cream venues to visit, when they need a respite from the blistering heat.
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Snack Baby
Snack Baby, located on Hollywood Road, combines two of the best elements of Italian cuisine—gelato and refreshing cocktails. Freshly made in-store every day, the gelato boasts impeccable freshness and creative ingredient combinations that make each flavour unique.
The gelato menu features 14 flavours, including traditional favourites like pistachio crunch and rich chocolate, as well as innovative options such as blackberry and cinnamon. However, my personal favourite remains the classic yet often underrated caffè. Many flavours offer dairy-free options, with several lactose-free and vegan varieties crafted using lactose-free milk or cashew milk.
Cocktails are available every evening, offering Italian classics like the Negroni alongside innovative cocktails with creative twists.
- Ahy Choi, editor-in-chief, Tatler Hong Kong
My new favourite way to beat the heat? Snack Baby on Hollywood Road. This gelateria and snack bar has the usual creamy suspects, but they’ve also nailed dairy-free and lactose-free gelato so brilliantly that even the cows are contemplating early retirement and a quiet life in the countryside. My top pick is pistachio crunch, a rich and nutty delight with salty nut crystals that make for an unexpected but utterly delicious sweet-savoury combination. With 14 rotating flavours like speculoos, pina colada, and yuzu ginger, my taste buds are in for a summer of delightful intrigue. The space itself is a cool hangout spot, perfect for lounging and indulging in their creative cocktail menu while plotting which gelato flavour to conquer next.
- Fontaine Cheng, dining editor, Tatler Hong Kong
Snack BabyAddress: G/F, 93-95 Hollywood Road, Central, Hong Kong
So Coco
So you’re familiar with coconut ice cream but how often do you come across fresh young coconut ice cream? Look no further, So Coco is the place to check out if you love all things coconut-flavoured. Using minimal and only plant-based ingredients—preferring the Thai Nam Hom variety of coconut—So Coco is known for its vegan frozen coconut pudding and ice cream cups which can be found at supermarkets such as City Super or 3hreeSixty across Hong Kong. Its flagship store in Causeway also serves a selection of refreshing soft serves, desserts and drinks—including espresso-based and shakes—often topped with fresh young coconut meat or even boba. - Khoa Tran, social impact editor, Tatler Hong Kong So CocoAddress: 9A Sharp Street East, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong
Yo Mama Frozen Yogurt
Hot weather calls for a cold treat, but sometimes an ice cream feels too rich to refresh my palate, so I prefer a frozen yoghurt. Yo Mama Frozen Yogurt is my pick as it switches up its menu regularly to offer a variety of flavours and toppings, and is nostalgic for me as I often went there for an after-school treat as a teenager. I prefer to keep things simple with my order: an original with a smattering of mango.
- Amalissa Hall, style writer, Tatler Hong Kong
Yo Mama Frozen YogurtAddress: Several locations around Hong Kong
Messina
Ice cream is synonymous with happiness in my dictionary, so I love flavours that are creative and come with a fun twist. I’ll be greedy here and pick two places that I love: Australian gelato chain Messina, which serves Hong Kong dessert-inspired options, such as the tofu pudding and sesame sweet soup flavours.
- Zabrina Lo, features editor, Tatler Hong Kong
MessinaAddress: 37 Pottinger Street, Central, Hong Kong
Hea
And because I cannot pick only one, I also want to recommend Hea (which means “chill” in Cantonese, by the way), a vegan ice-cream shop in Sham Shui Po that offers choices inspired by old Hong Kong snack and drinks, such as salty lemon 7-Up preserved plum, preserved ginger and red bean fleece. Hea also serves its ice cream in cone wrappers printed with the iconic “Longevity without Borders” Chinese pattern. How cute is that?
- Zabrina Lo, features editor, Tatler Hong Kong
HeaAddress: Shop 5, G/F, Nam Fung Mansion, 10F Boundary Street, Sham Shui Po, Hong Kong
Teemtonefai
Teemtonefai is the ultimate destination for a stylish and unique ice cream experience in Hong Kong. Crafting its treats with premium, locally-sourced ingredients, the shop offers classic flavors like rich matcha and creamy Hokkaido milk, as well as innovative Asian-inspired options such as tofu fa and Tottori pear sorbet. Teemtonefai has also collaborated with renowned fashion brands such as Miu Miu, Gucci and Maison Margiela, infusing its frozen delights with an elevated, fashionable flair.
- Salomé Grouard, deputy digital editor, Tatler Hong Kong
TeemtonefaiAddress: B1, Hysan Place, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong
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