5 Best Restaurants in New York City, New York

What started as a bright-yellow truck slinging out scoops and cones on NYC streets back in 2008 is now a Gotham ice-cream superpower, including two outposts on the Upper West Side (the other store is a few blocks away at  253 Columbus Ave.). Van Leeuwen produces all of its flavors just across the East River in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. Favorites like vanilla, strawberry, honeycomb, and cookies and cream are made with fresh milk and cream, cane sugar, and egg yolks, but it's often the unique and downright weird flavors that keep ice-cream lovers coming back, like Hidden Valley Ranch and Kraft Macaroni and Cheese flavors.  Sometimes it’s hard to believe that the vegan versions of chocolate, salted caramel, and mint chip, just to name a few, are made entirely dairy free using house-made cashew milk, organic coconut milk, and organic extra-virgin coconut oil. Of course, don’t forget to add hot fudge.

An updated ice-cream parlor that combines the best of American and Italian coffee and ice cream seems like a revelation: what took so long to come up with this idea? This is dessert adultified, but the kids will be happy, too.

There are more than enough ice-cream shops in this kid-oriented section of Brooklyn, but none quite like Malai. The Indian founder has imbued her frozen concoctions with South Asian ingredients that hark back to her childhood, which means you'll be able to enjoy flavors you might not find anywhere else in the city. In addition to coconut tahini with date caramel, or a simple masala chai, the shop also offers a rotating list of seasonal flavors, often to commemorate special holidays like Diwali.

Some people actually come to this fun spot for the food, which includes burgers, steaks, and sandwiches. But the main attraction, which often has folks lining up down the block, is ice cream in various forms. It's also known for the birthday party atmosphere, which is what happens when people are ordering banana splits, sundaes, and s’mores. No worries if a late-night craving strikes: it's open until 11 pm daily.

Painted portraits of neighborhood locals adorn the arched walls of this husband-and-wife-owned, small-batch scoop shop. The selection of about 10 ice-cream flavors rotates seasonally; if possible, though, order the blueberry cheesecake ice cream known as the Chairperson of the Board. In winter, try the vegan hot chocolate; for a special occasion, order a custom-made ice-cream cake. There are also two other locations in Harlem: one farther uptown on Broadway and another on Lexington Avenue on the east side.