A cone of hazelnut soft serve sits in a glass bottle filled with sand, with pastries, a pot plant, and a red rattan fabric in the background — Hazelnut soft serve at Leila’s Shop.

The Creamiest, Swirliest Soft Serve in London

It truly is soft serve summer

by James Hansen@jameskhansen Jun 22, 2022, 3:03pm BST

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Hazelnut soft serve at Leila’s Shop.

| George Reynolds

by James Hansen@jameskhansen Jun 22, 2022, 3:03pm BST

Rambutan

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Former Leila’s Shop swirler Sam Lowry has now joined forces with partner Farah Kezou on Soft & Swirly, sticking to the quality flavour formula he honed in Shoreditch but making it a little less austere, with joyous sundaes and sticky sauces now accessorising the pristine cones. Their next guise is in partnership with Cynthia Shanmugalingam’s upcoming restaurant Rambutan, putting out the likes of mango; jaggery; watermelon and hibiscus; and buffalo curd swirls during the site’s build in Borough Market. Flavours change weekly.

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10 Stoney St, London SE1 9AD, UK

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Rosslyn Coffee Queen Victoria Street

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One place to stop is Rosslyn Coffee, the hit City cafe group, where ice cream sandwich slingers Happy Endings provide the base for an espresso soft serve, whose dusting with chocolate powder adds perfect balance.

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78 Queen Victoria St, London EC4N 4SJ, UK

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The Ealing Grocer

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At the Ealing Grocer, a wondrous food store from Andy Harris and Katie Millard, soft serve summer is on its second coming, with freeze adding a jolt to rich vanilla, and apricots and strawberries introduced to pale custards, or sorbets made with mangoes and lemons.

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18 St Mary's Rd, London W5 5ES, UK

020 8566 0632

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Forza Wine

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The little glasses of soft serve at Forza Wine are reportedly available for takeaway “if you bring the glass back,” but it might be simpler just to neck it on the roof. It’s usually a plainly flavoured base with some simple, smart toppings, like milk with strawberry and shortbread, or pistachio and dark chocolate.

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The Rooftop, 133A Rye Ln, London SE15 4BQ, UK

020 7732 7500

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Bake Street

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Bake Street’s approach to ice cream is typically singular: small batches made with whatever fruit is ripe, or nostalgic riffs on childhood desserts, sweets, and baked goods. A machine snag has slowed down this summer’s programme, but expect mango soft serve in coming weeks, as well as some floats on the drinks menu.

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58 Evering Rd, Lower Clapton, London N16 7SR, UK

020 7683 7177

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Leila's Shop

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Its former soft serve master may have left the premises, but the sleepy, ambiently beautiful Leila’s Shop is keeping its reputation for its summer soft serves through Stroma Sinclair. Currently, a base made with cream from Northiam Dairy is getting a range of seasonal accessories: perhaps a bubblegum pink raspberry sauce; chunks of bittersoursweet candied citron; or a speckled espresso caramel.