Ici Ice Cream
| Address: | 2948 College Ave, Berkeley, CA 94705, USA |
| Phone: | +1 510-665-6054 |
| Site: | ici-icecream.com |
| Rating: | 4.4 |
| Working: | 12–9:30PM 12–9:30PM 12–9:30PM 12–9:30PM 12–10PM 12–10PM 12–10PM |
Location
Photos 100
Reviews 13
WI
Will Kivinski
I finally tried Ici after years of hearing about how "amazing" the place is. Since then, many inventive ice cream shops with unique flavors have opened up over the bay area. I wouldnt say it was my favorite but it was totally solid. I tried a few flavors but ended up getting a season fruit sherbet. I want to definitely try the Earl Grey, but they only had it in sandwich form while I was there. What I will say is exceptional there is the customer service and their waffle cones. Even though the line is long, they make an effort to make your time there feel special. The waffle cone is very tasty and has a small amount of chocolate at the very bottom, just like those drumsticks you ate as a kid. Id go back, preferably with a shorter line. ;)
MA
Max Heinritz
I went here on a Saturday night with two friends. We waited in line outside for 20 minutes (as expected). I sampled the raspberry rose, blueberry-lime sherbert, and honey curry. All of the samples were extremely flavorful but not exactly what I was looking for. I ended up ordering the pistachio with candied pistachios. I wasnt impressed by the taste. It was satisfyingly creamy (as pistachio ice creams usually are), but not flavorful. The chocolate-filled cone was excellent. Service was good. Decor and ambiance are like a 1930s or 40s ice cream parlor. Quaint but clean/crisp. Id considering going again next time Im in Berkeley, but I dont think Ill seek it out.
LI
Lily Yip
This is a cute bakery, ice cream shop in Berkeley. Ive been told by several friends that they have amazing ice cream with unique flavors to choose from! The servers are very friendly. They offer free samples. They have a handful of tables for seating. What I tried: Honey vanilla black tea: Perfect! Reminds me of a milk tea flavor, but not too sweet and very refreshing. And I loved their handmade cones! You get a very nice surprise at the end. ;) FYI, this place can get busy with lines out the door. And theres only metered parking available, but worth the stop. I will definitely come back here to fulfill my ice cream cravings when Im in the Berkeley area.
LA
Laura MacArthur
Ici offers very fancy-schmancy ice creams, and they definitely charge accordingly. Ive always really enjoyed all of the flavors Ive tried here, and because the owner used to be a pastry chef at Chez Panisse I believe that the cones and baked goods are really a cut above. For the insane lines you sometimes encounter here, I feel you can find better gourmet ice cream throughout the Bay Area. But when Im in the area and I dont see a huge crowd in front, I make a point to stop in when Im in the mood for dessert. Bottom line, if you can walk in youll get a great scoop, but if you need to spend 45 minutes waiting you will probably end up a bit disappointed.
PA
Patty Liu
A nice place to visit for ice cream. The decor is super cute and it makes you feel like buying everything in the store. Get their ice cream on a cone. Their handmade cones are stopped with chocolate on the bottom so it wouldnt drip on you while you are enjoying the ice cream. The flavors rotate daily, so be on the look out for your favorite flavors. Still remember the maple crusted bacon ice cream. It was the only bacon ice cream Ive tries so far that is a legit flavor. Small bits of crispy sweet and salty bacon added just enough flavors to the maple syrup ice cream.
A
A Private User
Artisanal, homemade ice cream at its finest. Its charming really - the flavors change daily but are so alluring - today they had things like bartlett pear sorbet, pumpkin candied oatmeal, burnt caramel, etc. I tried a taste of the pumpkin candied oatmeal, which had a smooth and chunky texture and left a sweet, tangy pumpkin bite on your tongue. But what I really enjoyed was the chocolate ice cream sandwich, with chocolate wafer outsides and chocolate chips on the inside. It didnt melt in my hands, it was the perfect size, and tasted marvelously chocolatey.
WI
William Chon
Icis is awesome! They have a varying menu of flavors that changes every day, but so far my favorite flavor of all time would have to be huckleberry. If its your first few times coming to Ici, I would really suggest trying as many flavors as you can. Usually the line takes a while to move because everyone tries like 3-4 flavors whenever theyre at the counter, and this takes a while. The line can be up to 45 minutes to an hour long during peak hours on Thursday, Friday, and the weekends, so try coming close to opening to avoid the long lines.
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Trey Shilts
MY ICE CREAM FELL OFF THE CONE. It was delicious, dont get me wrong. And I know I shouldve expected as much since I was well aware of the cone architecture of this store (very skinny cones and thick scoops) but still, after 3-4 licks, both of my two scoops fell off my cone onto the ground. Several people that saw this started laughing, as they should; its 2017! Cars can drive themselves, but people cant engineer ice cream cones that properly serve their purpose. Its an ice cream shop. Rant aside, get your ice cream in a cup.
ST
STEVEN VONG
Delicious homemade ice cream with an amazing sugar cone with a chocolate tip! The first couple times, I think Ici didnt live up to its hype, but then I got the cone and it changed the whole game. Its worth the wait when they have flavors such as brown sugar gingersnap or malted chocolate. You can check daily flavors on twitter and they have a good variety, from fruity sorbet to unique combinations such as chocolate bourbon cherry. They also have cookies and other desserts, but nothing beats a double scoop in a cone!
T3
T324
T324 staffer Suzanne often stops at Ici on her way home at 4pm. Because, well, thats about the only time you can get into Ici without waiting in a ridiculous line that moves about one-third as fast as the line at Bi-Rite. Fruit and floral flavors are the winners at Ici; thats where their tiny-batch manufacturing really shines. Nectarine and orange-rosemary-toffee ice creams with burnt caramel sauce and house-made crystallized orange peel: as delicious as anything youll ever eat.
JE
Jennifer Wong
Ici has the best ice cream in Berkeley. They make their own handrolled cones. At the bottom, youll find a surprise-- chocolate. Theres always a line and you can have samples before you decide. The menu changes daily, or hourly even, when flavors run out and new ones replace them. I have gotten the ice cream cakes here before too, which are loved by everyone. The flavors are far from ordinary. Here, youll find herby ones like honey bay leaf and lavender.
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Seth Ladd
Inventive flavors, friendly service. They let you sample the flavors first. If youre going to get ice cream, might as well get something excellent. Not a ton of flavors, but its very fresh. And youll get flavors you wont find anywhere else. A bit of a wait on a Saturday afternoon, but weather was nice. Small store, be prepared to wait outside, but at least theres a line outside (velvet rope!) so its not chaos. Also, bonus: espresso machine inside!
DE
Debbie Lee
Oh, how I love Ici! Opened by a Chez Panisse alum, this is my favorite ice cream spot in the East Bay, and possibly... ever. Their flavors rotate, but when they have them, hazelnut and gingersnap are my favorite. The hazelnut is like a Ferrero Rocher ice cream! I get it with a cone, just because the cone has chocolate ganache at the bottom to, ya know, stop any melting spillages and taste delicious.
