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    Via Lactea

    5.0 (19 reviews)
    Open 12:00 pm - 8:00 PM
    Updated 2 weeks ago

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    Jason P.

    Via Lactea is a plant based ice cream shop in New Haven that people are talking about. I drove by last week after eating dinner, and noticed there was nearby street parking. The shop is nice. Service was friendly. I didn't count, but they may have had about 15 flavors. The colors in the case were vibrant. I ordered Strawberry Mojito. It was sweet and acidic. I liked it a lot. I tried a sample of a creamy flavor that had a guava component. It was good, but not as good as the Strawberry Mojito. 4.5 Stars

    Alejandra P.

    Best vegan ice cream. So many fun and interesting flavors. My kids absolutely loved it. Fresh ingredients and I'm so happy to have somewhere delicious for vegan ice cream in Connecticut to go to. Street parking available. Seating available. Fair pricing.

    Abiba S.

    Just discovered Via Láctea in downtown New Haven and I'm really impressed!!! This Puerto Rican-inspired spot offers frozen desserts that draw from traditional flavors with unique spices you wouldn't expect like black pepper, turmeric, and cardamom, and it works really well. I tried the golden milk flavor which was smooth and creamy thanks to the coconut milk, with a nice subtle spicy kick. I also had the guava paletela with almond cake pieces which was fruity and balanced. They have other interesting flavors too like hibiscus, coconut with mango, and matcha. Added bonus is everything is vegan and many options are gluten free, which is great if you're avoiding dairy or gluten. I'm usually not into vegan desserts, but this actually tastes like real ice cream. If you're in New Haven, it's definitely worth checking out, especially on a warm day. I'm already looking forward to trying more flavors. Also the shop is so gorgeous! There's a bunch of greenery and seating if you want to enjoy your treat outside. The staff are also helpful and nice :) Definitely check it out!

    Emily G.

    Amazing. This isn't a place for just vegan/dairy-free but all! The flavors are fantastic and unique. It is made in small batches and is swapped out seasonally. We tried ginger root, coquito, pb & j, praline, and home planet. So. Good. We are obsessed with their dark matter cones (GF and you'd never know)! They had multiple gf options for ice cream, brownies, cones, etc. The ice cream is a coconut base and very creamy. The owner we met was fantastic and the shop is so cute with little areas for seating. This shop is also DOG FRIENDLY!!! A much needed addition to New Haven.

    Anna S.

    I really liked this new place in new haven! I tried a bunch of flavors and settled on chocolate chip coffee which was gluten free. I enjoyed every flavor and will be going back to try their other flavors I did not get to try. The guava flavor is very popular and tasty too and highly recommend it!

    "Flight" of 4 limited-time flavors (clockwise): Golden Milk (yellow), Watermelon Thai Basil, Coquito, Taro Sesame

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    1 year ago

    Best ice cream I've had in New Haven. Flavors are amazing and super unique. Alejandra is a sweetheart! I will definitely be returning.

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    Review Highlights - Via Lactea

    Fresh ingredients and I'm so happy to have somewhere delicious for vegan ice cream in Connecticut to go to.

    Mentioned in 5 reviews

    Read more highlights

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    Arethusa Farm - 1 scoop -- coffee & sweet cream

    Arethusa Farm

    4.6(664 reviews)
    0.4 mi
    $$

    THE GOOD ----------------…read more+ Possibly the best ice cream I've everrrr, everrrr had! ++++ Almond with Toasted Coconuts and Sweet Cream with Dark Chocolate Chips - Sooooooo goood and soooo creamy smooth and solid. Loved both flavors, but the Almond with Toasted Coconuts really stole my heart...and tastebuds. One of the best flavors of ice cream I've ever had...period! ++++ Strawberry and Cranberry with Dark Chocolate Chunk - Once again, so creamy for ice cream. These fruity flavors were phenomenal! Not too sweet and so natural tasting. No "artifical-ness" whatsoever. Being the hugely obsessive strawberry ice cream fanatic that I consider myself to be, this might have been the best strawberry ice cream I've ever tasted. + Menu consist of some very delicious-sounding and interesting flavors, including the Almond and Sweet Cream ones mentioned above, Pumpkin with Ginger Molasses and Eggnog. + Two employees were very friendly, engaging and informative about the most popular flavors. + Taste-testing is certainly allowed. + Two benches for customers to sit on inside, but there is plenty of standing room to walk around and admire the farm cow photos on the wall. THE NOT SO GOOD ---------------------------- - Like most ice cream shops, there was no restroom available for customers, so make sure to empty those tanks below the belt before arriving. MIXED THOUGHTS --------------------------- = Nada. RANDOM OBSERVATIONS -------------------------------------- = Even on a chilly March Saturday evening at around 6 PM, there were PLENTY of folks willing to freeze their tastebuds off here, so that tells you enough about how good the ice cream is here. = Conveniently located right around the corner from the Yale University campus, so you can enjoy your delicious ice cream with some of the world's brightest minds in your company. = According to their story, all of the ice cream served here is naturally produced from the milk of some of their 300 cows, which are housed at Arethusa Farm near Litchfield, CT, hence why their ice cream is so naturally smoooooooth and refreshing and doesn't have a hint of artificial taste in them. Nuff' said!

    - A true ice cream gem in the heart of New Haven; shop features a black-and-white interior with…read moreframed photos of the cows from their farm displayed along the walls; space is bright, clean, and welcoming - A couple of benches near the entrance make it easy to sit and enjoy your treat inside - Staff are incredibly welcoming, friendly, and patient--happy to let us sample a few flavors before ordering and even sharing a bit of the story behind their ice cream - Servings are very generous - Phenomenal ice cream--rich, creamy, and full of flavor, tasting natural with nothing artificial; everything we sampled was so good it was genuinely hard to choose what to order

    Photos
    Arethusa Farm - Waffle Cone with Toasted Coconut Almond

    Waffle Cone with Toasted Coconut Almond

    Arethusa Farm - Inside

    Inside

    Arethusa Farm - Long queue.. high demand!

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    Long queue.. high demand!

    Bill's Carousel Ice Cream - 2 scoop sundae with 2 flavors of ice cream and almonds

    Bill's Carousel Ice Cream

    3.8(72 reviews)
    2.8 mi
    $

    Bill's Carousel is an old-fashioned drive-up ice cream parlor that opened in New Haven, Connecticut…read morein 1959. It was founded by Bill (whose last name seems to have been lost to history). The location originally opened as a Carvel ice cream shoppe in 1957, before being rebranded as "Bill's Carousel" two years later. Since 2008, the establishment has been owned by E.J. Akdeniz, who purchased it from Bill's widow. Akdeniz has no idea what the "carousel" in the ice cream parlor's name refers to, but after talking ownership he put a vintage carousel horse on display next to the order window. He acquired the horse in New Jersey after an old carousel had been dismantled. The biggest seller at Bill's is their soft serve ice cream (24 flavors to be exact), but the menu also features hard ice cream, sundaes, milkshakes & floats, frozen yogurt, Italian ice, slushies, smoothies, flurries, ice cream cakes, and even hot foods like hot dogs, hamburgers and fries. My family and I recently stopped for ice cream at Bill's Carousel while we were passing through New Haven's Westville neighborhood. My wife lived in an apartment in Westville when we first began dating. We used to make walks down to Bill's often to enjoy their delicious ice cream. Bill's was a seasonal ice cream parlor for several years, but it is now open year-round. On this particular visit, we parked in the lot and ordered from the order window. We all ended up getting cups of hard ice cream. I had "Pumpkin", my wife had "Peach", my older son had "Cotton Candy", and my younger son had "Vanilla". Regardless of what type of frozen treat (or even hot treat) that you order at Bill's, you won't be disappointed.

    Service was so kind! Ice cream tasted incredible. Very cute atmosphere and fast service. They were…read moreawesome

    Photos
    Bill's Carousel Ice Cream
    Bill's Carousel Ice Cream - 24 Flavor Soft Serve- swirl with rainbow sprinkles

    24 Flavor Soft Serve- swirl with rainbow sprinkles

    Bill's Carousel Ice Cream - Exterior

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    Exterior

    Gioia Cafe & Bar - Mango sorbet

    Gioia Cafe & Bar

    4.2(143 reviews)
    0.6 mi

    Very nice gelato. We got a vanilla and the espresso flavors. I added dark chocolate chunk = dark…read morechocolate chips. I spent about $16 for a small and a large.

    As a flight attendant on a private jet, I was arranging catering from Gioia for five passengers at…read morethe request of the lead passenger. I went in personally and spoke with Alex, the floor manager, who was professional and assured me the order would be ready for pickup at 2:30pm the following day. He even took my credit card information to secure the order. In the morning i happened to check my email. I read an email from Alex informing me Gioia would not be able to accommodate my request. After reading the email I did discover Alex left a voicemail at 11pm. In a time-sensitive industry like private aviation, last-minute cancellations create significant unnecessary stress and inconvenience. A follow-up text message after the voicemail would have been appropriate given the urgency and the prior commitment. I appreciate the attempt to notify me. However, once a commitment is made--especially after payment information is taken--it's critical to honor it or exhaust every reasonable effort to do so. I had even offered to compensate the kitchen staff additionally to offset any inconvenience. With a background in culinary arts and restaurant management, I was taught that it's always better to under-promise and over-deliver rather than the reverse. In hospitality, reliability is everything, and word of mouth can either strengthen or damage a business's reputation.

    Photos
    Gioia Cafe & Bar - The kitchen

    The kitchen

    Gioia Cafe & Bar - Mortadella spread

    Mortadella spread

    Gioia Cafe & Bar - Dinnerware adds to the ambience

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    Dinnerware adds to the ambience

    Via Lactea - icecream - Updated May 2026

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