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    Via Lactea

    5.0 (23 reviews)
    Open 2:00 pm - 10:30 PM

    Order Via Lactea Takeout or Delivery

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    Pantella sundae
    J J.

    Best vegan ice cream!! Love this place. The pantella is amazing. Staff are really nice. I would highly recommend getting the whip cream and hot fudge. It's so good.

    Outside
    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

    Menu

    Great plant-based ice cream shop for people with dairy allergies. I wish there were more of these.

    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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    4 months ago

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    Reinaldo S.

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    2 months ago

    Went here and got the coco ice cream it was very good and refreshing during the heat wave. The servers were also super friendly.

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    Reinaldo S.

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    4 months ago

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    Reinaldo S.

    Thanks for stopping by Apollo! :)

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    2 years 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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    Ask the Community - Via Lactea

    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 7 reviews

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    Arethusa Farm

    Arethusa Farm

    4.6
    (667 reviews)
    0.4 mi
    $$

    Arethusa Farm Dairy is easily one of the top ice cream spots I have ever tasted in my life. It is…read moresome of the creamiest, smoothest, and most refreshing ice cream I've ever had, without even a hint of artificial taste. According to their story, it's all naturally produced from the milk of their 300 cows housed at Arethusa Farm in Litchfield, CT. The menu is packed with delicious and interesting flavors, and taste-testing is gladly allowed. My daughter got a cup of the mint chip, while I opted for a waffle cone with sweet cream and chocolate. Both were absolutely delicious. The ambiance is that of an upscale ice cream spot. The interior features a bright, clean, and welcoming black-and-white design, with framed photos of their farm cows lining the walls. There is no traditional table seating inside--just two benches and some standing room--so it is mostly an order-to-go setup. It is also conveniently located right around the corner from the Yale University campus, making it a perfect treat to enjoy while walking. The service can be a little on the slow side, but that's likely because they graciously let everyone sample flavors. The employees are incredibly friendly, engaging, and informative about the shop's most popular scoops. An absolute must-visit in New Haven.

    An ice cream shop near Yale Old Campus, sourcing dairy products from a local farm that originated…read morein 1868. Peach: A seasonal flavor, my absolute favorite. Late July is peach season, and the sweet aroma of peaches blends beautifully with the natural richness of milk. The first taste is the sweet and sour peach, with fruit pieces bursting like popping boba, followed by a rich and mellow fruity aroma that instantly transports you to an orchard. All of this is built on a rich and natural milk base. Butter Pecan: A spontaneous choice. Overall, it's slightly salty within the milky flavor, with pecan nuts as a topping, making it a rather full-bodied one. Fortunately, it's not too sweet, so it's not cloying, and the slight saltiness adds a nice touch. I thought it was just okay, but my parents loved it. Sweet Cream Chocolate Chip: Apparently their signature flavor. The sweet cream wasn't actually too sweet, but the cream was very rich and fragrant; the real sweetness came from the chocolate chips, which burst in your mouth with every chew, and even just a sample was slightly cloying. The staff were very friendly, proactively offering recommendations and samples. Taking a break with ice cream while strolling around campus and the art gallery is definitely a great experience.

    Photos
    Cow phot and ice cream
    Cow phot and ice cream
    Waffle Cone with Toasted Coconut Almond
    Waffle Cone with Toasted Coconut Almond
    Inside

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    Inside
    Bill's Carousel Ice Cream

    Bill's Carousel Ice Cream

    3.7
    (73 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.

    I was disappointed with my experience at Bill's. I ordered a 2 scoop sundae and asked for almonds…read morealong with the usual toppings such as whipped cream and hot fudge. The menu isn't very clear as per my picture with the pricing because what justifies as a small, medium, large, XL? I asked for 2 scoops, which wasn't very big hence the cup in the picture I posted. My husband ordered the fried dough with ice cream on top and a bottled water. Those 3 items came to $25 like WTF?! The sundae was a joke. Small scoops and they charged $1 for the almonds. What sundae does not automatically come with nuts? The fried dough is huge and it was put in a styrofoam container with cheap, flimsy plastic utensils making it very hard to cut through the dough. The knife was so flimsy that forcing through the dough caused holes in the styrofoam. I will never come to this establishment again. Tips for management: Upgrade your take out boxes and flimsy utensils to something sturdier. Sam's Club is a great choice for that. Be clear in your sundae menu how you justify your pricing for the different sizes because I shouldn't be charged for an XL when my ice cream servings were tiny and to make it worse, you charge $1 extra for nuts that should automatically be part of the sundae menu. Clean your outside tables so it isn't sticky if you want people to sit there.

    Photos
    Bill's Carousel Ice Cream
    "Vanilla" and "Cotton Candy"
    "Vanilla" and "Cotton Candy"
    Exterior

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    Exterior
    Elena’s On Orange

    Elena’s On Orange

    4.6
    (57 reviews)
    1.0 mi

    It was my first time trying Elena's and i'm so happy I did. The flavor of the day was a rose soft…read moreserve, it was DELICIOUS. It wasn't too sweet and had such a smooth texture. Loved the cone and the variety of toppings. They have a flavor of the week every week and I can't wait to come try more. It's so cute inside and has a good amount of seating. Best part: free lactaid enzyme at the counter for my fellow lactose intolerants!

    It's been many years since I've been in both Connecticut and New Haven, so after some dinner and…read moresome roaming around time a friend of mine suggested we get some soft serve at Elana's in Orange and I was 100% all in. We got lucky with the size of the line when we arrived but it seems this place tends to have an insanely long line down the street, so prepare to wait a bit. I had maybe a 5-6 minute wait in line and that was more than okay with me, you can't get mad at a place for being successful. Although this place doesn't have an insane selection of soft serve flavours, they do have a solid amount of sundae options, but I was here to try that vanilla and chocolate twist cone. I'm a simple man who loves a simple soft serve and this place didn't let me down. The ice cream was very creamy, had great flavour, and truly hit the spot for soft serve ice cream. Overall, Elana's on Orange is a fantastic spot for soft serve ice cream and somewhere I would absolutely enjoy again in the future. New Haven has a good amount of ice cream, but this place definitely runs the soft serve game.

    Photos
    Single in a cone ($5) -- ube flavored!
    Single in a cone ($5) -- ube flavored!
    Outdoor Sign during winter
    Outdoor Sign during winter
    Warm cookie sundae

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    Warm cookie sundae

    Via Lactea - icecream - Updated August 2026

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