Best Ice Cream and Gelato in Newcastle City Centre

Newcastle has been eating Italian ice cream for well over a century, and the city centre still has a good spread of places to get it. There is a family firm that has been hand-making ice cream here since the 1890s, an award-winning gelateria tucked into the Ouseburn, a Parisian-style gelato counter on Grainger Street and a dessert parlour that stays open late into the evening. Here is where to go, whether you want a quick cone between shops or a full sundae sitting down.

The traditional parlour

Mark Toney

If one name means ice cream in Newcastle, it is Mark Toney. The business was founded in 1892 by Giovanni Marcantonio, who came to the city from Picinisco in the mountains of central Italy, and it has stayed in the family ever since; in 2022 it passed to Chris Raynes, Giovanni's great-great-grandson. The dairy ice cream is still made to the family recipe at the firm's own production unit in Benton, a few miles from the centre.

There are two city-centre parlour cafes. The Grainger Street branch, at 53 Grainger Street, has been trading since 1962 and is often described as the oldest coffee shop in the city, with old ice cream memorabilia, awards and photographs on the walls. The Percy Street branch, opened in 1974, sits directly opposite Haymarket bus station and Metro, which makes it an easy stop before heading home. Both serve cones and tubs to take away, plus a proper sit-down menu of sundaes, waffles, breakfasts and cafe meals, so it works as well for a family lunch as for a scoop on the go.

Best for: A Newcastle institution: classic sundaes and an old-school parlour atmosphere.

Gelato by the river

Di Meo's, Ouseburn

Di Meo's is a family ice cream business with roots going back to 1918, best known on the coast for its flagship parlour in Whitley Bay. Its Newcastle outpost is on Riverside Walk at the mouth of the Ouseburn, a short walk east along the Quayside from the Millennium Bridge, and it is the most scenic place in the city to eat a gelato.

The signature vanilla is made to a secret family recipe, the pistachio uses Bronte pistachios from the slopes of Mount Etna, and the strawberry is made with at least half fruit. Several flavours have won gold at national ice cream competitions and earned Great Taste Awards, and there are sorbetti such as passion fruit for anyone avoiding dairy. Pizza and coffee are on the menu too. Di Meo's website currently lists Ouseburn opening hours of 10am to 7pm; it does not mention shorter winter hours, but on a cold, wet October weekday it is worth checking before you make the walk.

Pair it with a wander around the Ouseburn's galleries and pubs, or a stroll along the river (our guide to the best walks in Newcastle city centre has a few routes that pass the door).

Best for: Award-winning gelato with a view of the Tyne.

Gelato on Grainger Street

Amorino

The French gelato chain Amorino opened its Newcastle shop at 124 Grainger Street in the past year, a short stroll from Grey's Monument and Central Station. Its signature is gelato sculpted into a flower shape on the cone, with as many flavours as you like on a single serving, and the counter carries a long list of gelato and sorbet flavours alongside sundaes, milkshakes, gelato macarons, crepes, waffles, Italian pastries and hot drinks, including affogato.

Amorino keeps long hours: its store page lists opening from 10am until midnight most days, and until 12.30am on Fridays and Saturdays, which makes it one of the few places in town where you can get a proper gelato after the cinema or a show.

Best for: Good-looking cones, a wide flavour choice and late opening.

The dessert parlour

Kaspa's Desserts

For something more indulgent, Kaspa's Desserts on Clayton Street is a branch of the national dessert parlour chain. The menu is built around ice cream and gelato, served in sundaes or alongside waffles, crepes and cakes, with milkshakes, smoothies and cold drinks too. There is plenty of seating, which makes it a natural choice for groups of friends and families, and it opens from 11am until 11pm.

Clayton Street runs down from Eldon Square towards Central Station, so it is easy to drop into after shopping. If you want somewhere for a sweet finish after dinner, it pairs well with the ideas in our date night guide.

Best for: Over-the-top sundaes and waffles, open late every day.

Tips for ice cream in the city centre

• Winter opening. The city-centre parlours trade year-round, but hours can shift outside summer, so check before travelling specifically, particularly for the riverside spot in the Ouseburn.
• Getting there. Mark Toney's Percy Street branch is opposite Haymarket Metro; Amorino, Kaspa's and the Grainger Street Mark Toney are all within a few minutes of Monument and Central Station.
• Dietary needs. Di Meo's passion fruit sorbetto is made without milk. Ask at the counter if you need to avoid nuts, as pistachio and other nut flavours share the counter with everything else.

Quick comparison

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