We're starting with something slightly left of field - Zizo's, a pink and white ice cream palace on Deansgate. Sure, you can get regular dollops of the stuff, but why not try an ice cream roll or (diabetes pending) an entire cake? They whip up overloaded fruit, chocolate and Biscoff showstoppers every day. If you prefer pots, Zizo's get creative with their accompaniments too, such as swapping a flake for half an Aero bar. Anyone living in AXIS, our luxury 28-story apartments by Deansgate tram station, can reach it in five minutes before rolling back home.
Be careful visiting their website; you’ll be thinking of these award-winning ice creams for the rest of the week. But Ginger’s earns such commitment. The business grew out of a refurbished ice cream van in 2010, with chef and food stylist Claire Kelsey behind the wheel. Boasting flavours like lemon and treacle tart, raspberry meringue, cornflakes and even marmite, she’s raised the standards for genius on a cone. Vegan options round off a menu unlike any other in the North West.
Stay with us for this one – it’s a mark of Manchester’s belly for East Asian cuisine. Tsujiri make matcha ice cream, which is to say, ground tea leaves that’re high in antioxidants, caffeine and chlorophyll. It tastes good: refreshing and slightly sweet, sugar-free. Not keen on matcha? Go for their hojicha recipe – similar but leaving a smoky touch on your tongue. You’ll find this unique ‘dessert tea house’ in Chinatown, right around the corner from our Manhattan apartments.
Okay, a swerve back to decadence… And few do it better than Black Milk in the Northern Quarter. This isn’t just food – it’s art, albeit the kind that wouldn’t last five seconds in a frame. From Kinderella sundaes and marshmallow s’mores to Oreo cheesecakes dunked in a milkshake, you might go cross-eyed with pleasure. Their ice creams are winners too. Dip into Biscoff and salted caramel or brownie and white chocolate in a glass.
Like Black Milk, this dessert parlour devotes itself entirely to Frankenstein food: think slices of cake on a bubble-gum shake, banoffee crepes and Terry’s Chocolate Orange waffles. Yet the clue’s in the name – Ice Stone excel at cools scoops of pistachio, sticky toffee, creamy hazelnut and Ferrero Rocher. You can craft your own small plate with two of anything! Might as well come up with the toppings/sauce/ice cream combo now before racing to Oxford Road.
How’s that for sweet teeth? We all need a brain freeze sometimes, and these venues do the trick. When you live in the centre of Manchester, great scran’s never far away. That’s just one more element to city life we can’t get enough of: a dozen cherries on top of a home you’ll love. Call or message us for the next move.