Best Ice Cream and Gelato in Exeter and Devon 2026

Devon Does Ice Cream Differently

There are parts of the country where ice cream is an afterthought — a Mr Whippy from a van in a car park, eaten quickly before it melts onto your wrist. Devon is not one of those places. Here, ice cream is a serious business. The county has some of the richest dairy farmland in England, a coastline that practically demands a cone in hand, and a culture of small-batch, farm-to-scoop production that most regions can only dream of.

Exeter sits right at the heart of it. Whether you want thirty-odd flavours by the water on the Quay, handmade chocolate gelato on Gandy Street, or you're willing to drive half an hour to a farm parlour, the city and its surroundings deliver. And here's the thing we keep coming back to at Dinners With Friends: few things are better for effortless socialising than grabbing an ice cream and going for a walk. No booking required. No dress code. No pressure. Just good company and something sweet.

This is our guide to the best of it.

Where Can You Get Ice Cream in Exeter?

Three places cover almost every "ice cream near me" moment in and around Exeter: Chococo in the centre, Venezia on the Quay, and Cow and Cacao at Darts Farm on the Topsham side of the city. All three were checked as trading against the Food Standards Agency register for this update.

Is Venezia on Exeter Quay worth it?

If you've spent any time on Exeter Quay in warmer months, you'll have seen the queue outside Venezia. Sitting at 61 Waterside, right on the water's edge, it is an Italian restaurant and pizzeria with an ice cream counter that has become synonymous with summer in Exeter. Be clear about what it is, though: the ice cream is bought in rather than made on site. Their own site has described picking over thirty flavours from Marshfield and Carte D'Or, and catering for vegan and gluten-free customers, with a special dog-friendly ice cream for four-legged companions.

Our verdict: come for the location and the choice, not for artisan production — and on a hot afternoon that is more than enough. You grab your cone, walk along the canal path, sit on the quayside wall with your feet dangling, and watch the kayakers go past. Venezia says it opens seven days a week; check current hours on venezia-exeter.com before a late evening trip.

Where is the best gelato in Exeter city centre?

Chococo, at 22 Gandy Street, is our pick. It is technically a chocolate house, but their gelato deserves its own spotlight. Tucked into Exeter's most characterful independent shopping lane, Chococo makes handcrafted gelato alongside their award-winning fresh chocolates, brownies and hot chocolate. The gelato is rich and indulgent, and leans into their chocolate expertise. Flavours rotate, so check the counter rather than setting your heart on one. The reason it wins for us is simple: of the city-centre options, it is the one where the maker clearly cares about the product rather than the footfall.

If you're browsing the independent shops on Gandy Street — and you should be, it's one of the best stretches in Exeter — a Chococo stop is practically mandatory — and it pairs well with one of the best coffee shops in Exeter nearby.

Where can you watch gelato being made near Exeter?

Cow and Cacao at Darts Farm, Clyst St George, is the answer. Just outside Exeter near Topsham, Darts Farm is one of Devon's most celebrated food destinations, and their in-house chocolatier and gelateria, Cow and Cacao, is a genuine highlight. What makes it special is the transparency: you can watch local organic milk being slowly churned into artisan gelato in small batches, flavoured with seasonal ingredients; flavours include Darts Raw Honey.

The gelato here changes with the seasons, which means repeat visits bring something new. Our verdict: it is the best bet if you want a scoop with a purpose — a farm shop browse, a walk, or a lunch stop. Pair it with our foodie guide to Topsham and you have a full afternoon.

Which Devon Farm Ice Cream Parlours Are Worth the Drive?

Devon's real ice cream magic happens on the farms. Several make ice cream from their own or neighbouring farms' milk. These are places worth driving to — and they make for brilliant group outings.

Otter Valley Dairy — Monkton, near Honiton (EX14)

If you're going to visit one farm ice cream spot in Devon, make it Otter Valley. This family dairy farm in the Otter Valley and Blackdown Hills started out, in its own words, with "one small wooden hut selling ice cream in a field at the end of the farm lane", and has grown into a full farm parlour. Their handcrafted artisan ice creams are made using milk from their own cows, with seasonal specials alongside the classics.

But Otter Valley is more than just ice cream. The Field Kitchen, opened in October 2018, serves light lunches, sweet treats and sourdough pizzas from its own oven. Check current opening times before you set out. It's about a thirty-minute drive from Exeter, and it makes for a perfect weekend outing with friends.

Salcombe Dairy — South Devon Coast

Salcombe Dairy has been making ice cream on the South Devon coast since 1979, when Peter and Tricia Howard started with fresh milk from the local farm and recipes that championed slow food before the term existed. The dairy, now run by the Boscawen and Bly families, says Peter and Tricia Howard's original recipes are still as popular today.

What sets Salcombe Dairy apart is their commitment to allergen-friendly production. The entire factory is nut-free, gluten-free, and egg-free, and they produce a range of delicious dairy-free ice creams alongside the classics. They've also expanded into chocolate.

The FSA register lists Salcombe Dairy outlets at Hannafords Landing in Salcombe, two in Dartmouth (Raleigh Street and The Quay), a kiosk at Squares Quay in Kingsbridge and a site at Strete Gate, plus shops in Bath and Clifton. Each of the Devon locations is gorgeous in its own right. Grabbing a Salcombe Dairy cone on the Dartmouth waterfront and watching the boats is one of those quintessentially Devon experiences that never gets old. If you're planning a summer day trip from Exeter, these are the stops that make the drive worthwhile.

Langage Farm — near Plymouth

Langage Farm traces its story back to the Domesday Book, and today it makes clotted cream, ice cream, sorbets and yoghurts in its Devon creamery from Channel Island-type milk — naturally rich, golden, and high in cream.

The ice cream is ludicrously creamy. There's no other word for it. Alongside the ice cream, Langage produces famous clotted cream, dessert yoghurts and sorbets. You'll find their products in local cafes, farm shops and supermarkets, which is how most people will try it — treat Langage as a name to look for on a freezer label.

Devon's Ice Cream Culture: What Makes It Special

Devon is dairy country, and the best of its ice cream starts with milk from nearby farms rather than a tanker from across the country. Some producers go further: Langage Farm, for example, says it uses milk from its Jersey and Guernsey herd, Channel Island breeds known for richer, more golden milk — the same milk that suits clotted cream.

The farms that make ice cream here tend to be small, family-run operations where the cows graze the same fields they've grazed for generations. There's a genuine farm-to-cone ethos that you won't find in most commercial operations, and you can taste it. Whether it's Otter Valley using milk from their own herd, Langage Farm's Channel Island milk, or Salcombe Dairy's recipes from 1979 made with local farm milk, the connection between animal, land, and product is real and tangible.

It's also worth noting that Devon's ice cream producers tend to be remarkably good at catering for dietary needs. Salcombe Dairy's entirely nut-free, gluten-free, egg-free factory is a prime example, but you'll find dairy-free, vegan, and allergen-conscious options at almost every place on this list. Nobody gets left out, which matters when you're organising outings with a mixed group of friends. If you want more than a scoop, our guide to desserts and sweet treats in Exeter covers the cake and waffle end of things.

Why Is an Ice Cream Walk Such a Good Social Plan?

Here's something we've noticed through running Dinners With Friends events: some of the best social connections happen when the pressure is lowest. A restaurant booking can feel like a commitment. A night out requires energy. But suggesting "let's grab an ice cream and go for a walk" — that's about as low-barrier as socialising gets.

Exeter's Quay is perfect for this — see our Exeter Quay guide for the rest of what's down there. The canal path stretches for miles in either direction, the waterside is flat and accessible, and there's always something to look at. You don't need to sustain two hours of conversation across a table; you can walk, pause, point at a heron, chat, and let the silences happen naturally. It's exactly the kind of effortless social time that changes your social life without you even realising it.

For groups, a Devon ice cream farm trip works brilliantly too. Pile into a car, drive to Otter Valley or Salcombe Dairy, eat ice cream in a stunning setting, and drive home. It costs next to nothing, takes half a day, and creates the kind of shared memories that keep friendships alive on a budget.

Our Quick Picks

Best gelato in central Exeter: Chococo, Gandy Street — rich, indulgent, and made by people who understand chocolate better than almost anyone.

Best quayside experience: Venezia, Exeter Quay — an Italian restaurant with a big bought-in ice cream counter rather than a gelateria, but the location is unbeatable and the range of flavours caters to everyone, including vegans and dogs.

Best farm visit: Otter Valley Dairy, near Honiton — ice cream from its own herd, and a Field Kitchen that makes the trip about more than just dessert.

Best for a day trip: Salcombe Dairy — beautiful coastal shops across South Devon, with allergen-friendly options that mean nobody gets left out.

Best artisan gelato experience: Cow and Cacao at Darts Farm, near Topsham — watch it being made, sit outside with a scoop, and browse the farm shop while you're there.

Best supermarket find: Langage Farm — stocked in cafes, farm shops and supermarkets, which is the way to try it.

Is There Good Ice Cream Just Outside Exeter?

Yes — two more are worth the short drive.

Neither of these is in Exeter itself, but both are close enough to build an afternoon around.

The Orange Elephant Ice Cream Parlour at Taverners Farm, Lower Brenton, Kennford (EX6 7YL), sits just south of the city and was re-inspected by the FSA in July 2026. Check its Facebook page for seasonal opening before you drive out rather than assuming it is open.

The Local Scoop, at 7 Piermont Place, is in Dawlish, not Exeter — about thirty minutes down the coast, and worth knowing about if you are heading that way. It describes its gelato as award-winning and made fresh, and it also runs Thursday-evening deliveries across Exeter and Torbay — handy if "ice cream near me" means your own sofa. Check its site for current dietary options. It sits a couple of minutes from Dawlish's seafront, which makes it a natural stop on a seaside day trip.

For a wider summer itinerary, our best things to do in Devon this summer guide builds these stops into full days out.

The Bottom Line

Devon's ice cream scene is genuinely world-class. The combination of rich dairy farmland, passionate independent producers, and stunning locations to eat it in creates something that bigger cities simply cannot replicate. Whether you're an Exeter local looking for your next favourite scoop or visiting the area and wondering what to do on a sunny afternoon, this county has you covered.

And if you're looking for an excuse to spend more time with friends this summer without the faff of organising a big event, ice cream is the answer. A walk, a cone, and good company. Sometimes that's all you need.