Since whipping up a media storm with breast milk ice cream, The Icecreamists welcome a new sister shop to the block. Around the corner and in the shelter of Covent Garden Market, the gimmicks might not have quite the same impact on confused tourists.

The Venue
Just a stone’s throw from the flagship shop, The Icecreamists is found very much in the thick of it in Covent Garden. Inside the market’s swarming food court, the ice cream café vies with dozens of restaurants for tourists’ attention. It manages to stand out from the crowd with a black store front accessible from both the indoors market and Henrietta Street outside. The notorious silver skull and cross-spoon logo hangs from a swinging sign, announcing the Icecreamists’ arrival.

The café is split into two separate venues; a small counter service operated on one side and a ‘cocktail bar’ with upstairs seating on the other. It's a slightly confusing segregation, with no access point between the two. Raised black stools and a wall-side bar run along the wall parallel to the ice cream counter, whilst in the bar, seating extends to upstairs and includes a black and silver chaise longue. Neon pink is splashed across the black walls creating a punk theme, and portraits of Her Majesty on the wall declare “God save the cream” in fuchsia graffiti.

The Atmosphere
This punk ideology is taken to fetishistic heights when you see the staff, kitted out in ill-advised hen party gear with PVC police caps positioned as the cherry on top. Pop-punk is blared out as loud as it gets, so expect service with a shout as they make their voices heard amidst a constant flow of curious tourists stopping by, many of whom just stick their heads in to see what all the commotion’s about.

The Food
The Icecreamists serve up two big scoops of ice cream in a black crispy cone (£3.99), and once you get past the gimmicky names, the ice cream is really rather nice. Priscilla cream of the dessert ice cream (the puns don’t come much better) is a blend of white chocolate, cocoa powder, cocoa butter, Horlicks and Bailey’s Irish cream, and is sickly sweet but incredibly enjoyable. Other top tips are the milk chocolate and roasted hazelnut ice cream ('nuts about chocland yard') and the chilli, ginger and lemongrass ice cream ('cold sweat'), both of which are delicious. However, publicity stunts are ever-present. Breast milk flavoured ‘Baby Gaga’ still holds a place on the menu, and customers are warned that ‘the sex bomb’ contains natural ‘stimulants’. Nevertheless, the ice cream served up is velvety smooth and irresistible.

The Drink
The Icreamists' so-called cocktails are actually alcoholic sundaes, which is unsurprising given the constant attempts at breaking the mould here. The puns keep coming thick and fast: a Molotoffee cocktail (£12.95) comprises crème de banane liquer, cloudy apple juice, toffee, meringue and dulce de leche ice cream, and is flamboyantly blow-torched at your table. Toast mortem (£8.95) is a toasted panetone with chocolate and hazelnut gelato on top, and is a very naughty snack indeed. Unfortunately, ‘Baby Gaga’ makes a further appearance in the raspberry nipple baby goo goo (£11.95) - certainly not something for the faint-hearted. Teas and coffees make things slightly more straight-laced and respectable, with a good selection of hot drinks ranging from £2.35-£2.65.

The Last Word
With its gimmicky punk theme and shock and awe tactics, you have to wonder if The Icecreamists would have been better off setting up shop in Soho. The Icecreamists’ innuendo is somewhat lost on Covent Garden’s tourist trade, but maybe that’s no bad thing. And thankfully, there’s no language barrier for ruddy good ice cream.

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