Chin Chin Ice Cream — Restaurant in London

I seek out the best ice creams in every city I visit, so when I saw Chin Chin Labs on nearly every Best Of list, I knew I had to stop in. Honestly, this wasn’t a standout ice cream to me! The flavor was on par with any common artisanal ice cream shop, but I found the texture lacking - it wasn’t airy or chewy, and it lacked the bold creaminess to make up for the lack of interesting texture.

This has been my experience of most liquid nitrogen ice cream, so perhaps it just isn’t for me. The difference between this and other liquid nitrogen shops I’ve been to is that the process of making the ice cream is much more visible elsewhere - and that’s where the fun of this type of ice cream is! Chin Chin Labs was rather busy and cramped in the very fun Camden Markets, and the magic happened far beyond the counter, which made it difficult to see the process of the ice cream being made.

The truffle chocolate topping was very light in flavor and only slightly noticeable, which was pleasant in a way, but it also had very little impact on the dish other than a nice visual addition.

The grilled white chocolate was by far the star of the show. Rich with a slightly smokey flavor, the perfect balance of crunchy and chewy when paired with the ice cream. The chunks were a bit big for a single bite, so I broke mine up a bit. In any case, I wouldn’t miss this fun and unique topping if you stop by!

For reference, I ordered the Valrhona chocolate sundae with grilled white chocolate and truffle...

At Chin Chin Labs, ice cream is as much an art than a scientific success, the perfect equation adding taste and liquid nitrogen. This is the first address in Europe to present them in such an innovative way. And those are done on the spot, right in front of you, within a minute, a frosted fog unrolling around the machine. Look around, the decoration is inspired by chemistry labs, popping candy in test tubes, sweet equations on the white board, sugar and home made sauces in bechers. The choice is simple but so tempting. Exquisite vanilla or decadent chocolate for classics and always a couple highly creative choices. Mine was a frozen mint julep – fresh mint, cucumber, elderflower and whiskey. This comes with a topping or a sauce (homemade) of your choice (try the caramelised peanuts with a touch of green tea – I would make a detour just for this). You are told, when handed your treat, that this has the texture of snow. For a minute, you will probably struggle, trying to remember the last time you tasted a flake, not quite succeeding. It becomes clear at the first spoonful. An ice-cream, you see, tends to melt as soon as it touches the warmth of your mouth leaving you with the creaminess and sugar. But this has a much better, much more velvety consistency, giving you more time to make it roll on the tongue, enjoy the flavours fully. So much more elegant, so very refined. Even better enjoyed sitting along the canal, a few...

My girlfriend introduced me to Chin Chin, and we are now firm regulars there. I can't express how much I enjoy both the ice cream and the people who work there - the food is incredible (easily the best ice cream I've ever had, and ALWAYS interesting), and the people are always kind, friendly, and fun.

Each week (pretty much) there is a new guest flavour, with generally 2 guest flavours available at any time. These are always fun, interesting, innovative, and without exception (in my opinion) delicious, including even such flavours as Beetroot Sorbet with Dehydrated Goats Cheese Crumble.

Also available is excellent Monmouth coffee, very well brewed.

The prices are actually very reasonable for the quality (I think £3.95 for an amazing ice cream with a topping / sauce) and I have never been remotely disappointed with either service or excellence of the food.

It's always a joy to visit Chin Chin - the atmosphere there is electric, since everyone who goes there seems to be amazed and excited by what they do there.

All in all, I would heartily recommend visiting - though I warn you that you may well be...