Humphry Slocombe Berkeley — Restaurant in Berkeley

A poor replacement for Ici – overhyped (2/5 green stars) Even on a sunny Friday evening there wasn’t a large line outside the new HS store – a stark contrast to last year, when Ici sold ice cream in the same space. We tried a few ice cream flavors and bought three. The overall verdict was that they were too sweet and not as innovative as the press would have you believe. Ici’s flavors were more authentic and well-balanced, in my opinion. And although flavors can change, perhaps the deeper problem is that the base ice cream itself is just OK – not memorable in terms of flavor or creaminess. The good news is that their vegan ice cream was a success in terms of texture / creaminess (although the particular flavor was a bit too sweet).

I’m also giving Humphry Slocombe 2/5 “green stars” for social and environmental impact, based on these reasons:

• They had two vegan ice creams / sorbets on offer. • They have metal tasting spoons (instead of disposable plastic). • They provide virtually no information anywhere on ingredients. • Do they use organic milk? Pasture-raised eggs? No idea, since they don’t disclose. These are the main ingredients, and especially at $4.50 per scoop you’d expect some transparency. (All of Ici’s dairy was organic.) • They have used foie gras for one of their ice creams in the past. • In response to criticism on this, one of the founders went into the Rainbow Grocery and planted meat products on...

Humphry Slocombe on College Avenue is one of Berkeley’s best ice cream spots—friendly vibe, consistently delicious, and reliably creative. If you’re a chocolate fan, the hot fudge parfait and fudge brownie delight are both standout choices. The fudge is rich without being overly sweet, and the brownie is dense and satisfying.

The floats are fantastic, too. Blue Bottle cold brew float is perfect if you like a caffeine kick; it’s creamy, refreshing, and nicely balanced. The bourbon coke float adds a little boozy fun—great for an afternoon treat when you’re feeling laid-back. Even the Fanta float hits a nostalgic sweet spot, bright and cheerful.

Don’t miss the boozy affogato either. Espresso and a splash of booze turn it into something special—for when the right mood hits.

Humphry Slocombe is exactly what you’d expect in Berkeley—casual, friendly, with top-notch ice cream and creative combinations. Always worth...

Ice cream is very sweet and creamy. Folks are definitely in for a treat. The customer service is outstanding. The woman who helped me was patient when it came to ordering over the phone and when I went to pick up the cake and deciding what pints of ice cream I wanted to bring home.

Ordered an ice cream cream cake for my sister's birthday and to be honest was a bit disappointed that the cake was pretty dense and dry for my family's liking.

Next time, I'll just stick with the ice cream and leave the cake to others. Will come back to see what other concoctions they will create. I was lucky that when I went in the pints were buy two...