ICE CREAM REVIEW: Surreal Creamery

My search for the best ice cream in New York continues ….

Should I be eating blue ice cream? That was the question going through my mind as I was walking down the street with a cup from Surreal Creamery.

I heard about this place from someone I met on my tour who was seeking out interesting ice cream. She was excited about it because they were one of the few businesses that combine soft serve with bubble tea.

it sounded intriguing enough and I found myself near their second location in Kips Bay (turns out they have a few others in NJ and PA). And since it was steamy out, I figured I’d try to cool down.

The Floateas (which combine ice cream and bubble tea) looked interesting. They reminded me of the soft serve/water ice combo from a place like Rita’s. But in reality, it all seemed a bit much for me. Also, I didn’t really want to spend close to $10 on a drink.

They also offer Instagram-ready concoctions in mason jars with lots of colorful ice cream and toppings ranging from cereal to cookies to marshmallows. Again, a bit much.

I ordered Monsters Cookies and Cream which was a very distinct shade of blue. I generally don’t like eating artificially colored food and I really hope this used some trendy ingredient like Butterfly Pea Flower or something. But there’s a good chance it might just be food coloring. Anything for the ‘gram, right?

This cup of ice cream cost me $7 and included my choice of toppings. To be honest, not many of the sugar laden packaged toppings called my name. I figured I’d stick with the theme and get some cookie pieces and a layer of tapioca pearls for some chewy texture.

And then I proceeded to dye my mouth blue both inside and out. Was it worth it? Not sure. It was tasty and refreshing. Definitely had the strong cookies and cream flavor which I always love. It reminded me a bit of Crystal Clear Pepsi (for those old enough to remember) where my mind is confused by the color and the flavor not matching in the traditional way.

The ice cream is not bad. It’s sweet and creamy and fun. But it seems to me Surreal Creamery, like many of the new hip ice cream joints, is focusing its efforts on the Instagram and Tik Tok community. Unless you’re under 16 years old, who else really needs to eat blue ice cream??

Is Surreal Creamery the best ice cream in NY? Its overpriced sundaes and bubble tea concoctions exist mostly to get a perfect photo op rather than to get a full value of good ice cream. That being said, it’s fun and tasty so I’ll award them a 7 out of 10.