Best Ice Cream Shops in Nantucket
Few Nantucket rituals are as reliable as an ice cream stop at the right point in the day. After the beach, between errands in town, or on the drive back from the farther edges of the island, a good scoop tends to find its moment. If you are looking for the best ice cream shops in Nantucket, these are four worth knowing during your stay with Island Hotel Collection.
The Juice Bar
For many visitors, The Juice Bar is the Nantucket ice cream stop. Known for homemade ice cream and fresh waffle cones, it has become an island staple and remains one of the most recognized names in Nantucket ice cream. The line is part of the experience, but so is the payoff. This is the place for classic flavors, generous scoops, and a downtown location that makes it easy to work into the day.
Island Kitchen
Island Kitchen offers a different take: small-batch, house-made ice cream with a richer, more artisanal feel. Its official site highlights high-quality dairy, small-batch production, and a rotating mix of classic and creative flavors, and recent local coverage singled it out for its balance of quality, variety, and consistency. For guests who like their ice cream a little less expected and a little more considered, it is an easy addition to the list.
Millie’s Market
If your day takes you west, Millie’s Market in Madaket is well worth the stop. Millie’s official site notes that the market serves ice cream seasonally, and its Madaket setting makes it feel especially tied to that part of the island. This is less about standing in a downtown line and more about folding an ice cream stop into a longer island outing.
Sconset Market
On the eastern side of the island, Sconset Market adds another distinct chapter to Nantucket’s ice cream landscape. The market describes itself as a summer destination for ice cream, coffee, and bakery treats, with old-fashioned soda fountain ice cream and a village setting that makes after-dinner cones part of the ritual. If you are spending time in ’Sconset, it is one of the easiest places to turn a quiet walk into a summer memory.
Where to get ice cream on Nantucket
If the question is simply where to get ice cream on Nantucket, the answer depends on where the day takes you. Downtown, The Juice Bar remains the island’s best-known classic. For small-batch ice cream with a more artisanal angle, Island Kitchen is a strong choice. In Madaket, Millie’s Market is the stop to know, and in ’Sconset, Sconset Market carries the kind of easy summer appeal that keeps people coming back.
The sweet side of staying downtown
One of the advantages of staying downtown is that at least some of the island’s best-known ice cream is already within easy reach. The rest gives you a good excuse to see more of Nantucket, from Madaket sunsets to ’Sconset afternoons. Either way, the island has no shortage of places to stop for something cold, familiar, and worth the detour.