Scoops of ice cream swirled with chocolate fudge and sprinkles, all topped by a cherry, can be a portal to childhood, a perfect treat at the end of the meal, or just a good way to end a long Wednesday. In Philadelphia, there are many excellent ice cream shops that serve traditional sundaes, but the city’s restaurant scene delivers exciting riffs that are so much more than a banana split.
These seven places will convince you Philly’s restaurants take their sundaes just as seriously as you do.
Percy
If you’re seeking childhood nostalgia, head to Front Street for the After School Sundae at Percy, Kensington’s playful all-day diner. A tall milkshake glass overflows with layers of peanut butter-and-strawberry swirl ice cream, strawberry preserves, creamy peanut butter, and a fat cloud of brûléed marshmallow fluff, which slips out onto the sides of the glass with each spoonful. The flavors transport me back to middle school lunches, when PB&J sandwiches were the best part of my day.
1700 N. Front St.; 215-975-0020; percyphl.com
My Loup
At Alex Kemp and Amanda Shulman’s Rittenhouse restaurant, you’ll find a seasonal delight on the dessert menu: a house-spun soft-serve sundae. Recently, there was a raspberry sorbet with a butterscotch-esque soft serve. But in April, the lemony vanilla and rhubarb sundae was the answer to all my spring swirl fantasies. No matter the season, you can always skip right to dessert and order the sundae at the bar. The ingredients change every month.
2005 Walnut St.; 267-239-5925; myloupphl.com
Tabachoy
There aren’t many places one can find a sundae in Philly that showcases the beauty of purple yams like Tabachoy. The ube sundae, which has been on the menu since 2022, is many diners’ favorite way to end the night at the Bella Vista restaurant. On a recent visit, my friend and I marveled at the pale purple hue of the creamy soft serve. Tasting its sweet, earthy flavor, paired with the crunch of puffed rice and gooey coconut-caramel drizzle, had us dancing in our seats. I recommend setting the spoon aside and scooping up bites with the crispy banana spring roll that’s served as a sidecar.
932 S. 10th St.; 215-315-8720; tabachoyphilly.com
Dancerobot
The black sesame brownie sundae at this Center City hot spot just might be the answer to all your late-night dessert desires. It’s chock full of rich components that somehow meld with a surprisingly delicate sweetness: fudgy black sesame chocolate brownie, velvety soft serve made with imported Hokkaido milk powder, hot fudge, salted caramel drizzle, toasted peanuts, candied black sesame seeds, and a dollop of black sesame whipped cream. For a fruity option, the restaurant has partnered with Oishii, a Japanese-branded strawberry farm, to offer a sundae with a warm and flaky butter biscuit, strawberry liqueur, sweet cream, and tons of fresh strawberries — available on the menu for early August.
1710 Sansom St.; 215-419-5202; dancerobotphl.com
High Street
A memorable meal ends on a sweet note — and at High Street, that’s a creamy seasonal sundae created by the restaurant’s pastry team. Recently, there was a goat’s milk and olive oil ice cream with plum-chamomile compote, fig leaf whipped cream, and cornmeal crumb on the menu. But in May, I shared spoonfuls of strawberry-rose geranium sherbet with a date. We fought over the tiny pieces of toasted angel food cake and jammy white pepper-laced strawberries layered inside the tiny coupe glass.
101 S. Ninth St.; 215-625-0988; highstreetonmarket.com
Bomb Bomb Bar
By the end of Bomb Bomb Bar’s hearty seafood feast, it’s likely you would leave South Philly satiated. But catching sight of a vanilla ice cream sundae making its way to the neighboring table, your stomach might get a mind of its own. The sundae arrives in a tall, frosted parfait glass with a rainbow-sprinkle and brown butter caramel rim, three hefty scoops of Bassetts vanilla bean topped with a fried banana, a large swirl of whipped cream, and a bright red cherry. Hidden within the scoops are drizzles of a syrup made of roasted walnuts simmered in simple syrup with orange zest. Be patient as Bomb Bomb’s friendly servers pour on the best part: silky smooth house-made chocolate sauce.
1026 Wolf St.; bombbombbar.com
Alpen Rose
Sure, Michael Schulson’s Center City steakhouse can serve up a rosy beef Wellington and fluffy clover rolls, but who says an ice cream sundae can’t be the star of the meal? Alpen Rose honors ice cream lovers with a massive goblet loaded with nine scoops of creamy vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry. The sundae is served on an ornate plate with plenty of colorful jelly beans and rainbow sprinkles to add on top of the bananas and whipped cream. The behemoth dessert is hard to finish, even for a party of two. But eating just half of it is worth the $22 price tag.
116 S. 13th St.; 215-600-0709; alpenrosephl.com
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