We stopped by after dinner to grab some ice cream. We weren't sure of which flavours to try so we opted to share a flight, servers choice of eight scoops of ice cream. We were lucky enough to get a table while we scoffed it all down. The sticky rice one is very unique and has a nice salty coconut flavour. The toasted marshmallow one was also quite nice. We were there quite late but weren't rush out even though they were cleaning. a really nice place to stop by for some sweet and tasty dessert.
Everything about this ice cream parlor is amazing. From the huge range of non typical and interesting flavours, to the interior design, to the service. They are keen to let you try several flavours before you pick one, and staff give you their full attention while you order.
Today I got their bourbon/brown butter/pecan, and their matcha/strawberry milk crumb. Very wholesome flavours, not too sweet, refreshing and leaving you wanting more. I also added frosted peanuts as a topping for 50c. There was much more than I anticipated and it added a crunchy texture and yet another layer of flavour. The waffle cone was super crunchy and fresh.
Rating 4.5. The queue was all the way out the door & around the corner, but everyone were happy to wait for this ice cream. It definitely lived up to all the hype. The ice cream itself was creamy & smooth, yet not heavy. The Smokey Apple pie, genuinely tasted like an apple pie, other attempts I had elsewhere also has an artificial sweetness feel, this is the best by far. The white choc, hazelnut with tonka bean was a great combo & interesting texture with the crushed tonka beans. Loved it.
Best icecream ever! This place really changed things up for us in Hamilton! I love walking in and smelling the fresh icecream! Blueberry cheescake is a must!
100% one of the best ice cream parlours in New Zealand! Their flavours often change based on the season and fresh produce. There are many different DF options, which aren’t just gelato like most places do. Can’t recommend visiting here enough!
Food -4.5/5
Service - 4/5
Ambiance/location - 3.5/5
Haven for those who have a sweet tooth. Best thing is the variety of flavour, where can you find rhubarb and peppercorn as a dessert. Another great thing, it is ever changing.Every time I go there is always a new flavour to try.Prices are not bad for the amount you get.Good for either summer and winter. The city central branch is located in a small alleyway near other restaurants. Only disadvantage is the parking availability
Been here several times. Recommended by a trusted friend and indeed i was not disappointed. Creamy and flavorful. My always go-to-shop whenever im craving for ice cream!
Duck Island has the most unique ice cream flavours - blackberry, sage and honey at the top, salted caramel and cacao in the middle and my favourite toasted marshmallow at the bottom (which actually had the texture of melted marshmallow). Definitely worth stopping for if you’re passing through Hamilton, although the staff don’t seem too welcoming especially when you want to sample a couple of flavours before taking your pick.
I start to get the shakes when I haven’t been there for a week. Although a little more expensive than your run of the mill tip-top rolled ice cream, flavour and quality wise it is second to none. I have had a ice cream cake for my birthday for the last 4 years, and it is the highlight of the calendar. I recommend the passion fruit buttermilk, or the mint chocolate chip.
Very interesting and fantastic flavors such as the white chocolate pomegranate macadamia and coconut caramel sesame chocolate peanut! Would recommend to play ice cream lovers, must pay duck island a visit for sure!
What a great find and another place to look forward when going to the Tron! The chocolate and cookies & cream ice cream and the Peanut Butter sundae are delicious and true to its taste. They are generous with the serving and toppings. The service was fast and the staff was lovely. Seriously a must visit in Hamilton.
THIS PLACE IS SO DAMN GOOD!!! honestly I’m willing to drive here from Auckland just for this damn ice cream! I had peppermint candy cane bark which had chocolate chip things in it with the fresh mint one and OMG both were INCREDIBLE 10/10 I am a big fan
This is my friend’s favourite ice cream place and I was not disappointed. So great that they allow testers & they are on a actual spoon - sustainable! I ended up getting the white chocolate miso which is perfect If you are into the sweet & salty vibe. Also was impressed that we went back the next day and many of the flavours had changed so I guess you never know what you will get! Keen to go back and try more flavours!
The queue is so long but definitely worth it. My second time in here, but still love it. Flavours are very unique and too good. I have chocolate milkshake and blubeery cheesecake in big waffle cone. So yum!
5/5 Taste
4/5 Display
4.5/5 Quantity
5/5 Customer Service
Best Ice Cream Hamilton, maybe North Island
This shop has all the funky unique flavours you could never see in any other shops.
These flavours uses unique ingredients such as orange blossom, smoked apple, ginger bread, honeycomb smoked almond, rose petal jam and even miso.
Roasted pear, miso caramel and ginger bread wow!
They even had vegan options as well!
I sooo want to try all of their flavours, and even try outsource their ice cream to my cafe!
Love the unique flavours and great initiative to constantly have delicious vegan options. A definite stop if you are passing through Hamilton.
One of the best ice creams I’ve ever had.
Being dairy-free, it’s hard to find ice cream that isn’t just coconut, or tastes icy or like soy milk. Duck Island have really outdone themselves on their vegan ice creams, as well as regular, with outrageous flavours and flare.
We chose the flight bowl between three of us (it was a stretch) which was $12 - good price and that way we could try them all:
Salted caramel crumb : quite salty 4/5
Lemon poppyseed cheesecake : 5/5
Salted sesame w peanuts (V): 5/5 my fav!
Coconut cherry (V) : 3/5 too icy for me
Coconut chocolate (V) : 5/5 so creamy and rich
Custard square : 3.5 bit disappointing pastry was strange texture
Boysenberry cheesecake : 5/5 another winner
White chocolate pomegranate : 3/5
The salted sesame is my all time favourite vegan ice cream, and the boysenberry cheesecake would’ve won normal pic.
can’t wait to see what flavour they think of next! Please open in Auckland!!
On my first visit, i thought of going for an ordinary flavour + another out of the ordinary. So I Had Rosemary and Dark Chocolate. Andddd it turned out the Rosemary was put of this world ! I absolutely loved it... but... on the other hand, the dark chocolate was also one of the worst dark chocolate ice cream I have tasted... on one cone I’m experiencing the best and also the worst ice cream I have tasted 😂 I would defo go for other flavours, just not the dark chocolate for me.. please drop in for a try.. It may suit your tastebuds. Just not mine 🤣
The best ice cream I’ve ever had hands down. I got the cherry buttermilk topped with sherbet and it was amazing. Even my partner who hates anything cold (especially ice cream) was scraping the bowl of his 3 scoop (salted caramel, chocolate cherry and jam on toast) and saying we need to go back for more. Line moved fast only had to wait about 5 minutes. The biggest trouble was picking flavors.
What a wonderfully unique ice cream shop!
The flavours are just out of this world and absolutely delicious!
The shop is very generous in terms on toppings and scoops.
For the sauce, the server kindly swirled the ice cream cup first, scooped the ice cream in, and then topped it with MORE SAUCE!
For a 'single' scoop you get to choose 1 to 2 flavours. Texture of the ice cream is very smooth, and doesn't melt very fast.
This place is definitely worth the visit, hot or cold, rain or shine.
This place is the gem of Hamilton! New flavours each time, will keep things interesting! Unique flavours that you can't get elsewhere! They also have a buy 5 get one free card on the table, so don't forget (I didn't know about it till my 5th ice cream...) must come here if you ever pass by! Great price also!
Got the black sticky rice ice cream! So yum! The taste of every ice cream they have exactly the same with the names. Got the yoghurt, coconut, and lime at the previous visits, all taste good
This is a regular treat for the family on a Sunday. It is a fantastic Hamilton East treasure that has carved a niche with exotic and unusual ice cream flavour combinations. I mean who would think Miso would work as an ice cream flavour!!! Friendly team, happy to let the 4 monsters try a few flavours as well. Nice, yum, do it.
OMG Duck Island is so BOMB, The decor is cute, Their Ice Cream is delicious my fave is the Cacao Crumb. The only downfall is the huge line which is usually the case in the weekends but definitely worth braving for a couple of scoops of the BEST Ice Cream in town. Would recommend to anyone visiting town or has yet to give Duck Island a go.
Had strawberry coconut flavour, quite sweet and I think it's just alright. Normally the fruit flavour is supposed to be refreshing and light. Meh oh well, I think they can do better than that
Perfect icecreams, Widest range of flavours with low price... an ultimate experience... love going to this place which never disappoints... a must visit!!!
I want to start off by saying the ice cream is to absolute die for. Personally worth every cent considering the quality of the ice cream compared to a regular old tub. I've been to duck island a few times now and each time it gets better! The staff are so lovely and always cheerful. Fingers crossed I get to try every single flavour! Top notch, a wonderful asset to Hamilton east. :)
A Tale Of Two Tummies
+4.5
Food ordered:
Double (Peppermint Slice, Salted Caramel w/ Cacao Crumb)
Single (Coconut Chocolate, Peppermint Slice)
Bill: $11.50
Big tummy: I have been wanting to try this place for aaaages (my friends in Hamilton rave about it). I'm used to Giapo, Movenpick and B&J's in Auckland, so I went into here expecting similar fare and I certainly wasn't disappointed. If anything, if Duck Island opened in Aucks, I'd probably prefer them over B&Js or Movenpick. Their ice cream is absolutely heavenly - deliciously rich and true to their flavours. If you choose a multi-faceted flavour, you can actually distinguish each element within the ice cream. An easy 5 star for the actual ice cream.
But - the service... oh dear God... is it sloooooow. Like I'm used to waiting in long lines at Giapo, B&Js etc, but this was something else. I guess with such "out there" flavours you can expect customers to take their time selecting their choices, but surely the store can implement a strategy to get around it. Like maybe have more staff serving (like some other stores do) or something. We went on a Saturday afternoon, which you'd expect to be one of their peak times, and there were only 2-3 poor girls trying to tend to everyone. Throw in the fact that they appeared as if they'd rather be anywhere else (and considering how busy they were, who can blame them), the whole process was painstakingly long.
I'm definitely going to be making a bee-line for DI next time I'm in Hammyhole, but I'll certainly be trying to go when they're a bit less busy.
Little tummy: I wasn't as sold on Duck Island as my boyfriend was. Yes - the ice cream was very, very flavoursome... but for me, it was a little bit too rich. After eating one of my scoops, I was already starting to feel sickly. I'd definitely be to return, but I'll definitely be ordering one scoop/flavour. One feature of DI that I did like though was that they offer you the option of two flavours even when you only order a "single" scoop, so you get to try a couple of their flavours (which is a huge bonus, when you consider how many flavours they have). The ice cream at DI was certainly good - but I still consider myself a B&Js or Movenpick girl.
Whispers of the new ice cream place with unique flavours were heard as soon as I returned to Hamilton this time. Warm, sunny weather and good friends combined to create the perfect opportunity and we weren't disappointed.
On two separate visits we experimented with over half a dozen unique flavours. The option to make milkshakes from the flavours was an added bonus. A much needed novel addition to the otherwise rather stale Grey street food scene.
Love the Ice cream.. orange blossom and salted caramel are my fave. . Lovely Lil spot with its own delightful character. Nice having Steel park next door to sit and enjoy you cone or tub. Nice selection. However it seems to be a little let down by staff while I appreciate they are often flat out the customer in front of should be your focus. I asked for 1 taste which was met with seeming annoyance.. fix this and you've got a great business here☺
UPDATE yeah staff seem to improved no end.. well done guys.. I've updated you score.. love the vegan options
Great wierd and unique icecream! The staff are always so friendly and are happy to give you suggestions of great flavours they have. I love the ambience of this old school themed icecream parlour!
This is a great addition to the hamilton east eatery scene. Experimental flavour combos and some traditional favourites to tantalise the palates. However just like some other hipster flare establishments in the area the service staff are not as service or customer orientated than they really could to make this a standout place.
Tried this place the other week and the staff were really friendly and offered 2 free tasters. I got a chai flavored ice cream which was soo tasty. However, about half way through my ice cream, I noticed that the fat in the ice cream was lining my mouth. Kind of like when you eat a cold pie. That was very unpleasant but I would be keen to go back and try some other flavors for sure. Maybe next time I'll just get the smallest serving.
Best ice cream around! Easy to order and friendly staff. Boysenberry cheesecake and strawberry coconut lime leaf flavours were delicious. But the miso white chocolate was next level, even got a tub to take home along with a peppermint sandwich. Will be hard to resist when I’m back in the area!
The staff are super friendly and knowledgeable about the products and flavours they sell. The ice cream is amazing. The best. And the various different flavours makes it hard to choose from. Worth it.
Very nice ice cream. I like the kiwi strawberry sorbet and ambrosia the best! Recommend the double with two flavours (cone). Its very big and value for money. The strawberry coconut limeleaf flavour tastes like green curry with lemongrass tho.
We loved the vibe and the flavours. Only thing I would suggest is having little flags on a toothpick to stick into each flavour. We had the FLIGHT which is 8 flavours in 1 bowl and you actually forget which is which and end up just eating a whole lot of crazy flavours blended together lol. The white choc miso was yummy, the fairy bread and the cookie dough. The only one I didn't like was the salted caramel, it was wayyy too salty.
Best Ice cream you can taste. I had the coffee chocolate rubble. It was delicious. My taste buds craves for more. They have different options and pricing is affordable. Definitely will visit again
So worth it to stop by when in Hamilton🍦
I tried salted caramel & grannies afternoon tea and came next day to try French breakfast and pecan butterscotch, loved all of them 💖
Duck Island is one of the best ice cream shops around. Super duper family friendly!! Gluten Free, Dairy is excellent here.
The best ice cream I've ever had!!
I think it's probably the best in the world
All the staff are really nice.
My best one is “fairy bread, apple pie&custard”
If you don't go here, it's your loss.
That's how delicious it is!
This is the best ice-cream I’ve ever had. I had 2 vegan flavours: strawberry coconut lime and peanut butter cookie dough. It’s absolutely amazing! The peanut butter cookie dough is sweet but not too sweet and the strawberry coconut lime is fresh and light which is great to finish it off. I highly recommend Duck island Ice Cream.
Delicious selection of icecream, some unique flavours that rotate. Lovely staff and ambience!
Delicious. Good store really friendly team. Just a small warning that this place is really busy and the line can sometimes be out the door, so take that into consideration. The ice cream is definitely worth it. The 1 scoop is two scoops and quite filling. I'll be getting tiddlers next time, because although the 1 scoop was so forth it, it was a lot of ice cream for us (good problem to have)
I was surprised by the portion size being so filling. The flavors are insanely good. The coffee chocolate rubble is definitely my favorite. Highly recommended
Great assortment of ice cream. Made locally so the quality is good! Do give it a try!
Best ice cream that I’ve ever had! It was so fresh and clearly well made. The prices were amazing and the staff were friendly and helpful. Truly sad I’m not a local and can’t come back here every night!
Great selection of traditional and eclectic flavors in a cute setting! The macadamia nut pomegranate ice cream was amazing, as was the cookie dough ice cream. They are generous with samples.
We stopped by after dinner to grab some ice cream. We weren't sure of which flavours to try so we opted to share a flight, servers choice of eight scoops of ice cream. We were lucky enough to get a table while we scoffed it all down. The sticky rice one is very unique and has a nice salty coconut flavour. The toasted marshmallow one was also quite nice. We were there quite late but weren't rush out even though they were cleaning. a really nice place to stop by for some sweet and tasty dessert.
Consistent high service and quality, the minute we mentioned one of us Celiac then special staff member dealt with, new pack open,fresh scoop, fantastic just awesome.So many different flavours just hard to choose...Friendly young team this is a treat for us every couple months... well done and thank you guys..
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