Review: Freggo Ice Cream Bar

Dean Nicholas
By Dean Nicholas Last edited 175 months ago
Review: Freggo Ice Cream Bar
Alfajor, ready to eat
Alfajor, ready to eat

The go-to heladeria for overheated Porteños all over Buenos Aires has opened a London branch, timed perfectly to catch our glorious summer weather. Freggo (they've had to abandon the Freddo brand name in Blighty due to copyright conflicts), just off Regent Street, offers a selection of South American-inspired ices alongside some warmer-blooded treats.

Nestled alongside big sister steakhouse Gaucho, Freggo suffers from the former's pricing problems, namely, they charge a fairly high premium for that stamp of Argentine excellence. In the case of Freggo, though, it's just about warranted. A cone or cup with 2 scoops of your choice will set you back £3.95, which is steep in comparison to your common-or-garden Cornetto, but the generous scoops, packed deep into cone, were mouth watering. Deep red icy Malbec and Berries sat on top and zinged agreeably on the tongue, melting into a creamy and robust vanilla. Handily served with a dinky spoon it was possible to savour the treat with getting it all round your chops.

It ice cream isn't to your liking, Freggo also sell alfajores, biscuits stuffed with an unseemly amount of dulce de leche, or the Argentine breakfast staple of medialunas. While these will sate the homesick, it's on their ice cream that Freggo will sink or swim, and they're off to a good start. Our visit came on a rainy, grey Saturday, yet the place was packed out, with the queue never dying down — a testament to both its popularity and the typically Latin serving speed. Now if they'd only copy the home delivery service offered by the branches in Buenos Aires...

Freggo, 27-29 Swallow Street, W1B 4QR

Last Updated 06 August 2009