Nardini’s

Not as good as it used to be — gutted!
I used to spend almost every weekend staying with or visiting my grandparents in Largs, and my grampa always had a soft spot for a wee Nardini ice cream — or icedini’s as it used to be known as. I’ve grown up in love with their raspberry ripple ice cream, but when I had it the other week, I was disappointed. The vanilla isn’t as creamy as it used to taste and the raspberry sauce through it just isn’t the same.
Not sure I’ll be back!

When you’re in Largs, a visit to Nardini’s is a must-​do. You can sit in the fabulous Art Deco building (there’s also outdoor seating when the weather is suitable) to enjoy a meal or join the queue at the ice-​cream take away counter. To be honest, it’s a bit of a pain on especially busy days — the queue snakes out the door and you can’t see the flavours of ice-​cream because of the queue BUT the ice-​cream is fabulous and worth it! My favourite so far is the New York cheesecake ice-​cream, though you probably can’t go wrong no matter what you choose!

Flipping fantastic. Celebrated my birthday here. Had the Clyde Coast Extravaganza sundae. 12 scoops of glorious ice cream goodness. Excellent quality ice cream.
The restaurant is nice. Art decco style. Has a full menu and also a take away ice cream counter, which was packed because of the beautiful sunny weather.
The dining room is the place if you want more than a cone.
Friendly staff with high energy.
This place is the ideal beach eatery.
Will definitely be back

Fantastic ice cream, local award winners too! So many delicious gourmet flavours. Well worth a trip out to this beautiful side of the country. Attached to a brilliant restaurant (Tony Macaroni) which serves absolutely delectable dinners and an excellent café that serves the best fish and chips in Largs.

Some days you just have to get a bit of fresh air and stroll along the shore with your sweetheart beside you.
Sunday was one of those days– the rain light but consistent, the wind strong & enough to make you hold onto your scarf, the temperature was cold but we didn’t care!
My childhood was filled with trips to this café– fish and chips followed by a cone if we were lucky! My boyfriend and I chose the regular haddock and chips with a side of mushy peas (can’t do it without those). I had a cup of tea to heat me up. The fish was salty, fresh with a crisp batter that tasted absolutely fantastic. The school dinner chips were coated in vinegar and tomato sauce and next to them was some delicious home made coleslaw and a light salad. I am not ashamed to say that i wolfed the full meal down! We finished our meal then decided to have a cone– calorie free eh? ;) I had the coconut flavour which was delightful!
Get yourself to Largs for some proper fish and chips but make sure to leave room for a cone!

In addition to the ice cream, Nardini’s also has a café AND a more upscale Italian restaurant. We opted for lunch in the restaurant part, as it had the most veg options, and we all enjoyed our meals.
Their menu highlights include pizza, pasta, and a kind of italian twist on tapas/​small dishes. I just ordered two tapas as a very light meal so I would have room for ice cream afterwards! Cheesy baked egg plant and patatas bravas. I am picky about eggplant so I never know what’s going to happen with that, but it was absolutely delicious, and the chilli potatoes were good too. We also were happy with the prompt and attentive service.
The ice cream was pretty awesome, too. I had two scoops in a cup: rhubarb crumble and irish cream (they may as well call it bailey’s) but it was tough to decide because there were so many interesting, unique flavors. Tasty!

Sunshine on Fair Monday is far from traditional so when it became apparent that the weather had forgotten the usual Fair Monday deluge we decided to go retro and daytrip to Largs and Millport. After working up an appetite cycling round Cumbrae high tea was required to finish the day properly and when in Largs — Nardinis!
They occupy a fabulous Art Deco style building looking out over the sea to Cumbrae and Arran. The interior lives up to the promise of the exterior. You would not feel out of place dressed as Daisy and Jay channelling your inner Gatsby in here. Well on second thoughts given that most of the other patrons had spent the day on the beach and were covered in a sticky coating of suncream you might feel slightly conspicuous in a flapper dress, dripping in pearls. But I could totally style it out.
We waited a few minutes to be seated but the lady showing us to our table apologised and was pleasant and smiley.
I didn’t spend long checking out the menu. We were there for fish and chips. I have no idea what else they have on offer, sorry poor Unilocaling form.
Unfortunately, the wait staff didn’t notice the universal sign of being ready to order, closed menus and increasing less subtle glances. We ended up sitting for 15 minutes before our order was taken. It’s a large bustling place so we weren’t bothered by the wait but it seemed excessive given they were nowhere near full.
OUr drinks arrived promptly but the wait continued for our food. To the extent that we were beginning to wonder if they were off trying to catch three haddock in the Firth of Clyde. Fortunately, the food was worth waiting for. Proper fish and chips with tartar sauce. More words aren’t going to add anything here.
We didn’t order deserts to sit it. Deciding instead to get back into the sunshine and sample the attached ice cream parlour. Although with an indecisive 8 year old this nearly ended in tears, and yes I mean literally not figuratively. With loads of different flavours spread between three huge chillers smudge went slightly catatonic and took ages to decide, causing a small queue and provoking a less than indulgent dirty look from the server. I would have thought you might have to get used to small people being unable to reach a decision when you offer over 30 flavours of ice cream.
All in all our meal was delicious and the setting a definite hit. But I was left feeling slightly let down by slow and lacklustre service and pondering whether Nardini’s can afford to be complacent about the little things. They are a Largs institution.

Probably a bit of a controversial scoring on this one, but thats what Unilocal’s all about!
Being a bit of an icecream/​frozen yogurt lover, a visit to the seaside wouldn’t be complete without some of the sweet stuff, and the iconic Nardinis seemed like a good shout.
We had a look at the menu to sit in the restaurant area, but it was pretty busy waiting to get seated, so we opted just to grab some icecream to go from the takeaway counter.
The queue was pretty big but we joined it anyway. I’m always more of a tub over cone type of person (wafers can be tasteless and tubs a lot less messy!)
There’s a pretty good selection of icecream to choose from — apparently 32 flavours including daim bar, scottish tablet and snickers. The thing that was really annoying though was the fact you couldn’t see what was on offer until you were right up at the cabinet (personally I like some time to choose) and with a child in tow who likes to choose it made it quite difficult.
I opted for a tub with raspberry sorbet and vanilla caramel swirl which came in at £2.50. My portion was adequate but watching some of the other scoops they certainly weren’t being particularly generous with the size of the scoops!
My icecream was okay — sweet with bits of fudge in it and fruity, but to be honest it wasn’t that special and I think I expected something a bit more exciting. I also quite like my icecream with some toppings — a bit of sauce and some fruit would have been nice, but then this just isn’t really the traditional style, so I can’t fault them for that really!
The main meals and desserts inside sounded nice, but some of the prices seemed a bit steep at around £7 for an icecream sundae!
Certainly somewhere I’d be willing to try again, but for me the icecream that the café is so renowned for didn’t particularly wow me!

Myself and Laura M came here after taking the bikes out for a wee run one Saturday morning. On a side note you can get a motorbike past the barriers at the car park beside Nardini’s, let’s face it who doesn’t love a spot of free parking.
Despite the fact we were kitted up in our leathers the waitress was nice enough not to give us any funny looks, or at least none we could see.
Haven’t been here since I was a kid and people I’d spoke to recently had said that it was overpriced. I would have to disagree, well at least on the breakfast front. Tea and a big breakfast was just over 6 quid each which I thought was pretty reasonable. The breakfast was really good, the usual suspects but the links were particularly tasty. Sadly we never got any ice-​cream as we had to shoot off but the menu looked impressive.
Only poor point was trying to get more milk for our tea. The place was busy but I actually had to stand up to get the waitresses attention as she kept scurrying bye and paying me no heed. As it was only for milk for my third cup of tea it didn’t really detract from my enjoyment.
If I’m down here again I’ll be sure to stop in for breakfast.

Got the mix breakfast with a latte more than enough for a small snack the décor and the service are both excellent.

If you go to one place in Largs, or for any other reason, you need to make it Nardini’s. I don’t think I’ve ever tasted anything as wonderful as Nardini’s ice cream. It’s literally perfect.
And another reason to go is the interior. It looks like something from Jay Gatsby’s New York and I imagine it will be a big hit in the coming months when Gatsby fever takes over.
I love Nardini’s so much. The ice cream is what I imagine clouds will taste like.

Nardini’s is a café and ice cream parlour that I associate with my childhood; my grandparents were both massively fond of the Nardini family and we went there for family meals and celebrations. When the parlour closed I was heartbroken. The seaside town of Largs was still lovely and special, but I so missed Nardini’s, and walking past the distinctive building I’d sigh and think fondly of its former self.
In 2008 I bought a new, more economical car and Nardini’s reopened. HUZZAH! Magical string of events! Since then life has been sweet. Last time I decided to go for a 2 scoop tub of ‘Bounty’ which is like the coconut chocolate bar and I had that with ‘Piña Colada’ like the cocktail.
I love their ice cream and the staff are quick and friendly. The only thing id say is that when we went a few months ago the google search told us opening times that weren’t accurate!

After a day out down in Culzean, the girlfriend and I headed up the coast to Largs just to grab some ice-​cream and we decided to get some food first.
Firstly, the food is not bad. Its what you would expect for the price. We had visited previously and the service was top notch. We were all attended to and felt as though if we needed anything, they just knew to come and ask us, without us making a sign or gesture that we needed another drink, or to look at the desserts.
Unfortunately, this time was different in that our waiter didn’t really want to be there, took our order and then disappeared completely. We got our food and it was piping hot, but then after finishing, we waited another 20minutes before anyone cleared our plates or asked if we wanted anything else. To be fair to the waitress who did clear our plates and bring us our desserts look to be struggling with the number of tables that she did have, she did a good job, but considering the restaurant had about 15 – 20 members of staff out front, you would have thought some of them could give her a hand.
Either way, its not bad. I love the ice-​cream and like Fiona mentioned earlier, its all owned by Equi’s, so the idea of me leaving Hamilton to come down here seems mad.
On a previous visit, we did meet the owner and I asked him about where it was all made and he assured me that all the ice-​cream is made there in Largs in their unit they have through the back and down a floor in the restaurant, so there’s an added element of mystery of «Has it came from Hamilton or Largs?». I suppose It doesn’t really matter as it all ends up in my belly.
NOM

Probably the most famous building in Largs! I was brought here to have ice cream decades ago when we lived nearby. However, I hadn’t been inside again until just over a week ago when we ate in the new restaurant. It was a Friday evening and so there was live music which was very enjoyable. We found the seating a bit cramped and the tables rather too close together. We’re not overweight, so it must be much worse for anyone carrying a lot of extra pounds. The service was slow but of course it was very busy being a Friday.
The food was lovely and good quality. Not the cheapest place to eat by any means but great for a special treat. Right opposite the main car park on the sea front.

Wonderful place. Great food & good old fashioned service. Great value too. All in a lovely location.
Just had a great meal. Lovely fish, real chips a pot of tea, bread & butter and real ice cream — for £8.00! Great service in a beautiful location. Check out all the amazing ice creams — then have a walk down the beach to lose a few calories!

Lets just say it now. Largs is Nardini-​ville. You cannot go anywhere along this West Scottish seaside town without seeing the Nardini name everywhere.
Big fish in a small pond next to a Big Ocean.
There is a resaon for this. They do really good ice creams and sorbets. The restaurant is reasonable, but the highlight is the icey treats.
The Irn Bru Sorbet is vegan and excellent. It was a nice surprise when the vegan is used to not being able to enjoy something from a Ice Cream place. She enjoyed it so much she got a a couple different flavours in cups. Like an Icey Tapas,
You can just visit the takeaway counter and see everything available.
This place is a must-​visit to complete the Largs experience,
At least it is much more enjoyable than the other must-​sees in other Scottish locations. No climbing to the top of a bloody mountain. Just a lovely ice-​cream cone, I know what I would prefer.

If only there were 6 stars to give! Nardini’s would be worthy of them all!
I grew up in Wemyss Bay, about 6 miles from Largs and my summer holidays were either spent in this little seaside town, or in Gourock, 6 miles in the other direction. We used to get the bus down to Largs and once every couple of weeks we would cycle down via the back roads to enjoy the view. Every single time we were here without fail we would pop into Nardini’s and I am so happy that it has moved back into the old building and given it the refurbishment that it deserves.
My parents too me here last summer before I went off to the states for 6 months, a kind of goodbye if you will! They both had a fish tea while I had the chicken Cesar — extra anchovies — which was beautiful. So light and hit the spot.
But there was no point in hiding it, we all were there for one thing and one thing only, the ice cream! My mum just opted for the smallest thing on the menu while my dad and I had an extremely Alpha male moment and both ordered near enough the biggest one we could see. I went for a toffee and butterscotch concoction that was amazing. It satisfied me to no end and on seeing it come to the table I was happy to admit that I was the new Alpha male! Not one drop of ice cream left, and I was done.
They also have an epic sized ice cream for 4 people that looks just crazy, but it is definitely on my to do list. Try heading down there with a group of your pals and enjoy the atmosphere (man playing the grand piano when we were there), the pleasant service and most of all the deserts. You won’t be disappointed!

I only came here for the ice cream so can’t comment on the restaurant, but it really is a lovely wee place. Queues are usually much shorter than the Nardini at The Moorings parlour and this place has the same assortment of 32 ice cream and sorbet flavours… I had the Dime Bar ice cream and it was to die for! Not too extortionate prices (about £1.70 for a large scoop on a cone) and service was quick and friendly.
A Largs institution! Don’t forget to try the Irn-​Bru sorbet… legendary!

Nardini’s has been on the map since 1890, and the West of Scotland has been all the better for its existence.
It is one of the biggest food and ice cream institutions of the country. I first heard of it when I was a tot and my mum and gran used to whisper about this place like it was the stuff of legend. It was a favourite stop off point of older generations and has mythical omnipresence on this side of the world.
Even though the days of the British seaside resort have goen into decline since the 70s, Nardini’s still has a magnetic pull, and on visiting it it’s easy to see why. They have returned it to its former art deco glory but even before its interior was revamped, it was still one of Scotland’s best restaurants and ice cream parlours by a mile. It is a step above any other chippy, and with its new swanky seating areas it is a culinery experience. Partitioned off into an ice cream and take away counter, a high tea seaction with wicker chairs and tailing off into what looks like a restaurant and wine bar in the rear, it fails to disappoint any palate.
As Lisa says, if you visit for nothing else than ice cream you will find yourself in a mess deciding what the hell to order, simply because there is so much choice! They go a step beyond the chocolate and vanilla options of this world and leave you choosing between Pralines and Cream, Dime Bar, Caramel and even Irn Bru flavoured delights! Today I almost went into orbit when I saw that Kinder Egg ice cream scoops were on the menu, and they had even dug some Kinder toys into the top of the display. Amazing.
Me and my boyfriend didn’t care it was sub zero and blowing a gale outside, the ice cream was the best lunch option we’ve ever made and at least the bad weather kept it cold! The parlour with its slab mixing options and simple scoops on a cone make choosing an icy snack and exciting experience. But should you choose to sit in, 2 courses and a cup of tea are 8 pounds at dinner time and the menu, staff and atmosphere are great.
You’ll find that Nardini’s is one of the few genuine 5 star establishments in Scotland and a place you must visit at least once!

It is a rite of passage for anyone living in the Glasgow area to take a trip up to Largs the first weekend after they have passed their driving test. I think this is because it is far enough away to feel like you are «going for a drive» but close enough to home so you won’t freak out! The drive is nice and easy and there is some lovely scenery too. While you are in Largs it is absolutely essential that you stop by Nardini’s.
Nardini’s is a Scottish legend! It is a café and Italian restaurant but it is best known as an ice-​cream parlor. Nardini’s has been around since 1890 and was recently restored to its original art deco splendor, but with a modern twist which has folk divided. I like the new, more modern Nardini’s. It was starting to look done in rather than quaint and now I think it looks like the landmark building it should be.
I have never eaten in the restaurant but I love the café. I always get fish and chips because it is proper, freshly made fish and chips with really yummy batter, mmmmm batter. And of course, you HAVE to get one of the Italian pastries. They look almost as good as they taste! The last time I ate in the café there was a man playing the piano which was slightly bizarre. Fish, chips and piano is an odd combination but not an altogether unpleasant one.
On to the ice cream… oh sweet baby Jesus, this stuff is good! It does things to me that no man ever has! It is award winning stuff and comes in so many fabulous flavors that I nearly have a mental break down every time I have to decide between them! There are the traditional flavors you would expect to see and some more bizarre concoctions, but it really is impossible to go wrong with any of them!
On a lovely sunny summers day (cast your mind back, we definitely do get them sometimes in Scotland) take a drive up to Largs, stroll along the esplanade and them pop into Nardini’s, magic.