Palais Provisions

You'll find yourself walking up Barnoon Hill towards the quieter end of town, where Palais Provisions sits unassumingly but absolutely dominates the ice cream conversation in St Ives. This isn't the soft-serve-and-sprinkles situation—they're serious about their gelato and sorbets, with flavours that rotate and genuinely surprise you. The little shop gets properly rammed in summer, which tells you everything you need to know about how locals feel about it. Staff actually know what they're talking about, and they'll happily let you taste before committing.