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Guys this place is so adorbs!! This was one of my first saved dessert places in Chicago purely for the fact that I LOVE cute things. The cuter, the better!! Step aside clean modern aesthetics! I want my future house to have pastel furniture and pastel exteriors and cutesy tootsy everything. I had the mint chocolate stracciatella ice cream, and you have the option to make your scoop into an animal, ranging from koala, monkey, pig, and unicorn to capybara. I'm OBSESSED with capybaras, owing tribute to the song on tiktok "Capybaraaaaa! Capybara capybara capybara capybara. Capybaraaaaaa! Capybara capybara capybara." (You get it I'll stop now). The ice cream scoop was SO generous, and it was refreshing. The capybara design was so incredibly adorable, so aptly designed. We were one of the first customers at 1pm on a Saturday, so there was no wait time and the staff were very friendly! There is a bathroom in here, and they let you try flavors before buying!
I've said it before, and I'll say it again. The only thing I post on Instagram with any regularity is my cat. All those ice cream cones that look like various animals? Cute, no doubt, and same for the names of flavors. However, I eat for enjoyment of food, not likes on social media. After sampling the 'You Pecan Do It,' 'I got Ube,' and a "Miso Mon Cherie," The ube has mild ube flavors, and the Miso Mon Cherie was spectacularly chocolatey, seemingly having very dark chocolate. I opted for the pecan flavor, not because there was anything wrong with the others, simply that's where my mood was. I got the smallest size, with a cone on top, for 'ice cream hands' is only fun on TV. ' In a word, I found the ice cream underwhelming. The pecan pieces were too small to make a notable impact, and the ice cream itself lacked that creamy, luscious goodness that makes ice cream so great. Not that it was bad per se, but not very enjoyable. The same thing goes for the macaron. I asked to be surprised, and I think I was given a raspberry, but am unsure. What I can tell you is this once lacked the textures that makes macaron fantastic, without the necessary contrast of textures. In terms of value, I felt that ~$4 for the smaller size is reasonable. On that note, I want to point out that while their menu seems simple, it can bring some confusion. A single scoop can be done in the style of an animal without additional cost, but 'piggybacking' does cost extra? What is 'piggybacking' anyway? As I said, confusing. The vibe inside is clean and modern, however, I feel they have plenty of unused space that could be taken up by more tables (though, to be fair, it was not very busy that night). Final verdict: The product at Eli's Ark decidedly did not hit the spot. In a situation where I find myself preferring ice cream from the grocer's (store brand, to boot), a return visit is not in the cards.
Eli's ark is peak cuteness! This little gelato shop has lots of flavors to choose from. My favorites are "I got ube" and "mango tango". The ube flavor is probably my favorite ube desert in the city, they have to be using some high quality ube in their mix. The mango is also super fresh tasting. The service is always great with my gelato served up with a smile. The decor is simple yet inviting. A perfect spot for the family.
I love the cute animal gelato! You get to pick your size and then your animal. You have the option of a cup or cone and I like there are many different sizes to choose from. It's nice to have the option of a small size that actually is a small portion! Sometimes ice cream spots serve massive portions and I don't want that commitment if I'm already full from dinner. The price for the small portion was also really reasonable. They also let you sample their flavors and they have lots of unique options. The ones I tried were fruity and more subtle in flavor which was nice, so not too sweet. I ended up getting their mint chocolate ice cream in the form of a cute capybara! So cute and perfect small size in a cup.
I've had this place bookmarked for so long now and finally made my way over which I am questioning why it took me so long. This is hands down the cutest ice cream spot in town. I love that no matter which flavor you get, you can pick your little animal. It's so tempting to stack so many flavors but I limited myself to 1. I got the Ube gelato which I personally think is the best Ube icecream/gelato that I've ever had. The flavor was so prominent and it was so creamy. You can also get your ice cream in a cup if you don't want a cone. I'm already thinking about which animal to get next!
Cutest dessert spot ever! I got the pig-shaped soft serve with the Pretty in Pink flavor (yakult + strawberry + rose) -- so refreshing and unique. My friend's koala soft serve was just as adorable. They also offer 4 non-dairy flavors and are super accommodating about it, which I really appreciated. Fun vibe, great service, and desserts that are as delicious as they are Instagram-worthy.
If, like me, you have been craving animal shaped gelato your whole life, boy do I have the place for you. Eli's Ark. This place is so stinking cute. A variety of unique flavors and designs. Well priced, nothing crazy. I got the ube, and my friend (vegan) got the vegan chocolate. Lots of vegan choices! They were very nice and did such a perfect job making our animal gelatos. I will be sure to come back and bring friends!
My friend found Eli's Ark on Instagram so on my next visit we went looking for it. During a Thursday afternoon the shop was pretty calm, only a few other guests at the same time. The adorable shaping of the different animals from gelato and things like cookies, nuts, or marshmallows was a fun touch. I tried Dulce de Banana in the shape of a monkey. I liked the flavor of the gelato! We also picked out some macarons to try later. They had a lot of fun flavors, a mix of fruity options and other dessert options. The texture of the macarons was good and we liked some flavors more than others.
A cute space offering a variety of gelatos, all interesting riffs on classic Western flavors (e.g. a cookies 'n' cream that includes panna cotta, a lemon flavor that includes yuzu) or tropical/Asian-inspired gelatos (Vietnamese coffee, ube, mango with an optional sprinkling of Tajín, etc.). I can say the ube is subtle but definitely there. The animal faces are a super fun touch and I want to come back to try not just more flavors but more animal faces too . I also like that they offer a slightly smaller kiddie size that's still plenty generous, and they also allow samples, in case you're not sure what to pick. Note: there's not too much seating inside and unless they put up a large menu board for the flavors or print menus, I'd recommend browsing their flavors online before getting to the front to make your ordering go faster.
Eli's Ark is adorable and instagram worthy, but it's also great gelato!! We ordered the Cookie Monster/Panda and Rocky Way/Bear, and the gelato was perfectly creamy and they did NOT skimp on the mix-ins. Also not terribly overpriced for a novelty treat, so I definitely plan to return with family visiting, etc. I loved the cookie monster gelato, and appreciated that they elevated it beyond just Oreos. Also, the line moved efficiently on a hot Saturday afternoon in June. Worth the hype!! read more
Cuteness level - out of this world! (They don't have bathrooms) The staff was friendly and they had interesting flavors! You pick the amount of ice cream you want, the flavors you want and then then type of animals you. It seems like an easy task but trust me they are all so cute! Some of the animals are GF* read more
4 years ago
It is not often that a place clearly designed for IG-marketing delivers on the food as well... but Eli's Ark came through (for the most part)! On the downside, you don't get to sample the flavors so you really have to shoot your shot and hope for the best. I didn't love every flavor we got, but I was obsessed with the Pretty in Pink (roasted strawberry) - it was sooo tasty. Prob one of the best strawberry ice creams I have had. I also got the I Got Ube flavor, which compared to Garden Creamery in SF who does a Ube Pandan that I am obsessed with, it was just okay. Still edible and fine! My friend got the vegan flavor (I think Razzmatazz) and said it was also just okay. Be warned, the lines are long - because it does take a while for them to make a face for each scoop. Be patient, don't be a dick about it, and if you don't have the time, go somewhere else. Anyway, definitely worth the visit if you have time because the scoops really are adorable. I would want to come back to check out the other flavors to see how they hold up! read more
3 years ago
Gelato that's too cute to eat! Eli's gelatos are delicious! We went down the fruity route and it's the perfect amount of sweet, light, and tangy! You can choose what animal you want your scoop to be and whether you want it in a cup or stacked! It's on the pricey side, but if you don't want a cute instagrammable gelato then you can always get just the scoop! Would love to come back when they're back open for the season! read more
3 years ago
Eli's Ark has been on my radar for at least a year but it's a little bit of a trek coming from the South Loop. Finally had a good reason to come here the other day, and it was totally worth the trip! It's a cute little shop with friendly staff and adorable scoops. I had my delicious ube ice cream turned into a unicorn and it was the cutest damn thing! My bf's 10-year-old kept saying "I wanna eat it but it's too cute!" (but she ate it, of course). Honestly, if you have little one in your life, this place is great to swing by for a special occasion scoop! Tip: there's not a lot of seats available inside so prepare to stand or take it to go. read more
1 year ago
This place and concept are too cute! We stopped here for dessert during our trip to Chicago. Once in line, the staff are extremely helpful and work efficiently in an assembly line to get what you want. They also offer samples, so you can make sure you're satisfied with the flavor you order. We ordered a monkey in a banana flavor, a pig in a fruity pebbles flavor, and a panda in a cookies and cream flavor. The ice cream was so delicious and creamy, and it was just too stinkin' cute! I almost didn't want to eat it, but it sure was tasty. read more
3 years ago
Exactly what you want it to be. Great gelato, efficient and quick service, cute and clean storefront. Looking for something before we leave Chicago after a weekend adventure, and stumbled upon this place. Decided to try it with a long line at 3:00pm on a Sunday we figured it must be pretty good. Gelato is good and the cute animals they put on top definitely heightens the experience. Lots of flavors to choose from, all unique from each other. Several animals you can get on your ice cream. Reasonably priced for the area and a good amount of gelato in each scoop. We got Rocky Way, Kookie Monster and Dulce Gabanana. All were great and worth the (short) line. read more
Omg these ice cream animals are too cute to eat!! I came here excited for a cute ice cream animal but they are even cuter in person. The "ice cream" is actually gelato here and they are so many flavors to choose from. The one downside is that they don't offer free samples so you kind of have to take your best guess. I got the ube flavor and it was very good! It was super creamy and had chunks of graham cracker (I think) mixed in. I got mine in the shape of a panda and it was so cute with cookies and chocolates to decorate it. And I even liked how the cone itself had a stronger almond flavor than typical. My bf also got a scoop, he got the toasted marshmallow and liked it. His was in the shape of a bear; again so cute! I felt like the price was pretty reasonable too! It was about $5 for a single scoop in a cone, and each scoop was pretty decently sized. I'll definitely come back again - I can't resist how cute and tasty these gelato animals are!! read more
3 years ago
Love their cute concept with animal on ice cream! We came close to closing on a Friday evening and there weren't many flavors left. We got the viet coffee and cookies and cream flavor. Both were creamy and delicious. read more
3 years ago
Very cute gelato? Yes. Instagrammable? Yes. Pricy? Yea, but not unwarranted. Tasty? Meh. The gelato was alright. I got the c'mon cinnamon and while the gelato itself was okay, the churro pieces were stale. I wish we were allowed samples but they don't give out samples. The staff member who was working was quick to get all of the cone made. Overall it was a pleasant visit to get some cute animal shaped gelato cones read more
We really liked what we got - Ube bear in a cone. Really cute and also yummy. It was definitely a big and dense scoop that two people could share. The service was fast at 13:30 on Sunday. No complaints and would recommend if you like cute ice cream haha. read more
Lowkey before coming here we thought it was just gonna be for the gimmick, but we were pleasantly surprised to find that Eli's Ark not only makes super cute ice cream, but it also tastes amazing too! The prices were reasonable for the taste, size and presentation. You can choose from a variety of flavors, and ask for any animal on the menu board. We went with a double scoop of ube and kookie monster. the Ube actually tasted like ube with a beautiful vibrant purple and graham crackers mixed in. the Kookie Monster was their creamy version of a cookies & cream with oreo and biscoff mixed in too. Three of us were more than satisfied after demolishing the double scoop, and the workers were extremely patient and helpful when we tried to decide what flavors to get. read more
I really wanted to love this place. The ice cream is definitely cute and people who worked here were nice. The line was out the door and we got there a few minutes after it opened. The ice cream was just ok for me. My daughter loved her bear but didn't really like the ice cream. She just wanted chocolate - she got rocky way. I got the cookie ice cream and it was just ok. We also tried to macarons which was decent. It was chewy and tasty. read more
5 years ago
Sooooooooooooooooooooooo stink'n cute and yummy! I came across a tiktok that recommend this place and it's been on my radar ever since! Well worth the hype. There was a line out the door when we arrived but it moved pretty quickly, my son had fun getting to pick his flavor and animal. The ice cream was smooth and yummy. We enjoyed every tantalizing lick! We're planning to come back and try some more flavors in the summer! read more
1 year ago
Driving from the North Shore to the city is only worth it when they turn your gelato into an animal face. My daughter has been begging to go here for 1 1/2 years now. In fact, pre pandemic my husband attempted to take her there, but the traffic was so bad that they got off the highway and ended up eating at another random ice cream shop....with no animal faces. I recently took my daughter and her friend to Cuddle Bunny in the city and since I love a good theme decided we'd finish off the day with animal ice cream. It was a cooler rainy day, which may not be ideal for ice cream...but it did mean that the line was very short. After a few minutes in line we got to choose our flavors and animals. The girls asked if they could get double scoops and how could I say no to 2 animals. And even I went for a scoop of my own. Minutes later we were eating gelato made into adorable unicorns, koala bears and puppy dogs. They may have been too cute to eat, but after 1 bite it was hard to resist gelato so good. I had the Rocky Road made into a puppy....and it was beyond delicious. All of us declared Eli's Ark the cutest and best ice cream ever. I'm pretty sure we'll be regular customers whenever in the city, although we'd be even happier if they opened up a location in the North Shore. I also think they should get a truck and do animal gelatos for bday parties and other special occasions....I know I'd be finding all sorts of occasions to hire them! read more
2 years ago
Cute neighborhood ice cream shop! This was on our Chicago bucket list and it did not disappoint. The flavors were unique, though perhaps could have been a little stronger. The animal scoops were adorable and fun for the kids! With gluten free and dairy free options, there's something for everyone. I had a scoop of the "Mounds" flavor with the puppy dog face! Friendly staff, clean shop. Sweet place. :) read more
11 months ago
Finally! After many, many times walking or driving by because the line was too line, we finally walked right in on a rainy summer night to experience Eli's Ark. And what a fun experience it was! Eli's is probably the cutest ice cream place you'll ever find, well, gelato to be accurate. Your gelato comes in the form of some sort of cute little critter, a koala, doggie, you name it. Literally, you get to pick! As you can see, it's adorable. The gelato is quite good, though not outstanding. The many different flavors, which change daily, are all distinct, but there isn't quite the depth of flavor as somewhere like Sundae Stop. That said, with so much fun and variety, you've got to try Eli's at least once! read more
2 years ago
Super cute ice cream and the flavors were delicious!!! They make them daily!!! So worth the trip read more
I saw these almost-too-adorable-to-eat ice creams on Instagram and had to stop by Eli's Ark! Dropped by in the afternoon on a Sunday only to find there was a pretty long line in front of the store. According to the employee, the line was not quite as long as Saturday's line despite Sunday's weather being better. The employees allow you to go into the shop to take a picture of the ice cream selection (which you can only determine by looking at the labels of each ice cream rather than a set menu). I ended up getting my ice cream "piggybacked" with flavors chosen to optimize appearance of each animal (unicorn and panda). The employees also offer cups in addition for easier eating. I ended up eating only the unicorn (taro) but the panda was pretty good as well. This place has the cutest ice cream AND solid (and interesting) flavors as well. I would definitely come back to try some of the other flavors (and get a different animal!). read more
3 years ago
11 months ago
Protip: Worth a visit if you like cute food pictures for instagram Highlights: I thought the animal concept was crazy creative and I loved the different animal options. I was pretty full, so I only ordered one flavor, but I would have liked to have tried more. The selection was pretty big which is always nice. Lowlights: I only tried the strawberry rose flavor, but the rose was non-existent and the strawberry was very subtle as well. I'd be curious to see if the other flavors also fell short. Cone is just a basic sugar cone as well. read more
2 years ago
I came here recently and it was awesome! The animal design options are so cute, the ice cream is great (big variety), and the workers were very nice! Overall, I'd definitely come here again! read more
2 years ago
The perfect pit stop on a hot day! The mango & strawberry flavors were very refreshing! Some of the best ice cream/gelato I have had! The animals are just adorable! The kids & adults in the store were smiling about the animals creations! The staff was also very kind & joyful! I can't get enough of this place! MUST GO FOR A SWEET TREAT! read more
2 years ago
Came on a Saturday late afternoon with some friends, and it was empty. Super cute interior with even cuter ice cream! Felt kind of awk and pressured to make a fast decision because all the workers were just staring at us. I got an ube koala and it was tasty. The menu indicates which "animals" have nuts, dairy, etc. which is awesome! Definitely recommend trying if you're in the area! read more
2 years ago
super cute place!!! (*'(OO)'*) i've seen this spot become a lot of different shops, but i hope eli's ark is here to stay, such a unique and fun take on gelato so many interesting new flavors & of course the animals are so cute! my little cousins where so happy + me too!! so much enjoy from a little sweet treat wonderful service too & space to be inside! read more
3 years ago
Omg yum!! I'd come back to this place over and over again. I love the concept of making cute animals out of ice cream. So aesthetically pleasing! The store itself is cute and nicely decorated. The display of ice cream is presented like how gelato is presented. Biscoff cookie: This flavor was so good. The ice cream itself was so rich and didn't taste artificial. I chose the unicorn as my animal. The extra details were made of edible chocolate and marshmallows. There were even details on the ears and horn! This place is so cute and probably so appealing to children! Love this concept! read more
2 years ago
Eli's Ark is somewhere I'd bring all my friends and family to when they visit the city. Upon walking in, it had a laidback feel and seemed very clean. The space is a good size and they could probably have more seating, but there still seemed to be enough for everyone when I visited. The staff was kind and I didn't feel rushed. When I asked for suggestions, the gentleman behind the counter volunteered to give me samples of his top 3 picks, which I appreciated not having to ask for. He also asked about any allergies, which was very thoughtful. I decided to go with the ube flavor, which was light and delicious (although I've never had ube before so I can't compare it to other ube gelato). I honestly was expecting the gelato to be subpar since they're known for the animal characters, and sometimes quality is lost for touristy gimmicks, but it was the creamiest gelato I've had in the city. The little animal is just the cutest addition, and it makes this place the perfect spot to bring guests or for locals to get a sweet pick-me-up. read more
3 years ago
Cutest place for ice cream! The decor inside was so fun. Service was great also. Ice cream flavors were very light which I liked. They also have some fun and unique flavors you won't see anywhere else! read more
I love the fact that they make cute animal faces on the icecream scoops! They also keep introducing new seasonal animals. The ice cream flavors are amazing! My personal favorite flavors are Kookie Monster and Mint-to-be! This is a fun place to visit, not only for kids, but adults too. read more
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Just hope you're lucky! We actually just had someone stay in the car, parked somewhere that wasn't a spot while we ran in really quick because there was no close street parking
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Eli's Ark - gelato - Updated July 2026
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