We all love a good ice cream sundae every now and then. It’s hard to mess up a sundae, so how could it possibly be improved upon? Three ice cream shops around the globe have pulled out all the stops to take the classic dessert to the next level.
-by Micki Wagner
The Golden Opulence Sundae
Golden Opulence Sundae by kem-vang
Golden Opulence Sundae, Serendipity, Image via Extravagant
Serendipity 3 in New York City offers everything from burgers to sundaes, but nothing on their menu can compare to their Golden Opulence Sundae. Priced at $1,000, this sundae is the essence of luxury. At the heart of it, the sundae’s flavors are simple: vanilla bean ice cream, chocolate syrup and chocolate chunks. But the vanilla bean ice cream is made from Tahitian vanilla beans, the chocolate syrup from Amedei Porcelana (regarded as the world’s most expensive chocolate), and the chocolate chunks from the rare Chuao cacao bean. It doesn’t stop there, though. The sundae then gets topped with Parisian candied fruit, chocolate truffles, gold-covered almonds and marzipan cherries. Finally, it’s finished off with a dish of Grand Passion Caviar and a gold-covered flower made from sugar. The sundae that arrives at your table is draped in 23 karats of edible gold leaf. Just remember, if you want to try this lavish sundae for yourself, you have to order it two days in advance.
Black Diamond
Black Diamond; image by Scoopi
At $817 a scoop, Dubai’s Scoopi Café is giving the Golden Opulence Sundae a run for its money. The Black Diamond sundae starts with Madagascan vanilla bean ice cream and is topped with some Italian black truffle, Iranian saffron and 23 karats of edible gold in the form of both powder and flakes. It’s served to you in a Versace bowl with an accompanying spoon, both of which you get to take home with you. Elegant, demure and a little glitzy, this sundae is easily one of the most lavish in the world.
World’s Most Expensive Ice Cream Sundae
The World’s Most Expensive Sundae; image by Three Twins Ice Cream
That is actually the name of this $3,333.33 sundae from Three Twins Ice Cream, with shops in Larkspur, Napa and San Rafael, California. This sundae is all about celebrating the past. It starts off with a banana split made with syrups from a 1960s port, a Chateau d’Yquem and a German Trockenbeerenauslese. The luxuriousness of this sundae comes from Three Twins’ use of the dessert wines, but also from the novelty of the experience, as they give you a spoon from the 1850s to eat the banana split with, while a cellist plays just for you. Sometimes you’re paying for an experience just as much as the food.
So if you’re craving something luxurious, sweet and creamy this summer, these lavish ice cream sundaes are sure to hit the spot.
-M.W
