The Scoop on Lula's Sweet Apothecary, Manhattan's Only All-Vegan Ice Cream Parlor

Blurry Iphone Pic of an Awesome New Place

New York City is home to a plethora of vegan delicacies, from the exotic and gourmet to ethnic and all-American staples; the city is a one-stop shop for pure vegan goodness. Now, thanks to the Proprietors of Philadelphia's only Vegan Lunch Truck, (Viva Las Vegans) Manhattanites and Lower Eastsiders alike have something new to rejoice.

Lula's Sweet Apothecary is Manhattan's only all-vegan, fully functioning Ice Cream Parlor. Rooted in the old-fashioned pharmacy parlors of yesteryear it operates just like you would expect it to; right down to the Hamilton Beach hand-mixers and soda-shop menu(PDF) on their website.

All of the ice cream is original, store-made and delicious. I had the chance to sample a few of the flavors and was blown away by the full-bodied, creamy sweetness of each of the choices; Chicago Soy Dairy soft-serve is pretty awesome as well.

From sundaes to shakes, sodas to malts and everything from banana splits to flurries they have the tools to keep your sweet tooth tingling. And, just in case that wasn't enough to send your body into giddy-filled gyrations, they also carry Red Mango and Gone Pie baked goods along with fair trade coffee and hot chocolate.

They are located at 516 E. 6th Street between A & B. They've yet to have a grand opening but don't let that deter you from sampling the scrumptiousness.

Big ups to Chloe at Girlie Girl Army for the tip!

A SuperVegan Resturaunt listing will arrive shortly. UPDATE: It's in our restaurant guide now!. Leave reviews!

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• 1.

  Comment by BrownbirdRudyRelic [www] on October 10, 2008 4:51pm:

  And. Although it didn't fit into the over all "narrative" of the above piece I would also like to add that they carry Eco-Planet Cheddar Crackers, Newman's Own Cookies, Rice Mellow, a bunch of yummy vegan sundae toppings and a Vegan "Egg Cream"!. Oh. And. Derek and Blythe are super nice to boot! I hope they do tremendous business and grace the LES for years to come!
• 2.

  Comment by sweetbeetandgreenbean [www] on October 10, 2008 10:02pm:

  this is great! i was just thinking about how cool an old-timey vegan ice cream parlor would be a day or two ago.
  
  it's just too bad i don't like in NY. thanks for blogging this!
• 3.

  Comment by lgh on October 11, 2008 12:15am:

  I've never posted here before but, in this case, I just had to. What makes Lula's so special is not just the all vegan menu, or the made-on the premises fresh selection of ice-cream, or the variety of toppings served from shiny glass jars (tip: gummi bears on anything!), or even the hot fudge sundaes with whipped cream and bright red cherry on top, but it is also the incredible ambience and atmosphere. From the gleaming diner swivel stools to the rows of available candy to the eclectic mix of rock 'n roll and honkey-tonk music that seems to emanate from an invisible jukebox this vegan parlor would feel at home on Main Street just as much as it does on 6th Street in the East Village. Perfect for the kids or for a first date, I know that I will be going back again and again.
• 4.

  Comment by AmyArgh on October 11, 2008 11:12am:

  I CANNOT WAIT TO GO HERE!
• 5.

  Comment by ariela on October 11, 2008 1:24pm:

  omg. did this just open? i think i'm going to go there now!
• 6.

  Comment by missteenbuffalo on October 11, 2008 2:01pm:

  that does it. i'm moving back to nyc asap.
• 7.

  Comment by al oof [www] on October 11, 2008 3:43pm:

  holy crap! i have a list of vegan fantasy businesses to start (vegan southerny buffet chain!, vegan yarn store!) and this was totally on the list. this is really exciting!
• 8.

  Comment by ariela on October 11, 2008 7:52pm:

  sooo good! i got the hot fudge sundae of the day soooo yummy!! going back sooooon!
• 9.

  Comment by Roseann Marulli on October 11, 2008 8:37pm:

  I got a "twist" (chocolate and vanilla soft-serve) with chocolate sprinkles on a (gluten-free!!!) wafer cone. I was in such a bad mood before and such a good mood after. Viva Lula's!
• 10.

  Comment by Jason Das [www] on October 12, 2008 12:09am:

  Hey everyone, we've added Lula's to our restaurant guide now, so please leave reviews there. Yay!!
• 11.

  Comment by benjamin adam on October 12, 2008 9:16am:

  honestly, "ethnic?" what is wrong with you?
• 12.

  Comment by JJames on October 12, 2008 11:15am:

  What's wrong with the word "ethnic"?
• 13.

  Comment by mdhaile [www] on October 12, 2008 12:33pm:

  "Exotic" should have been the word to take offense to.
• 14.

  Comment by The Vegan Snorkeler [www] on October 12, 2008 1:16pm:

  I can't wait to try this place! I wish I knew about it when the weather was warmer, but I won't let that stop me!
• 15.

  Comment by Jason Das [www] on October 12, 2008 1:52pm:

  I just want to say that Brownbird Rudy Relic is exotic and ethnic.
  
  Also, those are completely reasonable words to use when describing approaches to food preparation.
• 16.

  Comment by BrownbirdRudyRelic [www] on October 12, 2008 2:07pm:

  Awww, Jason comes to my word rescue - you're my own personal Williams Strunk Jr! But. Yes. Believe you me, I checked the connotations before submitting the piece.
  
  Really though, this thread should be about how wonderful Lula's is not about acceptable word usage. I certainly welcome a discussion about proper adjectives - brownbird(a)supervegan.com - we can battle it out in the syntax steel cage!!!
  
  Oh. But. Yeah. Go to Lula's, it's super rad.
• 17.

  Comment by J on October 15, 2008 12:08am:

  I just stopped in this place today and the experience was great! The people behind the counter were happy that I brought my own mug and bag for a good, healthy coconut chocolate bar pastry and offered me a tasting of their ice cream (but atlas, I'm getting over a cold). The prices are extremely reasonable, especially given the area. I hope that lots more people become regulars. Next time, vegan cold delight!
• 18.

  Comment by vegand on October 15, 2008 12:21am:

  This is the jam y'all - check it out Immediately. The menu is vast, the prices are double-take good, the owners are sweetness, and the flavors are JOY.
• 19.

  Comment by sugary3 on October 30, 2008 11:54am:

  Wow, Lula's is great. The soft serve was incredible and tasted amazing for being vegan. I bought 2 sundaes and a scoop of the homemade ice cream. I bought 1 for my mom and she loved it. Surprisingly they traveled pretty well since I lugged it to the Bronx with some meltage, it was cold out too which probably helped not sure how it would hold up in the summertime. The homemade ice cream was phenomenal. They also have vegan white chocolate chips which I was allowed to try and they were amazing too. I have digestive issues and must stay clear of milk products. I am always hesitant to try even vegan ice cream places since I get sick sometimes any way, but this place was just amazing and I have had no symptoms. The people that work there are super friendly and very appreciative that people visit them I look forward to returning there real soon.
• 20.

  Comment by veghead23 on July 7, 2009 11:24am:

  So far I've seen (out there in the world) Soy ice cream, rice ice cream and coconut ice cream. What are the available options here? (I don't eat soy) thanks!
• 21.

  Comment by beanmail on July 7, 2009 3:56pm:

  veghead23: they make many nut-based varieties at Lula's, as well. Go there immediately; you will be amazed.
• 22.

  Comment by betty [www] on October 1, 2009 4:56am:

  i am going there tomorrow. very excited.
• 23.

  Comment by ada [www] on October 12, 2009 11:15am:

  Thanks for your information, I can't wait to try this place!