Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams

Four flavours worth planning around

Salty Caramel, Brambleberry Crisp, Brown Butter Almond Brittle and Gooey Butter Cake. Those four names cover most of what people come to Jeni's in Beverly Hills for, and between them they cover most of what an ice cream order can be: caramel with salt for contrast, fruit for brightness, toasted nuts and brittle for texture, and a cake-like scoop for anyone who wants dessert rather than refreshment.

The ice cream is made from scratch in small batches, which is the premise the whole company was built on, and the shop is arranged so that the colour of the pints does the decorating. There is no elaborate room to take in and no long list to work through. A case, a queue that moves, and a decision to make.

A bright counter, not a long sit

Treat it as a stop rather than a destination. The setting is clean and cheerful, service runs over the counter, and the whole visit can take five minutes if the line is short. It works best slotted into something else: after dinner nearby, in the middle of an afternoon on foot, or as the thing that makes a walk worth taking.

Sharing is the sensible strategy. Two scoops in one cup covers more ground than one, and pints are there for anyone who would rather take the decision home. The room is modern and lively rather than hushed, so it suits company better than a solo hour with a laptop, and nobody is going to rush you out of it either.

Start with Salty Caramel

Salty Caramel is the benchmark. It is the flavour that shows what the kitchen does with dairy and sugar, familiar enough to judge against every other salted caramel you have had, and it sits happily beside almost anything else in the case.

Brambleberry Crisp is the brightest partner for it, all berry and baked crumble, and one classic scoop with one fruit scoop is the most complete two-flavour order here. If richness appeals more than contrast, swap in Brown Butter Almond Brittle for toast and crunch, or Gooey Butter Cake, which is the most dessert-like thing on the board. Anyone building a pint to take away should think the same way: one anchor, one bright counterpoint, and no more agonising than that.