Sundae School Ice Creamery

The Verdict

The Tuckshop guys have done it again. Clinton and Karina Serex, the masterminds behind Caulfield’s kickass retro ventures (Tuckshop, and the now defunct Karton) have just opened a proper American ice-creamery. And we mean proper.

These aren’t just good looking scoops. They’re cherry-on-top ice-cream sundaes, drizzled in house-made syrups like salted chocolate fudge and orange caramel, topped off with crunchy goodness (think caramelised rice bubbled and brown butter peanuts). They’re even slinging old-school ice-cream sandwiches—with your choice of cookie—and malt thickshakes that’ll you’ll struggle to suck up a straw.

Karina, the dessert specialist, spent a lot of time in America, getting the recipe right. She actually trained with Sam Mason at OddFellows Ice Cream Co. in Brooklyn, studying the science (and the art) of real American ice-cream.

There’s 10 rotating ice-cream flavours on the cards, all made by hand from natural ingredients. Take the ‘Real Bubble-Gum’, a marshmallow-dotted fusion of five unique flavour profiles, specially designed to taste like actual bubblegum. Then there’s the BOM Jesus, a cold-infused Brazilian coffee creation, spiked with toffee, milk choc and orange crunch. Lamington ice-cream, apple pie ice-cream, bacon, banana and brown butter ice-cream.

Our pick? The Spice Road, a fragrant Chai blend from Storm in a Teacup. 

The nostalgia vibes are strong in this place, which isn’t too surprising. The space is actually the old Karton Milk Bar, just slightly rejigged, and the Tuckshop flourishes are everywhere: the tiles and the pegboard, the mobile cake stand, the tiny “I is for Ice-Cream” flags atop the sundaes. It’s playful vintage, without being cheesy.

Give The School a go this weekend. Might just be the cherry on your Sunday.  

Image credit: Ben Tyers