Another heatwave, another round of standing in front of the freezer with the door open. But London’s got smarter options this summer,  from 8kg gelato spheres sliced tableside to ice baths, and iced matcha to open water swimming in Canary Wharf. Here’s 10 ways to survive the sweltering days ahead:

1. With a Big Ol’ Ice Cream: Big Kid Ice Cream

What: Kingly Street’s hole-in-the-wall Scoop Shop is deep into its third summer, and this is not the place for a safe ’99. Big Kid built its name on flavours that sound wrong and taste brilliant (let’s not forget the McDonald’s Fries scoop), and this season doubles down with a maximalist store refit and a genuinely unhinged (and brilliant) new menu. A cream cheese ice cream studded with candied dill pickle marks the shop’s birthday, but it’s only around for a month, so don’t dawdle.

Where: 1 Kingly St, Carnaby, London W1B 5PA

2. With an Iced Cold Chocolate: Knoops

What: Some like it hot, but this summer, it’s iced all the way. Pick from six percentages, from a sweet, creamy 28% White right through to a 96% Extra Dark, with a 34% Milk Chocolate landing in the middle with notes of caramel. Want it lighter? The Iced Chocolate is your chosen percentage topped up with dairy or plant-based milk and poured over ice. Want it properly indulgent? The Milkshakes fold in Knoops’ own soft serve. Dangerously delicious.

Where: Locations here

Photo credit: Jamie Lau/Studio Lau

3. With an Iced Bath: Third Space 

What: Swap the sweaty outdoor run for an air-conditioned studio, then go one step further and actually get into the cold: several Third Space clubs keep ice baths and plunge pools sitting at a properly bracing 5 – 7°C. Let’s be honest, nothing resets an overheated body quite like forcing it into water that cold on purpose.

Where: Locations here

4. With a Plate of Ceviche: The Sea, The Sea

What: The newly opened The Sea, The Sea on Chelsea’s Pavilion Road has added a ceviche marinade bar to its fish shop, and it’s about as heatwave-appropriate as lunch gets. Cold, citrusy, and no oven in sight. Pick your fish straight from the morning’s catch, then choose your marinade: a pineapple ceviche, smoked eel teriyaki, a chilli sambol that’s particularly good with crab meat, or a miso sauce for something rounder and savoury. It’s the closest London gets to a seaside lunch without the train fare.

Where: 243 Pavilion Rd, London SW1X 0BP

5. With a Massive Gelato: Alba

What: Why cool down with a single scoop when you could cool down with 8kg of it? ALBA London’s Giant Gelato is exactly what it sounds like: a spectacular gelato sphere, wheeled out and theatrically sliced tableside at ALBA on Brompton Road, Knightsbridge. There’s two flavours to choose from – a hazelnut praline Ferrero Rocher and a seasonal coconut Raffaello, the latter finished with a drizzle of warm chocolate for anyone who fancies a hot-cold contrast with their heatwave escape.

Where: 70 Brompton Rd, London SW3 1ER

6. With a Cocktail in an Air Conditioned Bar: The Donovan Bar, Brown’s Hotel

What: Sometimes the best way to cool down is to swap the pavement for somewhere effortlessly elegant and properly air-conditioned. The Donovan Bar at Brown’s Hotel is that kind of sanctuary we’re talking about. Expect refreshing riffs on the classics rather than reinvention for its own sake: a tropical Bellini Colada that merges two icons into one, a crisp Highball 2.4, and a delicately savoury Pear Gibson.

Where: 33 Albemarle St, London W1S 4BP

7. With a Waterway Breeze: GoBoat 

What: While the rest of London swelters, one obvious escape route has been hiding in plain sight: the river. GoBoat’s self-drive electric boats let you cruise London’s waterways, where the air runs noticeably cooler, and there’s an actual breeze to enjoy. Bring a picnic, your nan, your dog, some bottles of plonk and let the water do the cooling. If daytime heat feels like too much to handle, book an evening cruise instead.

Where: Locations here

8. With an Iced Matcha: JENKI 

What: For a heatwave cooldown that still tastes distinctly of English summer, London matcha bar JENKI has the answer. Its Strawberry and Elderflower Iced Matcha Latte takes Britain’s favourite seasonal pairing (strawberries and cream, obviously), and gives it a lighter, colder spin instead. Next time you’re hankering for a refreshing drink, skip the iced coffee and reach for something a little more summery instead.

Where: Locations here

9. With a Stacked High Soft Serve: Fortitude Bakehouse 

What: Fortitude Bakehouse has finally woken its ice cream machine from hibernation, and it’s not messing about. The move is simple: grab a double chocolate and peanut butter biscuit, or one of Fortitude’s seasonal beignets, and load it up with Happy Endings vanilla soft serve, topped with a chocolate peanut sauce that melts into everything in the best way. It’s available from 11am, every single day, all summer long. Now that’s our kinda dessert.

Where: 35 Colonnade, London WC1N 1JD

10. With an Alfresco Dip: SeaLanes

What: For full submersion cooling, London’s newest open water spot is hard to beat. Sea Lanes Canary Wharf has just opened at Eden Dock, bringing a 50m floating pool alongside wild swimming and waterside saunas. Afterwards, stick around for laid-back waterside dining and drinks, and watch the sun go down over the dock.

Where: 15, Newfoundland Place, Canary Wharf, London E14 4BH