Frozen yogurt has returned to New York with a bang. People are waiting from forty minutes to an hour on weekdays just to get their hands on the treat. And it’s not just here. The global frozen yogurt market was valued at $1.93 billion in 2025 and is projected to reach $2.65 billion by 2034, with North America accounting for nearly half of that total.
If you’re a student in SoHo, the question is clear. Which of these places is worth waiting for, and which can you reach between classes?
Texture is the first thing you’ll notice. Some are creamier, while others are icier and firmer. Regulars are split on which they prefer, and it’s worth trying both before you pick a favorite.
How you order matters, too. Self-serve shops charge by weight, so you decide the amount and can spread smaller portions of different toppings around the cup. Shops that build it for you have a set size and number of toppings.
Bloomingdale’s SoHo, 504 Broadway, second floor
Forty Carrots opened in 1975 and introduced frozen yogurt to New York City. The recipe hasn’t changed since then. The plain is still the best seller, with a slightly tart, lemony edge from lots of active cultures.
The shop has a wide range of toppings. Wheat germ, wildflower honey, mango pearls sit alongside gummy bears, Fruity Pebbles, cookie dough, fruit and nuts. Unlike the other spots here, Forty Carrots is a full-service café with a big seating area and lunch menu.
231 Lafayette St., Nolita
Mimi’s is an Australian-inspired spot with a modern vibe and a health focus. The yogurt is made from a base of Greek yogurt, milk, kefir and a touch of cane sugar. Flavorings and toppings are sourced from around the world.
It’s also one of the few self-serve shops in this new wave. You add as many toppings and flavors as you like and pay by weight. Lines form here even on Monday nights, though they move.
155 Chambers St., Tribeca
The self-serve chain from the 2000s froyo boom rotates through hundreds of flavors, including vegan and dairy-free options, with a huge toppings bar. There are fewer lines and more seating here than at newer shops, which makes it ideal for groups. Make it the reward at the end of a Tribeca cafe study session.
152 Seventh Ave. South
At Birdie’s, the staff adds toppings both underneath and on top of your yogurt. A standard cup comes with three toppings, and reviewers consistently say staff are generous with them.
Flavors include vanilla, chocolate and peanut butter. The toppings are where it gets interesting, with Biscoff crunch, mochi bites, hazelnut crunch sauce and olive oil among them. The yogurt is less tart than most of the new wave.
159 Seventh Ave. South
Myka arrived from Madrid and makes its yogurt from Greek yogurt and kefir, which gives it a tangy, tart taste and a creamy texture. There are vegan and lactose-free fruit sorbets too.
The toppings are inventive and include Baklava, fig compote, cardamom almonds, cacao nibs and orange blossom honey. Thanks to the hype, it can have some of the longest lines.
60 W. 8th St., Greenwich Village
Culture makes and strains its own yogurt, which is unusual. The result is properly tart and on the lighter end of the category.
Flavors rotate every few days, so check their Instagram or X for flavors before you walk over. A medium is generous enough that reviewers often split one between two people.
1 W. 8th St., Greenwich Village
Madison Fare was the first shop in NYC to serve frozen Greek yogurt, and the chef-owner still makes both the yogurt and the toppings. The base is built from yogurt and kefir and is both tart and creamy.
The flavor list is short because the focus is on the toppings. They include Turkish delight, candied yuzu, matcha crumble and a signature pistachio kunafa sauce that regulars travel for.
Go on a weekday and go early. A place that has a line at 7 p.m. usually doesn’t have one at midday. Bad weather also often discourages line-goers.
And if you turn up to a long line anyway, walk a few blocks. Birdie’s, Myka, Culture and Madison Fare are all close to each other, and one may have a shorter line than others.
Finally, you can always embrace the culture of waiting in line. Bring a book and some friends, or strike up a conversation with your fellow frozen yogurt fans. You never know who you could meet.
The longest line doesn’t always mean the best yogurt. It usually means the newest shop, or the one that had a viral TikTok that week. Once you know what you’re really craving from your froyo experience, you can make a decision based on what you actually want.
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It depends on what you want. Mimi’s is self-serve, so you control the portion sizes. Culture strains its own yogurt and rotates flavors. Birdie’s puts toppings both under the yogurt and on top. Madison Fare and Myka carry inventive toppings. Forty Carrots has a time-tested recipe and a sit-down focus.
Forty Carrots inside Bloomingdale’s SoHo and Mimi’s are both within a ten-minute walk of IENYC’s campus.
Go on a weekday before 1 p.m. Reviewers across Myka, Birdie’s and Culture report walking straight in at midday and waiting 30 to 40 minutes at the same shop on a weekend evening. Rain clears the line almost entirely.
It’s froyo made with strained yogurt, which gives it a thicker texture and a tarter flavor than the frozen yogurt that was popular in the 2010s.
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Emma is a writer, translator, linguist and editor from Washington, DC, USA. Her career has taken her from social media management to copywriting, inventory buying for a major retail chain, events management and even teaching.
Emma received a B.S. in Business Administration with a concentration in marketing and a minor in French from Drexel University in Philadelphia, PA. During that time, she studied abroad in York, England and Rennes, France, where she developed an interest in cross-cultural communication and linguistics. After relocating to Madrid, Spain, she began specializing in writing, focusing on topics like travel, marketing and culture.
Currently, Emma works full-time for IE University’s narrative team. In her free time, she enjoys reading, hiking and exploring the city.
