Summer is here – 24 of the best ice cream spots across SA you need to visit

Cape Town

The Dairy Den, Sea Point
This new ice and doughnut shop in Sea Point is what your sweet dreams are made of. The pastel pink coat of paint on the walls instantly sets the tone for the nostalgia and fantasy that awaits inside. What’s even better is that the sister duo, Tasia and Lexi, who owns the place come from a family that has been making ice cream for ages. Their soft serve selection includes only two flavours – vanilla and chocolate – that can be dressed up with all sorts of sweet toppings and dips. What’s, even more, is that they offer Oreo-flavoured cones and cronuts, naturally!

Crumbs and Cream, Sea Point
At only a year old, Crumbs and Cream have already pulled at the heartstrings of all who have come across their path. It started out in a bright pink and yellow food truck at the V&A and is now serving its famous ice cream sandwiches as far as Johannesburg.

Cold Gold, Stellenbosch Cold Gold is passionate about good quality proper ice cream, which is why they have no artificial additives, preservatives or stabilisers in their recipes. Ingredients are locally sourced from surrounding farms, making sure they are fresh and seasonal. They also cater for various dietary requirements, so if you’re vegan, Banting or Paleo, you’ll still be able to enjoy an ice cold gold treat. They also make ice cream sandwiches and ice cream cakes. Try the Valrhona chocolate ice cream.

MYOG, Gardens
Yes, it’s not ice cream, but its the best frozen yoghurt store in Cape Town. Myog focuses on natural ingredients and offers a changing weekly flavour. The portions are generous and the toppings endless, but the yoghurt doesn’t require any sprucing up, it’s delicious as is. Try the cinnamon, Nutella, and salted caramel when available

Las Paletas
They don’t have a shop for the public, but they do stock in multiple stores, restaurants and cafés. Las Paletas is totally unique. Run by a husband and wife duo, and inspired by a Colombian heritage and local flavours, they serve completely natural ice creams on a stick, the kind you wish you had growing up. They are handmade and free of any bad additives. Dozens of original flavours range from simple to exotic and from fruity to heavenly sweet. See their website for a list of stockists or order directly from the factory.

Ice Dream, Hout Bay
At Ice Dream, you will find real Italian owners serving real Italian ice cream and its been this way since 1993. There are no preservatives or added fat and you’ll find lovely classic flavours like hazelnut, chocolate and coffee. There’s also Banting ice cream and sorbets for summer like watermelon and granadilla. Ice Dream also has a stand at the Hout Bay Market.

The Creamery Café, Palmyra junction
The Creamery Palmyra Junction is the latest addition to the ice cream group. Cape Town’s original artisanal ice cream parlour with inventive flavours that change every month. Recent çavours include black sesame, malted milk and popcorn. Try the waffles and soft choc chip cookie with a scoop of your choice.

The Creamery Café, Newlands
The Creamery Newlands branch was the ærst to open in September 2013. Cape Town’s original artisanal ice cream parlour with inventive flavours that change every month. Recent çavours include black sesame, malted milk and popcorn. Try the waffles and soft choc chip cookie with a scoop of your choice.

Icezeit, Sea Point Pavilion
Icezeit was established in Salzburg, Austria and expanded into South Africa in 2007. They follow traditional methods of Italian gelato making and are really passionate about keeping with the authenticity of the process. They serve both sorbet and gelato in exciting flavours like Ferrero Rocher and caramel fudge. They have various pop-up outlets and sell in many shops and cafés.

The Creamery Café, Mouille Point
Cape Town’s original artisanal ice cream parlour with inventive flavours that change every month. Recent flavours include black sesame, malted milk and popcorn. Try the waffles and soft choc chip cookie with a scoop of your choice. Step off the promenade and straight into ice cream heaven. This shop is ideally located for summer and keeps up the pretty with soft pastels and cute bunting.

Sorbetiere, Mouille Point
Sorbetiere offer both ice cream and sorbets all made naturally with no unhealthy additives. They don’t have a shop for the public but they do sell through a number of restaurants and cafés, most notably Quaglino’s in Mouille Point, ideally located opposite the promenade.

Unframed, Gardens and V&A Waterfront 
Unframed is a cute and minimally-styled hole in the wall on Kloof Street that serves artisan ice creams. Each scoop is packed with copious amounts of flavour, with a special focus given to natural flavours. They also do vegan ice cream.

Durban

Eish Kream
Hailing from the shores of Durban, Eish Kream can be found at various stockist and markets across Joburg, Durban and Pretoria.
These guys serve the trendy cold press spaghetti ice cream that you’ve most likely seen gracing your Instagram feed. Flavours include Lotus Biscoff, Bananarama, Malibu Charcoal, Bubble Gum and more. It is also rumoured that the Insta-worthy creations will be making their way to Cape Town soon – exciting times!

Old Town Italy, Umhlanga 
One of the many things that Old Town Italy is known for is their authentic Italian Gelato. They also offer doughnut cones, that took social media by storm a while back, filled with ice cream. Gelato flavours include chocolate brownie, Turkish delight, peanut butter with cookies, pistachio and even vegan options. 

Scoop Handmade Ice Cream, Umhlali
Scoop, situated in the beautiful Litchi Orchard, make artisanal ice creams with ingredients sourced in the KZN area. They have daily flavours like vanilla salted macadamia praline and salted caramel, and also an array of changing seasonal flavours like granadilla sorbet and pinotage ice cream. The çavours are never short of originality and scoops are consistently creamy and all-round good quality. Try a scoffle – a scoop and waffle combo heaven.

Pretoria

Royal Danish Homemade Ice cream, Colbyn
Royal Danish is a dessert paradise with waffles, milkshakes and of course ice cream. It’s got that 60s diner feels and is a comfortable, inviting space, ideal for families. They offer 10 ice cream flavours, most notably the butter pecan and the mocha almond fudge.

Johannesburg 

Trieste Café, Greenside
A deli and ice cream parlour serving classic Italian food and ice cream in every possible form. You’ll ænd wafçes and ice cream, ice cream cakes, affogato and even a wacky ice cream dish known as egg and steak. It’s thankfully not actually egg and steak but ice cream made to look like it. The gelato recipe is 100 years old and all çavour additives are completely natural.

Paul’s Homemade Ice Cream, Rosebank
Starting from very humble beginnings with a single ice cream maker, inspiration from The Big Apple, and friends that like ice cream, Paul’s, today, is a fully fledged ice cream parlour. Paul’s has everything, ice cream sandwiches, toppings and sauces, waffles and sundaes. Flavours include Oreo, Peppermint Crisp tart and dulce de leche.

Tortellino D’oro, Oaklands
Tortellino D’Oro has been in the business for over 20 years. This place is all about family tradition and authentic Italian cuisine. Ice cream is a prominent part of the restaurant and can be enjoyed after a hearty pasta, or when you are simply in need of a couple scoops. The homemade ice creams come in classic Italian flavours like Stracciatella, Amaretto, pistachio and more. They also have a great selection of sorbets like kiwi and orange.

Pete’s Super Natural Ice Cream
Real name Peta, journalist and videographer turned artisanal ice cream churner and entrepreneur. The ice cream is 100% natural, and Peta makes sure of this using milk from her family’s farm, and personally sourcing local ingredients. She doesn’t have a stand-alone store but stocks at many shops and cafés. See the full list here.

Baglios, Sandton
An Italian-South African family-run business that started in the 70s. Quality and passion are never spared at Baglios, which is why they supply their ice cream to many shops and restaurants around Joburg. Enjoy authentic gelato made from a decades-old recipe.

The Knickerbocker Ice Cream Company, Chartwell 
The Knickerbocker Ice Cream Company has a permanent store at the Stables Village Market or spot their cute, pink candy-striped ice cream parlour pop-up at various markets in Joburg. They have a range of artisanal flavours of gelato and sorbets as well as soft serve, waffles, sundaes and milkshakes. They also cater for those that have a dairy or sugar-free diet.

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