Few things are as exciting as the prospect of enjoying home-made ice cream or Italian gelato from a specialist. Here’s a round-up of 13 of our favourite places to get rich ice cream and gelato with inventive flavours in Jozi.

Updated on 28 January 2022

Crumbs & Cream (Illovo)

Catering for both vegan and non-vegan tastes, Crumbs & Cream has ice-cream varieties for everyone. The granadilla-mango is non-dairy-based but packs in just as much flavour as the Turkish Delight, Ferrero Rocher, Apple Pie and Snickers flavours. Have some fun by creating an ice-cream sandwich with cookies or doughnuts, or add fun toppings such as mini marshmallows, Oreo crumbs, Smarties and sour gummies – the options are almost endless. To bring all the flavours together, pick a spread like Nutella or peanut butter.

 

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Fab! Cafe & Gelato (Linden)

Owned by the good folk behind The Fat Zebra and 4th Avenue Roasters, this gelato parlour is just two doors away from The Fat Zebra. Rich and creamy as the gelatos may be, they’re also low in sugar. Try the revivifying mint flavour or the indulgent cotton candy.

 

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Gelatitalia (Randburg)

Besides creating adorably picturesque desserts such as Italian kisses, tartufo and canolino (a mini wafer rolled filled with ice cream and topped off with chocolate), as well as cakes for any occasion, the bulk Italian ice-cream manufacturer makes no less than 27 gelato flavours ranging from classic to ‘connoisseur’. The ice-cream flavours are available in two-litre and five-litre tubs. For those who see themselves as ice cream connoisseurs, the cinnamon, ginger or fig flavours ought to put your palate to the test.

Häagen-Dazs (Hyde Park)

This Bronx-born brand has become one of the most recognised premium ice-cream brands locally. For vegans, a revitalising zesty lemon or a pleasantly sweet mango sorbet are winners. When it comes to the classics, the cookie dough chip (made with real chocolate fudge chips and pieces of cookie dough) and the strawberry cheesecake (with biscuit pieces and strawberry sauce) flavours are the ultimate sweet indulgences.

 

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The Knickerbocker Ice Cream Company

South Africa’s first pop-up ice cream parlour can be spotted in locations such as Fourway Gardens on Wednesdays, food and music festivals around Joburg, and corporate events. In addition to selling traditional soft serve ice cream in decadent flavours such as English toffee twist and butter pecan curl, Knickerbocker serves sugar- and dairy-free ice cream and authentic Italian gelatos – artisanal, super creamy and rich in flavour. For a fruity boost, try the cherry blast, or pick the caramel and cookies flavour for a seriously heady treat.

La Cremosa (Dainfern and Melrose Arch)

Experience authentic Italian artisanal gelatos made with seasonal ingredients and wacky but complementary flavour combinations. Must-tries include Amarula, riso e cannella (rice and cinnamon), cioccolato peperoncino e cannella (chocolate chilli and cinnamon) and noce e fichi (walnut and figs). The gelatos may be inspired by seasonal and local harvests, but the recipes are genuinely Italian – they come from one of the owner’s fathers, a well-respected gelato-maker in Fonte della Salute in Trastevere, Rome.

 

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Moody Cow Gelato & Coffee Co. (Roodepoort)

The Clearwater-based parlour and coffee shop is as creative as you can get when it comes to flavour – think biltong, melk tert, popcorn and malva pudding gelatos. Moody Cow’s traditionally made gelatos are creamy as can be and feature real local and imported ingredients. For a divine treat, give the strawberry delight milkshake a try. It’s made with a combination of strawberry and vanilla gelatos and topped with strawberries, white chocolate, a lollipop and cotton candy, for good measure.

 

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Paul’s Homemade Ice Cream (Rosebank)

At Paul’s, you’ll find birthday cake, roasted banana and Peppermint Crisp tart – those are ice cream names, as well as real flavour components that go into making the ice cream. The result is so authentic that it tastes like you’re eating birthday cake, roasted banana, or Peppermint Crisp tart on a sugar cone.

 

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Pete’s Super Natural Ice Cream (Bryanston and Birdhaven)

These days, Pete’s Super Natural Ice Cream can be found on many restaurants’ dessert menus, proving the credibility that this brand has built in just a few years. The flavours are astonishingly good and wholesome, made using organic milk and cream from pasture-fed cows. Though there’s no egg in the ice cream, it has a perfectly smooth consistency. Flavours to try are the peanut brittle and Vietnamese coffee. Get it at the Organic Emporium in Bryanston, or Voodoo Lily Café in Birdhaven.