September 2, 2024, 3:59 pm | Read time: 6 minutes
Summer is in full swing. And what could be better in these temperatures than cooling off from the inside – with a delicious ice cream? This year, fruity combinations such as “orange-mint” or “peach-basil” are particularly popular. This year, the Tripadvisor travel community once again decided which ice cream parlors in Germany know their trade best. We show you the top 10.
A summer without ice cream is something most people can’t even fathom. Both children and adults love the sweet refreshment that comes in either a cup or a cone. Yet, the journey from one ice cream parlor to another can reveal vast differences in quality, taste, and creativity. With a plethora of reviews at their disposal, the Tripadvisor travel community has once again identified the crème de la crème of German ice cream parlors.
Both the quantity and quality of the reviews played a role in the ranking, with more recent ones being weighted more heavily*.
This suggests that truly exceptional ice cream isn’t just a treasure of the major cities; it’s a delight to be discovered throughout Germany. However, the current stronghold of the frozen delicacy seems to be Munich: three candidates make it into the top 10. Could this be attributed to its proximity to Italy, the land where Marco Polo famously introduced ice cream to Europe?
The top 10 best ice cream parlors in Germany:
1st place: EisLabor, Bonn
Tripadvisor users love EisLabor in Bonn the most. It scores particularly highly for its high-quality ingredients, such as organic milk and lactose-free sorbets. The ice cream parlor wasn’t even on last year’s radar and has now skyrocketed from obscurity to the list’s pinnacle. “They serve great homemade ice cream in some unusual flavors such as salted caramel or orange with mint. The milk comes from organic farmers, and the fruity varieties are all lactose-free sorbets,” a user of the travel website enthuses.
2nd place: El Gel o Sia, Koblenz
As in the previous year, the Koblenz ice cream parlor E Gel o Sia came in second place among the most popular ice cream makers in Germany. Guests can take a look at the production process through the shop window, and many praise the natural taste: “The fruit ice cream and sorbets in particular really taste of fruit! Delicious!” writes someone who has already feasted at E Gel o Sia. An Italian Tripadvisor user notes that the preparation method, such as serving with a spatula, is very reminiscent of Italy. With such a nod to authenticity, it’s bound to be a treat!
3rd place: Il Gelato – Di Ferigo, Cologne
Il Gelato – Di Ferigo in Cologne comes in third place. This is the first time it has featured in the top 10 rankings this year, and it impresses its guests with its diverse selection: “The wait and the high price are worth it – classic flavors such as vanilla and chocolate as well as exotic varieties such as pumpernickel or pear and parsley taste uniquely delicious!”
4th place: Sylter Eismanufaktur, List
Another newcomer to the ranking this year is Sylter Eismanufaktur in List. “To be honest, I was absolutely surprised to get such a delicious ice cream on Sylt and not in Venice or Florence,” writes an enthusiastic user in his review of the ice cream parlor on TripAdvisor.
5th place: Gelato Go, Heidelberg
5th place goes to Café Gelato Go in Heidelberg, which moved up two places compared to the previous year. “Once you’ve tried this ice cream, you won’t want any other! For me, it’s the best ice cream I know! There are always new ingenious creations, but the classics such as vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry are also highly recommended.” This glowing endorsement from a Tripadvisor user says it all.
6th place: Caffe e Gelato, Berlin
The Italian café Caffe e Gelato on Potsdamer Platz in Berlin is also back in Germany’s top 10 best ice cream parlors (last year: 4th place). Here, everything is crafted in-house, with a flavor spectrum that spans from timeless classics to inventive originals like brittle or mascarpone. There is organic ice cream, sugar-free fructose-based ice cream, and lactose-free ice cream. “Very good ice cream, unusual flavors, generous portions, fast service. Highly recommended,” writes a user on Tripadvisor.
7th place: True & 12 Handmade Ice Cream, Munich
New in the top 10 is the small Munich ice cream manufacturer True & 12 Handmade Ice Cream. It offers its guests twelve homemade flavors and also relies on first-class spices such as Bourbon vanilla beans from Madagascar. From a Tripadvisor user’s review: “Soft, creamy ice cream in both the usual and unusual flavors, such as green tea, lemon-mint and blood orange. The standard flavors are also extremely tasty – the best vanilla ice cream in a long time.”
8th place: Vanille & Marille Eismanufaktur, Berlin
Berlin’s Vanille & Marille Eismanufaktur has made it into the top 10 for the first time this year. One visitor enthused: “Everything looked very appealing, from peanut ice cream with brownie pieces to saffron ice cream, Belgian chocolate, and raspberry sorbet. I treated myself to two scoops straight away and was not disappointed with the taste – a clear recommendation!”
9th place: Der Verrückte Eismacher, Munich
Last year’s first-place winner is still in the top 10, albeit only in 9th place. This is Der Verrückte Eismacher in Munich, which offers many creations that take some getting used to. These include “weißwurst” (directly translated as white sausage, a traditional Bavarian), beer, bacon, cannabis, or pregnancy ice cream (pickled cucumber with Nutella). Varieties that make your mouth water at the mere mention include Triple Chocolate Cake, Champagne Strawberry, Raffaello, or Walnut Fig. “I’ve rarely tasted such good and ingenious ice cream flavors. Even the kale ice cream tastes good. Witty ideas in very good execution,” writes one Tripadvisor user about the ice cream parlor, which is also known far beyond Munich.
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10th place: Ballabeni, Munich
Another Munich ice cream parlor took 10th place: Ballabeni (last year: 5th place). The ice cream workshop not only produces a wide variety of flavors but also offers courses for anyone interested in learning the art of making ice cream or sorbet themselves. “There are always new, unusual flavors that you have to try. A must if you’re out and about in Schwabing,” writes one user on Tripadvisor. Guests are particularly charmed by the delightful surprise of receiving a spoonful of a different ice cream flavor to sample with every scoop.
*Establishments were taken into account if they are marked as ice cream parlors on the website or if they have at least 50 percent of reviews about “ice cream” and at least 30 reviews.