Although we’re firm believers that ice cream is acceptable in any season, there’s no denying that it’s especially tempting in the summer months as a welcome respite. So, we’ve listed the 7 coolest ice cream parlours in Dubai whose confections will melt your hearts.
1. Massimo’s Gelato, across Dubai
What’s better than some good ol’ creamy yet light Italian gelato? Massimo is the real deal. What started as an Italian gelato shop in the Mall of the Emirates has now expanded into a full-fledged Italian restaurant with three outlets across Dubai. Here, you won’t find anything OTT or crazy; the yummy flavours that are handmade from fresh ingredients flown in from Italy are left to do all the talkin; dark chocolate sorbet (our fave), tiramisu, pistachio, lemon and strawberry sorbets, milk and berries and traditional Stracciatella prove that simple is terrific.
📍7 outlets across Dubai; visit website
2. Ice Cream Lab
Molecular gastronomy, but make it ice cream with a dash of science experiment decor. The concept at this ice cream haven in Dubai Mall is simple, use science to make yummy things. Liquid nitrogen is used to flash-freeze ice cream and the result is creamy melt-in-your-mouth goodness. Their Lava Mud Chocolate Crunch and Lotus Experiments are longstanding best-sellers of ice cream in Dubai for a reason.
📍Second Floor / Parking: P7, Cinema Parking, Dubai Mall
3. 51 Rainbow Ice Cream
Scooped ice cream is all well and good, but have you ever tried Thai-style rolled ice cream? It’s visually satisfying. Watching liquid ice cream being poured onto a freezing cold (-35°C) steel surface and crystallizing into creamy rolls of ice cream instantly is a sight for sore eyes. Is it equally satisfying taste-wise? YES. Especially when you’re digging into them at one of the 51 Rainbow Ice Cream branches. In addition to rolled ice creams, you can also relish their 20 or so flavours, including fresh seasonal fruits like custard apple, in the form of crazy ice cream shakes, smoothies and falooda (Indian dessert). The hit flavour they’ve rolled out for summer is mango.
📍Al Karama and Nahda
4. Bachir
There’s no point in playing it cool when drool-worthy frozen delights from Bachir Ice Cream are in question. This iconic Lebanese brand brought its 86-year-old legacy to Dubai last year with two new branches. All of their 19 classic flavours have made the cut, plus a special date flavour has been introduced for the UAE. Healthy eaters can find sugar and gluten-free options too. Fans will be relieved to know the famous chocolat mou sundae is on there as well. But the showstopper for us is hands-down the lighter-than-air Ashta (whipped cream) ice cream crusted generously with crushed pistachios. We dare you to try it and deny it.
📍Galleria in Al Barsha & City Walk Dubai
5. Temple Creamery
What’s been your weirdest ice cream topping? In the hands of someone else, adding cornflakes to your ice cream could be a cereal crime. At Temple Creamery it’s an art. Captain Crunch, Butterfinger, Pop Tarts, Rice Krispies and other legendary American breakfast foods we’ve seen on TV shows are blended into a house recipe vanilla ice cream to create swirls. Want to crumble cookies into your ice cream instead? That can be done too at this Wasl Road outlet, along with the options of blondies, brownies, Cinnabons – and wait for this – Ruffles potato chips!
📍Al Wasl Road, Umm Suqueim 1, Dubai
6. Scoopi Cafe
This Palm Jumeirah ice cream parlour is notorious for serving the world’s most expensive ice cream – the black diamond ice cream with edible gold. 2015’s headline-grabbing flavour served in a Versace bowl and an AED2,999 price tag is no longer on the menu. However, they have plenty of other luxurious ice creams using the finest ingredients and the nitrogen flash-freeze method. The charcoal ice cream with edible gold satisfies those seeking a gilt-edged guilty pleasure. And if the rich taste of gold flakes is too rich for your blood, the matcha, kachi keri (raw mango) or mooncake icecreams will scoop, we mean swoop, you off your feet.
📍 Social Distrikt, The Pointe, Palm Jumeirah
7. Cold Stone Creamery
This place is the ultimate treat: not only are there a ton of quirky flavours to choose from like cake batter, marshmallow and peanut butter, for example, their specialty is how they make delicious unique combinations of flavours, sprinkles and syrup. Check out their menu for their signature creations or if you’re feeling extra creative, you could always give it a go yourself. The servers are also super entertaining to watch as they pretty much put on a show whilst scooping your ice cream. Our favourite is Birthday Cake Remix and yes, it tastes as good as it sounds!