25 ice creams to help you forget the summer heat

Delhi-based Jaatre, co-founded by Shilpi Bhargava and Pavan Jambagi, takes a creative and sustainable approach to ice cream. The flavours are linked to the sowing and harvest cycles at the farms from which it sources fruits and ingredients, translating into a menu that is both seasonal and practical. They are served in upcycled coconut shells and terracotta tubs. The low-sugar ice creams have a beautiful subtle smell that one associates with terracotta. They have classic flavours like chocolate, pink guava, strawberry and mango, but I would recommend the nutty-creamy palm jaggery and roasted sesame or the combo of chocolate-orange. The more adventurous can try the fig and balsamic vinegar option. —Avantika Bhuyan

MANAM CHOCOLATE, DELHI

Manam Chocolate’s sleeper hit is tucked away on its seasonal menu, A Summer Somewhere (available until 15 July). The café is serving a trio of ice-cream sandwiches worth saving room for. There’s a cherry-and-vanilla with mascarpone gelato, reminiscent of black forest cake, a malt and chocolate version evoking Bournvita between cookies, and a mango-and-citrus iteration that recalls the orange cream biscuits of childhood. —Geetika Sachdev

FIRENZE GELATERIA, DELHI

The queue outside Chef Parth Gupta’s Defence Colony gelateria has become something of a fixture, and the pistachio bronte made with Sicilian nuts is what keeps people coming back. It’s rich, nutty, and manages to be creamy and crunchy all at once. The fruit cream flavour comes a close second, replicating the taste of the traditional fruit cream found in the bylanes of Old Delhi. This one is creamier, with seasonal fruit and lots of nuts. — Geetika Sachdev

DELHI’S KULFIWALLAHS

Long before people became far too conscious about street food hygiene and artisanal desserts took over, summers in Delhi were incomplete without roadside milky kulfis and brightly coloured ice golas. Every afternoon, the familiar bell of the kulfi carts would bring together children and adults alike, gathering around street vendors for a sweet treat that cost ₹10-50. The kulfi was always fresh—creamy sticks made with condensed milk and nuts dunked into thick rabri before being handed over, and the gola was shaved and flavoured right in front of you and soaked in sweet, tangy syrups tailored to each customer’s taste. The carts may make fewer rounds today, but the flavour of those treats remains unchanged. Perhaps look out of the window—there might be a kulfiwala ringing his bell or a gola cart waiting quietly at the end of your street? —Pooja Singh

OMM NOM NOMM, BENGALURU

Apple pie and ice cream is a tried-and-true combination, the heat and crunch of the pie crust offset by the coldness of the vanilla ice cream. Bengaluru-based cloud kitchen Omm Nom Nomm, which specialises in all-natural French ice cream, has combined all those flavours and textures into its Apple Spice & All Things Nice ice cream. It’s a comfortingly rich blend of spiced apple chunks, caramel swirl, nutmeg, vanilla, apple and cinnamon all in one tub. —Shalini Umachandran

LUPA, BENGALURU

While most covet Lupa for cocktails, they also have a dedicated gelateria with a vintage Italian machine churning out fresh, velvety flavours. Their menu keeps rotating, but the mango gelato trio has rightfully remained a mainstay. They serve a trio of local favourites: Imam Pasand, Badami and Alphonso. These scoops aren’t overwhelmingly sweet; the entire focus is just on letting the mango’s natural, vibrant flavour shine. If you’re curious about the process, you can ask the staff for a quick peek at how it’s made. —Ghazal Chengappa

BURMA BURMA, BENGALURU

Avocado has been forced on to many menus, but the avocado honey gelato at Burma Burma is a must-try. The presentation is theatrical, arriving at your table more like a cocktail served in a bowl of smoking dry ice. The pale-green gelato is paired with honeycomb bits, a crisp lattice, and topped with honey caviar. It’s got a delightful mix of textures, making each bite a fun balance of chewy, crunchy, and creamy. You can easily control the sweetness of the experience just by portioning the honeycomb bits with the gelato. If you want an out-of-the-box dessert moment and find standard waffle cones or chocolate sundaes dull, this is the perfect pick. —Ghazal Chengappa

PRAKASH KULFI, LUCKNOW

The owner of Prakash Kulfi, the late Prakash Chandra Arora, came to Lucknow after Partition and started selling kulfi from a small wooden platform. In 1956, he opened his first shop in Aminabad and now has five outlets across the city. The brand’s legacy rests in its creamy kesar kulfi that is served with falooda. For the longest time, Prakash made just one flavour, saffron, but eventually introduced new ones including rose, paan and mango (in summers). However, the OG kesar kulfi remains the best-seller. My summer vacations in Lucknow included eating chaat followed by kulfi at Prakash after a shopping spree in Aminabad with my mom. —Shirin Mehrotra

ABBIE’S GELATO, PUNE

Tucked away in Koregaon Park, Abbie’s Gelato is filled with surprises. Named after founder Abish, the menu is personal and playful. So alongside the classics you’ll get a rotating line-up of inventive flavours like lemon and olive oil gelato, Yakult Mango, or a Breakfast of Cereal gelato. The only downside is the menu changes every month and one has to wait for favourites to return. I’m still not over their fried gelato and might start a petition to bring it back. —Jyoti Kumari

NOTO, ACROSS CITIES

Named after a Sicilian town known for its gelato, NOTO was founded in 2019 by Varun and Ashni Sheth to sell calorie-controlled and sugar-free desserts. They sell popsicles, bars, low-cal tubs and frozen desserts across cities. Their tangy-sweet kala jamun pop is a family favourite with hints of black salt and pepper in every bite. I also like the classic vanilla mini bites with crisp chocolate covering and smooth vanilla cream, ideal for those wanting to hold back a little even on cheat days. —Avantika Bhuyan

K. RUSTOM & CO., MUMBAI

When I moved to Mumbai, one of the first foods and flavours of the city I tasted was the rum and raisin ice cream at K. Rustom & Co. near Churchgate. It’s a slice of vanilla ice cream spiked with rum and studded with dried raisins sandwiched between two wafers. They opened in 1953 and have evolved as a culinary landmark serving signature flavours like blackcurrant, roasted almond chocolate and Nescafe. Seasonal favourites include muskmelon, mango and strawberry. The biggest draw is not merely the flavours, but the scoops of nostalgia that keep people coming back for more. —Jahnabee Borah

INDU ICE CREAM, MUMBAI

Indu’s filter kaapi ice cream is a favourite, and comes in two variations. The hazelnut sundae is indulgent with a chocolate disc on top, hazelnut butter and coffee caramel sauce. The brownie cheesecake has a hint of filter coffee and mild cheesecake. The fudgy brownie bits balance add just the right texture for a smooth mouthfeel. They also sell filter coffee date bites with hazelnuts and chocolate. — Rituparna Roy

PARSI DAIRY FARM, MUMBAI

Mumbai’s century-old Parsi Dairy Farm is famous for its kulfis. I would stock up on them during the pandemic and eat them as a treat. Recently, they launched malai kulfi pops, which come like a lollipop on a stick. These are the perfect size when you’re craving dessert but don’t want to consume too much sugar. — Jahnabee Borah

NATURALS, MUMBAI

Jackfruit is one of those fruits that tends to spark extreme reactions, but I have many memories of relishing the sweet, juicy pods straight off the tree every summer. Jackfruit ice cream, therefore, feels like a sweet escape to another time, and who better to ace it than Naturals. The flavour strikes just the right balance of sweetness, with little segments of the fruit lending a rich, creamy texture. For me, it makes for a deeply nostalgic treat. —Rituparna Roy

SHWEY’S, KOCHI

Shwey’s came to life five years ago during the pandemic when its founder, Abhner Mathew Pauly, tried to salvage a baking disaster. That original flavour, Cake Off, is still a best-seller, though they’ve added more crowd-pleasers. Be adventurous and try the mango-jalapeno, which has a subtle sweet-spicy hit, and the weirdly interesting vanilla ice cream infused with bacon and topped with bacon bits and maple syrup.

GELATO PILLAI, FORT KOCHI

Every afternoon and night, after hours of walking around Fort Kochi and the Biennale earlier this year, I’d stop at Gelato Pillai. I often made a meal of it because the light, small-batch Italian gelatos hit just the spot in the humidity. If you have the time, you could rotate through pistachio, salted caramel ripple and dark chocolate or pick fruity flavours like mango, tender coconut and mulberry. There are dairy-free, gluten-free and vegan options too. —Shalini Umachandran

LES AMIS, CHENNAI

The buckets filled with brightly coloured sorbets and gelatos and rows of ice lollies are a soothing sight when you enter Chennai’s Les Amis gelataria. There’s Irish coffee, Sicilian pistachio, rose milk and Alphonso mango as well as more unusual flavours like jamun, jackfruit and red dragonfruit to choose from. True decadence though is in the form of the Parisian waffles with a generous scoop of gelato served with syrup and fresh fruit.

FAT LITTLE PENGUIN, KOLKATA

I have a soft spot for Fat Little Penguin’s Biscoff and Nutella Ice Cream. The artisanal ice cream company is owned by pastry chef Jayatri Biswas, whose experience includes a stint with the legendary New York-based French pastry chef Dominique Ansel, the inventor of the cronut. Fat Little Penguin started out as a delivery-only outfit during the pandemic, which is also when I first sampled their luscious, creamy treats. Some of their best-sellers include the retro-esque Black Forest and the quirky Salted Caramel Rush, besides innovative and delicious numbers like Gandharaj aamshotto, a celebration of the land, and a range of ice cream sandwiches. — Priyadarshini Chatterjee

LITTLE PLEASURES, KOLKATA

I am a big fan of the Lotus Biscoff Crumble at Little Pleasures, the Kolkata-based multi-outlet gourmet patisserie owned by Le Cordon Bleu trained chef Shripriya Gupta Seth. It’s one of my favourite dessert parlours in Kolkata. The first outlet opened its doors almost 20 years ago, and the chain has since scripted a decadent success story. I go there for their delicious macarons, profiteroles and a cornucopia of luxurious desserts, buttery tarts and delicate pastries. But it is their range of ice creams that screams luxe with their texture and mouthfeel. There’s Dark Chocolate and Orange, Sicilian Pistachio and Mint Chocolate Twist in addition to light sorbets in strawberry, mandarin orange and mango passionfruit. If one is feeling extra indulgent, one should certainly dive into the Dubai Pistachio Kunafa Chocolate Gelato Box. —Priyadarshini Chatterjee

PABRAI’S FRESH & NATURELLE ICE CREAM, KOLKATA

Predictably perhaps I vote for Pabrai’s iconic nolen gur ice cream—a deliciously textured treat of date palm jaggery infused ice cream, churned with some gurer sandesh and served with swirls of liquid date palm jaggery. Those who grew up in Calcutta of the 1990s perhaps remember Tulika’s Ice Cream Parlour on Russell Street. It closed down in the late 2000s but the family behind it returned as Pabrai’s Fresh & Naturelle Ice Cream, a few years later. Their endlessly innovative flavour options include a unique Gandharaj-scented ice cream with a distinctive citrus punch. —Priyadarshini Chatterjee

CREAM CHOC, GOA

There is a particular joy to feasting on ice cream in December, when it’s freezing in the National Capital Region and you’re outdoors in sunny Goa. For a couple of years now, a visit to the Serendipity Arts Festival in Panjim has included several halts at the Cream Choc stall, a fixture at the festival, to savour frozen treats. Cream Choc, which has multiple outlets in North Goa, is known for its small-batch artisanal desserts. The highlights of its extensive menu are the best-seller Belgian chocolate and the Vanilla Madagascar gelatos. —Avantika Bhuyan

OPEN KITCHEN, COONOOR

Sometimes when it’s cold outside, a dish of ice cream is just what one needs, and Coonoor’s Open Kitchen serves a delicious dark choc and roasted almond ice cream that’s hand-churned in-house. There’s also a sweet salted caramel and a far-too-heavy death by chocolate, but classic flavours are the best to match the charm of hill towns. (If you’re looking for vegan ice cream, head to Cherrie Berry in the Highfield tea estate, where they make fresh avocado, strawberry and vanilla ice cream fresh from the farm’s own produce). —Shalini Umachandran

AMADORA, CHENNAI AND BENGALURU

The chocobar is an all-time childhood favourite—you had to unwrap and eat it quickly before the chocolatey shell slid off and landed on the ground, or worse, your school shirt. Artisanal ice-cream maker Amadora removes this anxiety by coating five-bean vanilla ice cream with Belgian chocolate and adding the surprise element of a raspberry coulis at the heart of it. All the joy without the tears. —Shalini Umachandran