The best ice cream in Barcelona

Massimo Pignata’s DelaCrem has become a Barcelona fixture since opening in 2010, and with this newer adventure, he experiments with new flavours and allows patrons to see part of the ice cream–making process. They still offer the classic flavours, but they’re also developing new recipes, such as vegan cashew cream, apricot and cashew, and roasted apricot with rosemary. Apart from ice cream, Obrador Delacrem has a simple café and also makes up horchata. Don’t leave without trying the house speciality, ‘affogato’: a scoop of ice cream inside a cup of coffee with milk ‘drowned’ by espresso. 

At Parallelo, craftsmanship, proximity and seasonality are top priorities, and they use the best local products to make ice creams that evoke the sensations of each season. For example, for summer 2020 it was a pine ice cream made with pine nuts from Castilla and green pineapple from the Costa Brava, infused with cream. The intention was to reproduce the aromatic notes of the Mediterranean forest. In summers past they've made a seawater sorbet infused with pine needles and pine cones, to bring to mind taking a dip in the Mediterranean Sea off a small tree-covered cove. Whether you're looking for experimental, out-of-this-world flavours and textures or high-def classics, you will not be disappointed.

Takashi Ochiai is one of the great pastry chefs in Barcelona, and as of late 2019, he's also had his hands in ice cream. With the help of Italian artisan Andrea de Bellis, Ochiai has developed a traditional Italian ice cream parlour with Japanese touches. As with their pastries, the ice creams are made with only quality and local products, and you can get gorgeous flavours like the strawberry, lime and 'yuzu' sorbet, or the chocolate and ginger. Try the amazing black sesame ice cream, or ask for a 'tayaki' – a puffy fish-shaped cone used in Japan that's worlds better than the often indigestible wafer you might find at lesser establishments.

Baboia puts the ‘un’ in unconventional ice cream flavours, from  gazpacho to angel hair sweets. The cava and mandarin flavour is one of our favourites, with a touch of bubbly at the end. A ‘baboia’ is an old-fashioned roulette game from the fairs of Catalonia, by the way. Keeping in theme, there's a baboya on the wall. Spin it, and it'll give you an ice cream option.

'When you see that an ice cream parlour has more than 25 flavours and calls itself artisan, you have to be suspicious of the place. They don't have time to make them.' Alessadro Gaetano, a partner at OGGI (Officina Gelato Gusto Italiano), is blunt in this regard. In 2016 he opened his first space outside of Italy, and is proud to do it all from scratch using no pastes or ready-made ingredients. Refreshing flavours like wild fennel, mint and basil – a Sicilian classic – colour the palate in high definition. And if you need divine intervention to get you to try them, know that OGGI are official suppliers to events in the Holy See.

Possibly one of the best Italian ice cream shops in the city. They have a huge variety of flavours, and all of their products, including the Sicilian cannoli, are prepared with natural ingredients and no artificial colouring or preservatives. It’s paradise for lovers of healthy treats. Viva Italia!

The fundamental pillars at artisan ice cream parlour DelaCrem are daily production and the meticulous selection of ingredients to guarantee the highest quality of the final product. Massimo Pignata and his team show pure passion for making their ice cream by hand, slowly but surely, and with pride. Plus, during the production process, they use only gluten-free products, so that all flavours are suitable for coeliacs, and their fresh-fruit sorbets do not contain any derivative of animal origin so are ideal for vegans.

If you’ve ever wondered what exactly sets ‘artisan’ ice cream apart from the regular stuff, the mint chip at Natas is a case study, with its fresh, natural flavour of peppermint leaves like you’d get in a mojito. Other selections promise more pleasant surprises at Natas, where some of their best is on the menu of seasonal flavours that you can’t find elsewhere – during summer try the mango lassi, which flawlessly converts the popular Indian yoghurt drink into ice cream. And if you like alcohol in your dessert, there are always options like the Valenciano, which combines vanilla with orange juice and rum.

The ice creams at Gelatomania are fantastic, whether you opt for one of the classic flavours (there are up to 25 of them) or creations that owner Roberta Bernasconi, originally from Lombardy, Italy, comes up with, such as the mascarpone cream with apple. Without coming off as pretentious, she claims to have the key to a good ice cream: a good product and the balance between fat, sugar and air. Her workshop in view of customers, and the prices are friendly.

The walk-in, walk-out Gelateria di Michele offers rich and natural home-made scoops that manage to avoid tasting too sweet – the trap many ice creams fall into. The selection is small, but that’s a good thing here. As for combining flavours, try Oreo and coffee together for something unique that you’ll want every time you go back. Michele’s classics such as the chocolate and the mint are exceptional too, and if you’re looking for something outside the box, try the peach, or one of his frozen yoghurt selections. You could also just walk in and ask for Michele’s recommendation; you’re sure to be satisfied.