Santini

Santini. It's a name you'll remember forever once you've had your first taste of one of their ice creams. It's said to be the best ice cream parlour in Portugal, and if it's not the best, it's pretty close. It was first sold by Attilio Santini on Tamariz beach, Estoril, in 1949. Attilio was an Italian who moved to Portugal and who brought with him the history of his family, which had been making ice cream in Italy since the 19th century. From Tamariz beach it moved to Avenida Valbom, right in the heart of Cascais, where it gained legions of fans who came from all over the country just to try the ice creams and who waited six months for the shop to open again (until the mid-noughties it only opened in the summer). In 2009, part of the company was bought by local businessmen, although a part remained in the hands of the Santini family. Since then it has opened more shops and developed more flavours, while always maintaining its high quality.