Sweet Scoops: Where to Find the Best Ice Cream in Canberra
From the tried and tested classics to bold flavours with chunks of goodness, we're rounding up the gelaterias scooping the best ice cream in Canberra.
Even with the cooler climate, ice cream and gelato remain a popular sweet treat in Canberra, with plenty of shops around town serving the good stuff.
Whether you're looking for an ice cream cake, experimental flavours, the softest gelato in town, or an ice cream-like dessert, we've done the hard yards to round up the best ice cream and gelato joins in the ACT. Vegan ice cream lovers are looked after, too, with stunningly fresh sorbets and creamy scoops made from alternative milks.
Keep the sweet tooth cravings at bay with a slew of ice creameries that have been around for decades, and others that are standout, all serving some of the best ice cream in Canberra.Spilt Milk Bar
There are plenty of places slinging gelato around Canberra, but one of our favourite spots will always be Spilt Milk Bar.
The flavours are interesting tasty – think lemon cheesecake, jaffa, maple pecan pie, and Biscoff caramel – and the ingredients are high-quality.
You can also turn up the indulgence factor by adding oozy chocolate hazelnut sauce, salty pretzel crunch or hazelnut crunch to your gelato.
Unit 70/2 Cape Street, Dickson
Anita Gelato
There's a reason Anita Gelato has made its way from the Mediterranean to Oz - the exquisite ingredients - from the homemade jams to world-class chocolate - ensure these scoops are anything but boring.
You'll be charmed by the gorgeous mint-green facade, but it's what's inside that counts. The bestselling Cookieman flavour has a bit of a cult following, so don't miss it when you pop in. Chocolate, hazelnuts, meringue and biscuit combine for the ultimate indulgence.
148 Bunda Street, Canberra
Via Dolce Pasticceria
Serving the good people of Canberra with sweet treats and baked goods for over a decade, family-run Via Dolce also happens to be churning some seriously creamy gelato.
Order a single, double or triple scoop, or go all out and opt for a 1L tub to have a taste of Via Dolce at home.
With 17 flavours to choose from, including salted caramel, Italian favourites Kinder and Bueno, plus dairy-free and gluten free sorbets, you're bound to find a flavour you love!
106 Bunda Street, Canberra
Florence Gelato
Bring a taste of authentic Italian gelato to the Capital Food Market, Florence Gelato is home to some of the best ice cream in Canberra.
They've only been open a short time, but already word has spread about the quality and unique gelato flavours on offer.
Play it safe with classic flavours, or expand your ice cream scope and try one of the intriguing creations like toasted white choc and cinnamon. You'll have to be quick though, the limited edition flavours only stick around for a week or two!
Capital Food Market, Market Street, Belconnen
Gelato Messina
An award-winning institution, Gelato Messina is now a household name. From their humble roots in Sydney, Messina has since set up shop across Australia, including locations right here in the ACT.
Weekly specials are the highlights here, with creative concoctions surprising ice cream lovers every seven days, but for those who are creatures of habit, they have over thirty staple flavours, such as coffee, apple pie, and white chocolate and macadamia.
Easily some of the best ice cream in Canberra!
Braddon & Kingston
Future Swirl
Future Swirl was the plant-based newcomer to Canberra’s gelato scene, with the gelato pop-up location sticking around for a good time, not a long time.
Following on from rave reviews for its ingenious oat milk-based soft serve, Future Swirl is continuing to give the people of Canberra what they want, popping up at markets around town in their blue and white van. Find out where to catch them next on their socials.
Naturally, the soft serve is dairy-free, but it’s also clear of eggs, gelatin, nuts, coconut and soy – making it ideal for anyone keen to avoid these additives.
Various market locations
Goodberry’s
We couldn’t finish this list without a Canberra icon. While it's technically not ice cream, Goodberry’s does epic frozen custards using only top-notch ingredients, and the result is nothing short of pure deliciousness.
Order a Frozen Custard Sundae or a Frozen Custard Concrete, which lets you choose add-ins like cookie dough, peanut butter cups, nuts, fruits, different flavours of fudge sauce and more.
There are two locations in Canberra, so no matter if you’re southside or in the Belconnen region, you’re never far from a delicious frozen treat.
Wanniassa & Belconnen
Loved our guide to the best ice cream in Canberra and looking for more foodie inspo around the city? Indulge in decadent pastries at the best bakeries in Canberra, or switch to savoury and check out the best burger joints in town.
