Where to Get the Best Ice Cream in Sydney

With temperatures consistently above 20 degrees Celsius throughout most of the year, ice cream and gelato are a year-round delicacy in Sydney.

Whether you’re looking for an ice cream cake, experimental flavours, the softest gelato in town, or an ice cream-dressed dessert, we’ve done the hard yards to round up the best ice cream and gelato joints in Sydney. 

Sydney’s slew of ice cream stores keeps the sweet tooth cravings at bay, but when you want to up your ice cream game, there are certain establishments that are standout favourites. Read on for the scoop on the best ice cream and gelato spots in Sydney. 

Mapo 

Made fresh each day, Mapo gelato is delightfully light and inspired by the flavours of the season. Basically, it’s the gelato version of a farm-to-table restaurant, and it’s top-notch. We guarantee you’ll be able to taste the difference. Classics sit alongside incredibly thought-through and inventive flavours like lemon & sugar, nectarine and dry gin, cucumber, lime & tonic.

Newtown, Bondi & Darlinghurst

Cibaria Gelateria

From one of Manly’s favourite waterside restaurants, comes this authentic Italian gelateria. Churning their gelato fresh daily, they source ingredients that are the cream of the crop, like pistachios from Sicily and hazelnuts from Piedmont. Located right by the Steyne, it’s perfectly positioned for a afternoon stroll, cone in hand.

Sitchu Tip: Feel like something fresh? Order the Sicilian almond & candied lemon. Yum.

55 N Steyne, Manly

Lunetta

Lunetta is Leichhardt’s latest love letter to traditional Italian gelato, brought to life by chef Leandro Vassallo. After stepping away from restaurant kitchens to train in Tuscany, Vassallo returned with a focus on small-batch production, time-honoured techniques and classic flavours made with care. Stored in a traditional pozzetti and crafted in limited quantities, the gelato here is all about purity and balance. Expect favourites like tiramisu and bacio, alongside a standout pistachio made using house-milled nuts for a richer, more complex finish. Delicious!

146 Norton Street, Leichhardt

Kreamu

This cutie-patootie Vietnamese-inspired gelato shop has gained cult status with a daily rotation of unique flavours. We’re talking soursop & butterfly pea, Vietnamese yoghurt, tamarind & peanuts and jackfruit. There are loads of vegan flavours available, alongside a range of traditional sweets and treats. The classic baby blue and pink interiors are the cherry on top!

Cabramatta & Marrickville

Rivareno Gelato

A trip to one of Rivareno Gelato’s four locations is a must for an authentic Italian gelato experience in Sydney. Each flavour is whipped up in-house daily, with premium, natural ingredients. Our top picks are the cioccolato made with red African cocoa beans sourced from Zaire and the Ivory Coast, the pistacchio Sicilia that has the most intense and unique taste of pistachio, and the caramello salato with salted caramel, pink Himalayan salt and toffee hazelnut pieces. 

Locations across Sydney 

Cow & the Moon

This award-winning gelato bar dominates rain, hail or shine. Housed in a humble cafe space, Cow & the Moon serves up generous portions of deliciousness with flavours like Turkish delight, strawberry and balsamic, and green tea and red bean. With more than twenty flavours on offer, this Enmore eatery is pumping late into the night. We recommend a post-gig stop-off as they stay open late, especially for Enmore Theatre clientele.

181 Enmore Road, Enmore

Hakiki

If you consider yourself a bit of a frozen dessert connoisseur, making a trip to Hakiki is a rite of passage. Hakiki specialises in a historical form of Turkish ice cream that melts slowly. Naturally, the flavour offering is incredible, with the likes of baklava, burnt caramel, grape molasses & tahini, melon & fetta and pistachio gracing the menu. If you still have space in your belly, don’t leave without trying the house-made Turkish delight, baklava, Turkish tea and coffee! 

Burwood & Newtown 

Gelato Messina

An award-winning institution, Gelato Messina is a household name. From their humble roots in Darlinghurst, Messina has since set up shop interstate and in the US. 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, pistachio and white chocolate and macadamia.

Various locations around Sydney

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 it’s never boring. Their bestselling Cookieman flavour has a bit of a cult following, so don’t miss it. Chocolate, hazelnuts, meringue and biscuit combine for the ultimate indulgence. 

Locations across Sydney

Gelato Franco

Another Marrickville institution, Gelato Franco takes things old school, with their emerald green walls, wood-panelled windows and their gelato served up in vintage glass dishes. The store has no sign but can afford to be discreet with the award-winning shop drawing in crowds. There’s a focus on quality over quantity here, with small-batch gelato and ten staple flavours. Another five flavours always serve up a surprise.

281 Marrickville Road, Marrickville

If you loved this edit of the best ice cream in Sydney and your sweet tooth has well and truly been activated, be sure to check out our edits of the best dessert deliveries in Sydney and the best bakeries in Sydney.