1. 4th Avenue Roasters
4th Avenue Roasters’ ice cream and gelato is made fresh in-house at their Parkhurst cafe and served with a smile. Using imported Italian gelato powder, each scoop is distinctly rich, silky, and full of flavour. Pair their showstopping Black Vanilla ice cream with a perfectly brewed flat white for the ultimate sweet-and-bitter treat.
2. Baglios
Baglios is a Johannesburg-born Italian gelateria, carrying on recipes handed down through the Barbaglia family since the 1970s. Made fresh on-site every day, their egg-free gelato, sorbets, and frozen yoghurts are creamy yet light, beautifully presented, and made with only the highest-quality ingredients. Every scoop delivers a taste of Italian indulgence, reflecting Baglios’ heritage of artisanal passion and uncompromising quality. Baglios can be found all over Joburg, including Montecasino, Bedford Centre, and Morningside.
3. Fab & Co
Fab & Co in Parkhurst is the place where "fabulous people meet to eat", and it also makes fabulous gelato and sorbet. They’re all about experimenting with funky flavours like malva pudding and custard, gorgonzola and caramelised fig, and New York cheesecake, but our favourites happen to be their simple pink grapefruit and blood orange sorbets. If they’re on display, make sure you get a scoop.
4. Forest Gelato
Forest Gelato at 44 Stanley and The Village Shopping Centre in Parkview is all about seasonal flavours, environmental consciousness, and ensuring their products are free from artificial additives and preservatives. And their gelato is sublime! They gravitate towards more ‘adult’ flavours like orange and Szechuan pepper, and fresh plum and kirsch, but our favourites are the vegan Belgian chocolate gelato and the creamy vegan coconut and lime, both insanely rich and unbelievably good.
5. Gelatissimo
At Gelatissimo, Italian Chani Lavine has set out to create an authentic Italian gelateria in the heart of Glenhazel. There’s a big emphasis on only using the very best ingredients infused with love and joy. It’s also Kosher. The tiramisu and white chocolate flavours are pretty fabulous, and their homemade crisp Belgian waffles add to their appeal.
6. Gelato Mania
Gelato Mania, the Cape Town-based brand that exploded across the Western Cape over the last few years, has brought their sensational artisanal gelato to The Firs in Rosebank. They’re firm believers in quality ingredients and only the freshest full-cream milk (they go through 360 kg of Belgian chocolate per week to make their chocolate gelato). Those watching their calories will delight in knowing that Gelato Mania has chocolate and hazelnut ‘lite’ gelato made using low-fat milk and sweetened with stevia, as well as a vegan option made with soya milk.
7. La Cremosa
La Cremosa does it the Roman way: there are no flashy displays of gelato dripping in toppings; it’s hidden in containers within the counter to ensure the gelato is at its freshest and best. They use 100% natural ingredients, no syrups and no flavourings. Our favourites are the Nutella and pistachio, along with their double delicious caramel and chocolate gelato. La Cremosa also does mighty fine homemade cannolis and makes all their sugar cones in-store. You’ll find them in Dainfern Square and Melrose Arch.
8. Le Parc by tashas
Le Parc by tashas is a little Parisian oasis at Hyde Park Corner that makes its own gourmet ice cream, all laid out in the most gorgeous display, making it virtually impossible to pass by their venue without sneaking a peek. There are always six different flavours on offer as well as one special flavour of the week; these include Pistachio, Ferrero Rocher, Strawberry Cheesecake, and Pink Bubblegum. You can also go all out with toppings from their audacious selection of caramel popcorn, brandy snaps, 100s and 1000s, chocolate pearls, and flaked almonds.
9. Pappas on The Square
Established over three decades ago, Pappas on the Square is a beloved, award-winning restaurant in the heart of Sandton City’s Nelson Mandela Square. Indulge in authentic Greek flavours from pastelli ice cream to pistachio gelato, which pairs perfectly with a chocolate waffle topped with kataifi (if you know, you know).
10. Paul's Homemade Ice Cream
Photo: Paul's Homemade Ice Cream.
Ice cream isn't quite the same as gelato; with Paul's Homemade Ice Cream, the base for their ice cream is a custard that uses eggs, whereas gelato does not. The difference is in the texture and the flavour, Paul’s is quite a lot richer and denser, but equally as sweet. Paul's is best known for their Birthday Cake ice cream, which contains small squares of cake and rainbow sprinkles. Other far-out flavours include churros with dulce de leche swirls, stroopwafel, and bread and butter pudding. There are also carb-free varieties, a vegan, dairy-free ice cream made with coconut cream, and even 'ice creams' for dogs. Find the chain all over Joburg, in select supermarkets and even at garage shops for ice-cream emergencies.
11. Soweto Creamery
Photographer Thando Makhubu used his R350 Covid-19 Social Relief of Distress Grant to start the Soweto Creamery ice cream parlour. The Jabulani shop soon went viral and put them on the map as an absolute must for anyone visiting the area. Punnets of ice cream are topped with insane combinations of whole Magnums, Toblerone, giant cookies and beautiful fruit drizzled in chocolate and syrups with wonderful names like caramel canyon, chocolate OVERLOAD, and planet sweetness.
12. Wedgewood Emporium
Wedgewood offers South Africa’s first and only nougat ice cream. Thick, elastic, and silky, their scoops come in seriously decadent flavours – from honey macadamia to white chocolate butterscotch ripple – while delivering the rich, nutty sweetness of nougat. Indulgent and playful, each scoop makes for a seriously luxurious dessert experience. You can find them in Parkhurst or in The Zone @ Rosebank.
If ice cream paradise had a postcode, it might just be 4th Avenue, Parkhurst. We're dubbing it Joburg's "ice cream high street" as it’s the city’s most walkable (and 'lickable') dessert destination. Start your dessert crawl at Fab & Co, with their entrées-adjacent gorgonzola and caramelised fig gelato, then head to Baglios for simple, old-school perfection. Next, hit Wedgewood for their thick, Turkish-inspired nougat ice cream, and swing by cult classic Paul’s Homemade Ice Cream because it wouldn't be a dessert run without it. Think we're done? Not yet. Round out the crawl with a scoop from 4th Avenue Roasters, the perfect ice cream digestif.
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