Ice cream lovers will be pleased to know that Cologne is dotted with places that will help appease your gelato cravings. On the menu are not only all-time classics, but also vegan sorbets and bold, exotic flavours. Here are eight of the best ice cream parlours in the city.
The three owners and ice cream enthusiasts only opened their ice cream parlour a year ago, but it’s already hard to imagine Ehrenfeld without Eisfeld. The girls create flavourful ice creams and fruity vegan sorbets without using any additives. If you’re feeling like something more substantial, take a seat and order one of the fresh waffles with a scoop of your favourite flavour on top.
If you stroll down Aachener Straße on a sunny weekend, you will notice the queue outside Bar Schmitz. People happily wait in line for 15 minutes for a couple of scoops of the innovative ice cream and sorbet flavours. On the menu is caramel fleur de sel, chocolat au lait with salty popcorn, or pear with marzipan sorbet and a lot more. The café uses only organic ingredients, and all their sorbets are vegan.
Another Ehrenfeld ice cream hot spot, all flavours here are made in-house, and you can even look over their shoulders in the process. Next to classics from chocolate to vanilla, the team at Die Eisdielerin continually experiment with unusual flavours – in the past, avocado or ginger and wheatgrass sorbet and New-York-cheesecake ice cream were on the list. Vegans will be happy to hear that they can order all sorbets and even some of their waffles without worries.
Due to its central location right at Rudolfplatz, Eiscafé Breda is the perfect stop to cool down after an extensive shopping trip. Their creamy gelato creations come in a cone or a cup, or as sundaes topped with fresh fruits, chocolate chunks and whipped cream according to your preferences. The selection of all-time favourite ice cream flavours is mixed up with innovative varieties, such as rum and truffle or coffee crunch.
The staff at Eismanufaktur Keiserlich are dedicated to making the best homemade ice cream. They bank on natural flavours free from additives and only use organic and regional ingredients. The types of ice cream in the refrigerated counter change daily, but they are all rich in flavour,]; a lot of them are vegan as well. Rice pudding and lemon and basil are among their best sellers.
If you like authentic Italian gelato and coffee, you’re in for a treat. The scoops and sundaes at Gelateria Cafeteria Süd are at the pricier end of the scale, but here only the finest and most exclusive ingredients end up in the ice cream maker. You can choose from 20 types, including organic acai berry gelato, vegan dark chocolate sorbet and Piedmontese hazelnut. Try the superfood sundae – gelato topped with yoghurt, goji berries and chia seeds.
This simple ice cream parlour opened more than 20 years ago and is essential to Cologne’s Bayenthal quarter, though Giacomo Ferigo and his constantly changing creative flavours have made a name for themselves beyond the Veedel borders. On a sunny day, people are quick to gather outside to get their fix of chocolate-chilli, orange-basil, bourbon vanilla ice cream or whatever is available. Rest assured that there are between 30-40 flavours to choose from at any one time, so you won’t miss out.