Gelatos in Lisbon

NIVÀ

Located in the heart of Principe Real, Nivà is the first Italian cremeria opened in Portugal. The Rivolta family, whose restaurant Bontan was granted a Michlin Star back in 1991, has three locations in Turin and one in Cannes, France.

Here I’ve tried Cremino and Nocciolato. Both come with sophisticated flavours from not only high quality ingredients, but also of the perfect pairing. The Cremino was creamy with the right balance of chocolate and coffee cream. The Nocciolato contains whole roasted hazelnut from Piedmont. So far Nivà is my favorite gelataria in town.

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GROM

Also from Turin this worldwide chain by Federico Grom and Guido Martinetti is located in the bustling Chiado district. I always fall for their signature ‘Crema di Grom‘ – with pastry cream, Venezuela chocolate chips and Grom meliga biscuits, the perfect balance of textures and flavours. They also have fabulous seasonal flavours such as melon in May. My friend raves about their hot chocolate which I will be sure to check out once the temperature drops.

SANTINI

Also in Chiado, nearby on another street finds Santini, where there’s always a queue out the door. Strawberry and Cream are the most popular, but any flavour flies. They have twelve gelatarias in the great Lisbon area, including three in Cascais.

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MÚ

Marco Bauli and Elena left Verona for Lisbon and opened Mú. Ice creams here are made using the traditional Italian method that requires the mixture of fruit, sugar and milk to rest for a good 12 hours. Pistacchio (from Sicily) is my go to flavour. For something non-traditional, I’ve had Banana Chocolate and a fantastic Cuore di Mama – mother’s heart (white chocolate & strawberry) for Mother’s Day celebration.

NANNARELLE

Tucked in the neighbourhood of Misericórdia is another popular ice cream parlor. Rain or shine, you are guaranteed to see a queue. Ricotta is the elusive flavour to try, if you are lucky enough to see it on the menu 😛

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GIALLO

We stumbled upon this little cafe at the bottom of the Alfama during our first visit to Lisbon. Everything is homemade with interesting flavour combinations such as – Watermelon with Raspberry or Toasted Almond with Orange.

GELADOS de PORTUGAL

I discovered Gelados de Portugal in Aveiro. The flavours can’t be more Portuguese than these: Aveiro sea salt with caramel, Ovos moles de Aveiro or Chestnut with Port wine jelly. Just the other day, I just realized that these gelados are able available everywhere in Lisbon.

***These are pre-made gelatos and the taste may vary depending on how and how long they were stored***

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GELATATO THERAPY

Every time I pass this gelataria on my way home, I get a Milk shake to go. The special flavours are: Rosemary with Lemon and Vanila with Basil. But I would try everything. As to the name, the lady in the picture teaches Psychology at university. Nevertheless, don’t you think having a gelato is therapeutic? 😉

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A VENEZIANA

The 1930s economic crisis in Italy forced Giovanni De Luca to leave his hometown in the Alps to pursue a better life in America. Instead, he made it all the way to Lisbon and never left. In 1936, he opened arguably the first ice creamery in the city. A Veneziana is famous for its Cassata and Maraschino gelato. Cassata is a cake made with ricotta cheese, candied fruit, chocolate and marzipan. The cassata gelato at Veneziana is made with layers of fruity, creamy & chocolaty ice cream and nuts, candied fruits and a maraschino cherry. I also spotted a plate of spaghetti gelato, which I would like to try next time around.

So there you have it, my favourite gelatarias in Lisbon as of now. Below is a map of where they are.

Where is your favourite gelataria in Lisbon or wherever you are?

Coming up next: Recipe: Summer Fruit (Apricot & Plum) Cake