Residents in Berlin, Frankfurt and Nuremberg have a sweet reason to feel proud after three local ice cream parlours were named among Europe’s most beautiful, combining standout interiors with artisan gelato.
If you are looking for an excuse to treat yourself this summer, Architectural Digest has provided one.
The influential international magazine – best known for its coverage of architecture, interiors and design – has unveiled its list of the most beautiful ice cream parlours in Europe.
And three of the top five are in Germany.
In compiling the ranking, the magazine looked beyond the contents of the freezer cabinet. The focus was on the overall experience, highlighting venues where architecture, interior design and atmosphere are every bit as memorable as the ice cream itself.
From dramatic concrete counters to colourful ice cream bars and open kitchens, the selected parlours were praised for creating immersive spaces that elevate a simple scoop into something more special.
Germany’s standout scoops
Early Bird Gelato, Prenzlauer Berg, Berlin (second place)
Only Spain’s Regma in Santander finished ahead of Early Bird Gelato on the Architectural Digest list.
The magazine praised the shop’s “holistic experience”, centred on a striking strawberry-coloured counter designed by Berlin studio About Space. Small seating islands crafted from pigmented ash complete the unusual look.
The gelateria, located on Winsstraße in Prenzlauer Berg, was founded in 2015. The ice cream is made on site using carefully selected ingredients and no artificial thickeners, colourings or stabilisers.
Alongside classics, customers can sample flavours such as Greek yoghurt and baklava, Peruvian chocolate with Indonesian long pepper, olive oil with oranges and almond, or peanut butter and jelly.
READ ALSO: How to keep your cool in Germany during the heatwave
Antipodean Gelato, Nordend, Frankfurt (third place)
Third place on the list went to Antipodean Gelato in Frankfurt’s Nordend district. Architectural Digest highlighted the shop’s emphasis on transparency, with a large window allowing customers to see directly into the production kitchen.
According to the website, Antipodean was founded by Rachel – originally from Australia – and has quickly “become a cult favourite for fresh, flavour-forward gelato in the city”.
Ingredients used in the ice cream include lemons from Mallorca, Italian pistachios and hazelnuts, and Valrhona chocolate, with every batch churned fresh each morning in Frankfurt.
Bonbon, Nuremberg (fifth place)
Located in the Augustinerhof development next to the Deutsches Museum, Nuremberg’s Bonbon was recognised for its playful interior by Berlin design studio Mekado.
Four colourful modular counters evoke vintage ice cream vans, while textured plaster walls resemble the creamy texture of ice cream.
The ice cream itself is just as carefully considered. Bonbon uses seasonal ingredients and locally sourced milk, and customers can watch production in action in an open ice cream lab.
Flavours change regularly and can range from brown butter and carrot cake to black tea and cherry or blueberry-violet.
READ ALSO: Four reasons to visit a German wine fest this summer
The rest of Europe’s sweet spots
The remaining entries in Architectural Digest’s top 11 showcase the continent’s creativity.
Top-ranked Regma in Santander impressed with its nature-inspired design, while London featured twice with The Dreamery (#4), a gelato-and-wine concept, and the railway-themed Milk Train (#11).
Barcelona also secured two places with Amiko (#7) and Gelato Collection (#8), joined by Il Gelato Museo in Paris (#6), Ještě Jednu in Brno (#9) and ТАЮ in Odesa (#10).
