The 12 Best Ice Cream Shops in Istanbul: Dondurma, Gelato, Sundaes

Istanbul takes ice cream seriously in two distinct styles. There is dondurma, the chewy, slow-melting Maraş-style Turkish ice cream thickened with salep ground from wild orchid bulbs. And there is a younger wave of parlors making Italian-style gelato from seasonal fruit, nuts, and fresh milk. Between the two, ice cream earns a firm spot on any list of the best food in Istanbul.

Vegan, diabetic, or avoiding sugar? Several of the shops below have you covered. Here are the 12 ice cream shops in Istanbul worth crossing a neighborhood for.

The 12 shops at a glance

1. Girandola

Start with the sundaes. You can build your own combination, though the house classics are already worked out, and the flavors run creative, a mojito among them. Sea views and decorated walls give you a reason to stay put while you eat. Pace yourself; brain freeze is a real risk here.

2. Dondurmacı Yaşar Usta

This colorful shop stays open late into the evening, and the crowd often includes students from the universities nearby. Prices are reasonable and the flavors are intense. For a late-night sweet snack the way locals take it, this is the pick.

3. Cremeria Milano

Tucked into a pedestrianized cobblestone alleyway, Cremeria Milano looks the part of a small-town Italian gelateria, rustic theme and all. The flavors are ambitious for a shop this size. The sea is close enough to smell, so order, step out, and take in the view.

4. Meşhur Dondurmacı Ali Usta

If you are on the Asian side, make this an early stop. Ali Usta sits about a 20-minute walk from the Kadıköy docks, in the same neighborhood our Kadıköy restaurants guide covers, and the sleek, modern interior stands out from the usual parlor look. A cone travels well to Moda Park, and the Barış Manço House museum is close by if you want to pair the stop with something cultural.

Chocolate lovers should order the chocolate flavor with the nut dip. Not sure what to get? The staff know which flavors pair well together, so ask.

5. Dondurmacci

A cozy parlor built around a return-to-nature idea: natural ingredients, vegan blends, and stevia in place of sugar where it counts. The shop traces its start to a founder who, as a ten-year-old, spent hot summer days waiting for the ice cream seller to arrive.

This is the spot for fanciful flavors: rose, saffron, lavender, even chili chocolate cinnamon. The case changes often enough that a second visit pays off.

6. Baylan

Baylan opened in 1923 and still churns to century-old methods. It is the upscale, sit-down pick on this list, with a menu that runs from breakfast to supper, so you can line your stomach before the ice cream arrives. It costs more than the street-side counters, and the swanky room is part of what you pay for.

7. Vero Gelato

The Italian owner runs this woman-led, pastel-colored shop on fresh seasonal ingredients, and it shows in the case. A park filled with activities for kids sits nearby if the little ones need to burn off the sugar.

The staff speak English. The fat stray cat outside speaks only in cuddles. Other dessert options cover anyone not keen on ice cream, and sugar-free versions exist for those who find the standard scoops too sweet.

8. Damla Dondurma

What you hold in your hand looks like a flower; it is a cone. Damla skips comfortable chairs and any touch of luxury, and serves some of the best Turkish ice cream in the city. Have it in a cone, a cup, or between slices, and say yes to the optional nut topping; it changes the taste more than you would expect.

The flavor range is smaller here than at the gelato shops, but what they do, they do really well.

9. Mini Dondurma

Whatever happened to ice cream dipped in hot fudge sauce with a sprinkle of nuts? It faded from the mainstream, and Mini Dondurma kept it going anyway.

True to the name, this is a tiny spot in Bebek. Expect to wait in line, and do not expect a seat. Take the cone to the coastline or the nearby park and feel like a kid again.

10. Gelateria Bonacci

Open until late at night, with a sleek, modern, Italian-style front. Creaminess is the house obsession, and it carries from the gelato into the coffees and hot chocolates. The staff speak English and give useful recommendations. The wood-clad design and the plants here and there make it kid-friendly yet more refined than most parlors.

11. Lu Gelato

A trek from the usual tourist routes, and worth it. There is a toy museum nearby, but the glossy rows of ice cream are the draw on their own. Lu Gelato works with the freshest fruits, nuts, and milk from Jersey cows, and the case includes flavors suitable for diabetics, vegetarians, and vegans. The shop is the work of founder Veysel Kılıç, built on years of training, and the next generation of ice cream makers is being trained here too. The brand counts more than a hundred flavors developed over the years, with around sixty in the case at any one time.

12. Mado

Mado is the nationwide chain for salep-flavored Turkish ice cream, the style that originated in Kahramanmaraş. The salep and goat’s-milk base is so thick you eat it with a knife and fork. Most people come for the sweeter classic flavors, the chocolate chief among them, though sugar-free options exist.

The menu runs past ice cream into baklava, künefe, and waffles. If that ending sounds like the right one, our guide to desserts in Istanbul goes deeper.

Final words

Twelve shops, two styles, no wrong answer. Start with the one you cannot get at home: for most visitors that means Maraş-style dondurma, eaten slowly while it refuses to melt. Then work through the gelato shops, where the flavors shift with the seasons. Whether you lean toward mastic and pistachio or tahini coffee and fig-date sorbet, something on this list fits.

Our food tours run all year round, so a cold-weather visit costs you nothing. The Kadıköy Street Food tour covers the savory side of the city in three evening hours; bring your ice cream appetite for afterward.