It is June, so summer is finally here – at least if you live in the northern hemisphere. It might not seem like summer has reached all of Europe yet; just yesterday I asked my flatmate if she wanted to turn the heating back on, and a few days ago I dug up the old winter boots to battle the rain – Glasgow, I love you anyways. But, I know deep down in my heart, that summer is here and it can only take a few more hard days of waiting for the sun to arrive. Staying positive is the clue.
And while Glasgow is still about 15 degrees Celsius away from ice-cream weather, I started reminiscing about those hot summer days back in Berlin. One recent summer, with the mercury residing well over 30 degrees for a couple of weeks, I made it my mission to find the city’s best ice-cream parlors – I know, it sounds terrible, but somebody had to do it. So, if you find yourself sweating in Berlin at any point this summer, make sure you check out some of my favorite ice-cream places around town.
Fräulein Frost
Fräulein Frost will always be my first choice when it comes to Berlin ice-cream, not exclusively, but also because the parlor is smack bang in the middle of my favorite neighbourhood, or Kiez: Kreuzkölln (the area at the border of Kreuzberg and Neukölln, close to the beautiful Landwehrkanal). Of course, their ice-cream lives up to the reputation of the neighbourhood - the flavors change daily, depending on which fresh ingredients area available, and which combinations suit the ice-cream chef. A Fräulein Frost classic is GuZiMi, a blend of cucumber, lemon and mint – best enjoyed on the sunny terrace just outside the shop.
Friedelstraße 39, 12047 Berlin, U: Schönleinstrasse, Opening Times: Mo-Fr from 1pm, weekends from noon.
vanille & marille
Another amazing parlor and an all-time favorite of mine (I lived about 5 minutes away, maybe that’s why) is vanille & marille – a tiny shop in the heart of Kreuzberg’s fancy Bergmannkiez. It’s so popular, there is usually a line all the way outside the door – your best bet is to get here before 4pm. Try and taste their Cafe Noir ice-cream – a blend of chocolate, coffee and sherry. The owners have already expanded to three more shops in Schöneberg, Steglitz and Tempelhof. First they take Berlin, then the world? I certainly hope so…
Hagelberger Straße 1, 10965 Berlin, U: Mehringdamm, Open daily 11am-11pm.Â
Original DDR Softeis
If you are sightseeing around Checkpoint Charlie – and if it’s your first time in Berlin you will probably find yourself stranded somewhere around there – you better plan a stop at Original DDR Softeis. This small ice-cream shack at the corner of Wilhelmstraße and Zimmerstraße makes its traditional soft ice-cream with powder produced by Komet, a company that has existed since GDR times – hence the name. You only need to choose between vanilla and chocolate, or blend the two together, and that’s you sorted with a little bit of ‘ostalgia’.
Corner of Wilhelmstraße/Zimmerstraße, 10117 Berlin, U: Kochstrasse.
Vanille & Co
Living mostly in the old east of Berlin, making my way all the way out west to Charlottenburg was quite a trek. But the ice-cream from Vanille & Co was totally worth it! There are over 70 flavours if ice-cream which are all made by hand in the back of the shop. Some of the special ingredients are extremely rare or hard to come by, hence the slightly higher price for some of the flavors. If I had to choose, I’d say my favorites are Rose Leaf, Yuzu (Japanese lemon) and Tartufo (a chocolate variation). If you want to treat yourself to something unique though, go for a frozen cupcake or praline!
Joachim-Friedrich-Straße 27, 10711 Berlin, U: Adenauerplatz, Open daily 12pm-7pm.
Eislabor
Eislabor is your typical neighbourhood ice-cream parlor. It’s located in Prenzlauer Berg, an area particularly popular with young families, so you might have to line up with quite a few kids. The ice-cream is made with as little sugar as possible – a good excuse to ask for an extra scoop or two… They do all the classics, but if you are looking for a typical Berlin kind of flavor, dare to try Fassbrause, made from the traditional soda of Berlin.
Raumerstraße 31, 10437 Berlin, U: Eberswalder Platz, Open Mon-Sat 12pm-8pm
Choosing my favorite ice-cream parlors in Berlin was not easy – so much ice-cream to be tested, so much brain-freeze, so much sweet deliciousness distracting me from remaining objective. If you have any ice-cream shops to add to this list, please do so in the comments – I’d love to try them when I’m in Berlin the next time!
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This is a post by Kathi Kamleitner.
Kathi Kamleitner was a regular contributor at Travelettes from 2013 to 2019. Originally from Vienna, Austria, she packed her backpack to travel the world and lived in Denmark, Iceland and Berlin, before settling in Glasgow, Scotland. Kathi is always preparing her next trip – documenting her every step with her camera, pen and phone.
In 2016, Kathi founded Scotland travel blog WatchMeSee.com to share her love for her new home, hiking in the Scottish Highlands, island hopping and vegan food. Follow her adventures on Instagram @watchmesee!
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