What would summer be without ice cream? We shudder to even think of it. It’s the perfect end to any meal, the ultimate crowd-pleaser, and the tastiest way to cool down in the relentless tropical heat. Whether it’s an indulgent gelato, a refreshing sorbet, or a lavish sundae, ice cream aficionados have delectable options galore when it comes to finely crafted frozen treats in sunny Singapore.
To the delight of sweet tooths around the city, the past few years have seen an abundance of gourmet ice cream parlours popping up, offering elevated artisanal creations and fresh, unique flavour combinations. In search of your next favourite ice cream spot? Look no further than our list below:
Birds of Paradise
With a passion for crafting gelato that’s centred around botanical ingredients, Birds of Paradise’s four ice cream boutiques offer a range of signature flavours made from premium, natural ingredients from fruits, flowers, and pods to herbs and spices. The Michelin guide-recommended ice cream spot also aims to honour the local South East Asian region by incorporating familiar herbs like basil and blue ginger. Don’t miss bestsellers such as the White Chrysanthemum, Lychee Raspberry, and Midnight Gianduja, best enjoyed with a house-made waffle cones that’s infused with fresh thyme leaves. W birdsofparadise.sg
Monarchs & Milkweed Gelato
The search for novel and interesting combinations, as well as innovative takes on old classics is at the heart of Monarchs & Milkweed. Opened in 2020 by two cooks, the local gelato shop offers customers flavours such as Brown Butter Sage, Burnt White Chocolate, and Ispahan (lychee, raspberry and rose), providing a glimpse into the founders’ own continual journey of discovery within gelato making and its boundless possibilities. W monarchsandmilkweedgelato.com
Dopa Dopa Creamery
Deriving its name from the word Dopamine, which is sometimes known as the ‘feel-good’ hormone, this artisanal ice cream spot’s main goal is to bring joy to every customer through its frozen creations. Housing its gelato in traditional Italian closed-lid ‘pozzetti’ containers, Dopa Dopa serves up stretchy scoops of gelato in flavours like Matcha Cheesecake, Soursop Sorbet, and its signature Home Roasted Pistachio. For an extra treat, opt to have them sandwiched in a flaky croissant. W dopadopacreamery.com
Creamier
Having first opened in 2011, independent ice cream and coffee café Creamier seeks to provide its customers with premium ice creams and sorbets, crafted using its original recipes and unique production process. Thanks to quality ingredients, meticulous craftsmanship and hard work, Creamier now serves lovingly made ice cream at four locations across the island. Handcrafted on-site in small batches daily, the ice cream flavours on offer include Sea Salt Gula Melaka, Earl Grey Lavender, Blue Pea Vanilla, and Mango Passionfruit Sorbet. W creamier.com.sg
Momolato Cafe
As a supplier of some of Singapore’s top restaurants and cafes, Momolato Cafe prides itself on offering a wide range of unique, seasonal ice creams made with quality natural ingredients. The halal-certified gelateria’s founder, Sharon Tay, boasts some impressive ice cream credentials, including a two-month stint at the Carpigiani Gelato University and the champion title in the Asia Pacific leg of the Gelato World Tour 2.0. Flavours such as the Watermelon Soursop and Triple Blend Chocolate Sorbet are among the fan-favourites here. W momolato.com
Gelato Labo
With a focus on constant experimentation and refinement, Gelato Labo serves small batch handmade ice cream flavours and sorbets that are made with fresh fruits and sourced locally where possible. Its wide variety of creative flavours range from the creamy floral Sakura Smoke, Artichoke & Pear Compote to the refreshing Colombian Cold Brew & Cookie Butter Bits, not to mention its latest offering, the tangy yet mellow Yali Pear & Barrel Aged Oolong sorbet. W gelatolabo.com
Denzy Gelato
Founded in 2019, Denzy Gelato in Bishan did its neighbourhood proud when it earned the title of ‘Singapore’s Best Gelato’ at the 2019 Singapore Gelato Championship with a Pear, Ginger and Ginger flower sorbet. Since then, the gelateria has been faithfully serving up finely-made ice cream with an exotic and distinctive twists, such as the Whisky & Salted Pecan Brittle, the Sea Salt Gula Jawa and Brown Butter Pecan. W denzygelato.com
No Horse Run
With a name derived from the Hokkien phrase for ‘exceptionally good’ or ‘far ahead in the game’, No Horse Run Gelato in Yishun sets the bar high in delivering quality handcrafted gelato. Made in small batches with only premium ingredients like sustainably sourced cacao, Uji Matcha and Australian strawberries, the array of gelato flavours available include bestsellers like the Smoked Milk with Cacao Nibs, the Fleur De Cao Dark Chocolate and the Strawberry Chia. W nohorserun.com.sg
Geometry
Drawing its inspiration from combinations of tea, botanical elements, natural nuts and chocolates, dessert café Geometry proudly serves up a variety of gelato creations that are designed particularly for local palates. Using natural ingredients sourced from around the world, the sweet treats are freshly made in-house and come in tantalising, nostalgic flavours such as Dark Chocolate Truffle, Strawberry Pocky, Bing Bong aka Paddlepop. W geometry.sg
Feature photo: Momolato Cafe