7 Ice Cream And Gelato Spots Offering Every Flavor Under This Hot Summer Sun

Jar Concengco

April 13, 2019, 12:06 PM

Summer is here! And the best way to keep your cool is to enjoy a refreshing scoop of ice cream or gelato. For sure, some of you like to keep it safe and classic with your choice of flavors. And some of you may automatically order the newest, weirdest flavor available. Whatever your predilection, you’ll find what you’re looking for at 7 of these spots serving some of the most creative flavors in town.

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Antonio’s

Purok 138, Barangay Neogan, Tagaytay City, antoniosrestaurant.ph

We aren’t scrimping on the first one on our list. Antonio’s is well known for its fine dining by Chef Tonyboy Escalante but it also needs to be recognized for creating some very fine gelato. We got to catch up with Patricia Benedicto, Assistant General Manager in charge of menu development of Antonio’s Group of Restaurants, and she explains, “In Antonio’s, we do more adult flavors, using liquor, spices, herbs. We like our flavors very clean and simple. Many are classic flavors that you grew up eating and some are new flavors that may catch you by surprise.”

Drizzling olive oil and sea salt on the Panna gelato at Antonio’s

One of the crowd pleasers is the Panna with Olive Oil and Sea Salt. Once it is served to you, the server then drizzles a viscous stream of olive oil over it and sprinkle flakes of sea salt on top, tying the flavors together in a balanced spoonful. Other gelato flavors worth getting are Pepper Caramel and Sweet Corn and Blackberry.

Antonio’s other restaurants also offer housemade gelato, with more Western flavors at Breakfast at Antonio’s and Pinoy flavors at Balay Dako.

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Carousel Creamery

8 Missouri Street, Greenhills, San Juan, FB: Carousel Creamery

Located in San Juan, Carousel Creamery boasts a whopping 101 flavors. And true enough, upon entering, you’re greeted by tubs and tubs of different ice cream flavors.

You can be adventurous and try their unusual ones like Beer and Chicharon (sweet with a very subtle beer taste and limp, chewy chicharon bits), Bacon and Cheese (cheddar cheese and cooked bacon), and this stark magenta ice cream cheekily called Versake on the Plum (sake based ice cream with tart bits of plum).

Versake on the Plum from Carousel Creamery

Sebastian’s

Branches in Ayala Mall Vertis North, The Podium, Regis Center Katipunan, FB: Sebastian’s Ice Cream

With several branches around the metro, Sebastian’s is popular for playing around with flavors that revolve around local desserts such as Mangga’t Suman, Champorado (you get to top this with candied dilis), and the colorful kakanin-like Sapin-Sapin in ice cream form. Riding on the salted duck egg trend, there’s also a salted duck egg flavor, which has a bold flavor and a grainy texture.

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Sebastian’s Salted Duck Egg

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Emack & Bolio’s

Ayala Malls The 30th, 30 Meralco Avenue, Pasig City; One Bonifacio High Street Mall 2F Kiosk; FB: Emack and Bolio’s Philippines

General Manager Ryan Daniels shares why ice cream is so cool, “Ice cream is the best summer treat there is. Summer is all about relaxing and kicking back. Emack & Bolio’s embodies the chill vibe of summer that everyone wants to enjoy.”

This Boston-based chain makes ice cream using high quality milk from trusted farmers in Vermont. Decadent flavors include Caramel Moose Prints (butterscotch ice cream with caramel swirls and Reese’s peanut butter cups), Space Cake (cake batter ice cream with shortbread pieces and chunks of red velvet cake), and Gigi Hadid’s favorite called Grasshopper Pie (Crème de Menthe ice cream with Oreos and chocolate flakes).

A scoop of Space Cake on a Marsh “Mellow” cone

The signature Marsh “Mellow” cones are a novelty altogether. With choices like Rice Krispies, Fruit Loops, and even Super Mario Cereal that coat the top part of the cone, you can make a combination that is truly yours.

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afters Espresso & Desserts

20 Lansbergh Place, Tomas Morato Avenue corner Scout Castor Street, Quezon City, FB: afters Espresso & Desserts; IG: @aftersmanila

This hidden gelato bar along Tomas Morato Avenue helmed by owner and gelatiere Vincent Lim Fideles prides itself in making great quality gelato. Keeping only a small number of classic flavors helps to maintain a consistent flavor and texture to the gelato. Fideles adds, “What degrades the quality of the gelato is temperature changes, air, and light. So when you’re not displaying (the gelato), there are very minimal factors that can degrade its quality. You get really suave gelato.”

Fideles offers a rich Mascarpone gelato topped with shaved home cured candied egg yolks which have a similar taste to salted egg yolk without the graininess. Instead, it feels like shaved Parmesan. You can also get an excellent cup of affogato here—a big scoop of real bold vanilla gelato with a strong shot of espresso poured on top.

Mascarpone with candied egg yolks shaved on top

A hot-cold combo of espresso and vanilla gelato

Manila Creamery

Branches in UP Town Center, ATC Corporate Center, Ayala Malls Vertis North, SM Megamall, IG: @mnlcreamery

Made up of duo Jason Go and Paolo Reyes, Manila Creamery is a “Filipino-inspired gelato company” with creative Pinoy flavors like Mangga’t Suman, Ube Langka, and Tablea Lava Cake.

Their gelato is smooth and full of flavor. Carrot cake lovers will love their gelato of the same name, which includes chunks of carrot cake and walnuts.

READ: 3 Stranger-Than-Usual Ice Cream Flavors That Are Surpisingly Addicting

Cara Mia

The family behind this gelateria is its biggest strength. General Manager and COO Philip Moran explains, “Mom’s palate, (my brother) Paolo’s experience in Italy, my sister Pammy who does marketing, me and my dad’s inputs all make for a great combination.” They’ve expanded operations to almost 30 branches all over Metro Manila to serve the Filipinos what they want.

Cara Mia’s signature purple color

“Pistachio is our ultimate top selling gelato. We use real nuts with no added flavor,” Philip explains. After tasting their pistachio gelato, you immediately get the real roasted pistachio taste and understand why it’s so popular.