Where to Find the Best Ice Cream and Gelato in Melbourne

Few things excite the summertime senses of Melbourne folks more than a double scoop of ice cream dripping down their hands as it melts in the hot sun. Aside from complaining about the heat, swatting flies away, and shrimp on the barbie, it's one of the most definitive features of an Australian summer.

While there will always be a soft spot in our hearts for corner store Paddle Pops and Golden Gaytimes, it's hard to pass up hand-churned gelato or creative ice cream flavours from one of Melbourne's many boutique vendors. To help you make the difficult decision as to just what icy treat to choose today, we've compiled a list of the best ice cream and gelato in Melbourne. Venture forth on this icy sojourn and work your way through this list over the summer — whether you like your ice cream pure and simple, amped-up with bizarre flavours, wrapped in mochi, sandwiched between pastry or slathered in hot Nutella, we've got you covered.

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Good Daze Canteen, Fitzroy

This feel-good, high-spirited and fun-loving ice cream shop was started by a couple of University students who put in countless hours of hard work to bring their dream to life. That dream, to "scoop you away from life's miseries", has created a store that is about more than just ice cream. It's a vibrant hub that celebrates culture and community, which is inspired by the flavours and traditions of the world.

Good Daze is inclusive and welcoming, friendly and warm. There are Lacteeze tablets on the counter for any lactose-intolerant customers, there's a suggestion box where you can drop in a flavour from your childhood or culture that you'd love to see on the menu, and there's even unlimited tastes. Whether it's mango sticky rice or Milo malt crunch, Thai milk tea or guava chilli, the ice cream, and the experience, will leave you warm, nostalgic and wanting more.

Piccolina Gelateria, Various Melbourne Locations

A firm neighbourhood favourite across town, Piccolina has stores in Hawthorn, Richmond, Collingwood, Chadstone, St Kilda and the CBD. All stores sport a Hecker Guthrie-designed fit-out that makes playful nods to the 1950s in southern Italy. It's all about the authentic Italian gelato here. Think varieties like fior di latte, stracciatella, pistachio and lemon, plus refreshing granitas like watermelon, mint and lime.

The all-natural flavours are churned using traditional techniques, and this made-from-scratch ethos applies to the nut butters, choco-hazelnut sauce (served from a fountain), caramels and jams too. Hit up any of its locations to find some of the best gelato in Melbourne.

Fluffy Torpedo, Fitzroy and Brunswick

Fluffy Torpedo is a whimsical shop with lolly-covered floors and handwritten chapters of novels covering the walls, taking creative ice cream flavours to new, wacky levels. We implore you to resist the urge to go with your usual pistachio or vanilla and instead, try something exciting, bizarre and even a little nuts.

Here, flavours include the likes of buttered baguette, popcorn, Maltesers and pretzels, pork butter and chilli oil, and salted chilli pineapple with coconut vinegar. If that's not weird enough for you, why not try kalamata olive, blue cheese with roasted fig, hot cinnamon or Vegemite with white chocolate.  If anything, it'll be an ice-cream scoop to remember.

Kariton Sorbetes, Various Melbourne Locations

If you need a break from traditional gelato flavours like hazelnut or pistachio, head to Kariton Sorbetes to experience artisanal flavours inspired by Filipino desserts, cocktails, or local produce. Not only is there a strong focus on creative flavours, but on quality too. Each item is made from scratch, and the small-batch, handcrafted gelato is made using premium ingredients.

Signature flavours include the Ube Halaya with purple yam, blackberry jam and caramelised coconut, the Mango Float with dried mango jam and Graham Cracker crumbs, the Miso Dinosaur with malted chocolate ganache and honeycomb, and the Durian Chiffon with palm sugar jelly.

Gelato Messina, Various Melbourne Locations

It was with open arms that Melbourne welcomed the much-hyped Sydney gelateria onto Fitzroy's Smith Street back in 2013. Now, Gelato Messina has stores in Windsor, Richmond, Malvern and Brunswick East too. The wait for some of the best gelato in Melbourne is notoriously lengthy — in heatwaves and chilly nights alike, lines can snake down the road. But at the front of the line, an epic cabinet is always stocked with around 40 flavours — 35 regulars and five weekly specials — that are made in-house, and with Messina's own milk.

While the specials of the week do tend to be extremely popular, signature flavours such as the macadamia crunch, Italian nougat, pandan and coconut sorbet, white chocolate hazelnut and blood orange sorbet, are menu mainstays for good reason.

Hareruya Pantry, Carlton and CBD

The tiny Japanese convenience store-meets-café specialises in bento and gelato, its name translating to 'sunny shop'. And indeed, it's as cheery as they come, drawing queues from breakfast till dinner. Shelves are stocked with a neat array of takeaway treats and snacks, while at the counter, staff scoop from shiny tubs of gelato.

House-made gelato fills the Italian Pozzetti freezer, with a rotating lineup that fuses classic Japanese flavours with Italian techniques. Shirogoma (white sesame), sweet potato, and hojicha cookies and cream are just some of the varieties you might stumble upon. Get yours in a cup or take-home tub, daifuku-style (wrapped in mochi skin), or sandwiched between rice wafer crisps like a traditional monaka.

Luna Blu, Elsternwick

This petite, suburban gelato store is slinging some of the creamiest treats in town, using top-quality ingredients such as Gippsland milk, free-range Green Eggs and fresh seasonal fruit. The owners are so dedicated to their craft that they went all the way to the Gelato University in Bologna to learn the ins and outs of the industry.

Sixteen rotating flavours are made in small batches, based on what's seasonally available. Locals return again and again for classics such as the hazelnut and coffee, and the crowd-favourite roasted strawberry. Specials may include the likes of vanilla bean, raspberry and salted choc chip, tahini with pistachio halva, Earl Grey with straciatella and butter popcorn with brittle. Whether it's an after-school snack, a post-dinner treat, or a way to cool down on a hot summer's day, Luna Blu will bring smiles all round.

Josie Withers via Visit Victoria

Pidapipo, Various Melbourne Locations

All along the Italian side of Lygon Street, we're accustomed to seeing the bright colours of gelato overflowing from the glass-covered containers. At Pidapipo, you will not see any gelato until it is scooped into your cone or cup. Lisa Valmorbida, the owner of Pidapipo, has introduced a stainless steel, Italian-built Pozzetti fridge, where the gelato is stored at an optimal temperature, ensuring you're tasting the gelato at its best. Regular rotating flavours are a mix of Italian gelateria classics, sitting alongside a few experimental test combinations.

The hazelnut, fior di latte and pistachio are some of the best out there, but if you are feeling adventurous, try one of the lab creations thought up at Pidapipo Laboratorio in Fitzroy — past creations include coconut, roasted macadamia and white chocolate brownies, mojito sorbetto and fresh milk with dark chocolate.

Shannon McGrath

Kōri, Hawthorn and CBD

Kōri is scooping hand-crafted ice cream flavours, both dairy- and plant-based, with a penchant for the bold and innovative, out of a striking, orange and pink-toned shop on Glenferrie Road. Classic Japanese flavours are reimagined with locally sourced ingredients, featuring seasonal creations that complement year-round signatures on the menu.

Heroes include the likes of matcha and pistachio, Hokkaido cheesecake, black sesame and dark chocolate and a frosty take on the Japanese custard dessert 'purin'. Meanwhile, dairy-free diners can look forward to options like yuzu and Fuji apple.

Cuppa Turca, Northcote

Once you've tried a Turkish-style ice cream sandwich, you may never go back to a "regular" one. Using stretchy Maras ice cream (the stuff can be eaten with a knife and fork) Northcote cafe Cuppa Turca serves the icy treat between two slices of crispy hand-rolled baklava. It's then topped with hot pink Persian fairy floss.

For those who are after something a little less extra, there's a more tame version served between two thin wafers. Or you can just have a scoop on its own, with flavours including feta and melon, mint and brownie and Turkish delight. Whatever you pick, order it with a cup of coffee made on hot sand. Change things up a little next time you're after ice cream and gelato in Melbourne.

Julian Kingma for Visit Victoria

Gelateria Primavera, Melbourne CBD

Sitting quietly on the Parliament end of the city inside Spring Street Grocer, Gelateria Primavera has held down a reputation as one of the best artisanal gelaterias in Melbourne for some time now. Similarly to Pidapipo, it uses the Pozzetti storage tubs to house the gelato out of sight and ready to be eaten at the best possible temperature. The menu changes daily, but you can always find something to suit your taste made from premium seasonal ingredients.

Crowd favourites include the salted caramel, hazelnut, mango passionfruit sorbet and creamy lemon gelato, but keep your eye out for specials including the likes of apple crumble and banana and dark choc chip. While you savour your creamy cone, peruse the immaculately stocked shelves of the specialty grocer.

Billy Van Creamery, Fitzroy North

How Billy Van Creamy managed to churn out some of Melbourne's best ice cream from a truck is still a mystery. But you no longer need to go looking for its wheels, because as of 2018, BVC opened a permanent bricks-and-mortar shop in Fitzroy North. As before, the gelato is made by hand with all-natural ingredients like organic milk, crunchy nuts and vanilla beans.

The rotating selection of flavours includes salted caramel, espresso, honeycomb and an incredibly rich vanilla bean ice cream. There are also a host of vegan flavours, of which you can't go past the peanut butter chocolate chip.

Zero Gradi, Various Locations

Because conquering the pizza world isn't enough, 400 Gradi also has its own gelateria, which is home to traditional Neapolitan-style gelato. Classic and rotating flavour specials include pistachio, Oreo, peanut Nutella and Ferrero Rocher. It also features Nutella and chocolate taps, allowing you to take things up a notch.

Good luck narrowing your choices down to just one. Granita, Italian pastries, cakes and coffee are also on offer. And, of course, some of the best pizza in Melbourne.

Feature image: Luna Blu, Supplied.