Creamy or fruity, everyone has their favourite ice cream, and Budapest is brimming with chilled delicacies of every stripe. Here are 20 outlets around the city where what’s on offer is simply delicious.
1/20
Anjuna
Fans of ice cream can find
first-class delights at Anjuna. At their three Budapest outlets, an average of
12 different flavours feature several toppings and chocolate sauce which
can make your ice-cream choice special. It is handy to know that you can find Anjuna
products on the shelves of larger grocery stores besides their own venues, so you
can enjoy their great tastes on the street, at home or in the garden. Price:
950 forints/ice cream. Tip: avocado-tarragon-and-lime
2/20
Artigiana Gelati
These venerable purveyors of
quality ice cream in Hungary opened in 1990 as a family business on Csaba utca.
Since then, they have been making their ice creams, 36 of them, with unbroken
enthusiasm. Among the varied combinations, there are plenty of sugar- and
milk-free versions, even vegan ice cream made with rice milk. Prices: 400
forints (traditional flavours), 450 forints (sugar- and milk-free). Tip: stevia
raspberry
3/20
Bon dia!
With a Catalan joie de vivre,
street style and specialty coffees, this little soft-serve ice-cream outlet run
by the folks from My Little Melbourne next door offers all kinds of varieties
in more than the usual chocolate-or-vanilla combinations. Raspberry-and-lychee,
spirulina or black ice creams number among the selection, embellished with sweets
or chocolate chips according to choice. Price: 100 forints/10gr
(servings are in 4gr, 9gr, 12gr or 19gr portions). Tip: coconut
4/20
Cioccolatte Fagylaltozó
This major player on the ice-cream
scene in Budapest now has two outlets, with a store just opened at BudaPart, where you can see how the milk is pasteurised. Exciting
flavours, natural ingredients and a huge selection constantly being updated typify
the range here – although the chocolate ones should merit extra attention.
Price: 420-450 forints/tub. Tips: orange chocolate, chocolate
sorbet
5/20
Cloud 9
You
can sample special ice-cream desserts at Cloud 9. Try these tiny, sweet delicacies
and their great texture in several versions, even vegan ones. In addition to
the shop on Arany János utca, they are also distribute at SHO Beach and at Hello Buda market, where you can put together your own particular version.
Price: 980-1100 forints/dessert. Tips: salted caramel-hazelnut, sugar-free
raspberry-and-chocolate
6/20
Dolce Intervallo
Special flavours, smiling staff and a real sense of community await just
off Andrássy út. Besides the ice cream, be sure to try the cannoli ice dessert,
but get here quick, as it’s usually gone in no time. In fact, following the shop's Facebook page allows you to assess the situation as often daily updates
are provided. Prices: 210 forints/30gr scoop, 350 forints/50gr scoop. Tip:
Layered English punch
7/20
Erdős és fiai Cukrászda
At weekends, long queues
meander outside this shop by Kelenföld station, and not by chance. This family
business, fuelled by a passion for all things Italian, has been producing ice
cream of unbroken quality for decades. You can also sample specialities such as
Provençal cream or cooked plums with cardamom, as well as a good number of lactose-free
selections. Price: 320 forints/tub. Tip: caramel,
apple and chocolate with Linzer biscuit
8/20
Fazekas
It’s worth travelling up here in distant District XVI for Ádám Fazekas’ family
confectionery. Usually, there are 20 flavours of traditional ice cream,
including plenty of milk-, sugar- and gluten-free options. The 2019 European
prize-winning salted pistachio is a good choice, but the Tonkin bean raspberry
is a real summer favourite. They also pour out soft ice cream into a cone, made
according to a unique recipe. Prices: 370 forints/scoop (salted pistachio, HUF
470), 500-1,000 forints/soft ice cream. Tips: salted pistachio, Tonkin bean
raspberry
9/20
Fragola
Fragola awaits with a variety of ice creams at several locations around
the city. A unity of textures and flavours is mirrored by the large selection
of vegan-friendly ice creams. For instance, pistachio can also be found in
traditional, gluten-free, vegan and crème forms. On the website, you’ll find a
detailed description of the flavours and allergens, and if you get hungry, they
bake a decent pizza at Fragola’s district XI outlet. Price: 400 forints/scoop.
Tips: crème pistachio, crème-chocolate
10/20
Gelarto Rosa
Budapest’s first Instagram-friendly
ice cream is fashioned with a special spoon to form the shape of a rose. Playing
around with the colours and flavours allows you to sample delicacies such as
white-chocolate-and-lavender and passion-fruit-and-banana. Prices: 800 forints/1
flavour, 950 forints/2 flavours, 1,100 forints/several. Tip: raspberry
11/20
Gelateria Pichler
Pichler sits in the heart of Budapest, diagonally opposite Ferenciek
tere, as central as it gets, and showcases the celebrated ice creams of Balázs
Damniczki. Instead of a cone, you can choose to have your scoops delicately
placed in a freshly baked chimney cake. Among the 50 flavours are plenty of
sugar-free and vegan options. Price: 350 forints. Tip: salted caramel
12/20
I love Gelato
Some 35-40 flavours change
every two days at this ice-cream parlour, where you can also taste exciting,
seemingly extreme pairings such as cranberry-and-camembert. Premium ingredients
are used here, for example, the caramel cream in the dulce de leche ice cream
comes directly from Spain. Price: 350-450
forints/scoop. Tip: dill-and-blackcurrant
13/20
Kedveskrém – Batthyány utca
This relaxing spot halfway between Batthyány tér and Széll Kálmán tér allows you to slow down in a
quiet part of Buda, with a range of super ice creams available. Kids will love choosing
between the funny names and figures among the varying seasonal selection, the
quality flawless across the board. The lightness of the sorbets and the
exciting texture of the cream-based flavours stand out, each a different
experience, though after a hot summer’s day, strawberry with rosemary might be
the refreshing treat to go for. Price: 360 forints/scoop. Tip: plum with cinnamon
14/20
Kell fagylalt?
You’ll find fine-quality ice cream at Kell Fagylalt?, which started out
in partnership with legendary Mindszentkálla
producers Kő fagyi? (see below) before striking out with their own recipes in July 2021. One absolute favourite
is poppy-seed and salted caramel. Make sure to mind when you enter as the roof here
is a bit low. Price: 350 forints/scoop. Tips: ginger biscuit, cherry
15/20
Kő fagyi?
The owners the best-known ice-cream
venue around Lake Balaton opened their store in Buda in 2019, where they make fine-quality delights based on proven recipes, sneaking in that holiday vibe into everyday
urban life with elderflower or poppyseed-flavoured treats. The service is always
hospitable despite the many customers and long queues. Price: 380 forints/scoop. Tips: plum, chili chocolate
16/20
Málna
This pink-walled store on Kolosy
tér focuses primarily on cakes, but you can also buy ice cream in cosy, retro
metal cans. The flavours follow the classics, or you can ask for a dollop of
whipped cream on top of your favourite salted caramel or mango-and-passion-fruit
scoops. Price: 350 forints/tub.
Tips: pistachio, mango-and-passion-fruit
17/20
MAMO Gelato
At this outlet on Ráday utca,
you can choose your favourite from 20-30 options, with plenty of sugar- and
lactose-free ones, too. Pistachio-and-Kinder neapolitans are especially
delicious. This summer, MAMO Gelato has also set up at Aszófő by Lake Balaton. Prices: 450
forints/tub, 800 forints/2 tubs, 1,450 forints/4 tubs. Tips: salted caramel, Piedmont peanut
18/20
minus11
This summer, two places offer
the uncompromising ice creams of Ágnes Németh, the teacher who became an ice-cream
master. At riverside Római-part in Óbuda and at Remetekertváros in north-west Buda, carefully selected ice-cold treats
are made from real ingredients, and you can sample specialities such as yoghurt
ice cream and hazelnut Baileys with alcoholic liqueur. The range changes
according to Ágnes’ mood but you can sample ten varieties on any given day. Price: 450 forints/scoop. Tips: brown sugar, chestnut
19/20
Sütizz
They sell delicious ice cream at this family house on a housing estate
in the distant Buda district of Őrmező, where József Juhos and Eszter Gerő
employ friendly staff, and where you pay for good quality. Here personal favourites include
quince-and-walnut and the cottage cheese-flavoured Rákóczi túrós. Distances shouldn’t
come into it – this is worth the extra bus journey from Kelenföld. Price:
350 forints/scoop. Tip: quince-and-walnut
20/20
Vittorio Fagyizója
Visegrádi utca begins to resemble a shadowy path in Naples as you approach
Vittorio’s ice-cream parlour, overseen by a middle-aged Italian. Apart from good-quality
treats, the greatest merit here is atmosphere. You immediately feel that the
person running the place does so with love, and wants to spread the word. Another
kind of welcome is provided by Italian actor Bud Spencer, who enjoys cult
status in Hungary, and whose quote outside proclaims, “The pistachio ran out, and
there was no chocolate!” Prices: 350 forints/scoop (premium pistachio, HUF 450).
Tip: pistachio
