Where to get the best ice cream in Johannesburg this summer

If you thought artisanal ice cream was a strictly Italian thing, you probably haven’t heard about this South African brand. The backstory? Well, one Paul Ballen was gifted an ice cream machine in about 2014, which prompted him to try a few home-kitchen flavour experiments. These caught on, and today Paul’s Homemade Ice Cream is a chain of physical scoop shops and retail stockists across Gauteng and the Western Cape.

The classic flavours at Paul’s include Cookies & Cream, Peppermint Crisp Tart, sweet vanilla with funfetti and sprinkles, and Chocolate Nutella Oreo, while their seasonal offerings range from Butter Cake and Malva Pudding to Mom's Brownie Batter. Vegans can choose from cashew- and coconut cream-based Vegan Peppermint Crisp and sorbets, while the health-conscious can dig into Banana Pecan and Crunchy Peanut Butter.

Less than five years since its arrival in Jozi, Pantry by Marble has enjoyed plenty of social media hype on TikTok and Instagram. The way patrons have been documenting their visits is telling of just how delicious they’ve found the ice cream at Pantry, and the establishment is certainly living up to the great reviews.

The latest trend is their viral Asian fruit ice cream, which looks like a realistic representation of the fruit it tastes like. The mango, peach and lemon flavours have kept people coming back for more. You can also check out their self-explanatory ice cream doughnuts, the cookies and soft-serve flavour pairings known as the Monthly Cookie Club, or their premium soft serve in a buttery, flaky croissant cone.

If you’re an avid follower of current affairs, you would have heard of a certain Thando Makhubu whose R350 government relief grant gave birth to an ice cream business. Truth be told, this sounded like an economic fairytale at first, but it turns out Soweto Creamery was never a myth. Thando’s photography background gradually elevated his business to "the most Instagrammable dessert in Gauteng".

His Chocolate Overload is loaded with almonds, cookies, KitKat, Tex and vermicelli; the Caramel Canyon features wafer rolls, KitKat, Lunch Bar, vermicelli and white chocolate sauce; and the Mint Immensity is a mint-flavoured dessert base topped with chocolate. They also have an Oreo Fantasy, fresh fruit sorbets and various other sweet treats.

This popular ice cream joint originated in Cape Town in 2016 and was so well received that it hit Joburg just a year later. Dietary-conscious eaters will love this one because their menu features Halaal-certified, Kosher, vegan, sugar-free and banting offerings.

So here’s how it works: it’s a three-step custom dessert where you get to curate your own creation, starting with the outer layer. You first choose between the classic Chocolate Chip, Red Velvet, Rainbow, Milk Tart and vegan cookie layers, and if you’re feeling experimental, you can even mix and match. Next, you pick your choice of artisanal gelato, ranging from French Vanilla and Salted Caramel to fun creations like Cookie Monster, Peanut Butter and Bar One, alongside limited editions like Dubai Chocolat. The final step is the best part, because this is where you play around with toppings like Nutella, marshmallow fluff or Bar One sauce, finishing off with sprinkles, crushed nuts or even fudge.

The economy has been very unkind in recent years, but this doesn’t mean you should deprive yourself of a yummy treat. Miss P is here to service your sweet tooth with affordable, decadent soft-serve cups, gourmet waffles and layered dessert treats. You don’t even have to wait in line because she offers an order-to-collect service.

Her Strawberry Oreo Delight is a smooth and creamy vanilla soft serve with layers of crushed Oreo biscuits, strawberry sauce and a pink wafer biscuit. The Chocolate Oreo Overload is a loaded dessert cup featuring vanilla ice cream, Oreo crumbs, KitKat chunks, chocolate wafer rolls, a chocolate lolly and extra chocolate drizzle. If you’re in the mood for a fresh waffle, you can get one with vanilla ice cream and your choice of caramel or chocolate drizzle.

It’s hardly surprising that Forest Gelato is multi-award-winning because the main attraction here is how they make their premium Italian-style gelato and seasonal sorbets from scratch. Their gelato has no artificial additives and is made strictly from natural, high-quality ingredients, packaged in 100% biodegradable and eco-friendly containers. You won’t get a fixed menu here because this joint keeps things fresh and seasonal across both their dairy-based gelato and vegan-friendly water sorbets, but the cold-brew coffee gelato has proven to be a firm favourite.

In summer, you can dig into fresh strawberries splashed with balsamic vinegar, blueberry-lemon zest, cling peach with basil sorbet, and mango-lime. The fresh fig gelato on their autumn/winter menu typically drops around January or February, and you can also get orange with Szechuan pepper, masala chai and hazelnut-frangelico around the same time of year.

If you’re in the West Rand, this is the perfect place to get your artisan-style moulded gelato sticks and ice cream treats. They don’t just serve basic scoops of ice cream at Stables Café; instead, their menu features structured, gourmet gelato-on-a-stick creations and pairings that went to private school.

Their Café Latte Dream features a rich coffee gelato base topped with smooth vanilla gelato and a chocolate coating. The Trio Di Baci All'italiana is creamy vanilla ice cream with caramel and chocolate coatings, and the Affogato is a classic Italian-style combination of vanilla ice cream and a rich shot of espresso.