Mumbai satisfies every craving, from piping hot streetside vada pav or gourmet burgers or rooftop restaurants. Our city was voted the world’s 5th best food city by digital food encyclopedia TasteAtlas for a reason. We’re locking down that title with another feather cone in the cap from TasteAtlas. Three of the world’s most iconic ice creams are in Mumbai!
India is creating ripples with a total of 5 winning entries in this lip-smacking list of frozen desserts from every corner of the world. Italy’s gelato and Turkey’s dondurma sit side-by-side with Brazil’s dulce de leche and Syria’s booza, proving this ain’t a list based on Instagram popularity. They’ve selected ice cream parlours and shops that are woven into a city’s cultural fabric and food traditions.
The world’s most iconic ice cream parlours in Mumbai
You’ll be glad to see they’ve listed quintessentially Bambaiya ice creams – the cold comforts we reach for when the sun bakes us.
1. Ice Cream Sandwich, K Rustom & Co.
This legendary Parsi ice cream parlour is as integral to South Bombay’s identity as is Marine Drive. Munching on their signature ice cream sandwiches while perched on the Marine Drive rocks is a rite of passage for every Mumbaikar. Made from chunky blocks of creamy ice cream pressed up between crispy wafers, these have been a rage since this hole-in-the-wall shop opened in 1958. It’s the mango ice cream sandwich that’s got TasteAtlas’ tongues wagging and lolling.
📍: 87 Stadium House, Veer Nariman Road, Opposite Ambassador Hotel, Churchgate
2. Tender Coconut, Naturals Ice Cream
Drop us a comment on Instagram if you remember how Naturals ice creams’ eponymous natural fruit-based flavours lived rent-free in every Indian’s head in the early 2000s. And then lived on their taste buds with every outing or celebratory family ice cream runs to stock up on family packs. And the flavour that ruled them all was the sublime Tender Coconut with all the silky goodness of malai and none of the heaviness. It’s still the reigning champ.
📍: 46 locations in Mumbai, find details here
3. Guava Ice Cream, Apsara
From its humble 1971 beginnings as a sancha (hand-churned) ice cream shop in Walkeshwar to now being a successful franchise with a factory outlet that churns out unique new flavours, including healthy sugar-free ice creams, Apsara has been a household name. Their crowning glory, though, is a Guava ice cream aptly named Guava Glory, which remains unchanged with its winning combo of dense full-cream buffalo milk, fresh Guava pieces and a smattering of spicy masala for that tangy kick.
📍: Over 28 locations in Mumbai, find details here
5 Indian brands crowned the world’s most iconic ice creams
The other Indian state that can lay claim to ice cream fame is neighbouring Karnataka. TasteAtlas’ most iconic 100 ice cream parlours lineup also gave shout-outs to Bengaluru’s famed Corner House and Pabba’s in Mangalore. Corner House’s decade Death by Chocolate Sundae (actress Deepika Padukone’s fav) and Pabba’s delightfully-named Gadbad ice cream were other winners.
Wondering which other countries and cities made it to the list? Sydney, Tokyo, Singapore and more are on there. Find the full list here.