Our favourite gelato shops in and around Bern

The queue at the streetcar stop “Sulgenau” is just as much part of the Bernese summer as the refreshing Aare river, because here, at the corner to Eigerstrasse street, is where you’ll find the popular gelateria “La Golosa”. As the name suggests (it means sweet tooth), it's a mecca for anyone who loves a good ice cream. The delicious gelatos are always freshly made from local ingredients. This season, last year’s most popular specials have joined the regular flavours, which means that we’re finally able to enjoy black sesame or elderflower-poppy seed ice cream all summer long. Along with the customers’ wishes, sustainability is also taken very seriously: the cones are vegan and made without palm oil, and the cups and spoons are compostable and free of plastic.

To La Golosa

The founders of Cuckoo Ice Cream are convinced: the best ice cream is the one that comes straight out of production, which is why they serve their customers only the freshest ice cream every day. It goes without saying that only natural ingredients that meet the highest quality standards go into the gelatos – and you can taste the difference! This comes as no surprise, as the men behind Cuckoo have a total of 50 years of ice cream experience under their belts: as developers and head employees at the world’s largest ice cream manufacturers, they’ve delighted millions of gourmands. And now its our turn to indulge! Or favourite (or rather, one of our many favourites), is Vanilla Barrique. For this flavour, two kinds of vanilla mature in a Brandy barrel before being turned into smooth ice cream.

To Cuckoo

Colourful, aromatic, and incredibly delicious: at Gelateria die Berna, there’s gelato as far as the eye can see. The selection is large and innovative, the flavours change according to the fruits that are in season. For anyone in need of an additional refreshment after a dip in the Aare river, there’s a branch store conveniently located by the Marzili public pool. The Gelateria di Berna also keeps you cool in the Breitenrain, Länggasse, and Mattenhof neighbourhoods. By the way: if you don’t like queueing (the oftentimes long queue is really the only drawback) and prefer eating the ice cream in your own backyard anyway, you can pre-order vaschette (tubs) and nonchalantly stroll past the waiting ice cream fans.

To the Gelateria di Berna

The legendary restaurant and brewery Altes Tramdepot is not only home to the popular Tram beers, but also to the well-known and highly popular Eiswerkstatt. With its creative flavours, this gelateria makes ice cream lovers’ hearts skip a beat – our favourites are definitely black vanilla (yes, it really is black) and saffron-white chocolate. And they’re available year-round, true to Eiswerkstatt’s motto “t’s never too cold for ice cream”. Our recommendation: combine the sweet treat with a walk in the BearPark – with a bit of luck, you’ll see its furry inhabitants taking a refreshing bath in the Aare river. We love to sit down on the concrete steps on the banks of the river, dip our feet into the cool water, and enjoy our ice cream and the wonderful view of Bern's Old City.

To the Eiswerkstatt

As chocolate artists, the men and women of Casa Nobile are no longer unknown. Now they are shaking up the Bernese gelato scene in Rathausgasse. Regional ingredients from organic farming have priority in the production of the 20 flavours, which is why the berries in the yoghurt gelato come from Zimmerwald, the tree nuts from farms in the canton of Bern and the mountain hay milk from cows in the Entlebuch. Well, the sea salt comes from Sicily, but for a little bit of ocean on the tongue, you can have that much exoticism. Incidentally, the Nobile 71% “Cioccolato” and “Criollo Chuao 68%” creations are a must – after all, the absolute masters of the chocolate trade are at work here.

To Casa Nobile

When temperatures rise, so does our desire to stay cool. And that’s where the ice creams from “Kalte Lust” in Madiswil in the Oberaargau region come in. There are over 100 different flavours, all made with 100% organic milk (which comes directly from the Badertscher family farm in Madiswil) and lots of love. The makers use regional fruit for their ice creams, and ingredients like chocolate and vanilla are all from sustainable sources. There’s such a huge selection of fruity sorbets and smooth ice creams that it’s almost impossible to choose – almost. Because once you’ve tried one, you’ll want to try them all. We guess what the makers say really is true: “Kalte Lust” is addictive!

To Kalte Lust

They are known way beyond Langenthal’s city borders: the gelatos from RIVA. The over 130 different flavours are made at 1 Seilerstrasse on the banks of the Langete river – hence the name: “riva” means “riverbank” in Italian. And if you already know your absolute favourite flavour, you can even pre-order it! Sit down on Wuhrplatz square to enjoy the refreshing treat and a bit of wonderful “dolce far niente”. We’ve already planned our next trip to the Oberaargau region and to RIVA – what about you?

RIVA Gelati

The village dairy in Wattenwil is not only worth a visit because of its yummy cheeses, it’s also where the well-known Gantrisch Glace (Gantrisch ice cream) comes from. The makers in the picturesque Gürbetal valley put their hearts and souls into creating all kinds of fantastic flavours and combinations. Our favourites? Caramel with “Nidletäfeli” – fudge – (rustic and creamy), apricot-yogurt (smooth and fruity), and red currant sorbet (refreshing and tangy). And if you’re thinking that those flavours don’t go together at all – don’t worry, there’s plenty to choose from to create your own favourite flavour combination.

To Gantrisch Glace

In the Gantrisch region, there’s no such thing as a “gelateria” or “gelato” – it’s still good old-fashioned “Glassä” (“ice cream” in Swiss German). Which is also why they don’t say “frozen yogurt”, but rather “Gfrornigs Jogurt”. If you’re starting to worry about your figure because of all the delicious ice cream you’ve been trying, joli mont is the place for you: their “Gfrornigs Jogurt” is light and low in calories. It is made from the best organic milk and organic yogurt, and the toppings (a fruity compote, roasted nuts, or a creamy sauce are a must) are all home-made. The refreshing treat has its origins in Wattenwil, on the organic farm Biohof Wydimatt, where the ingredients needed for “Gfrornigs Jogurt” are produced. The yogurt is sold at the Strandbad lido by the lake and on the road at different events.

To joli mont