My memories of helados (ice cream) as a kid in the small Galician town of Vigo in the 80s are mostly of the signs outside kiosks advertising Colajets (a cola and lemon flavored popsicle) and Frigo Pies (strawberry ice cream shaped like a foot) – colorful, industrial fantasies on a stick. The quality ice creams of my town were represented by two unique parlors (Di San Remo and Capri), which always had long lines in the summer. However, these places were reserved for very special Sundays.
Barcelona’s version of such traditional spots were the Valencian turronerías and horchaterías (orxaterias in Catalan), where locals could get tasty helados with a more artisanal bent. But as the city grows, many of these longstanding places have been disappearing, leaving Barcelona something of a dry desert when it comes to small-batch ice cream. Oases still exist, like Sirvent in Sant Antoni, Planellas Donat in the Gotic, La Campana in Born, or Tío Che in Poble Nou, and we have written about them at length. But a new generation of frozen dreams have stepped onto the summer dessert stage in Barcelona – more innovative, proudly handcrafted, and combining unique and local ingredients.
Defined by high-quality products, lower fat and sugar contents, no artificial colors or preservatives, and vegan and lactose-free options, Barcelona’s modern helados era is punctuated by sweet and savory flavors that will erase any trace of desire for the phosphorescent, chemically enhanced ices we endlessly licked in the 20th century. Meanwhile, the heladerías and gelaterias pushing this new wave along exist at something of a cultural crossroads. They work with local Catalan ingredients of the highest quality – sometimes with a focus on organic, sustainable and seasonal materials – but they are also deeply influenced by Italian gelato techniques. Below is our guide to Barcelona’s best new ice cream classics.
Rocambolesc
This ice cream parlor belongs to Catalan Michelin-starred pastry chef Jordi Roca and his multicultural team of artisans. It’s a project intended to be fun and delightful, as well as to bring some of their restaurant creations into the streets. A portmanteau of Roca and bolesc (an unexact iteration of “ball,” like balls of ice cream), the word rocambolesc means bizarre or fanciful. And this is the ethos behind Jordi Roca’s playful creations. The best example: a strawberry popsicle in the shape of his nose – a much tastier take on Frigo Pies, we might add.
Rocambolesc uses organic milk from the sustainable farm La Selvatana, crafting gelatos and sorbets with toppings like violet marshmallow, sablé butter cookie chips, pop rocks or fantastical clouds of cotton candy. Some of our favorite creations are the oven-baked apple with chunks of shortbread, or the panet, a warm brioche with ice cream inside. The conceptual popsicles are as much fun to behold as to eat: Helado Oscuro is a deep shade of blueberry in the shape of Darth Vader’s helmet (El Lado Oscuro means The Dark Side); a mango and blood-orange pop is molded to look like the gold hand of Jaime Lannister from Game of Thrones, and aptly named The Golden Hand.
Roca has opened a couple of parlors in Madrid, another in Girona and Barcelona’s is located in the Gran Teatre del Liceu opera house, in the middle of Las Ramblas, the cultural center of the city.
Kurimu
Kurimu prepares handcrafted ice cream with an Italian heart and a Japanese soul. In 1983, the pastry chef Takashi Oshiai and his Catalan wife Carme Martí opened a shop offering traditional Catalan pastries. Takashi, who is from Niigata, Japan, started creating sweets when he went to Tokyo at age 15. He eventually studied the art of pastry making in Belgium, then moved to London, where he met Carme. In time, Takashi and his Japanese-Catalan family started making space for their Asian roots, developing what today is the best Japanese pastry shop in the city. In 2014, the Government of Catalan awarded Takashi with the honor of “best pastry master.” And in 2019, near their pastry shop, the family opened Kurimu, meaning creamy. Two Italians have joined the multicultural mix to help launch the ice cream shop – gelato artisans Mattiello Veneto and Andrea de Bellis.
At Kurimu, alongside the typical ice cream cones and cups, there are Japanese dessert sandwiches called monakas, shaved ice kakigōri and taiyaki (fish-shaped waffle cakes traditionally filled with red bean paste). Here, the taiyaki can be filled with Kurimo’s helado, for what is a truly decadent experience. Among the enticing flavors are matcha tea, umeboshi plum, black sesame and a diverse array of fruits, enhanced with the citric touch of yuzu.
Natas Heladas
A young entrepreneur from La Rioja, Marcos Bartolomé, opened the popular Satan’s Coffee Corner in 2012. And what happens when you read “satan” backwards? Natas (meaning creams). Bartolomé’s ice cream parlor was designed to satisfy the urges of those who want to indulge, cool down and escape the hellish summers in the city. The store’s gelatos are made with natural fruit and high-quality ingredients, and stored in the traditional pozzetti, a sealed, stainless steel well that keeps frozen treats at the perfect temperature.
Defined by high-quality products, lower fat and sugar contents, no artificial colors or preservatives, and vegan and lactose-free options, Barcelona’s modern helados era is punctuated by sweet and savory flavors that will erase any trace of desire for the phosphorescent, chemically enhanced ices we endlessly licked in the 20th century.
The hit here is the mint chocolate chip, and it is exceptional, intense and balsamic-y. We also loved the baked pineapple with cinnamon, as well as the almonds with orange blossom. Not surprisingly, considering the parlor’s coffee shop roots, the affogatos here are one of their specialties. You can enjoy your ice cream while sitting on the beautiful patio next door belonging to La Central bookshop’s Bar Central, a small corner of heaven in the city.
Bodevici
The organic, sustainable and high-quality frozen creations of the Catalan Jordi Rivera have been a favorite since 2011. The imported ingredients used here – like the chocolate and vanilla – are all fair trade, and the domestic ones are locally sourced. Their milk is from “happy cows” on nearby farms, and their shop in Gràcia has become the first zero-waste ice cream parlor in Europe, counting on reusable straws and containers made of bamboo or coconut shell.
On offer are ice creams, frozen yogurt and Valencia horchata, with organic and healthy options for all nutritional profiles, from gluten or sugar free, to lactose intolerant and vegan. They have a selection of flavors from Valencia and Catalonia, like horchata sorbet, leche merengada (merengue milk with cinnamon) and Xixona nougat. Other spectacular local flavors include goat milk yogurt gelato, Maresme strawberries or Reus hazelnut.
La Lletera de Girona
Also in Gràcia is La Lletera de Girona, whose products comes from a workshop in Girona, which uses organic milk from the pastures directly around the city to make their gelato. This is an Argentinian-Italian-Catalan shop that offers gelato, fresh milk, frozen yogurt with colorful toppings, local horchata, slushies, vegan pastries and cookies, and some of the best Argentinian sweets to be found in Barcelona. One of the favorite flavors here is no doubt the dulce de leche, of which there are two varieties: One is marbled with San Ignacio dulce de leche, and the other is similar to a stracciatella.
Mariana Granillo, owner of La Lletera, is one of several Argentinians to have opened up a gelato shop in Barcelona. As she tells us, “You cannot walk through Buenos Aires without finding a gelateria every three streets. We probably have as many gelato shops as in Italy.”
Others:
Tomo II
All-natural gelato made in-shop, with seasonal varieties. Tomo II has some “exotic” flavors, like black sesame or green tea, plus very local ones, like tiger nut, mel i mató (Catalan fresh cheese) or nougat. The first shop was opened in 2004 by Teresa Vázquez, one of the pioneers of modern artisanal gelato in the city, and now they have four shops in the city.
Shanti Gelato
Another Italo-Argentinian ice cream parlor, opened in 2009 by the couple Daniel and Julieta. Shanti Gelato specializes in high-quality gelato, handcrafted with local flavors and products from the La Boquería market.
Carambola
A Catalan gelateria in the Sagrada Familia area. Opened in 2019 by Sigrid Segura and Pep Solá, who learned to make gelato in Sicily. They offer gelatos and sorbets with seasonal flavors and several vegan options. They have more than thirty options, but their musts are the strudel and sacher.
Manna Gelats
A Venezuelan artisan ice cream shop opened in 2013. Manna Gelats specializes in tropical flavors like guava or soursop. On offer are creations like Venezuelan chocolate with honey, chocolate with a touch of jalapeño, or tres leches. They also have seasonal ice creams made with local ingredients.
But be warned, this list is not complete without the names of Barcelona’s best Italian parlors – for gelato, of course. Keep an eye out for Part 2!
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