Best Places for Artisanal Ice Cream and Gelato
Below are listed all the best spots on Mallorca with quick links to get there! But first a little history...
A Quick History of Gelato
Gelato, the creamy Italian frozen treat whose name simply means "frozen," boasts a rich history that stretches back thousands of years to ancient civilizations, with early frozen desserts recorded as far back as 3000 BC in Asia and even 12,000 years ago in Mesopotamia where ice was harvested to cool drinks, evolving from simple snow-flavored mixtures enjoyed by pharaohs and emperors to more sophisticated forms influenced by Arab sherbets introduced to Sicily during the Middle Ages.
The modern incarnation of gelato emerged during the Italian Renaissance in the 16th century, credited to Florentine architect and artist Bernardo Buontalenti, who reportedly invented a creamy version using milk, eggs, and sugar for the Medici family, while contemporaries like alchemist Cosimo Ruggeri also experimented with frozen delights; intriguingly, Buontalenti's architectural prowess extended to designing elaborate gelato presentations for banquets.
Gelato gained international fame when Sicilian Francesco Procopio dei Coltelli opened Café Procope in Paris in 1686, the world's first ice cream café, serving it to luminaries like Voltaire and Napoleon, marking its spread across Europe—unusually, this café started as a hub for intellectuals and revolutionaries, blending gelato with cultural history.
Palma (other towns below)
| Place | Description | Key Highlights |
|---|---|---|
| Rivareno Gelato | Italian-style gelato shop with multiple locations in Palma, known for daily fresh batches. | High ratings (4.6/5 on TripAdvisor); Nut flavours built on Sicily’s Bronte pistachio & Piedmont IGP hazelnut; sorbets >55 % fruit. |
| Ca'n Joan de s'Aigo | 300‑year‑old recipe centered on raw Mallorcan almond milk (no cow dairy in their signature flavour). | 4.4/5; famous for almond and fig flavors; a cultural icon. |
| Gelateria Ca'n Miquel | Artisan gelateria with over 90 flavors, founded by a former pastry chef. | Renowned for creativity; uses high-quality bases for creamy textures. |
| Giovanni L. Gelato Deluxe | Premium Italian gelato with generations of family tradition. | 4.6/5; bold flavors like lemon-basil; commitment to natural craftsmanship. |
| Gelats d'Autor Capritxo | "Author's ice creams" with innovative, handmade options. | Works with 100 % local fruit & dairy and even seasonal savoury scoops like Roquefort‑pear. |
| Iceberg Gelats | Plant-based and natural ice creams, handmade without additives. | Vegan-friendly; Uses milk/cream from “happy cows”, sun‑ripened fruit, zero additives or palm oil. |
| Gelateria La Romana | Base is organic whole milk & free‑range eggs; ingredient list published online. | Known for smooth, authentic tastes; uses traditional recipes. |
| Gelats Paco | Broad gluten‑, lactose‑ and sugar‑free line so every base mix is tailored to a diet rather than diluted. | Affordable and flavorful; highlights Mallorcan influences. |
| La Boutique del Gelato | Boutique-style shop with premium, handmade selections. | Elegant flavors; small-batch production. |
| Gelateria Rosario | 100 % fresh‑fruit sorbets (no concentrates) and slow‑churned milk gelato. | Originated in Andratx; now in Palma with creative, fresh options. |
| Claudio Gelato con Passione | Passion-driven gelato with vegan and natural focuses. | Uses local herbs like rosemary, sweetened mainly with fruit solids.; highly rated for freshness. |
| Che Ice Cream | Artisanal spot with creative, daily-made treats. | Fun, innovative profiles; good for experimental palates. |
| Frozen | Focuses on frozen treats with artisanal touches. | Includes yogurt-based options; fresh and light. |
| Corazón Helado | Handmade Italian gelato in a cozy setting. | Creamy and authentic; popular in Illetas area near Palma. |
| Gelateria Paco (alternate branch) | Extension of Gelats Paco with similar handmade quality. | Broad gluten‑, lactose‑ and sugar‑free line so every base mix is tailored to a diet rather than diluted. |
| Gelats Valls (Palma outpost) | Traditional artisan ice cream with Mallorcan roots. | Fresh products; century-old techniques. |
| Gelatty | Uses precision batch‑freezing and local pasteurised milk for exceptionally small ice crystals. | |
| Che Gelats | Argentine‑style dulce‑de‑leche & mantecol flavours — entirely artisanal. | |
| Dulce Italia | Milanese owners; flagship pistachio is 100 % Bronte nut paste, no colouring. | |
| Sa Gelateria | Classic Mallorcan almond, lemon & orange granizados plus dairy gelati — all natural. | |
| Capritxo – Gelats d’Autor | Made daily from scratch; zero industrial bases, easy to request sugar‑free batches. | |
| Cremola | Marries local Agama dairy with Bronte pistachio and seasonal Manacor strawberries. |
Outside Palma: Best for Artisanal Ice Cream and Gelato
| Destination | Parlour 1 | Ingredient highlight | Parlour 2 | Ingredient highlight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Port de Sóller | Fet a Sóller | Local cow milk & cream, Sóller‑valley orange zest sorbets, no hydrogenated fats. | Petit Café Frozen Yogurt | Frozen yoghurt from an artisanal Catalan starter & organic Spanish milk; mostly gluten‑free. |
| Valldemossa | Gelati Mossa | Daily‑made; uses Mallorcan almond, citrus & local berries. | ||
| Alcúdia / Port | Helados Garrido | Wide vegan soy‑milk range plus raw‑peel orange & basil sorbets. | Zarpado’s | No additives; only fresh fruit & high‑fat cream in every churn. |
| Cala d’Or | Cala D’Ice | Makes every flavour from raw ingredients only; no colourings or pastes. | ||
| Cala Millor | Heladeria Bernardini | Family recipes, cream‑rich milk gelato plus house‑baked cake inclusions. | Gelats Garau | 30 % of cabinet is vegan almond & pistachio bases; no artificial colours. |
| Magaluf | Rivareno (seafront kiosk) | Same Bronte‑pistachio & high‑fruit sorbets as Palma branch, churned fresh every day on site. | Il Punto Gelato | Open kitchen shows stacks of whole fruit & nuts waiting to be ground per batch. |
| Port d’Andratx | Gelats Can Nero | Four‑generation shop; 12–14 flavours, all 100 % natural & made in‑house. | Gelateria Capri | Since 1979, sea‑salt raspberry and creamy hazelnut with no vegetable fat. |
| Santanyí / Colònia de Sant Jordi | Gelateria Colonial | First Balearic parlour with full organic certification; rice‑milk vegan line. | Can Gelat (Santanyí old bakery) | Rustic setting; churns stone‑milled local almond & carob into creamy bases. |
| Cala Ratjada (Capdepera) | Gelateria Des Port | Waterfront shop scooping fresh‑fruit coconut & fig gelati. | Dolce Vita | Italian owners; all‑natural scoops plus sorbets blended to order. |
How Their Ingredients Are Different
Artisanal ice cream and gelato in Mallorca vary in ingredients based on style (Italian vs. traditional Mallorcan), location-specific sourcing, and focus (e.g., vegan or dairy-heavy).
Italian-style spots (e.g., Rivareno, Giovanni L., Gelateria La Romana, Gelati Mossa) often import premium nuts—pistachios from Sicily, hazelnuts from Piedmont—for authentic, creamy gelato without hydrogenated fats, artificial colors, or preservatives. They prioritize fresh milk and cream for density, with unique additions like basil or amarena cherries.
Local Mallorcan places (e.g., Ca'n Joan de s'Aigo, Gelats Valls, Sa Fàbrica de Gelats) use island-sourced items like almonds (a Mallorca staple for nut milks and flavors), figs, and strawberries from local farms, plus citrus from Sóller Valley oranges for sorbets. These emphasize traditional recipes with fresh cow or goat milk from Balearic farms, avoiding additives for a lighter, icier texture in sorbets.
Plant-based or natural shops (e.g., Iceberg, Claudio Gelato con Passione, Ice Dreams) differ by using no dairy, instead opting for coconut or almond milk, and local herbs like rosemary or seasonal fruits for vegan options, health-focused profiles.
In northern areas like Alcúdia or Pollença (e.g., Helados Garrido, La Boutique Gelato), ingredients blend local almonds/strawberries with imported nuts, creating hybrid flavors. In mountain villages like Valldemossa or Deià, simplicity reigns with homemade batches using fresh, minimal ingredients for daily production.
In coastal spots like Port d'Andratx or Porto Cristo (e.g., Gelats Can Nero, Zugga), seasonal fruits and natural recipes dominate, often with mocha or fruit sorbets from local produce. Overall, the difference lies in sourcing: imported for Italian luxury vs. hyper-local for Mallorcan authenticity, with some (e.g., Cremola in references) mixing both for 100% natural blends.
