Cool Down At Paris' Top 5 Ice Cream Spots

Berthillon

Located on Ile Saint-Louis, one of the two naturally-occurring islands in the middle of the Seine River, Berthillon is a Parisian institution. Since the mid-1950s, this family owned and operated creamery has been churning out some of the world’s best ice cream. The creamery does not use any preservatives or artificial sweeteners. Rather, natural ingredients like cream, eggs, and milk form the base of the ice creams and fruit, vanilla beans, and nuts are used to create the distinct perfumes. The flavors vary from very basic, like chocolate and vanilla, to the more complex, like lavender and gingerbread, to downright bizarre, like fois gras and earl grey tea. There is also a wide selection of sorbets available with flavors like blood orange and green apple.

Raimo

Raimo is one of Paris’ best ice cream spots, operating since 1957. Despite its quality, it is little known to locals, let alone tourists. It is located a bit outside of the city center, but is certainly worth a detour. With simple but exceptionally well-produced ice creams and sorbets in flavors like salted caramel, rose, and mango, Raimo will have you coming back for more. You can either order your dessert to go or stop for a while in their tea room, which is decorated in a chic yet cozy style.

Martine Lambert

Editor's Note: There's no photo available at the time of writing

Started in the Deauville, a popular seaside escape town for Parisians, the Martine Lambert ice cream enterprise recently spread to the capital. The success of these creameries is the high quality of ingredients employed. With milk and cream coming from the Normandy region of France and fruits from around the world, there’s no need for artificial colors or flavors. Find sumptuous flavors like cappuccino and tiramisu. Find also a chilly spin on a French classic, the macaroon.

Pozzetto

This place serves up some of the best gelato outside of Italy! The best part is that there are two locations in the same neighborhood, so if the line is too long at one location, you can try your hand at the other. Here, the menu changes each season to insure that only the freshest ingredients are used. In the summer, be sure to look for strawberry and watermelon, as well as classics like chocolate and pistachio. To top it off, add a bit of homemade whipped cream; you won’t be disappointed!

Las Vegans

Las Vegans claims to be the first vegan ice cream parlor in the French capital and judging by the constantly-filled terrace, Parisians welcome it with open arms. Opened by a former candidate on MasterChef (a French reality cooking program), the goal of the restaurant is to show that living a vegan lifestyle is an enriching, rather than a limiting choice. The ice “creams” are made with a base of organic soy milk and prove to be just as scrumptious as their dairy counterparts. Find flavors like peanut butter, cotton candy, and banana Jack Daniels.