If you happen to be a chocolate lover, at 3, via Francesco Cherubini (Pagano stop in the area west of the centre), you can fully reward your passion with Gnomo Gelato, who has scored 3 Cones in the Gambero Rosso ranking and won the title of Italy’ Best Chocolate Ice Cream in 2020. Flavours change every month, but creamy classics remain on the list along with seasonal fruit sorbets.

Protagonista ad Expo Milano 2015 come gelateria ufficiale di Padiglione Italia, e premiata con 2 Coni dal Gambero Rosso sia nel 2020 sia nel 2021, Rigoletto vanta una sede storica in Via San Siro, 2 e altri due negozi in Piazza Po, 10 e in Via Cola di Rienzo, 2 (oltre all'Apecar-gelateria per rinfrescanti attività on-the-road!). Qui trovi i sapori e l'accoglienza della gelateria di quartiere: tutti i prodotti sono preparati su ricette esclusive con ingredienti genuini selezionati, nel rispetto della tradizione. La filosofia è family friendly, con tante iniziative a portata di golosi, come il party box per avere il gelato sempre con te, i corsi dimostrativi di gelateria artigianale rivolti a bambini (e adulti) e l'online shop a portata di click!

If you are not disturbed by the nightlife and feel drawn by the festive atmosphere of Navigli, at 27, Via Vigevano, look up LatteNeve, an ice cream shop specializing in traditional flavours (pistachio, chocolate, hazelnut) made with fresh, zero-miles ingredients, no additives, dyes or preservatives. Creations such as Nonna Paola's Cream have led to 2 Cones being awarded in the Gambero Rosso ranking.

Find the wonder of childhood in the fresh, light, experimental flavours of Gusto 17, at 17, via Savona. The friends who founded this water-green ice cream parlour, awarded 2 Cones by Gambero Rosso, have found a time-machine formula. They offer a wide choice of creamy choices, fresh fruit sorbets and traditional flavors, and then... taste 17, which does not yet exist but is created anew every week after the customers’ fancy.

Orsi Gelateria has been combining high quality in raw materials with super affordable prices within everyone's reach since 1936. They present a wide selection for gourmands of all ages, which includes not only the classic ice cream and fruit sorbet flavours - made with fresh ingredients and in respect of tradition - but delicious creations both sweet and savoury as well (such as the delicious American doughnuts, frozen cakes and special cocktails). These can be enjoyed in the outdoor courtyard of the restaurant at 19, Via E. Torricelli 1, or relished on a Naviglio Pavese stroll. The ice cream parlour was awarded 2 Cones in the Gambero Rosso ranking.

A few steps from via Savona, in your personal ice cream parlour hopping tour, you can stop at Avgvsto Premiata Gelateria (54, Viale Coni Zugna), awarded 2 Cones by Gambero Rosso. The branding hints at ancient Rome, but the creamy, modern flavours are dedicated to contemporary gourmands.

The paradise of sweet tooth-aesthetes is located near Carrobbio, in via Cesare Correnti, in the luxurious boutique of Enrico Rizzi, which in 2020 was awarded 2 Cones, confirmed in 2021. The delicacy of high Italian confectionery is combined with the French elegance of macaroons and fine wines, without neglecting oriental nuances. Try the Sinfonie, sweet original creations that are the result of delicious combinations (classic or yet untasted) between high quality ingredients.

Ciacco Lab is a popular vegan-friendly ice cream parlour in central via Spadari, enclosed between Duomo and Cordusio, appreciated for the genuineness and lightness of the ingredients, based on natural fibers and proteins. You will like it if your spirit is organic-oriented (sorbets are VeganOk):  pay attention to the traceability of food and appreciate its naturalness. The store's claim is "gelato without a doubt".  The products’ ingredients list is as short as possible in order to leave space to their most true and intense flavour. Ciacco was awarded by Gambero Rosso as Best Gastronomic Gelato in Italy, won 3 cones in both 2020 and 2021 and has been mentioned for years in Il Golosario – Guida alle cose buone d’Italia.

If you love the atmosphere of times gone by, wooden counters and a home feeling, Pavé is the artisan pastry-ice-cream shop suitable for you. In a very central area of Milano (21, via Cesare Battisti) you will find a direct and sustainable cycle in the preparation of desserts and ice creams, such as those with a Sbrisolona or Tarte Tatin flavor. Pavé boasts the recognition of 3 Cones by Gambero Rosso and the production of its own homonymous craft beer.

Pink as a colour well represents the all-female team of Gelato Giusto at 17, Via San Gregorio, a stone's throw from Corso Buenos Aires, awarded 2 cones by Gambero Rosso in 2020 and 2021. That is your destination if you are looking for high quality and prefer raw materials of local origin. Their ice cream is made from fresh ingredients, Lombardy cows’ milk and seasonal fruit. Super-gourmet guides recommend mint flower as a flavour, but creamy slushes and spicy touch ice cream are also mentioned.

For taste buds that appreciate daring combinations, Terra, at 38, via Vitruvio, that was awarded 2 Cones by Gambero Rosso. The philosophy of this shop is based on three elements: strong flavours, lightness and creaminess. The link with the countryside is very strong: many of the raw materials are of DOP and IGP origin, in perfect slow-food style. Among the musts reported on their website are some unusual flavours, which look like works of design, such as truffles, peas & mint and Parmigiano Reggiano.

Travelers with a sweet tooth finding themselves in the area between Gioia and Stazione Centrale should look for Paganelli (3 cones in both 2020 and 2021), a historic Milano ice cream parlour at 14, via Adda, on the corner with Via Fara. The place is famous for the variety of flavours on offer, including Sangue di Giuda (Blood of Judas), the Bewitched Apple and Paciugo, plus a variety of sorbets inspired by fine wines.

North from Isola, in the Maggiolina area, a small ice cream parlour stands out of the pack for its attention to the ingredients’ seasonality and the transparency of information regarding product composition and nutritional values. If you love fruit flavours you cannot miss the welcoming Gelateria Prossima Fermata, located at 131, Via Melchiorre Gioia. Its monthly star flavour, the excellent sorbets (also in stick format) and creamy flavours have won 2 cones in the Gambero Rosso ranking.

If you are an urban explorer of sorts and look for experimental flavours inspired by tradition, Artico offers some classic and delicious ones made from natural ingredients and raw materials of the highest quality while paying close attention to the best the countryside has to offer, and adding a lot of imagination. In this open-laboratory ice cream parlour, that earned 3 Cones in the Gambero Rosso ranking and won the Premio della Stampa - Milano 2020, you will find special and unusual flavours (such as panettone). In addition to the venue at 15, via L. Porro Lambertenghi, a branch was opened at 1, via Dogana, near Duomo.

Crema Gelateria is the new top entry (3 Cones) in the Gambero Rosso 2021 ranking. You will find it at 29, via Giovanni da Procida, in the CityLife area, a short distance from the Domodossola lilac metro stop. Their artisan ice cream is intended as a falling-in-love experience in over 50 different styles (18 chocolate flavours). The place was born as a new project capable of combining a welcoming 1920s location with the philosophy of eco-sustainability (packaging is plastic-free), the legacy of the past and the innovative power of the present. Here, ice cream is celebrated as an icon, an art form, a lifestyle.

Edited by @sister.darko