Best Ice Cream in Basel

The Swiss summer is well and truly in full swing. As temperatures soar, so does our desire for the good stuff: ice cream, Eis, or Glacé (as it is called in Swiss German). Basel can certainly call itself a Glacé-Stadt, with no less than 21 gelaterias tested in 2021 by BaZ online. So when the urge strikes, where are the best places to go?! Here are our top picks.

Prize Winners

And the winner goes to....Basel! According to Gault Millau, the prestigious French restaurant guide (think Michelin, but with a focus purely on food), the Basel area has three out of the top ten best ice cream places in Switzerland. You can practise your German and read all about it here: Top Ten Gelaterias in Switzerland.

Acero (second place) is a Basel legend, as you will see by the long queues on hot days. With an Eiscafé in Kleinbasel and a Glacé-Kiosk in Grossbasel, Acero offers a diverse selection of flavors, including several vegan options.

Eisuru Gelato (third place) pairs traditionally-made Italian ice cream with intensive flavors, and unique creations with a Japanese twist. Here you will find matcha green tea, earl grey, and kuro-goma (black sesame) alongside more traditional flavors and smooth sorbets.

In Oberwil (and my personal favorite) is Gabriella Gelato Artigianale (sixth place). Gabriella’s passion for quality ingredients, alongside her joyful customer service, makes for a memorable experience. Flavors change daily, often showcasing experimental options alongside flavor-packed sorbets and regular favorites. My personal favorite is the chocolate sorbet, followed by hazelnut, pistachio, and Baileys. Well worth venturing outside of the city and making the trip to Gabriella!

Acero Mörsbergerstrasse 2, 4057 Basel; St. Johanns-Park, Elsässerstrasse 34, 4056 Basel

Eisuru Markthalle Steinentorberg 20, 4051 Basel

Gabriella Gelato Artigianale Hauptstrasse 36, 4104 Oberwil

Italian-Style Gelato

If it’s authentic Italian gelato you are looking for, you are spoiled for choice. Two places traditionally known for their savoury dishes also serve up some fantastic sweet treats. Sapori del Sud 2 (best known for its delicious Pastrami sandwiches) and Gabri’s Pasta (known for its fresh pasta) also have a number of delicious, Italian gelatos and sorbets to finish your meal.

Bruno Lorenzo - gelato lab has become a firm favorite, offering super tasty homemade gourmet-quality gelato and sorbets, with interesting combinations like pear and lavender.

Another great choice, Gran Gelato, is just a stone’s throw away from Barfüsserplatz, with a good selection of flavors, including vegan gelatos and sorbets. One of my favorites is the vegan chocolate orange gelato - so delicious and so smooth!

If you are looking for something worthy of Instagram (which tastes as good as it looks), head over to Amorino, where Italian gelato is presented to you as an ice cream rose with a fantastic selection of flavors to choose from.

Gabri's Pasta

Rheingasse 47, 4058 Basel

Sapori Del Sud 2

Rheingasse 23, 4058 Basel

Bruno lorenzo - gelato lab

Rheingasse 13, 4058 Basel

Gran Gelato

Gerbergasse 58, 4001 Basel

Amorino

Steinenvorstadt 53, 4051 Basel

Swiss Ice Cream Legends

Cuckoo and Gelateria Di Berna are some of the more recent additions to the Basel ice cream scene, coming to us originally from Bern. Cuckoo (the Bern location placing fourth on the GM list) prides itself on producing ice cream that is less sweet than regular versions, focusing entirely on the intense flavor of the ingredients.

Originally started in a converted cheese factory in Bern-Mittelland, Gelateria Di Berna has opened several locations around Switzerland over the years, including two in Basel. Known for having the longest queues, rest assured, it is worth the wait. My personal favorites here are the coconut and stracciatella ice creams and the chocolate sorbet.

Cuckoo  Hutgasse 4, 4001 Basel

Gelateria Di Berna  Offenburgerstrasse 32, 4057 Basel; Bruderholzstrasse 45

4053 Basel

Vegan Ice Cream

Photo: Enila Ice Cream

For a vegan treat, be sure to try Enila Plant Based Ice Cream, which produces exclusively vegan ice cream using homemade coconut and cashew milks and tantalizing cookie chunks that are all made or baked on-site. Think of Enila as a vegan take on Ben and Jerry’s. They offer eight ‘always' flavors, such as mocha almond fudge, salted caramel macadamia cookie, and apple crumble, as well as four additional flavors that change monthly.

Enila Plant Based Ice Cream Klybeckstrasse 58, 4057 Basel

https://froyocafe.business.site/

Frozen Yogurt

If frozen yogurt is more your thing, then head to Yogurt Now. With its generous toppings selection spanning fresh fruits, sweets, chocolates, crunchies, and a range of different sauces, there is plenty of choice for any palate.

Yogurt Now Blumenrain 3, 4051 Basel

I hope you have enjoyed this ice cream review as much as I did doing all the research for it! But don't just take my word for it, do some 'research' of your own 😉. Let us know your favorites in the comments and enjoy your Glacé-time! :)

Alison Waterfield is a Brit who has been in the Basel area for over a decade. She currently resides in Oberwil, where she enjoys having countryside on her doorstep as well as town being only a short tram ride away. She loves cooking, baking and anything food-related and is a beginner food stylist and photographer. She enjoys being in nature and relaxing, doing anything wellness-related, as well as engaging in creative activities such as abstract and fluid art and crochet.