Five Indian Delights Churn Their Way Into ‘Most Iconic Ice Creams Of The World’ List
India’s unyielding love for frozen sweet treats and sheer ingenuity has resulted in these parlours earning their place among the world's finest
Ice cream—the sweet, creamy delight that knows no boundaries often brings unmatched joy to our taste buds, reviving childhood memories that we hold close to our heart. From sorbets to plain old lick lollies, this evergreen dessert is liked, loved and craved unequivocally. And India is home to many iconic ice cream parlours that put their own spin on ice creams. Five of them have been scooped into the prestigious list of ‘Most Iconic Ice Creams of the World,’ curated by none other than the revered Taste Guide.
So, the next time you’re in the mood for an ice cream adventure, let your taste buds take you to these iconic vintage ice cream parlours in India for the perfect scoop!
K Rustom’s, Mumbai
This old school Iranian ice cream parlour had humble beginnings. Once a department store, K. Rustom & Co started serving ice creams on glass plates in 1953 to tourists that flocked their store. The plates soon made way to crunchy biscuit ice creams which has made them iconic. Sandwiched between two wafers is a scoop of delicious frozen treat that comes in a variety of flavours. The mango flavour, however, found special favour with Taste Atlas that has included it in the list for this classic.
Where: 87 Stadium House, Veer Nariman Road, Churchgate, Mumbai
Pabba’s Ice Cream Parlour, Mangalore
In the heart of the city’s bustling Lalbagh is Ideal Ice Cream, one of India’s most vintage ice cream parlours which was the brainchild of S Prabhakar Kamath. Ask any Mangalurean, and they’ll tell you that Ideal Ice Cream is an emotion. The first Ideal outlet started out with 12 humble flavours in 1975; most of them were outcomes of kitchen experiments that happened at Kamath’s home. The ice cream experimentalist was fondly called ‘Pabbana’, and his demise in 2021 was a personal loss to the city’s heritage. Ideal’s iconic ‘Gadbad Ice cream’ – three flavours of ice creams that comes in a tumbler laced with jellies, fruits and nuts, has ensured its place on Taste Atlas’ guide.
Where: Shree Krishna Prasad Building, Lalbagh, Mangaluru, Karnataka
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Naturals Ice Cream, Pan-India
From selling Pav Bhaji and ice creams from a tiny shop in Juhu to building one of India’s most loved ice cream brands, Raghunandan Srinivas Kamath’s story is nothing short of legendary. Kamath turned his humble idea of selling ice cream into a full fledged business, turning his ‘Ice Cream of Juhu Scheme’ into Naturals Ice Cream, which today has over 130 outlets across India. They use fresh fruits and flavours in their ice creams, and ‘tender coconut’ which distils the flavour of coconuts into a creamy base, has given it a spot in the guide.
Where: Outlets across India
Apsara Ice Creams, Mumbai
This parlour was started in 1971 by Nemchand Shah, who soon established his footprint in Mumbai, serving handcrafted ice creams in Walkeshwar that were made with seasonal fruits, and devoid of any preservatives and artificial flavours. Today, the ice cream chain has outlets across Mumbai, and boasts more than 50+ flavours, incorporating a sugar free range for diabetic customers. “The guava ice cream is celebrated for its authentic taste, with small chunks of guava fruit and a hint of spice mimicking the way the fruit is traditionally eaten in India,” Taste Atlas writes about the brand.
Where: 74/76, Subhadra Mansion, Walkeshwar Road, Malabar Hill, Mumbai
Corner House Ice Cream, Bengaluru
Ask any ice cream connoisseur of their favourite treat in India’s silicon valley and they’ll point you in the direction of Corner House to sample DBC, or Death By Chocolate. The sundae, said to be a customer’s idea, has a chocolate sponge base which is topped with cherries and layers of vanilla ice cream, cream, honey, chocolate fudge, and peanuts. Decadent, right?
Where: No 4, State Bank of India Rd, Shanthala Nagar, St. Mark’s Road, Bangalore
Iconic ice creams from these parlours have made it to Taste Atlas's guide to best icecreams. Picture: Unsplash 
