Top 10: our favourite gelato shops in and around Bern

Hot weather calls for cool treats: time for some ice cream! From raspberry-ginger to cioccolato fondente to red currant sorbet, in a cup or in a cone – here are our favourite gelato shops in and around the city of Bern.

The best gelatos in Bern

La Golosa

The queue at the streetcar stop “Sulgenau” is just as much part of the Bernese summer as the refreshing Aare river, because here, at the corner to Eigerstrasse street, is where you’ll find the popular gelateria “La Golosa”. As the name suggests (it means sweet tooth), it's a mecca for anyone who loves a good ice cream. The delicious gelatos are always freshly made from local ingredients. This season, last year’s most popular specials have joined the regular flavours, which means that we’re finally able to enjoy black sesame or elderflower-poppy seed ice cream all summer long. Along with the customers’ wishes, sustainability is also taken very seriously: the cones are vegan and made without palm oil, and the cups and spoons are compostable and free of plastic. By the way: La Golosa has another shop in Bern's Old City, located at 24 Gerechtigkeitsgasse.

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Cuckoo Ice Cream

The founders of Cuckoo Ice Cream are convinced: the best ice cream is the one that comes straight out of production, which is why they serve their customers only the freshest ice cream every day. It goes without saying that only natural ingredients that meet the highest quality standards go into the gelatos – and you can taste the difference! This comes as no surprise, as the men behind Cuckoo have a total of 50 years of ice cream experience under their belts: as developers and head employees at the world’s largest ice cream manufacturers, they’ve delighted millions of gourmands. And now its our turn to indulge! Or favourite (or rather, one of our many favourites), is Vanilla Barrique. For this flavour, two kinds of vanilla mature in a Brandy barrel before being turned into smooth ice cream. We’re excited to see what’s next – the founders of Cuckoo have tons of ideas up their sleeves and keep on coming up with new creations. We are already planning our next visit to 56 Kramgasse.

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Gelateria di Berna

Colourful, aromatic, and incredibly delicious: at Gelateria die Berna, there’s gelato as far as the eye can see. The selection is large and innovative, the flavours change according to the fruits that are in season. For anyone in need of an additional refreshment after a dip in the Aare river, there’s a branch store conveniently located by the Marzili public pool. The Gelateria di Berna also keeps you cool in the Breitenrain, Länggasse, and Mattenhof neighbourhoods. By the way: if you don’t like queueing (the oftentimes long queue is really the only drawback) and prefer eating the ice cream in your own backyard anyway, you can pre-order vaschette (tubs) and nonchalantly stroll past the waiting ice cream fans. Or you can stop by the pop-up cart Ape Piaggio at Bern Animal Park, Dählhölzli – we’re sure the flamingos would be happy to see you.

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Eiswerkstatt, Altes Tramdepot

The legendary restaurant and brewery Altes Tramdepot is not only home to the popular Tram beers, but also to the well-known and highly popular Eiswerkstatt. With its creative flavours, this gelateria makes ice cream lovers’ hearts skip a beat – our favourites are definitely black vanilla (yes, it really is black) and saffron-white chocolate. And they’re available year-round, true to Eiswerkstatt’s motto “t’s never too cold for ice cream”. Our recommendation: combine the sweet treat with a walk in the BearPark – with a bit of luck, you’ll see its furry inhabitants taking a refreshing bath in the Aare river. We love to sit down on the concrete steps on the banks of the river, dip our feet into the cool water, and enjoy our ice cream and the wonderful view of Bern's Old City.

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S-Enzen

The production venue and shop at 10 Herrengasse is not called “laboratorio” for nothing: it’s where Thomas Enzen and his team come up with and refine his newest ice cream creations. Only the freshest ingredients make it into the mixtures, guaranteeing loads of flavour. So, in the spring, there’s a limited, but nonetheless delicious selection of fruit sorbets (rhubarb, yummmm!), which is gradually extended and changed, depending on the fruits that are ripe and in season. For us, last year’s highlight was definitely the rhubarb sorbet made from freshly pressed rhubarb juice – it doesn’t get much more refreshing than that! We can’t wait to see what S-Enzen has in store for us this summer. By the way: in sunny weather, Thomas Enzen and his ice cream cart can be found on Minster terrace, and he’ll bring it to scoop out sweet treats at your private event, if requested.

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Gelateria Baci

If you’re strolling through Bern’s Old City and feel like a taking sweet break, Gelateria Baci at 39 Kramgasse is the place to go. Christian Steiner and his team have been selling delicious ice cream creations at this centrally located shop since 2012. They are always freshly made – and we mean freshly made: the raw milk comes directly from a farm in Oberwangen and is pasteurized and processed at the shop. Thanks to the many years of close cooperation, the gelateria owner has even become friends with the cows. If you prefer fruity flavours: the sorbets, too, are made with love and from almost exclusively healthy ingredients. Because at Baci, “less sugar, more taste” is the motto. In our opinion, “healthy sorbets” sounds pretty cool (pun intended) on hot summer days.

BACI, BACI

The best gelatos in the Oberaargau region

Kalte Lust, Madiswil

When temperatures rise, so does our desire to stay cool. And that’s where the ice creams from “Kalte Lust” in Madiswil in the Oberaargau region come in. There are over 100 different flavours, all made with 100% organic milk (which comes directly from the Badertscher family farm in Madiswil) and lots of love. The makers use regional fruit for their ice creams, and ingredients like chocolate and vanilla are all from sustainable sources. There’s such a huge selection of fruity sorbets and smooth ice creams that it’s almost impossible to choose – almost. Because once you’ve tried one, you’ll want to try them all. We guess what the makers say really is true: “Kalte Lust” is addictive!

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  • Sold at
    • Dahlia Huttwil
    • Chäsilade & Kafi, Madiswil
    • Biohof Madiswil, Madiswil
    • Alters- & Pflegeheim Schärme, Melchnau
    • Chäsi Melchnau
    • Luzerner Psychiatrie, St. Urban
    • Bäckerei Café Zulauf, Roggwil
    • Dorfkäserei Hofer, Aarwangen
    • Agrola Top Shop, Bützberg
    • Kreuz, Herzogenbuchsee
    • Dahlia Oberaargau, Herzogenbuchsee
    • Café Kreuz & Quer, Kriegstetten
    • Chrämerhuus, Langenthal
    • Yildirim, Langenthal
    • Düby AG Spezialitäten, Langenthal
    • Hotel Meilenstein, Langenthal
    • Felber Bäckerei, Langenthal
    • Café Zulauf, Roggwil

Gelateria RIVA

They are known way beyond Langenthal’s city borders: the gelatos from RIVA. The over 130 different flavours are made at 1 Seilerstrasse on the banks of the Langete river – hence the name: “riva” means “riverbank” in Italian. And if you already know your absolute favourite flavour, you can even pre-order it! Sit down on Wuhrplatz square to enjoy the refreshing treat and a bit of wonderful “dolce far niente”. We’ve already planned our next trip to the Oberaargau region and to RIVA – what about you?

RIVA GELATI

The best gelatos in the Gantrisch region

Gantrisch Glace

The village dairy in Wattenwil is not only worth a visit because of its yummy cheeses, it’s also where the well-known Gantrisch Glace (Gantrisch ice cream) comes from. The makers in the picturesque Gürbetal valley put their hearts and souls into creating all kinds of fantastic flavours and combinations. Our favourites? Caramel with “Nidletäfeli” – fudge – (rustic and creamy), apricot-yogurt (smooth and fruity), and red currant sorbet (refreshing and tangy). And if you’re thinking that those flavours don’t go together at all – don’t worry, there’s plenty to choose from to create your own favourite flavour combination.

TO GANTRISCH GLACE

  • Sold at
    • Dorfchäsi Wattenwil
    • Gurnigel Berghaus
    • Irmas Bistrot in der Dittligmühle (Forst)

«Gfrornigs Jogurt» by joli mont

In the Gantrisch region, there’s no such thing as a “gelateria” or “gelato” – it’s still good old-fashioned “Glassä” (“ice cream” in Swiss German). Which is also why they don’t say “frozen yogurt”, but rather “Gfrornigs Jogurt”. If you’re starting to worry about your figure because of all the delicious ice cream you’ve been trying, joli mont is the place for you: their “Gfrornigs Jogurt” is light and low in calories. It is made from the best organic milk and organic yogurt, and the toppings (a fruity compote, roasted nuts, or a creamy sauce are a must) are all home-made. The refreshing treat has its origins in Wattenwil, on the organic farm Biohof Wydimatt, where the ingredients needed for “Gfrornigs Jogurt” are produced. The yogurt is sold at the Strandbad lido by the lake and at café/bar Mokka, both in Thun. And if you can’t get enough of it, you can even have the yogurt cart come to your house: joli mont offers Gfrornigs Jogurt catering for groups of 50 people or more.

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