The best ice cream shops Gironde

The Teyssier family has been delighting gourmets since 1905... Whether it's chichis, waffles, churros, crêpes or mascots, everything is homemade. The stars of Le Fin Glacier? Organic ice creams with no added coloring or preservatives. They are made by a master ice-cream maker from organic milk and fruit, for both scoop and Italian-style ice cream. More than 50 flavors, including of course the must-haves (vanilla, chocolate, strawberry), but also more original recipes: Toblerone, cookies and speculoos, yuzu, etc.

The Ô Sorbet d'Amour ice cream parlour is an institution that was founded in 1935 on the Arcachon basin, in Moulleau. Today, there are a good number of pretty shops in the region in the colour of acid orange with the first emblematic shop of the brand still on the promenade of the Moulleau pier. The brand has developed in Arcachon, Andernos, Cap-Ferret, Lacanau, La Teste-de-Buch, Toulouse, Braga in Portugal and of course in Bordeaux, 2 cours de l'intendance next to the Grand Hotel. A wind of modernity blew on the sign of this artisan ice cream maker with the development of the brand Ô Sorbet d'Amour in franchise. The gourmet recipes are still made in the traditional way; the milk is supplied by the last farm in the Arcachon basin, then transformed in a traditional way with fruit and high quality ingredients in the laboratory in La Teste. The sorbets (about thirty) with a thousand and one flavours are very original, you can't resist sauternes grape, kalamansi or strawberries and piquillos, you can enjoy ice creams (about 60 flavours, some of them alcoholic), or the famous Pinasse and its scoops of ice cream for 15 people, the emblematic dessert of the ice cream maker Ô Sorbet d'Amour.

This ice cream parlour/tea room, opened by Anthony Porée, has a friendly, slightly baroque decor. The ice creams and sorbets are handcrafted from fresh fruit, regional whole milk and Valrhona chocolate by Terre Adélice's Master Glaciers. Choose from 80 flavors, 60 of them organic, incredible, authentic and original: foie gras, madeleine, speculoos, tiramisu, rice pudding, honey/violet, prunes/armagnac, and more. You can also enjoy a home-made organic waffle inside the store or on the terrace.

Pinocchio is a veritable institution. With over 60 permanent flavors, you'll find what you're looking for on the main aisle leading to the waterfront. Alongside traditional ice creams and sorbets made by a master ice-cream maker with no artificial flavourings, indulge in brand-name ice cream bars, succulent homemade crepes or waffles that can be combined with salted butter caramel or homemade chocolate. Tasty treats to be enjoyed on the terrace in tangy colors!

Carmen and her son Anthony opened their first boutique in Bordeaux's Place Saint-Pierre, followed by a second in Arcachon's Moulleau. The all-white storefront is chic and sober, with its old-fashioned moldings. The ice creams and sorbets are handcrafted to the highest standards by Terre Adélice's master ice-cream makers. Everything is 100% organic, with no colorants, chemical flavors or preservatives, and 52 of the 104 flavors are vegan. The choice is vast, and some of the flavors are surprising. The welcome is all smiles, even when it's crowded.

Behind these two feminine first names, Henriette & Olga, borrowed from their grandmothers, are two friends: Dimitri, a pastry chef by training, and Christophe, a salesman. The two boys have a passion for gourmet food, based on values such as authenticity, know-how and conviviality. They select only local products to produce pastries, verrines, 580 ml pots with a choice of flavors in the sorbet and ice-cream categories, and even ice-cream sandwiches combining vanilla, cookie and caramel, or mango, passion fruit and Sichuan pepper. The decor is warm and sunny.

Apricot and lemon verbena sorbet, figs from Provence, white peach from the Rhone Valley and basil from the garden... Flavors that keep their promise. Behind these delicacies with an incomparable taste: Delphine, member of the great family of the National Confederation of Glaciers of France, who makes with love artisanal recipes that are constantly renewed. Everything is homemade and local: from charlottes and iced cupcakes to cones and cookies. We especially like the natural yogurt ice cream made with milk from the Baren de la Matte farm.

Simon Rousseau has been passionate about cooking since childhood. Inspired by Thai techniques, he offers "à la plancha" ice creams, made from a homemade milk base using natural, local and, if possible, sustainable or organic products: milk, agave syrup, seasonal fruit... These delicious frosted creations can be found at numerous events around Bordeaux: if you get the chance, don't miss out on the rolled ice creams, unless you'd rather try a milk-free eskimo or a granita!

Chocolate addicts will be seduced by this boutique opened by two gourmands, Ophélia and Alice. This ice cream parlour stands out from the rest by celebrating chocolate in all its flavours (dark, white, milk, ruby...) and forms (ice creams, sorbets, mousses, tablettes...), but above all thanks to its vegan range of ice creams, pastries and viennoiseries. You can't resist a crêpe topped with homemade spread and vegan whipped cream. Waffles are also available in a savoury version (vegetables, tofu and feta-style "fauxmage").

Sorbets and ice creams, waffles, milkshakes... Lily à la vanille is the ideal spot for a gourmet break in the heart of the citadel. The handcrafted farmhouse ice creams are delicious (even more so when accompanied by homemade whipped cream!), in classic or original flavors. The setting, a small private garden, is not lacking in charm, and a drinks menu completes the offer. A second outlet has been set up on Rue Neuve, in the center of town. Good to know: ice creams are available to take away in one-liter or half-liter tubs.

Benoît and Domitille spent a few years at Ô Sorbet d'Amour in Arcachon before creating Benetille, a contraction of their two first names. Their production is 100% traditional: the ice creams are made with organic milk produced in the Dordogne, the sorbets are made with fresh products, the cones with or without gluten are made on the spot. The two ice-cream makers give free rein to their inspirations to put colourful and appetizing treats in the bins. One of their best-sellers is a vanilla ice cream with salted butter and caramelized almonds.

Fanny and Simon, better known as Fernand and Paulette, had the idea of importing to Bordeaux a granita recipe discovered in Asia. On board their three-wheeler, they make a crushed ice cream, grated from a block of raw ice to which they add an organic syrup from Meneau, which gives a great granita. They also make homemade fruity eskimos, respecting the seasonality of the fruits, collected from small producers in the region. For the adults, ice creams with Ricard, Spritz or the inevitable Mojito..

The Loco Polo comes straight from Spain. In a latino atmosphere, we discover frozen sticks not quite like the others. They are vegan, natural and not very sweet, so they are suitable for everyone, even people with dietary restrictions such as diabetes. Another originality: their double texture. The cheesecake stick, for example, is a milk ice cream with a runny raspberry heart. Those with a sweet tooth can even dip their ice cream in white, dark or milk chocolate and add toppings..

Want a homemade Italian ice cream? Run at Maxi Gelati, the historic address of the ice in Arcachon. Here, neither conservative nor ice fuelled with emulsifiers and other thickeners, we find taste, the real with ice creams manufactured daily in the purest tradition with natural, seasonal and quality products. On the colorful bazaar the perfume range attracts the gourmands: vanilla, lemon, chocolate, liquorice, pistachio, passion, hazelnut, speculoos, strawberry, raspberry, wild ripe, melon, iced brown, tiramisu, rum-reason, salt flower… Generous and tasty ice cream, served with kindness, top! A second address at Moulleau, 226 boulevard on the Silver coast.