The best ice cream shops France

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.

A few steps from Les Halles, this artisan ice cream maker offers homemade and certified organic ice creams, sorbets, gourmet desserts and ice candies. At lunch time during the week, you can enjoy good food, poke bowls and street food style sweets. To enjoy on the spot or to take away. The menu changes often to renew the pleasure. Note that the address also offers brunches and hosts exhibitions or animations.

Samuel and his team create gourmet and refined pastries made with fresh and artisanal products. Discover in their superb and tempting windows their sweet creations of season, realized each day with care on the spot. They make individual pastries, desserts, brioches, pastries, macaroons, confectionery, chocolates and ice cream. Assembled pieces on order. Savoury side, sandwiches, wraps, croque-monsieur. In the summer, they also make mixed salads, vegetarian and gluten-free products.

Whatever the season, sweet smells are often wafting down Rue de Béthune... and with good reason! With 2 Lacquemant gourmet outlets, the street is filled with the irresistible scent of crêpes, Liège or Brussels waffles and homemade croustillons. Team sucre, Nutella, chantilly...: there's a recipe for everyone.

Refreshing summer bonuses: their scoops of ice cream, Italian-style ice and granités are as delicious as the rest of their offerings, to be consumed without moderation for a gourmet break!

It would be a mistake not to try Audeline's ewe's milk ice creams! In addition to the classic flavours, Carine and Félix offer seasonal ice creams such as fig, walnut or chestnut, but they also have some surprises in store for you with ice creams flavoured with violets, Pyrenean honey, gingerbread, almond milk or even the fig-walnut marble with honey! Don't leave without some curds, fresh cheeses or yoghurts with natural flavours, they are real delights! We welcome you by appointment for a nice tasting.

A 100% plant-based and organic artisan ice cream maker, Psychedélice is THE place to go for delicious ice cream, with flavors that are both powerful and subtle, and above all not too sweet (unrefined cane sugar)! Sorbets, ice creams and wafers are all made on site. We like to do the tasting on the spot, because you can also have a drink. The team will be happy to suggest refreshing cocktails as you leave the beach. And vegan boards and tapas from 6pm to get the evening off to a good start. Shall we meet there?

Recently settled in Port du Crouesty, Chloé and Antoine Pipaud make and sell some twenty flavors of artisanal ice cream and waffles. They source fresh fruit from local producers, and opt for fruit purée for their exotic flavors. A particular favorite is the Crouesty vanilla, to be paired with a delicious scoop of speculos or Guérande flower chocolate. And to prolong the pleasure: half-liter or one-liter tubs are available to take away in eco-friendly isothermal containers.

Yohan and Cyril embarked on their adventure by opening their ice cream parlour in Sommières in 2018. These two brothers, originally from Alès, offer a wide variety of ice creams, smoothies and milkshakes for you to enjoy. Choose from several bases (yogurt, cow's milk, sheep's milk, plant milk) and flavors (fig, blackberry, mango, raspberry). Let the frérots guide you to the best combinations. Their truck also travels to regional events, so don't miss them near you!

Who can imagine a vacation in the sun, in the south, at the beach, without the little ice cream break that goes with it? For that in Les Sablettes, go to this ice cream shop, open since 2005, a little bit behind the seaside, on the shopping street of the district. All sorts of flavors for your ice creams and sorbets, from the fruitiest to the most gourmet, they are made on the spot in a laboratory. To complete the offer, milkshakes, fresh fruit smoothies and pancakes, also inseparable from holiday snacks.

Sarah and Nicolas have decided to present their culinary creations in this charming boutique. She works at the Saint Joseph orchard where she grows fruits that she then prepares into jams, syrups and fruit jellies. He created Les Délices du Gélas and makes ice creams and sorbets (to be enjoyed after a hike!), but also nougats, marrons glacés and chocolates. As you can see, this store is full of home-made sweets and other gourmet creations, made by the couple's expert hands in their workshop.

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.

Homemade ice creams, traditional sorbets, crêpes, waffles, homemade churros, fresh fruit smoothies, Sicilian brioche... At Izots, everything is homemade (and on site). From morning to night, Ghislaine, Philippe and the whole team see a host of gourmands come and go. The service is fast, efficient, smiling and always in a good mood. That, too, is the secret of this artisan ice cream parlour on the seafront! Pasteurization, fruit preparation, mixing, cone-making... With no artificial coloring or flavoring, the ice creams are the hallmark of the Maison.

Fenocchio is one of the biggest glaciers in Nice, its spread is astonishing, its impressive choice. Perfumes and colours are combined for the great pleasure of the eyes and belly. The big taste with pleasure the ice to the original parfumx - orange blossoms, rose, cinnamon, piñacolada, pepper, tomato, etc. - while the little ones will stay of before the eternal chocolate ice.

Do not stay in front of this establishment, at the same time elegant tea lounge, ideal for a meeting in the afternoon.

Pleasure is something to be shared. And it is not by chance that the excellent Philippe Hiriart named his house: L'Epis Curien. Philippe Hiriart is the perfect combination of the know-how of a passionate craftsman - Meilleur Ouvrier de France glacier - and the creativity of a true artist. At this address opened in 1959 by his father, Philippe Hiriart - and a whole team to whom he has passed on his values - presents us with marvelous home-made creations as many gustatory orgasms. An absolutely delightful address that we recommend.

For many years now, Francis Patrat has been delighting his customers with his sweet treats: very gourmet pastries, fine and tasty chocolates, and artisanal ice creams on the menu of this pretty pastry-chocolate shop located in the Grande Rue of Sens, a few steps from the banks of the Yonne. Also noteworthy: a catering service for your receptions with friends or family, and an online store that allows you to order, even from a distance. A beautiful address.

This is the gourmet address that the little Goudes district has been missing. It's the place to go for refreshments after a day of rock-climbing on your way back from the Baie des Singes or Callelongue. A true Italian-style ice cream parlour, with ice creams and sorbets made 100% in Marseille by Jérôme Cellier, in his workshop at l'escale Borély. In addition to a choice of nearly 20 flavors, you'll find homemade cookies, shuttles (Marseille oblige), crêpes, waffles, milkshakes... Last but not least, there's the Sicilian brioche topped with scoops of ice cream and whipped cream. A moment of pure delight.

At the foot of the Etoile de Moustiers, succumb to a refreshing break at the Etoile Givrée. Eskimo ice cream and cones are homemade or the option of a jar if you prefer. Marion Allègre, the creator, brilliantly uses local products for classic and unusual flavors. Chocolate sorbet, blood orange or lavender honey are flavors that would make the best Italian ice cream parlors pale in comparison. Succumb to the excellent chocolate bars, with amber chocolate and tonka bean or vanilla and caramelized almonds from Valensole!

This is an old address on Aix-les-Bains to taste an Italian ice cream. In the pedestrian street, a boutique decorated with the colors of Italy, some tables outside to taste its ice and a nice boss that kept a small accent of Milan. Homemade ice creams with the names of the fragrances inscribed in Dante's language. Of course, baccio, croccantino, amarena, hazelnuts that remind the peninsula but also a delicious iced brown and more classical fragrances.

Embark on a frosty journey into the retro world of Gilles Vilfeu, the master ice-cream maker with the "Grease" style of the 50s and 60s Made in the USA! In this colorful retro setting, you'll enjoy a selection of over a hundred flavors of homemade ice creams and sorbets, from the classic to the most original, as well as a light range. And that's not all! In addition to the frozen delights, treat yourself to shortbread, donuts and meringues worthy of a trip to New York. Take a seat on the 45-seat terrace, ready for a hilarious gourmet escapade!

Originally from the Vosges, the creator of Thiriet's Enseignes has become one of the specialists in frozen products and ice glacées. If time permits, offer a cool break in this store. Many ice creams and ice cream for the whole family! Small vanilla pots with unexpected flavors, everyone will find their happiness. Take advantage of all kinds of products!

For the past 10 years, Guillaume has been delighting the people of La Rochelle with his authentic Liège waffles. Don't go looking for them anywhere else - he's the only one who makes them, and once you try them, you'll be hooked! The store is conveniently located in the alleyway linking the Old Port to the town center, and attracts many gourmands with its slates displaying all the nibbles you can eat, as well as its new, very pleasant terrace. The main reason to come here is to order the genuine Liège waffle, with its inimitable taste and no artificial additives other than sugar. But if you like, you can add homemade chocolate, speculoos, milk jam and, of course, whipped cream. The crêpes are just as delicious, and can be eaten plain with sugar or with salidou, jam, chestnut cream... You can sit down in the bright, airy dining room, on the terrace or on the nearby old port. Once you've swallowed your snack, you'll no doubt be thirsty, and for that you don't need to go far - just order one of the delicious smoothies made with fresh fruit in front of you. For lunch, opt for a sandwich, with or without a drink, and enjoy it on Cours des Dames, in the shade or near the sunny towers.

What a reference, and what a house: La Glacerie is, as its name suggests, an establishment offering frozen marvels, but not just any marvels! Because here, beyond the excellence of the creations and flavours, it's also the presentation that's likely to confuse you - positively. For example, there are ice cream entremets for one person and ice creams for several to cut up. Seasonal, travel-friendly, authentic or, for example, exclusive: the flavours are categorised in a way that says it all.

Philomino Pisiu is an excellent artisanal ice cream chef from Sardinia. In the pedestrian center, he invites us to take a gourmet break with a choice of some twenty flavors and compositions of sorbets and ice creams served with a spatula as in Italy, with a choice of toppings. Divine ice cream made with Piedmont hazelnuts. The simple strawberry sorbet is already a real treat! An unmistakably southern journey for the taste buds, creamy and delicious. All turbinated with love and served with a smile! Waffles are also available.

This Cap d'Agde institution has been operating since 1974, and has delighted thousands of gourmets looking for an ice cream shop. The address makes its own proposals. The sorbets are based on spring water and more than 50% of fruit, the ice creams are made with rich and natural products. These compositions allow to reveal more flavors, it is even sometimes surprising! These assets, the lunch formula and the kindness of the staff explain the great success of this house which proposes copious plates.

Sylvain, artisan patissier, chocolatier, ice-cream maker and confectioner, and his team work with raw materials selected for their high quality, in short circuits. A wide choice of products is on offer: personalized entremets, lemon cakes, candied fruit, dark chocolate, home-made frangipane cakes, palm-oil-free spreads, chocolate assortments, Christmas logs and entremets, home-made ice creams, eclairs, pièces montées, etc.

Bordered by palm trees, we notice from far Ki-wi ice cream with its very colorful front. At this address, the shop window gives us a wide choice of ice creams and sorbets concocted by this master ice cream maker, without any artificial coloring or flavoring. We can also melt on pancakes, waffles and granitas. To refresh yourself even more, you can try the fruit juices, iced coffees, smoothies and other milkshakes. A great way to share a gourmet break that can quickly become a little ritual on sunny days.

The Mendiburu family, who specialize in dairy production in Bardos, have started making their own ice creams and sorbets. While they make classic flavors (chocolate, caramel, hazelnut, rum raisin, etc.) directly on their farm, these atypical ice-cream makers also offer their own creations: Patxaran ice cream, cherry and crème fraîche ice cream, cucumber sorbet, raspberry-lime-Espelette pepper sorbet, crème brûlée omelette...

Isabelle and Yves are organic milk producers. Some farmers make cheese, they have decided to make farm milk ice cream. They are masters of the whole chain, from the GMO-free feeding of their animals to their ice creams made from whole milk without additives. The milk jam is made from milk and sugar that is only cooked for many hours. A la carte 22 flavours plus a sorbet are available in jars, logs and cakes. They also sell preserves, honeys, jams, organic wines and dried fruit from local producers.

Treat yourself to the seasonal fruit or chocolate pies, pastries, ice cream, sorbets from the pastry shop/tea room of Céline, Louis and their team. Everything is homemade, to be enjoyed with tea, coffee or homemade hot chocolate. Their creativity makes it possible to regularly discover new products such as 100% pecan pies or chestnut nuns. Also a whole range of sweets, desserts and individual and family cakes, logs, pancakes... They also make a typical Bourbonnais cake, the piquenchâgne.

Born in Orléans, this high-end brand created by master ice cream maker Fayçal Kabeeche has just opened in Tours. You can enjoy ice cream in winter or summer. After all, there's no season for excellent scoops of fruit, pistachio or chocolate ice cream. But this master ice cream maker has much more to offer, with formulas that combine waffles and ice cream, milkshakes and recipes that adapt to the highlights of the year. A great address for gourmets. Pleasant service and a charming welcome!

The Costa Brava's must-try gelato shop is finally coming to Perpignan! And not just anywhere, on the delightful Quai Vauban, where you can sample the famous gelati with Piedmont hazelnut, Bronte pistachio, Sicilian lemon, Ligurian mandarin.... "Everything is handcrafted on site," insists manager Damien. The strength of this brand also lies in the friendly welcome it offers, its flexible opening hours and, above all, its on-site production in the small lab at the back, visible to customers. We love it!

This artisan ice-cream maker, the only one in the Basque region to hold the Glaces Artisanales de France label and winner of the Talents gourmands 2017 competition, offers refreshing sweets with flavors as classic as they are singular. Manufactured to a demanding quality charter, Bastidarra milk, sorbets made with 45% fruit, flavors adapted to the seasons (including, of course, must-haves like dark chocolate sorbet, cremino, lemon meringue, raspberry...), not forgetting logs and frozen pastries. A wide range of sweet treats are also available.

Homemade ice cream made by a master craftsman with fresh products. Served generously and with a smile please! We love the panettone, orange flower and lavender flavors. Also try the Camargue mare's milk ice cream! If you have time, opt for a cup, especially the Narcisse with its chestnut ice cream, ganache and chestnut cream. You can also enjoy sweet and savory crepes throughout the day. Ice creams, pancakes, waffles and drinks to taste on the spot or to take away. Yummy!

A Breton ice cream parlour in the heart of Toulouse? That's the challenge facing Glaces Moustache! The ice creams that come straight from Saint-Malo aim to be at the top of the range, with hand-picked raw materials selected close to the production laboratory. Everything is made using traditional methods. And because we're as Toulousian as we are Breton, Moustache has come up with a revolutionary innovation: chocolatine ice cream!

This artisan ice cream maker has been sharing his passion since April 2012 and customers are raving about this address. The choice of ice creams and sorbets is impressive and the flavors as numerous as unusual. Some specialties are appealing: mushrooms, foie gras, tapenade... The sweet delicacies will however be preferred by the less daring: madeleine, crème brûlée, crumble, macaroon... The staff is welcoming and you can feel the quality of the homemade ice creams with raw milk and a rich and creamy texture.

This blue truck is well known by all the inhabitants of Palois: these ice creams cannot be forgotten. Georgio has the secret of these perfect preparations, entirely home-made, always fresh, made with natural products (fruits, vegetables, herbs, creams, pistachio paste, hazelnut or cocoa...). You can't be disappointed. Even the cone is handmade with butter and fresh eggs. The variety of flavors is impressive with daily 34 different flavors and up to 230 possible recipes. The taste buds are guaranteed to be amazed!

Whether you head straight back to the beach at La Garluche or take a seat at one of the many tables on the terrace, Le Ressac is the artisan ice cream parlour facing the ocean! And you'll be able to choose from 70 flavors of ice cream and sorbet, including cocoa, double vanilla, ginger, basil and citrus cactus for lime lovers. The smoothies are not made with fresh fruit, but they are nonetheless thirst-quenching. A formula with a full galette, a crêpe and a drink is available here for 15 euros.

These light but powerful ice creams and sorbets are on the menu of the finest restaurants in the Lille area, and are also on sale in local shops. So there's no reason not to succumb to these sweet delights. Handcrafted, the ice creams are made with top-quality products, and it shows. Promis Juré's vanilla ice cream was even voted^3rd best in France! Whether delivered or collected, you can enjoy them all year round. The eco-friendly tip we like: remember to keep your glass jars - they'll be reused!

What a brilliant idea to take ice cream where you least expect it. La Mignonne is a mobile ice cream parlour, mounted on a scooter. An eco-responsible project created from scratch by Julia Falzon, a young woman full of ideas and, above all, capable of creating ice creams with astonishing sweet and savoury flavours. Inspired by her many travels, the flavors she creates are surprising, but worth the temptation. The ice creams are made in Marseille with seasonal fruit. La Mignonne is also available to treat your private events.

The Bretons have come to Marseille to make ice cream! Moustache is an artisan ice-cream maker based in Saint-Malo, France, who recently set up shop in downtown Marseille. It offers some forty hand-crafted flavors, including some surprising ones such as "Mauresque", which many Marseillais will appreciate. In addition to the ice creams, you can sit down here to enjoy crêpes and waffles, iced or hot drinks. Moustache ice cream can be taken home in 500 ml tubs.

How about a scoop of strawberry basil ice cream? Honey and rosemary? Or with rose or lavender? Do these flavours seem far-fetched? Wait until you see the menu of the 50 flavours offered by this ice cream shop freshly installed in downtown Rouen. Delicious, in three words, is: organic, artisanal and... delicious! In addition to its ice creams, the establishment has recently started to offer salads, frozen pastries and even soups. In short, a gourmet lounge like you don't see many!

If you're worried about your "summer body", remember that you'll have to climb the first cobblestones of the Grande Côte before you get to Unico, which also offers sorbets. So there's no good reason not to fall for one of Lyon's finest artisan ice-cream makers. Good humor, great know-how and great values give this unique taste. Seasonal products, fruit selected from local producers, original creations and crazy tastes. On the Quai de la Saône, in a small space for great pleasure, Fresco is the specialist in Italian-style ice cream. Unusual: "gelato-tronomic" meals. Ice-cream-making workshops.

New address this year for Sandra and Patrice that is now found at Fesch Street. An original and organic idea: Sugar-free yogurt, or French organic milk gluten, which then declines with a multitude of different organic and homemade topping for the pleasure of small and large. Then giveted fruit sticks: the popeeze. Pancakes, house cabbage, organic fruit juices and gourmets that change according to season to ice logs for winter. A pop and vintage terrace with the Vichy wall and a warm welcome with games of yesteryear and now books for small or whole family. A beautiful place combining simplicity and quality at the most fair price. A ray of sunshine!

The weather is nice, it's hot: everyone wants to melt on an ice cream at snack time or during a walk in the evening. Glaces des sables is a nice address, located two steps from the small beach. One leaves a few minutes its towel to go to seek its fresh sweetness. Ideal to make a greedy pause with specialities of artisanal ice creams, Italian ice creams and granitas with the various flavours, but also pancakes, waffles, fresh and hot drinks... Benoît and his team propose a renewed card with the wire of the weeks.

Want to taste an organic farm ice cream with Guillaume and Virginie? On their dairy farm, they practice sustainable agriculture, and their values are reflected in the making of their ice cream! Nothing is left to chance: the milk, cream and butter come directly from the farm. As for the other ingredients, such as strawberries, apples, eggs, they are all carefully selected, all organic, local, and of quality. To find out where to buy the fruit of their work, go to their website... And enjoy your meal!

Piégros-la-Clastre is home to a number of gourmet treasures, including Merlin l'enchanteur, an organic ice cream artist who concocts 16 flavors of cream ice cream and fruity sorbets. On the menu: pecan, pistachio, strawberry-cassis, mango, cookie dough, not forgetting the classic vanilla, chocolate, lemon or raspberry. Merlin's ice cream pots can be found in local organic grocery stores and in the little mobile wooden store that parks in front of Crest's bandstand on sunny days, as well as at a number of local markets. Look out for him, you're in for a treat!