Now that I’m past the halfway mark of the program I’ve begun to look back at what I have done and am planning what I still need to do. Something that I have done, and still plan on doing is eating ice cream. Let me tell you, I liked ice cream before coming to Berlin (obviously). However, the ice cream scene in Berlin changed me. My first Berlin ice cream experience was at Anna Durkes, a cute gelato shop in Kreuzberg (a neighborhood in Berlin). I had one scoop of raspberry sorbet and one scoop of lemon sorbet. The gelato was so flavorful and tasted extremely natural. I savored every bite. After that, I knew I couldn’t go back to eating just “okay” ice cream. I needed to eat the best ice cream in Berlin. Therefore, I made it my personal mission to try all of the best ice cream shops in Berlin. I did extensive research on this topic (time I should have been using to read for class). I found a list ranking the top ten must-try places. Call me a monster, or call me gluttonous, but this was an easy task for me to do. In fact, I have visited some of these places multiple times.
I would rank all of the places I have been to and explain why I rank them that way, but that would take too long and be a bit boring. Instead, I will talk about my three favorites.
Anna Durkes:
It was my entrance into the Berlin ice cream scene, and honestly changed the way I eat ice cream. I particularly enjoy the fruit flavors at Anna Durkes because they taste very natural and have a great texture. This is also the place I have been to the most. Thanks Anna Durkes, you shaped a huge part of my study abroad experience in Berlin. I have not been there in a few weeks, so that needs to change. The next time I go, I plan on getting their sampler option, which allows me to try up to six of their flavors.
Hokey Pokey:
Many people argue that this is the best ice cream place in Berlin, and I would agree. The ice cream here is mind-blowingly good. Located in Prenzlauer Berg (another neighborhood in Berlin), the lines are always long (that doesn’t stop me though). My favorite flavor is their mango. I’ve always loved mango ice cream, but this mango ice cream was on a completely different level. I could tell there were no preservatives or added flavors in this ice cream. It tasted like an ACTUAL mango! All of their other flavors are extraordinary as well. I’ve only gone twice, but that will change soon.
Giorgio Lombardi:
I discovered this place before I found the top-ten list of ice cream places in Berlin, so when I saw that it was on the list, I felt good about my ice cream detection skills. The place is traditionally Italian. The gelato is kept in steel containers and served with a metal spatula. The flavors are simple, but very high quality. Although the mango at Hokey Pokey was truly great, the mango gelato at Giorgio Lombardi is by far my favorite. The difference is the texture. The texture felt soft and creamy and resembled the texture of an actual mango. After Anna Durkes, this is the second place I have frequented most often. Giorgio Lombardi holds special place in my ice cream loving heart because I discovered it without the need of online lists or recommendations.
Mango and Fragola gelato from Giorgio Lombardi
These are just my personal favorites, however, there are so many other great places, such as Cuore Di Vetro, which has the best salted buttermilk caramel I have ever tried, Fraulein Frost, which has some of the most creative flavor combinations, and Jones Ice Cream, an American/French style shop, which serves ice cream on top of delicious cookies.
Ice Cream from Cuore Di Vetro
Since my time in Berlin is quickly coming to an end, I’m going to make sure to enjoy the best ice cream establishments in the city. Thank you Berlin for showing me a new way to love ice cream, however I’m going to miss having all this good ice cream readily available. Guess I’m going to need to start doing some research to find the best ice cream in Chicago.