From creme brulee to frozen Coke: 11 new and underrated ice-cream spots and flavours in Melbourne

Is Melbourne ice-cream obsessed? People will argue with you over the city’s best scoop of pistachio, there are long lines at some of the best-known shops in all weather, and new gelaterias and ice-creameries continue to open, even in the off-season.

Some are groups on the expansion path, such as breakout star Kariton Sorbetes, an ode to Filipino ice-cream carts which now has five shops across two states. Others are brand-new businesses that are carving out their own patch in a busy scene.

All are pushing Melburnian tastebuds into new dessert territory with flavours including green mango, creme brulee and Vietnamese coffee. These shops catch your eye with gleaming stainless-steel panels, speckled terrazzo, hand-drawn menus and neon signs. And just like fashion brands, each spot has its own identity and builds a tribe. Which do you belong to?

Good Daze Canteen, Fitzroy

Milo crunch, Black Forest cake, Vietnamese coffee mixed with Filipino flan: the visual menu at Good Daze is an exciting mixed bag, which owners Isaac Rodrigues and Bharathi Ghattamaneni say is all about showcasing different cuisines through cones and cups. The space is lo-fi, there’s a suggestion box for new flavours, and lactose-intolerant customers can add a Lacteeze tablet to their order. No one misses out.

Must-try scoop: Mango sticky rice, which swirls together mango sorbet and coconut rice pudding sorbet for an alarming real taste of the original dessert.

316 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy, gooddazecanteen.com

Luther’s Scoops, Thornbury

Pre- or post-flick at Thornbury Picture House, Luther’s ultra-fresh flavours will blow even the best choc-top out of the water. The secret? Sourcing real fruit, including strawberries from Lakeside Produce outside Mansfield, and having a former fine-dining pastry chef for a founder. There are 16 flavours, ranging from watermelon and strawberry sorbet to butterscotch ripple and unmissable one-offs. Also in Brunswick.

Must-try scoop: Malted vanilla is a revelation for the genre.

796 High Street, Thornbury, luthers.com.au

Nuvoletta, Carnegie

It’s a gelato love story for the ages: owners Vera Teodori and Alex Toretto met at a gelateria in Rome. He was a gelato chef, her father owned a gelateria, and they both dreamed of opening their own place. Ten years later they’ve done it on thronging Koornang Road, one of Melbourne’s most delicious streets. Nuvoletta’s motto – “gelato is necessary” – is proven in every lick. The classic flavours are impeccable, but so are the modern creations such as Earl Grey and candied pistachio.

Must-try scoop: Ricotta, lemon and olive oil is a classy sweet-savoury amalgam as good as any restaurant dessert.

82 Koornang Road, Carnegie, nuvolettagelateria.com.au

Icy Spicy, Clayton

Open since September, this store is bright and friendly and has a huge selection of flavours inspired by the owners’ Indian backgrounds. Customer favourites include pink guava and green mango, both served with a chilli sprinkle on top, but we love the honeydew melon. Don’t worry about grabbing dinner first: you can find savoury momo dumplings and kathi rolls (Indian street-food wraps) here, too. Also in Werribee.

Must-try scoop: The kesar badam riffs on a classic Indian drink of almond and saffron milk.

37 Dunstan Street, Clayton, icyspicy.com.au

Hareruya Pantry, CBD

Texture-lovers will delight in this Japanese shop’s mochi-wrapped scoops, ice-cream sandwiches on rice wafers called monaka, and the hunks of strawberry swirled through other flavours. Some are bold and savoury (such as the strong matcha using tea from Tokyo); others are light and fruity (see the coconut with mikan, a Japanese citrus fruit). Use the menu’s abstract illustrations to help you choose, or ask smiling staff for a taste.

Must-try scoop: Genmaicha (roasted brown rice and green tea) with mochi pearls and kuromitsu (similar to molasses).

27 Somerset Place, Melbourne, hareruya.com.au

Billy Van Creamy, Albert Park

Brothers Mitch and Alex Wells launched with a truck in Northcote 10 years ago and now scoop all-natural ice-cream at three stores in Melbourne (and one in Perth). The newest is 10 minutes from South Melbourne beach and next door to classic takeaway joint Andrew’s Hamburgers. Cones are cooked and rolled on site, vegan flavours are made with great-tasting cashew milk, and the under-caffeinated can kill two birds with the affogato, made with stovetop espresso and ice-cream of your choice. Tasting spoons are metal and there’s a $1 discount for BYO half- or one-litre tubs. A win for low-waste living.

Must-try scoop: Vegan peppermint fudge, creamy, crunchy and bright in all the right places.

142 Bridport Street, Albert Park, billyvancreamy.com.au

Hong Kong Boi, CBD

Hidden near Queen Victoria Market in a crush of high-rise apartments, there’s something very Hong Kong about this little dessert restaurant before you even get to the sweet offerings. Chinese flavour profiles are threaded through the gelato list. Think fragrant lychee with a hint of strawberry, and sorbet with pear and honey-sweet osmanthus. Freshly made bubble waffles – a classic Hong Kong street snack – are crisp on the outside and fluffy when you tear them open. Team one with gelato for brain freeze with a difference.

Must-try scoop: Hong Kong milk tea. It’s a smooth and balanced dose of condensed milk and tannins in frozen form.

2/155 Franklin Street, Melbourne, instagram.com/hongkongboiau

Fluffy Torpedo, Brunswick

If it melts, you’ll find it at Fluffy Torpedo, which stormed onto Melbourne’s ice-cream scene in 2022 with a menu that read like nothing else in town. At its newest shop in Brunswick, find blue Powerade, yuzu and basil, frozen vanilla Coke, and milk chocolate with salt and vinegar chips among the 32 ice-creams on offer. Eight classics, including pistachio, will be added next month. Hang out in the roomy space as you savour your scoop among the many upcycled objects.

Must-try scoop: Orange and poppyseed cake batter. “No one ever thinks it’s not delicious,” says co-owner Adam Semple.

213 Sydney Road, Brunswick, fluffytorpedo.diamonds

Luna Blu, Elsternwick

Owner Asha Lourie handcrafts every batch of gelato in her tiny store, with flavours based on seasonal fruit from local retailers and herbs growing in her home garden. That explains the watermelon, strawberry and mint sorbet. But why so many dogs outside? They’ve led their owners here because they’re keen on the paw-shaped peanut butter and yoghurt treats.

Must-try scoop: Roasted strawberry, featuring berries from Lourie’s favourite greengrocer in nearby Carnegie that are gently roasted to release their syrup.

1D Staniland Grove, Elsternwick, lunablugelato.com.au

Gelato Lulamina, Niddrie

If you’re near Niddrie, you already know this is an under-sung strip for vibrant eating, and the best family-friendly gathering spot on summer nights is Lulamina. Pavement tables have a southern European plaza feel, with extended groups of family and friends communing over quality gelato, which comes in up to 30 flavours.

Must-try scoop: Dubai chocolate, a Melbourne spin on a Middle Eastern chocolate bar that has gone viral. Lulamina’s version combines rich dark chocolate gelato, pistachio and crisp shredded kataifi pastry.

338B Keilor Road, Niddrie, lulamina.com.au

Siconi Gelato, Brunswick East

Siconi truly does have something for everyone – including your four-legged friend. Pooch scoops are made without any dairy, and are one of nearly 50 choices of gelato in the cabinets. Bubblegum and Kinder keep kids happy, while adults flock to creme brulee, pistachio, and mango sorbet. Owner Johan Sidoti was born in Venezuela but has Italian heritage, and travelled to Italy to learn the craft.

Must-try scoop: Pistachio is the bestseller, and is finished with a sprinkle of whole nuts.

4A-4B Bluestone Way, Brunswick East, instagram.com/siconigelato