7 Best Local Ice Cream & Gelato Shops in Cairo, Egypt

Local's Guide To Egypt
May 27
3 min read

Listen, we all love Haagen-Dazs and Baskin-Robbins and the likes, but if you’re in the mood for some ice cream with some local Egyptian flavor, then look no further than these frosty favorites of ours.

Here's some of our favorite Egyptian ice cream shops and brands, in no particular order:

Dara’s Ice Cream

The most buzzed-about ice cream shop that took Cairo (and the rest of Egypt) by storm is Dara’s Ice Cream. This uber-popular, Instagrammable spot is known for not only their made-from-scratch ice cream and ice cream cakes, but cookies straight from the oven too. You can also find their packaged ice cream at different grocery stores like Gourmet.

Our favorite flavor: honeycomb

Branches: Galleria 40 (Sheikh Zayed), Golf Central, 26th July Street (Zamalek), White by Waterway and O1 (New Cairo), Road 218 (Maadi), Madinaty and El Gouna

For more info: their website

Stavolta Gelato

Artisanal, homemade gelato the Italian way. One of our favorite things about Stavolta is that you’ll always find something new and fun on their menu -- their gelato always features different fruit flavors based on what’s fresh and in season (teen shoki/prickly pear in summer for example), and during Ramadan and other holidays they get creative (othmanleya gelato, anyone?). They also offer vegan ‘seyami’ flavors.

Our favorite flavor: lemon sorbet

Branches: Road 231 (Maadi), Westown Hub (Sheikh Zayed), Iconia (Zamalek), Arkan

For more info: Stavolta Facebook

Mandarine Koueider

This beloved dessert shop has been open in Cairo since 1928, and while its main claim to fame is its oriental desserts (especially during Ramadan), locals know that Mandarine Koueider also has some great ice cream year-round.

Our favorite flavor: tangerine

Branches: Zamalek, Maadi, City Stars, New Cairo, Heliopolis, Sheraton, El Rehab

For more info: Mandarine Koueider Facebook

Rigoletto

Ah, the ice cream of our childhood. Rigoletto opened its first shop in 1987 under the name Dolce Vita, and officially became Rigoletto two years later. They pride themselves on being Cairo’s “first ice cream parlor” and a place where you could actually hang out, not like the grab-and-go ice cream of today.

Our favorite flavor: vanilla croquant

Branches: Zamalek, Maadi, Shooting Club, Gezira Club

For more info: their website

Gelato Mio

Similar to Stavolta, Gelato Mio serves up homemade gelato and sorbet the Italian way. Their flavors range from the traditional like Belgian chocolate and Oreo to the quirky like karkade (hibiscus), ricotta and figs, cinnamon and dates, and carrot orange.

Our favorite flavor: it changes each time!

Branches: Zamalek, Arkan, City Stars

For more info: Gelato Mio Facebook

Sultana

Another old-is-gold entry in our ice cream list. Sultana has been open for more than 30 years, first opening its doors in 1989. Since then, they’ve absolutely exploded, with around 15 branches in Cairo and ten in Alexandria, plus their ice cream is now even packaged and distributed in big supermarket chains like Metro. They’ve come a long way since our childhood, that’s for sure.

Our favorite flavor: mixed berry yoghurt

For more info: Sultana Facebook

Dolato

Dolato has all the regular flavors and cones and cakes you would expect from a local ice cream shop, but our personal favorite offering of theirs is the ice cream minis on sticks. Perfect for when you're craving ice cream but don't want to commit to just one flavor. They also have sugar-free ice cream, vegan and gluten-free varieties.

Our favorite flavor: their ice cream mini variations

Branches: New Cairo, Heliopolis, Sheikh Zayed, Grand Egyptian Museum, Pyramids of Giza

For more info: Dolato's IG