An ice cream for me, an ice cream for you... At the best ice cream shops in Cascais

Santini. If you’ve never heard of it (have you been living under a rock?), here's a name you'll remember forever after the first lick. Some say it's the best ice cream parlour in Portugal and, well, if it's not the best, it's certainly close.

Founded on Tamariz Beach in Estoril in 1949 by Attilio Santini, an Italian who moved to Portugal and brought with him the family history and recipes, which had been making ice cream in Italy since the 19th century. From Tamariz Beach, it moved to Avenida Valbom, right in the centre of Cascais, where it created legions of fans who came from all over the country just to taste these ice creams and waited six months for the shop to reopen—it was seasonal until the mid-2000s. Since then, many other shops have opened, introducing numerous new flavours, but the connection to the Cascais municipality remains special and strong: the Santini factory is located in Carcavelos, and they recently opened a new shop in Aldeia de Juso.

In addition to Artisani's ice creams—there are 18 flavours—Mioo at the Marina of Cascais offers crepes and bubble waffles, which you can enjoy there or take home. The only limit is your imagination for what you want to try: you can play it safe with a crepe or bubble waffle with Nutella (7€), or add ice cream and extras ranging from the usual toppings (1,30€) to assorted ones like sliced almonds, Smarties, or marshmallows (1€). For ice creams, in cones or cups, prices start at 3,80€ for two flavours. Flavours include After Eight, hazelnut, salted caramel, red berry cheesecake, dulce de leche, guava, Kinder, lemon with basil, Nutella, Oreo, passion fruit, or stracciatella, among others.

It is one of the most iconic ice cream parlours in Cascais. Tchipepa dates back to 1977, the year it was opened by the Costa family. Having returned from Angola in search of new opportunities and aiming to fulfil an old dream, they went to Italy to train in the world of artisanal ice cream. For many years, queues would form at Galerias da Tranquilidade, a small but popular shopping centre where Tchipepa was located. The shop eventually closed in 2013, but it was given a second life the following year when the son of the original owners, Carlos Costa, decided to reopen the ice cream parlour—this time in an even more privileged location on Rua Visconde Luz.

The artisanal method was retained, but the ice creams now contain less sugar. Tchipepa usually offers 18 rotating flavours, including vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, pistachio, dulce de leche, fig, walnut, and plum. In addition, there are always special editions. One of the most original ice creams is the Cascais, made with seawater, mint, and spirulina. They also sell crepes and waffles.

For over a decade, artisanal Italian ice cream has been served on Avenida Valbom, right in the centre of Cascais, at Gelateria Italiana Fabio Lupi. Prices start at 3,50€, both for cups and cones, and the flavours vary. Some of the most common ones are blueberry, plum, fig, sour cherry, chocolate, salted caramel, açaí, pistachio, mint, coffee, yoghurt, and coconut. Fabio Lupi also offers a wide range of gluten-free ice creams, as well as selling crepes, waffles, açaí bowls, and boxes of ice cream with different flavours.

Also in the Italian style, Sofiale is dedicated to artisanal ice cream and specialty coffee. Prices start at 3,20€ and among the flavours are cream, chocolate, tiramisu, vanilla, pistachio, mango, coffee with cherry, coconut with chocolate, wild berries, raspberry, strawberry, hazelnut, or a combination of vanilla, biscuit, and pumpkin. The flavours rotate, and there are often special editions throughout the year.

It is very close to Cascais Bay that Amori D’Ana is located, a shop that opened in 2019 and was originally based in Lisbon. Here, you can enjoy crepes, waffles, pancakes, wraps, toasties, or omelettes, but the main highlight is the ice cream. Prices start at 3,80€ for a scoop, whether in a cup or a cone, with flavours ranging from rice pudding to coffee, including pistachio, Kinder Bueno, mascarpone with berries, yoghurt with passion fruit, mint, toffee with sea salt, or vanilla, walnut, and dulce de leche.

There is also a range of pre-designed ice cream bowls, such as Café Ligeois (7,50€), which combines three scoops of vanilla ice cream with coffee, whipped cream, and a wafer roll; Branco & Negro (7,50€), three scoops of cream with chocolate sauce, almonds, whipped cream, and a wafer roll; a Banana Split (8,50€); or a Lady in Red (7,50€), which is a wafer tulip with two scoops of vanilla, berry sauce, whipped cream, and almonds.