Santini

You will remember the name forever after your first lick of this ice cream. Some say this is Portugal’s finest ice cream parlour and, well, they may be right. Born in Tamariz beach, Estoril, in 1949, it was created by Attilio Santini, an Italian who moved to Portugal and brought his legacy with him - his family had been part of the Italian ice cream business since the 19th century. From Tamariz beach he moved to Valbom Avenue, right in the centre of Cascais, earning legions of fans that came from all over the country to try his ice cream, and then had to wait six months for the store to reopen - until the mid- aughts, Santini operated on a seasonal schedule. In 2009, the brand was partly acquired by local businessmen, who undertook an expansion, adding both stores and flavours, but always maintaining quality. Santini now has two locations in Cascais, one in São João do Estoril, one in Carcavelos, three in Lisbon and one in Porto. And they are now open all year long (a decision the Portuguese greeted with a big “hurrah”). The fruit flavours are the brand’s calling card, with strawberry a top seller year upon year, but in truth any flavour is a sure bet. Santini uses Portuguese fruit except for tropical flavours, and their cones are home-made from a wafer recipe inherited from Attilio. Flavours on the menu change every day. Santini has more than 200 recipes, all of them jealously guarded secrets, revealed only to their ice cream- making experts.