Girandola can beat out any ice cream spot with the sheer magic of its Arnavutköy location on the Bosphorus’ sparkling waters. But their creamy quality and handful of unique, local flavors make it a top choice for taste, too. Aside from gelato classics like tiramisu and stracciatella, Italian techniques combine perfectly with Turkish delights, giving you flavors like kazandibi or güllaç, even partnering with Karaköy Güllüoğlu for a spectacular baklava ice cream.

Ice cream culture runs deep in Turkish cuisine, but traditionally in the form of hard, sticky maraş. Growing ever-more popular in Istanbul, though, is soft and decadent gelato. At Mua (locations all over), you’ll find a happy medium: rich and pliant, but pleasantly firm ice cream that is some of the city’s best. The nut-based flavors are almost buttery, with a welcome kick of salt, and the dark chocolate is sinfully indulgent. Seasonal flavors like honeydew and apricot abound.

Even on colder days in Kurtuluş, customers shuffle in and out of Damla, a local favorite when it comes to old-school ice cream. Sold by the scoop or by the kilo, this is classic Turkish ice cream: a little hard, a little sticky, and delicate in flavor. We always go for the most classic, earthly-sweetened damla sakız (mastic).

The Bomonti location of Gelateria Bonacci may not be the flagship, but its owner Metin and pastry chef Tolga negotiated creative license into their franchise contract. This means 90% of their gelatos are made in-house, often with local products (like walnut or nectarine) from the enormous Feriköy farmers’ market just around the corner. We love it when Tolga gets creative with flavors like kadayif (shredded phyllo) and green fig.

The homey, no-frills atmosphere and the array of creative ice cream flavors make Dondurmacı Yaşar Usta something of an oasis in hip Kadıköy on Istanbul’s Asian side. While we love the richness of ice cream, Yaşar usta’s specialty is in fact sorbet: born long before the vegan food trend, his contain only fruit and sugar, and are strictly made with seasonal products, like fresh cherries and strawberries in summer.

As you approach Ali Usta’s, don't be surprised by the fast-moving line on scorching hot days, or even winter nights. Among the sea of ice cream shops in Moda, this is a forever favorite for locals. Simple and no-frills, it’s rare we pass up an opportunity to roam Kadıköy with a cone of the tahin (sesame), chestnut or honey-almond flavors. (Though, we usually forgo the optional indulgence of dunking your cone in chocolate sauce and ground peanuts.)

In Istanbul, temperate weather means ice cream shops are open year-round and late into the night. But when Bebek Mini Dondurma – closed during winter – throws its tiny doors open, summer has truly arrived. This teeny spot packs big flavor, and is worth the wait for licks of flavors like fresh black mulberry, honey almond and classic kaymak (clotted cream).

This luxurious gelato shop has become a cult fave in Istanbul's ever-popular Caddebostan. Their experimental flavors or not for ice cream purists, but are without a doubt ever-so-tasty. There's a playful spirit to seasonal creations like smoked coconut, tomato raspberry and balsamic mascarpone. Our favorite of their "classics" - olive oil and lemon.