12 Best Ice Cream in Tbilisi to Cool Down This Summer
When the temperatures rise and summer settles in, there’s one thing many of us crave—ice cream. This post is your go-to for finding the best ice cream in Tbilisi, whether you’re a die-hard gelato fan, a sorbet lover, or someone constantly looking for unusual flavors.
While traditional Georgian desserts, such as churchkhela and pelamushi, certainly have their place, frozen treats aren’t exactly a local specialty. Ice cream parlors here mainly serve classic ice cream, sorbets, gelatos, and soft serve—the kinds you’ll find in many parts of the world.
Still, when the heat kicks in—and summer days in Tbilisi do get hot—there’s nothing more satisfying than a cold scoop (or three).
My Tbilisi ice cream guide focuses strictly on ice cream parlors and companies that specialize in frozen desserts, serving the best and taking pride in what they offer.
You won’t find generic ice cream listed on cafe menus here (though you can check out my favorite cafes in Tbilisi if that’s more your vibe).
I’m also skipping over most eateries, except for one Georgian restaurant that had to make the list thanks to its nostalgic ice cream from Abkhazia, a region currently occupied by Russia and a breakaway territory of Georgia.
Therefore, this post brings together the best places to enjoy ice cream in Tbilisi, with something for every taste—classic, fruity, and flavors you probably won’t find anywhere else.
Disclaimer: While there are other well-known spots that many locals and expats love, I have chosen not to include every popular place in this guide, especially when specific ownership backgrounds come into play. I try to feature businesses that reflect the values I stand for — especially now, as questions of identity, sovereignty, and Georgia’s European future feel more important than ever. That sometimes means leaving out specific places, even if they’re widely appreciated.
Top 12 places to try the best ice cream in Tbilisi
Luca Polare – for classic scoops and vegan sorbets
Ever since the adorable polar bear mascot first appeared in 2008, this European-style ice cream parlor and cafe has become a crowd favorite, serving up some of the most beloved scoops in the city.
What sets Luca Polare apart is its dedication to quality. Their ice creams are made using original Italian recipes with fresh milk and real fruit—no artificial colors or flavors here.
With up to 60 varieties in rotation, including vegan, gluten-free, and diabetic-friendly options, there’s something for everyone. Their fruit sorbets, in particular, are entirely plant-based, making them a refreshing pick for vegans or vegetarians in Tbilisi.
My go-to options are Stracciatella or berry sorbets, such as raspberry, strawberry, or blackcurrant. However, their Tiramisu and Caramel with Almonds are also quite popular. As a Georgian twist, they also sell Kindzmarauli wine ice cream.
The menu also features fresh juices, mixed hot and cold drinks, pastries, cookies, as well as sandwiches and salads. They serve 100% Arabica beans from South America, roasted in Germany by a family-run business, and are specially blended just for Luca Polare.
Tolia – for nostalgic soft serve
Tolia is one of the oldest, most prominent, and widely recognized Georgian ice cream brands, having produced mass-market ice cream since 1997. Known mainly for its nostalgic Soviet-style treat, locally referred to as stakanchik—Russian for “ice cream in a cup”—this vanilla Plombir is served in a waffle cup.
Over the years, Tolia has expanded its line to include dozens of ice cream types and flavors, all of which are widely available at grocery stores and convenience shops throughout Georgia.
A few years ago, they also opened branded ice cream parlors across Tbilisi and other cities, where soft serve is the reigning king. The classic vanilla, chocolate, and swirl combo is a consistent favorite, though you’ll occasionally find other flavors on rotation.
Beyond soft serve, their parlors offer scoops in cups and waffle cones with a range of toppings and mix-ins. The menu also features hot and cold drinks, including my go-to: their iced coffee with ice cream—a surprisingly tasty and affordable option.
While I personally find Tolia’s ice cream a bit too sweet and milky, it remains a beloved brand for many locals. I’ve even had Eastern European expats tell me it’s their favorite, thanks to the childhood memories it stirs up.
Sunday – for New Zealand-style with real fruit
Sunday is one of the freshest additions to Tbilisi’s ice cream scene, bringing something entirely new to the city: New Zealand-style, real-fruit ice cream blended to order in creative and unexpected flavor combinations.
Inspired by her time in New Zealand, Polish founder Joanna opened Sunday with a clear vision—to offer a healthier, more refreshing take on ice cream.
The base is a classic vanilla ice cream blended with frozen fruit and house-made nut butter, using a specialized blending machine to create a soft, creamy dessert that tastes fresh, fruity, and naturally sweet.
The flavor list is anything but ordinary. Currently, there are over 20 variations, with more on the way.
Think: raspberry and rose, apricot and almond butter, strawberry and mint, roasted banana and tahini, and even lemon served in its own shell.
Upcoming flavors include caramelized peach with cinnamon, blueberry and lavender, and watermelon with chili.
What makes Sunday stand out is not just its concept but the ingredients—Joanna sources seasonal fruit from local markets and freezes it herself. She even makes her pistachio and almond pastes for richer, nutty pairings.
Amra – for Sukhumian-style in nostalgic silverware
While many cafes in Tbilisi include ice cream on their dessert menus, Amra, an Abkhazian restaurant in Saburtalo, offers something truly special.
Their Sukhumian ice cream, with tangerine jam and crushed nuts, is hands down one of the best Tbilisi ice creams I’ve tried while working on this post.
The base is a high-quality Plombir—rich, creamy, and satisfying on its own. But what makes it unforgettable is the nostalgic topping: sweet, slightly tangy tangerine jam paired with finely grated nuts. The combination is unexpectedly perfect, elevating this classic dessert to a new level altogether.
Served in traditional silverware, it instantly transported me back to my childhood. I vividly remember my mother taking me to an ice cream parlor near where the Holiday Inn Hotel stands today, where I had my first (and until now, only) experience eating ice cream from a silver dish.
Udabno Shop – for almond-based, lactose-free ice cream
Udabno Shop is the storefront of Udabno Regenerative Farm (located about an hour from Tbilisi on the way to Kakheti, best known for its high-quality almond products, including a small selection of vegan and lactose-free ice creams.
This isn’t a full-scale ice cream parlor but rather a seasonal, artisanal shop offering a limited range of frozen treats made from almond milk and natural ingredients. At the moment, you’ll find just three flavors: almond, coffee, and a refreshing blueberry sorbet made with a water base.
Since they specialize in almond farming, I naturally went for the almond ice cream. It’s thick and creamy in texture, with a pleasant natural sweetness, but the almond flavor is a bit intense for me, so it’s definitely one for true almond lovers.
Beyond ice cream, the shop is a treasure trove of local products. You’ll find fresh farm dairy, honey, and almond oil on draft, almond cream cheese, artisanal bread, pastries, cookies, and every variety of almonds imaginable.
It’s one of my favorite spots for restocking pantry treats—or just grabbing something sweet—whenever I’m passing through the area.
Mini Melts – for uniquely beaded cryo ice cream
Located on the ground floor of Bazari Orbeliani, Mini Melts is a half-Georgian, half-Ukrainian-owned ice cream stand serving one of Tbilisi’s most unique frozen desserts.
Made using a patented cryogenic method primarily with liquid nitrogen, Mini Melts ice cream comes in tiny, colorful beads that resemble toy bullets more than anything edible—but trust me, they’re delicious.
Mini Melts offers more than 20 flavors, from familiar choices like chocolate and strawberry to fun options like bubble gum, cotton candy, and tutti frutti. You can mix and match, choosing either 60g or 80g portions and topping it off with a few bigger balls (0.80 GEL each) for extra fun and texture.
Unlike conventional ice cream, you don’t lick Mini Melts—you chew or let the tiny balls melt in your mouth. It’s a different kind of treat and, honestly, one of the most playful I’ve tried.
Not sure what to order? Just ask the server for help. I did—and ended up with a perfectly wild mix of strawberry, tutti frutti, and blueberry, topped with banana and chocolate bigger balls.
GeGelato – for natural Italian-style gelato
If you’re in the mood for classic Italian gelato in Tbilisi, GeGelato is a solid choice. With several branches across the city—including standalone parlors and locations inside major shopping malls—it’s an easy go-to for a sweet break with a relatively good variety.
You’ll find well-loved classics like chocolate and vanilla alongside fun, unconventional flavors like cotton candy, bubble gum, biscuit, mint, and salted caramel. One of my standouts was the figs and walnuts gelato, which had real chunks of dried fig mixed in for extra texture and flavor.
That said, the super vanilla was a bit too sweet and slightly artificial for my taste—but the taste is subjective, and GeGelato does have its fans.
They also cater to various dietary needs, offering vegan-friendly and vegetarian ice creams. If you’re not in the mood for gelato, try their frozen yogurt with cherries.
Their Melikishvili Street parlor also serves hot and cold drinks, bubble tea, and Belgian waffles.
Spaguletti – for spaghetti-style and bold flavors
Spaguletti is one of the most creative and offbeat ice cream spots in Tbilisi. As the name hints, they specialize in spaghetti ice cream—yes, really!
It’s a visual twist that turns gelato scoops into spaghetti strands, complete with whipped cream to give it volume, cherry jam as “sauce,” and white chocolate “cheese.”
Beyond the fun presentation, what really sets Spaguletti apart is its wildly original flavor list. Think eucalyptus-honey-chia, avocado and lemon, strawberry and tarragon, blue cheese-honey-walnuts-pear, and even cardamom with honey. It’s easily the most daring menu I’ve seen in the city thus far.
Naturally, we had to try the spaghetti version. Not all flavors are suitable for the pressing technique—only those without large chunks are suitable. When browsing the flavor board, look for the blue Spaguletti sticker to see which can be turned into “spaghetti.”
We went with eucalyptus, honey, and chia over salted caramel. While the base flavors were intriguing, the whipped cream and cherry jam completely overpowered the delicate notes, and an odd, cheesy aftertaste—likely from the whipped cream itself —was also present.
Still, the experience was fun, and the quality of the ice cream itself was impressive. While I probably wouldn’t order the spaghetti version again, I’m definitely coming back to work my way through their one-of-a-kind flavor list.
Lolly – for creamy frozen yogurt
If you’re after a lighter, tangier alternative to traditional ice cream, Lolly is the place to go. This frozen yogurt chain has several branches around Tbilisi, offering a satisfying yet straightforward concept: a base flavor of frozen yogurt that you customize with your choice of toppings.
Lolly comes in three sizes—small, medium, and large. The small doesn’t include toppings by default, but you can add your favorites for 1.50 GEL each. Medium and large sizes include one and two toppings, respectively.
The topping selection included all the classics: caramel, chocolate, pistachio, Nutella, peanut butter, waffle crumbles, almond flakes, Oreo cookies, and various fresh fruits, including bananas, berries, and pineapple.
The yogurt itself is slightly sour, as expected from a true fro-yo, but the texture is creamy and smooth, almost like soft-serve ice cream. I went with a small topped with cherry jam, which hit the perfect balance of tart and sweet.
Lolly also serves waffles with yogurt and toppings, as well as yogurt-based milkshakes with fruit and ready-to-go yogurt cups layered with goodies.
Roma Gelato – for traditional Italian-style gelato
Roma Gelato brings a little taste of Rome to Tbilisi. This Italian ice cream shop specializes in classic gelato crafted with natural ingredients, utilizing traditional recipes and raw materials.
They serve mainly classic flavors, but also have a few unconventional ones, such as Marshmallow, Green Apple (which I couldn’t recall having seen elsewhere), and Saperavi wine ice cream, which may be something you’d like to try.
I tried the fruit sorbets, specifically the peach and pineapple. Both had a bold, natural fruit flavor and a slightly coarse texture with visible tiny fruit particles and the right amount of sweetness.
Besides creamy gelato in classic and seasonal flavors, Roma Gelato also offers milkshakes, cakes, waffles, coffee, and other beverages
Ice Crime – for bold flavors
Located in the Chughureti neighborhood, Ice Crime is a small, specialty ice cream parlor that doesn’t try to impress with variety, but rather with creativity. Their menu is short, but each flavor is carefully crafted and far from ordinary.
Here, you’ll find treats like American Junkie (a decadent mix of brownie, caramel ice cream, Oreo crumbs, and peanut butter), blueberry cheesecake, nuts with miso caramel, or sesame halva. The combinations are rich and tasty.
It’s also the most expensive scoop I’ve tried in Tbilisi, but if you’re into unusual, high-concept flavors, it might be worth the splurge.
Cumbo Pops – for handmade fruit popsicles
If you’re looking for a guilt-free way to cool down in Tbilisi this summer, Cumbo Pops is your go-to. This Georgian ice cream startup has been serving colorful, handmade popsicles since 2017, using only local, seasonal ingredients.
Their fruit-based pops are entirely free of refined sugar, milk, gluten, and any artificial additives, making them ideal for individuals with dietary restrictions or those seeking a healthier treat.
You’ll find flavors like raspberry, mulberry, cherry, strawberry, peach, and orange—all bursting with natural fruit flavor.
These refreshing popsicles pop up at open-air markets throughout the summer and are available at spots like Shavi Coffee Roasters and Jikhuri at Mziuri Park in Vake.
Ice cream Tbilisi: what to know before you go
Most popular Georgian ice cream brands
Beyond the ice cream parlors mentioned earlier, you’ll see a lot of Tolia, Barambo, and Paloma ice creams in grocery stores and convenience shops across Georgia.
I prefer Paloma between the three—their flavors feel a bit more balanced and less sugary. These are great if you’re looking for a quick treat from the freezer section at home or in a hotel room.
Traditional or unusual flavors of ice cream in Tbilisi to look for
While most shops offer classic and fruity options, you’ll also find some surprisingly creative flavors around the city.
A few ice cream parlors experiment with Georgian ingredients, such as Saperavi-based wine ice cream, commonly found in Tbilisi’s Old Town, as well as creations featuring fig, walnut, feijoa, mulberry, and tarragon.
Most ice cream parlors are located in Tbilisi city center
You’ll find the highest concentration of ice cream parlors in central Tbilisi, especially around Rustaveli Avenue, Kostava Street, Orbeliani Square, and Old Town.
Many shops are within walking distance from key landmarks, so a good scoop is never far away, whether you’re exploring or just passing through.
Ice cream prices in Tbilisi are reasonable
Ice cream is very affordable in Tbilisi. A single scoop typically costs 2.90 to 7 GEL, depending on the place and the type of ice cream you’re ordering. The most common price for a scoop in such parlors is between 4.50-5.40 GEL.
Soft serve from local brands like Tolia is on the lower end (costing 2.50 GEL), while handcrafted gelato or vegan-friendly options may cost a little more.
Vegan or dairy-free ice cream in Tbilisi is available
Thanks to Georgia’s fasting traditions, it’s easy to find vegan, lactose-free, gluten-free, or diabetic-friendly options at most major parlors.
Luca Polare offers a great variety of fruit-based sorbets that are naturally vegan. Places like Spaguletti, Cumbo Pops, and a few others offer plant-based and lactose-free options; some even provide almond milk or stevia-sweetened ice cream.