TOP 5 ICE CREAM PLACES

Article By XIANEASE

Alright, it’s June. April and May had a couple of toasty, 30º days, but that was merely the teaser trailer for the main event: Xi’an Summer. If you’ve never had “the pleasure” of one, you should get ready. That sun is strong, and if you’re anything like our unfortunate editor-in-chief, you probably started sweating a week ago and are wondering if you’ll ever stop sweating before autumn. Beating the heat is going to be key, and you should do that by any chill necessary. To that end, we thought we would help you out by curating a list of some of the city’s best and most interesting places that serve ice cream and other cool treats. It’s time to get into the mindset that, with temperatures like these, cold might actually be good for healthy.

EMACK & BOLIOS

Xiaozhai, Drum Tower

7-1We’re not entirely sure what the hell an “Emack” or a “Bolio” is, but we’re damn sure that they make great ice cream. If you’ve been missing the richer flavors of home, like, for example, Death by Chocolate, this is the place you’ve got to go to. You’d be hard-pressed to find a more authentic scoop in the whole city, and definitely consider getting one of their marshmallow and cereal cones to complete the taste explosion.

7F, Xiaozhai Saga Shopping Mall
小寨赛格7楼东北角


 

SAVAGE MILL 野人牧坊

Xiaozhai

7-2Also located in Saga Mall in Xiaozhai, Savage Mill has been getting a lot of buzz since it opened last month, largely because the owner spent some time in Italy and brought gelato back to Xi’an. With that in mind, this is a more understated ice cream experience, focused on smaller portions and simple but delicious flavors, like vanilla, strawberry and other fruits.

6F, Xiao Zhai Saga Shopping Mall
小寨赛格国际6楼天梯上来直行20米(面包新语对面)


 

SHAANXI THIRTEEN 陕拾叁冰饼糖 (鼓楼店)

Bell Tower

7-3Authenticity is great, but what about the local taste? If you’re looking to cool down with more provincial flavors, Shaanxi Thirteen is your best bet. Taking inspiration from specialties found in towns across Shaanxi, these scoop slingers will help you explore new taste frontiers with varieties like “Hanzhong Peanut,” “Sanyuan Sesame” and “Huanglong Walnut.”

270, Bei Yuan Men
北院门270号


 

CHU DAI MOCHA 初代 (民乐园总店)

Wulukou

7-4Don’t be thrown by the name—that’s not mocha, the chocolaty coffee drink; it’s the pinyin for matcha (抹茶), the green tea flavor that’s popular in this part of the world. If you’re a matcha lover, you can come here to get scoops, soft-serves, cakes, or whatever in this iconic flavor.

NO.4 Gate,11 Building, Minyueyuan Pedestrian Street
民乐园万达步行街11栋4号门向东50米左拐


 

CAFE DE PARIS 帝佰利

Gaoxin

This last one’s a bit of a cheat, but we wanted to show you the whole spectrum of cold desserts available to you. Café de Paris’s “Bon Bon Series” isn’t so much ice cream as it is an invigorating marriage of fruit and cream that’s become very, very popular and chic amongst local women. It might seem a bit expensive, but can you really put a price on a heaping cup of fruity refreshment? Yes you can; 76RMB, apparently.

South Gate of World Yuandan Xuanfang Parking lot,Crossing of Keji 4th Rd and Gaoxin Rd
科技四路与高新路交汇处天地源丹轩坊小区南门停车场

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