Follow along our founder Julie Fisher as she makes notes during her latest ice cream tour of Mumbai, on January 20th 2024.
We started at my favourite favourite ice cream parlour The Parsi Dairy (established in 1916) which had undergone a radical update since I was last there a few years ago, now looking pretty slick with a bright red front door. Amazingly engaged and friendly female team of staff, in fact by far the best experience of the day.
I ate Pistachio Kulfi for breakfast, I thought I might not manage the portion, but it slipped down a treat!
1 piece pista kulfi 100Rs (100Rs = around £1)
261, 63, Shamaldas Gandhi Marg, Navajeevan Wadi, Sonapur, Marine Lines, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400002, India
Contact: 9987822225
Timings: Mon - Sun, 8am - 8.30pm
Lots of businesses in India don’t have websites and instead rely upon Facebook pages, but often these aren’t updated and businesses come and go, some with a very fleeting life.
Next up was Sucres de Terre. We spent at least an hour driving up and down the coast road, asking random people, no one had heard of it until we managed to gain access through a building site and when we were about 10 feet away someone pointed it out, not mentioning it was actually derelict and didn’t look as though it had been functioning for a few years.
By the time we reached Affogato I was actually hungry. Interior design was fab, it was smaller than it looked in the photographs, had an attractive outdoor area too. But piles of boxes and random Christmas decorations on the side detracted from the aesthetic.
Quite miserable male staff, pretty disinterested. Chatty customer sitting next to me though, so that made up for it. Comparatively expensive and forgettable ice cream, the affogato consisted of ice cream smushed around the inside of the cup and then filled with coffee. We had 2 affogatos, one with hazelnut ice cream & the other with coffee ice cream, the affogato was good in spite of the ice cream. I followed up with a scoop of pink cheesecake in a cone which tasted very artificial. Expensive bill (1178Rs).
Plot No 483, Asha Apartments, 17th Rd, Khar, Khar West, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400052, India
Coppetto was next. I had 1 scoop of raspberry which was very sweet. Non descript ice cream although the interior was stylish. 210Rs
Blanchette is a small stand within Food Square (used to be called Food Hall). I tried the ice cream a few days before and so was very happy to eat more!
The lady serving me reminded me of the scene with Rowan Atkinson in Love Actually, we did a little video, which needs to be watched at double speed otherwise you could doze off.
Ice cream really good, I had 1 scoop of Mulberries & Cheesecake & 1 scoop of Coconut. 530Rs for 2 scoops. My second choice after Parsi Dairy ice cream.
I’m not sure how long Food Square will be there, So many staff, vast quantities of choice and expensive food & no customers.
Photographed the freezers in the main store full of tubs of kulfi & ice cream, masses of choice.
Plot No, 106, Linking Rd, Santacruz West, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400054, India
The Ice Cream Works
Bright orange exterior and last time I came to Mumbai it was the only place apart from Pali Bhavan (restaurant in Pali Hill) where I could find Paan Ice Cream, this has a very distinctive and acquired taste and is made using Paan leaves and in the case of Pali Bhavan wrapped in them.
When we got there it was locked, but out of nowhere a very chatty member of staff (Puja) appeared and opened up for us.
1 scoop Kolkata Paan, 1 scoop orange, 1 scoop Big Bang ( mixed fruit) ice cream very sweet and didn’t taste entirely natural.
Good customer service, had about 10 tasters. 3 scoops 339Rs
By now I was feeling a bit sick. We went to Naturals Now (part of the Naturals group), took photos, but was too full to eat anything.
Plot 49, N S Rd Number 13, Chand Society, JVPD Scheme, Juhu, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400049, India
Then after a brief interlude (30 mins) I did go to another Naturals, I found I did have a little space and then ate a further 2 scoops. 1 scoop orange & pistachio 1 scoop coffee & walnut. The original Naturals store, good ice cream, close second, maybe even equal to Blanchette.
2 scoops 140Rs amazingly good value. Staff efficient, busy store.
Then back home to eat something savoury!
