5 Best Ice Cream Shops in Sydney (2026)

Gelatissimo is an Australian gelato brand with a Darling Harbour store offering over 45 flavors made fresh in-store daily, including dairy-free and reduced-sugar options. The chain has grown to more than 50 locations across Australia and runs a loyalty program with a free birthday scoop. Reviewers describe a wide flavor lineup, from classic combinations to seasonal specials, served from a spot that stays open until midnight most nights.

Rivareno Gelato is an Italian gelato brand with a Barangaroo location that makes its gelato fresh each morning in an in-store lab, deliberately serving it slightly warmer than typical ice cream for a creamier texture. The Barangaroo store is one of five Rivareno locations in Sydney, known for rich, intensely flavored scoops and seasonal specials like tiramisu and Italian hot chocolate affogato in winter.

Gelato Messina is an Australian gelato brand with over 40 unique flavors and a Circular Quay location that draws steady queues right on the harbour. The brand runs an app-based rewards program and rotates monthly flavor specials voted on by customers. Reviewers describe the gelato as consistently excellent despite frequent long lines, with the wait itself seen as a sign of how popular the flavors are.

This Rivareno Gelato location in Darlinghurst is the brand's second Sydney outpost on this list, serving the same fresh, in-lab gelato as its Barangaroo sibling but open later most nights of the week. Reviewers single out the pistachio and Cremino Dark flavors, and several describe it as a regular late-night stop after dinner in the neighborhood.

Andersen's of Denmark Ice Cream, located at Darling Harbour, makes traditional Danish-recipe ice cream and waffle cones fresh in-store, using ingredients sourced from Australia, Belgium and Denmark. The brand traces its roots to a Danish cone maker's family recipes dating back generations, first brought outside Denmark in the 1970s. Reviewers describe the ice cream as noticeably softer and creamier than standard scoops, with pistachio and strawberry singled out as standouts.