Where to go in Pilsen for great ice cream?
A refreshing scoop, or maybe three, can help get you through those hot summer days and is one of the best parts of the summer holiday. If you and your little ones are big on ice cream, then we’ve got a few tips for you on places in Pilsen that delight the tastebuds of parents and kids alike.
Non-traditional flavours at Kolombína
Do you like trying out non-traditional flavours as long as the quality’s there? Real connoisseurs, as well as anyone looking for some of the best ice cream in the city, who enjoy multicoloured and otherwise upgraded cones, go to Kolombína. Where else can you taste flavours like Japanese lime or beer? You can also come for the coconut, poppy, cucumber, Oreo, and kiwi with basil flavours. Or you can stick to the classics and order an original ice pop. Our favourites were pistachio, raspberry, vanilla made from Madagascar pods, and white chocolate. And if that’s not enough ice cream for you, then you can also order an ice cream cake that they’ll customise for you.
Plzeňský skleník (Pilsen Cellar) is great at making ice cream
The Pilsen green belt of gardens is one of the most beautiful in the country. The flowers bloom when in season, it’s always a calm place to visit, and you can even enjoy an ice-cold refreshment at Plzeňský skleník in the Šafaříkovy sady park. If you’re lucky enough to visit this establishment in a pram, then you won’t even have to get out, instead enjoying their “drive-through” window. And what should you get? The vanilla classic with the added spice of cardamon, chocolate with Holland cocoa, or fruit ice cream with flavours like gooseberry vegan sorbet. Weather permitting, Plzeňský skleník is open during the entire summer holiday from Wednesday to Sunday.
Smetanka café in Slovany for soft-scoop ice cream
You can also go a bit outside the centre for good ice cream at Homolka Park. Here you’ll find a café that is ranked amongst the top ten businesses in all of the Czech Republic, which is also the best in the region! One of the many great things they serve here is soft-scoop ice cream. Here, they typically have one fruity and one common ice cream option “on tap”, including the especially tasty black currant flavour. On International Children’s Day, they make special “flurries” with vanilla ice cream and mini smarties. What might they come up with next? And will you enjoy your treat on a bench in the park, on their terrace, or on one of their deck chairs on the café’s roof?
The hidden café hides ice pops for adults
A little hidden away, you’ll find the Schovaná kavárna (Hidden Café) located in the courtyard on Zbrojnická Street nearby Republic Square. This place offers many delicacies that are worth breaking your diet for, whether it’s the sugar pancakes, the sweet or salty crepes, cakes, or ice cream. Some of their irresistible flavours include walnut and black coconut. But if you’re more of a sundae kind of person, then they’ll serve your ice cream in a glass with chocolate shavings. We can recommend – rather, we MUST recommend (because they really are that good) – the homemade ice pops for adults! Try the chocolate glazed pop and the refreshing Blood Orange Beefeater pop, or even the one with piña colada inside. The ice pops are truly delicious, and this time around, your kids won’t even want to take them from you, most likely because they already have their own. That’s because the “Hidden Café” also sells a strawberry and cream cheese flavour.
Soft-scoop ice cream that’s worth standing in line for
Do you like soft-scoop ice cream and treat yourself to some any chance you get? Then Pilsen is the right place for you. Here you’ll find more than just a few ice cream stands. If you asked the locals, they’d probably send you straight to “the monument”. It’s here that the soft-scoop ice cream is famous, and on hot summer days, lines quickly begin to form here. You’ll have the option to choose from four types of ice cream, including fruit sorbets and even some truly interesting flavours like dragon fruit. But if this location is too far out of your way, then try the soft-scoop ice cream at Paluba Hamburk near the Main Railway Station and the pick-up windows in the Mill Race, at OC Plaza, as well as in Doubravka on Zábělská Street.
Ice cream in a cup at CrossCafe
The network of CrossCafes continues to change and expand its products. This time around, the menu has been improved with some incredible ice cream that they sell in cups that come in two sizes. The smaller cup is 175 ml, holding four scoops of ice cream, while the large cup is 300 ml, and can hold 7 scoops. You’ll find the cups for sale at the counter, where they’re sure to catch your eye with their flavours and fun packaging. Go ahead and try the vanilla, brownies with salted caramel, Lotus cookies, and even mango flavours. Whether you go to CrossCafe for their coffee, cakes, or soups, definitely try the ice cream as well. It’s seriously good.
Ice cream done a bit differently
Do you like trying new things and taste-testing non-traditional ice cream? Then head on over for some rolled ice cream on the beach of the Great Bolevec Pond, where they’ll decorate your treat with cookies, fruit, and various sprinkles. Or you can even try Rockenroll on Zábělská Street in Doubravka. Here they promise unusual ice cream experiences, considering they have flavours on offer like Ginger-Lemon, Twix, and Buenos Dias, which is topped with Kinder Bueno chocolate. If you’re more of a frozen-yoghurt lover, then head over to Froyo on Americká Street. As the name makes clear, the frozen yoghurt isn’t made with cream, instead they use cultured milk, meaning it’s a fermented dairy product. And at Pilsen ZOO, you’ll also find a stand selling dipping-dots-style ice cream.
