Okay, this is a serious matter, folks. Whenever you’re ice cream shopping in Mexico City — or anywhere in the country — you have to know the basics. Mexicans do not group ice cream into one category, but into two: helados and what we call nieves — and yes, there is a difference.
Helados are generally made from dairy, so you get to enjoy the creaminess exploding in every taste bud. Typical flavors include chocolate, vanilla and even lemon pie, if you’re lucky.
Nieves, however, are ice-based — no milk and no cream. In the provinces and in small towns within the city, like the ever-popular Coyoacán, these are the favorites because they’re usually handmade with real fruit. Nothing in a nieve is artificial, except perhaps the chamoy we add to the lemon and citrus flavors.
Now that we’ve established the basics, it’s time to dive deep into Mexico City’s very best ice cream shops, where you’ll get a glimpse of what a childhood in the Mexican capital really tastes like.
The best ice cream shops in Mexico City
Tepoznieves Coyoacán
Every Mexico City-born youth has taken their special someone to eat ice cream at iconic Tepoznieves. Located on the corner of Francisco Sosa and Tres Cruces, right in front of Parque de los Coyotes in Coyoacán, it is one of those places that tastes like your elementary school years.
Tepoznieves established the difference between helados and nieves in Mexico. Originally from the picturesque town of Tepoztlán in Morelos, they define nieves as “water-based ice cream without artificial flavorings,” so all their products are made with natural fruit. Perfect for our plant-based readers!
- Where? Av. Francisco Sosa 1, Santa Catarina, Coyoacán.
La Michoacana
Founded in the 1930s in a town called Tocumbo, in the central state of Michoacán, La Michoacana has become one of Mexico’s emblematic ice cream experiences. Rafael Malfavón opened the first shop, but today, almost a century later, La Michoacana boasts thousands of locations throughout the country. With over 125 flavors, they have ice cream to please all tastes and preferences.
- Many locations! Find the one closest to you.
Nevería Roxy
For more than 75 years, Nevería Roxy has served ice cream in the Colonia Condesa. Over the years, it has established itself as the go-to for lovebirds, grannies and their grandchildren, and even tourists who wish to spend a nice Friday afternoon strolling around the area.
Ever since its original opening in 1946, Roxy has grown to have over 10 locations in and out of Mexico City, ranging from upper-class Polanco to the iconic Cineteca in Coyoacán — and even one in Querétaro! They’re famous for their amazing banana splits and wonderful milkshakes, so bring your children! They’re in for a majestic treat.
- Where? Fernando Montes de Oca 89, Condesa, Cuauhtémoc.
Chiandoni
My father will never forget that, when he was a child, Don Pietro Chiandoni would enter his business every afternoon and pay the check whenever children were around. He would often come and say hi to my dad and his friends in the 1970s, when his ice cream shop had just opened in Mexico City’s traditional Colonia Nápoles.
Decorated in the same retro style that Don Pietro chose back then, Chiandoni’s is a gem for gelato lovers. All the products are handmade, in the traditional Italian style, and their creaminess is hard to match. Just as my grandmother took my father to Chiandoni’s for years, he took my sister and me for milkshakes in our favorite flavors. To this day, my favorite is mint chocolate chip.
- Where? Pensilvania 255, Nápoles, Benito Juárez.
Maca Helado and Café
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Located on the border of Condesa and Escandón, Maca Helado and Café is one of the best spots to try frozen yogurt in Mexico City. Shop owners Natalia and Sebastián always knew they wanted to “create something delicious, with lots of variety and accessible to everyone”, as they told MND. Maca honors an adopted dog they owned, and it is one of the few ice cream shops in Mexico City that offers pet-friendly products, designed for our pawed companions to enjoy these warm summer days.
Whether you’re an affogato girlie or a cold brew person, this trendy ice cream shop in Mexico City has an option for every palate. Natalia and Sebastián personally love “the mandarin, cappuccino and vegan matcha flavors.” Beyond fro-yo, Maca also offers fantastic açaí bowls — so it’s the kind of place you’ll definitely want to visit this summer.
- Where? Esquina con Av. Benjamín Franklin, Unión 208, Escandón II Secc., Miguel Hidalgo.
Andrea Fischer contributes to the features desk at Mexico News Daily. She has edited and written for National Geographic en Español and Muy Interesante México, and continues to be an advocate for anything that screams science. Or yoga. Or both.
