Dubai's best ice cream rated

Nineteen frozen yoghurt
The deal: This sleek restaurant at The Address Montgomerie offers a three-tiered dessert – spiced mango and tartar of raspberries, white chocolate snow and crunchy coconut sable, and (as the dish’s name suggests) frozen yoghurt. Each can be eaten separately or mixed together for a colourful (and chilled) explosion of taste and texture – a delicious and healthy dessert alternative to ice-cream.

Best for: Those who like their iced desserts with a fruity, crunchy twist.
Dhs35. The Address Montgomerie Dubai, Emirates Hills (04 390 5600).

Also try:
Limetta ice-cream at French Bakery
The deal: Getting to the French Bakery is a little adventure in itself: this Dubai institution is hidden amid a seemingly never-ending construction site near Defence Roundabout. But the effort is worth it: choices range from the citrusy limetta to the ambassador’s favourite, Ferrero Rocher. The ice-cream is flavoursome and rich without being sickly. Most important, though, it’s served at just the right temperature, meaning you have ample time to devour it before it melts.

Best for: Traditional ice-cream in unusual flavours.
Dhs12. Near Defence Roundabout, behind the Shangri-La Hotel (04 343 6444).

Rose ice-cream at Govinda’s
The deal: With the aroma of incense and a mini-fountain right outside, you’d be forgiven for expecting a spa treatment. You’d be wrong, of course – Govinda’s offers some of the most inventive flavours we’ve ever come across: rose (you can actually chew on stringy petal bits), sapodilla, fig, almond, custard apple and more. Made fresh each day, Govinda’s boasts that its ice-cream is 100 per cent natural. We can vouch for it being 100 per cent delicious.

Best for: A unique, flavoursome experience.
Dhs7 per scoop. Behind the Regent Palace Hotel, Karama (04 396 0088).

DIY ice-cream
Why step out for chilly treats when you can forge them in your own home? Invest in this ice-cream creator and you’ll never go hungry again.

The Gelatiera by Gaggia
Not content with making top-quality coffee machines, Gaggia has turned its attention to Italy’s other favourite pastime: ice-cream. This nifty little contraption allows you to conjure up the most eccentric ice-cream combinations in less than 30 minutes. The Gelatiera has its own freezing device that reaches optimum temperature in five minutes, allowing you just enough time to pre-mix your ingredients in a pan, wait for them to cool down and pour directly into the machine’s basin. Quick and easy, with delicious results.
Dhs1,999, available at Dubai Garden Centre (04 340 0006), Jacky’s Electronics, www.jackys.com, and E-City (04 399 6970). For further details, see www.gaggia.com.