Last Updated on July 25, 2026 by Daniel Globe
Istanbul has everything from chewy Turkish dondurma to smooth Italian-style gelato, but the two are not the same. For a traditional experience, look for Maraş-style ice cream or long-established neighborhood dondurmacı shops. For softer gelato, the city also has excellent specialists in Galata, Beşiktaş, Sarıyer, Kadıköy and along Bağdat Avenue.
Quick Answer
For classic Turkish dondurma, start with MADO for Maraş-style ice cream, then try neighborhood institutions such as Ali Usta in Moda and Yaşar Usta in Bostancı. For Italian-style gelato, MUÀ, Girandola and Peyra are stronger fits. Hafız Mustafa is best treated as a Turkish dessert café where ice cream complements other sweets.
Key Takeaways
- Maraş dondurması is known for a dense, chewy texture associated with salep and traditional production methods.
- Moda, Kadıköy and Bostancı have several long-running neighborhood ice-cream shops, while Galata, Karaköy and Beşiktaş are convenient for visitors staying on the European side.
- For Italian-style gelato, consider MUÀ, Girandola, Peyra or Vero Gelato rather than expecting every dondurmacı to serve stretchy Maraş-style ice cream.
- Flavors, prices, dietary options and opening hours can change by season and branch, so check the specific location before making a special trip.
What Makes Turkish Dondurma Different?
Dondurma simply means ice cream in Turkish, but the famous stretchy version most travelers picture is closely associated with Maraş dondurması from Kahramanmaraş. The Turkish Patent and Trademark Office lists Maraş Dondurması as a registered geographical indication, registration no. 344, dated April 18, 2018.
The protected product is traditionally associated with milk, sugar and salep, a powder made from orchid tubers. Salep helps create the unusually dense, resistant texture described by Turkey’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism. Mastic may appear in some Turkish ice creams, but it is not a universal ingredient in every dondurma recipe.
Maraş Dondurması has been a registered geographical indication in Türkiye since April 18, 2018.
Note: The cone tricks performed by some Turkish ice-cream vendors are fun, but the performance itself does not prove that the ice cream is registered Maraş Dondurması. Judge the product by its ingredients, texture and producer rather than the show.
Best Ice Cream and Dondurma Shops in Istanbul at a Glance
| Shop | Area | Style | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| MADO | Multiple branches | Maraş-style dondurma | First traditional-style experience |
| MUÀ Gelatieri d’Italia | Yeniköy, Karaköy, Akaretler and more | Italian-style gelato | Gelato and dietary alternatives |
| Meşhur Dondurmacı Ali Usta | Moda, Kadıköy | Turkish neighborhood ice cream | A classic Moda stop |
| Yaşar Usta Dondurmacısı | Bostancı | Ice cream and fruit sorbet | Fruit-forward choices |
| Girandola | Arnavutköy, Caddebostan and other branches | Gelato and sorbet | Rotating and seasonal flavors |
| Vardarlı Dondurma | Sahrayıcedit / Acıbadem | Turkish-style ice cream | A neighborhood favorite away from tourist centers |
| Hafız Mustafa 1864 | Sirkeci, Beyoğlu, Galataport and more | Turkish dessert café | Ice cream with baklava or other sweets |
| Peyra Gelato | Galata | Artisan gelato | A gelato stop near Galata Tower |
| Beşiktaş Dondurmacısı | Beşiktaş | Ice cream and desserts | A central evening dessert stop |
| Vero Gelato | Kadıköy / Bağdat Avenue area | Italian-style gelato | Gelato on the Asian side |
Do not rely on a single set of opening hours for every branch. Istanbul ice-cream shops often adjust schedules seasonally, and individual locations may keep different hours.
MADO
MADO is one of the easiest places for a visitor to encounter Maraş-style dondurma without making a special trip across Istanbul. It has numerous branches, including convenient locations around Beyoğlu.
The company’s history is older than the original article suggested. According to MADO’s official history, the family’s ice-cream story dates to 1850. Yaşar Patisserie opened in 1980, and the MADO chain developed after 1991.
MADO emphasizes goat’s milk and salep in its traditional ice-cream story. For a first taste, a simple milk-based or pistachio option lets you focus on the dense texture rather than loading the serving with sauces and toppings.
Pro Tip: If your goal is to understand what makes Turkish dondurma different, taste a plain or lightly flavored scoop before trying elaborate sundaes and dessert plates.
MUÀ Gelatieri d’Italia
MUÀ is a better fit when you want Italian-style gelato rather than stretchy Maraş dondurması. It has Istanbul locations including Yeniköy and branches in busy European-side neighborhoods.
According to MUÀ’s official site, its gelato is produced fresh at its branches and the company offers vegan, gluten-free and reduced-sugar alternatives alongside its regular selection. The exact flavors and dietary choices can vary, so ask what is available that day.
MUÀ is especially useful for groups where one person wants dairy gelato and another prefers a fruit sorbet or plant-based option.
Meşhur Dondurmacı Ali Usta
In Moda, Meşhur Dondurmacı Ali Usta is one of Istanbul’s best-known neighborhood ice-cream institutions. It has been serving the Moda area since 1969 and is commonly associated with the evening stroll from central Moda toward the waterfront.
The reason to visit is not an elaborate serving performance. It is the combination of a long local history, a broad rotating flavor selection and a location that fits naturally into a Kadıköy or Moda walk.
Expect queues when the neighborhood is busy, especially on warm evenings. Rather than planning around a flavor you saw online, look at the current counter and choose from what is freshest that day.
Where to Find It
Ali Usta is on Moda Caddesi in Caferağa, Kadıköy. It works particularly well after exploring Kadıköy Market, the cafés around Moda or the waterfront.
Yaşar Usta Dondurmacısı Bostancı
Yaşar Usta Dondurmacısı is a long-running Bostancı choice for both creamy ice creams and fruit-based sorbets. The shop’s official history says Yaşar Usta entered the trade in 1962.
The current official product listing shows how broad the selection can be, with milk-based ice creams alongside fruit sorbets such as sour cherry-type and other seasonal fruit choices.
This is a particularly good stop when some people in your group want rich dairy ice cream while others prefer a lighter fruit sorbet.
Girandola
Girandola is an established Istanbul gelato name with locations including Arnavutköy on the European side and Caddebostan on the Asian side. Its style is closer to Italian gelato than traditional stretchy Maraş dondurma.
Its appeal is the changing selection. Seasonal fruit, sorbets and dessert-inspired flavors mean the counter may look different from one visit to another.
Who Should Choose Girandola?
Pick Girandola when you care more about a smooth gelato texture and rotating flavors than about the theatrical Turkish-dondurma experience. The Arnavutköy location also combines easily with a walk along the Bosphorus.
Vardarlı Dondurma
Vardarlı Dondurma is a strong neighborhood option on Istanbul’s Asian side, with locations associated with areas such as Sahrayıcedit and Acıbadem.
This is the sort of place to consider when you want a local dondurmacı rather than a major tourist-center brand. Nut, chocolate, fruit and Turkish-style flavors typically make up the appeal, although the day’s selection can differ by branch.
Vardarlı makes the most sense for travelers already exploring Kadıköy, Acıbadem or the eastern side of the city rather than someone staying only around Sultanahmet.
Hafız Mustafa 1864
Hafız Mustafa 1864 is first and foremost a historic Turkish confectionery rather than a dedicated ice-cream specialist. Its advantage is that you can combine ice cream with baklava, kadayıf, puddings and other Turkish desserts in one stop.
The company’s official history says the business was founded in Bahçekapı in 1864 by Hadji İsmail Hakkı Bey and later taken over by his son Hafız Mustafa.
Current offerings include straightforward choices such as plain, pistachio and chocolate ice cream. That makes Hafız Mustafa especially useful when your group wants a full Turkish dessert experience instead of visiting a shop solely for dondurma.
Peyra Gelato
If you are sightseeing around Galata, Peyra Gelato is one of the most convenient independent gelato choices. Its location near the Galata Tower area makes it easy to add to an afternoon around Galata, Şişhane or Karaköy.
The style is contemporary gelato rather than traditional Maraş dondurması, with Turkish and regional dessert ideas appearing alongside familiar chocolate, nut and fruit profiles.
Peyra is a better choice for someone who wants a small artisan gelato stop than for someone specifically searching for the long-paddle Turkish ice-cream performance.
Beşiktaş Dondurmacısı
Beşiktaş Dondurmacısı is a practical option when you are staying near Beşiktaş, Dolmabahçe or the ferry terminals and want an ice-cream stop without crossing the city.
The shop combines ice cream with other desserts such as waffles, so it works well for groups with different cravings. Its central Beşiktaş location also makes it convenient after dinner or before continuing toward the waterfront.
Because menus and operating hours can change, check the shop’s current listing before traveling across Istanbul solely for a specific flavor.
Vero Gelato
Vero Gelato is another strong Italian-style option on the Asian side, with a presence around Kadıköy and the Bağdat Avenue corridor.
Choose Vero when you prefer smooth gelato and a wide flavor counter rather than thick, elastic Maraş-style ice cream. It fits especially well into a day around Moda, Caddebostan or Bostancı.
As with other artisan gelaterias, specialty and seasonal flavors can rotate, so it is better to choose from the current display than plan your visit around an old online menu.
Which Istanbul Ice Cream Shop Should You Choose?
For a Traditional Dondurma Experience
Start with MADO if you want an accessible introduction to Maraş-style ice cream. For a more neighborhood-oriented Turkish ice-cream stop, consider Ali Usta, Yaşar Usta or Vardarlı depending on where you are staying.
For Italian-Style Gelato
MUÀ, Girandola, Peyra and Vero Gelato are better choices when your priority is a softer gelato texture, rotating flavors and fruit sorbets.
For Sightseeing Areas
Hafız Mustafa is convenient around Sirkeci, Beyoğlu and Galataport, while Peyra works well near Galata. MADO also has branches in central visitor areas, so you usually do not need to cross Istanbul solely to try it.
For the Asian Side
Moda and the wider Kadıköy area offer some of the city’s strongest choices. Ali Usta, Vardarlı, Vero Gelato, Girandola’s Caddebostan location and Yaşar Usta in Bostancı can all fit naturally into an Asian-side itinerary.
Ordering Tips and Dietary Notes
- Sade means plain and is useful when you want to judge the base flavor and texture.
- Damla sakızlı refers to mastic-flavored ice cream.
- Sorbe means sorbet, but do not automatically assume every sorbet is suitable for every dietary restriction.
- Ask before ordering if you need a dairy-free or vegan serving. Availability varies from shop to shop and from one day’s counter to the next.
- Ice cream itself may contain no wheat ingredients while the cone does. Shared scoops, counters and containers can also create cross-contact.
- Nut flavors such as pistachio, hazelnut and almond are common, so anyone with a serious nut allergy should speak directly with staff before ordering.
Warning: “Vegan,” “sorbet” or “gluten-free” on a menu does not guarantee an allergen-free preparation area. If you have celiac disease or a serious dairy or nut allergy, confirm ingredients and cross-contact procedures directly with the shop before ordering.
Frequently Asked Questions
What flavors are unique to Istanbul ice cream shops?
There is no single citywide flavor list. Depending on the shop, you may encounter pistachio, mastic, kaymak-style milk ice cream, tahini, sour cherry, mulberry and seasonal fruit sorbets alongside chocolate and other international flavors. Artisan gelaterias often rotate their selections.
Do any Istanbul ice cream shops offer vegan options?
Yes. MUÀ officially advertises vegan alternatives, and several gelato shops offer fruit sorbets that may be dairy-free. Recipes can change, so confirm the ingredients before ordering rather than assuming every sorbet is vegan.
Are gluten-free ice cream choices available?
Some shops, including MUÀ, advertise gluten-free alternatives. Plain ice cream or sorbet may also contain no gluten ingredients, but cones, mix-ins and shared equipment can introduce gluten. Anyone with celiac disease should ask the shop about cross-contact.
What are the opening hours for Istanbul ice cream shops?
Hours vary widely by shop, branch and season. Many ice-cream businesses stay open into the evening during warmer months, but you should check the specific location on the day of your visit rather than relying on a citywide schedule.
Can I find good dondurma near popular Istanbul attractions?
Yes. MADO has central branches, Hafız Mustafa has locations convenient to Sirkeci, Beyoğlu and Galataport, and Peyra Gelato is near Galata. You do not need to travel far from the main sightseeing districts for a good ice-cream stop.
What is the difference between Turkish dondurma and gelato?
Traditional Maraş-style dondurma is known for a dense, chewy and resistant texture associated with ingredients such as salep. Italian-style gelato is generally smoother and softer. Istanbul has excellent examples of both, so choose according to the texture and experience you prefer.
Do all Turkish dondurma vendors perform cone tricks?
No. The playful long-paddle routine is common at tourist-oriented Turkish ice-cream stands, but many excellent neighborhood dondurmacı shops simply serve the ice cream normally. The performance is entertainment, not a quality standard.
Conclusion
Istanbul’s ice-cream scene is more varied than the familiar image of a vendor teasing customers with a cone. For a taste of Maraş-style dondurma, MADO is an easy starting point. For neighborhood classics, try Ali Usta, Yaşar Usta or Vardarlı. When you want Italian-style gelato instead, MUÀ, Girandola, Peyra and Vero give you several strong choices on both sides of the Bosphorus.
The best stop ultimately depends on where you are staying and whether you value stretchy Turkish texture, fruit sorbet, artisan gelato or a full dessert-café experience. Check the current branch, menu and hours before you go, then order from what looks freshest at the counter.
Sources
- Turkish Patent and Trademark Office — Maraş Dondurması — geographical-indication registration and date.
- Republic of Türkiye Ministry of Culture and Tourism — Maraş Dondurması — traditional ingredients and regional background.
- MADO — From the Past to the Present — company history and Maraş ice-cream tradition.
- MUÀ Gelatieri d’Italia — production approach, products and dietary alternatives.
- Yaşar Usta Dondurmacısı Bostancı — business history and location.
- Hafız Mustafa 1864 — official company history.