The Best Ice Cream in Austin
Austin, Texas — updated August 22, 2026
Gelato on South First, a farmers market scoop shop, and a brewery window in Southeast Austin: where the ratings hold up and how settled each one is.
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Austin's ice cream map splits along two lines: the South First and South Congress corridor, where the scoop shops sit within walking distance of each other, and everything else, which includes a gelato counter in Hyde Park, a brewery lot in Southeast Austin, and a stall at the Mueller farmers market. What follows is ordered by how convincing the evidence is, not just by the rating, because a 4.5 across more than 1,600 reviews and a 5.0 across 19 are different kinds of claim.
1. Dolce Neve Gelato
The strongest combination of score and volume on this list: 4.7 across 1,114 reviews, which is enough traffic that the rating is settled rather than promising. The shop is at 1713 S 1st St, in the thick of the South First food strip, so it works as a walk-up stop after dinner nearby rather than a destination drive. Gelato, not American-style ice cream, which means denser texture and less air, and a case that turns over rather than holding the same lineup year-round. Expect a line on warm evenings and weekends, when the surrounding blocks are already busy.
2. Gelatoro - Italian Ice Cream
The highest rating of any well-reviewed shop here: 4.9 across 422 reviews at the Anderson Mill Road location, 10300 Anderson Mill Rd Unit B, in far northwest Austin. That combination is unusual. Ratings normally sag as review counts climb past a few hundred, and this one has not. There is a second Gelatoro at 4500 Duval St in Hyde Park with a nearly identical score across a smaller count, so central Austin is covered too, but we list one business once. Italian-style gelato and coffee, which makes it a reasonable afternoon stop rather than strictly a dessert run.
3. Lick Honest Ice Creams
The most-reviewed scoop shop on South Lamar, at 4.6 from 1,164 reviews, which puts it in proven territory alongside Dolce Neve. The address is 1100 S Lamar Blvd #1135, inside a retail block with parking, which matters more than it sounds on a Saturday in that part of town. Lick builds its flavors around Texas dairy and seasonal produce, so the board changes through the year and a repeat visit rarely looks identical to the last. Good option if you want something less sweet than the standard tub.
4. Amy's Ice Creams
The Austin institution, and the busiest listing here by a wide margin: 4.5 across 1,621 reviews at 1301 S Congress Ave. The rating is slightly lower than the gelato shops above it, but with that many reviews it is the most tested number on the page, and 4.5 at that volume is a durable result. The South Congress location is a tourist thoroughfare, so it fills in the evenings and stays busy late into warm nights. Counter service with the crushed-in mix-ins that made the place a local fixture.
5. Bésame Ice Cream at Meanwhile Brewing
A 4.7 rating from 148 reviews, which is early but consistent, and the only entry here attached to a brewery. Bésame operates at Meanwhile Brewing, 3901 Promontory Point Dr, in Southeast Austin, so the visit works as part of a longer stop rather than a quick in-and-out. Check the brewery's hours before driving out, since a vendor inside a larger venue keeps its own schedule and does not necessarily open when the taproom does. Worth the trip if you are already headed to that stretch of Promontory Point.
6. Lotus Creamery @ Texas Farmers Market
A perfect 5.0, but from 19 reviews, so treat this as promising rather than established. It operates from the Texas Farmers Market at 2006 Philomena St in Mueller, which means market hours, not shop hours: plan around the market day rather than showing up on a weekday evening. The small review count cuts both ways. It reflects a stall that sees fewer customers than a storefront, not a shop that has been tested and found wanting. Go if you are already at the market, and confirm the market schedule first.
What we left off
Handel's Homemade Ice Cream on N FM 620 rates 4.6 from 296 reviews, but it is a franchise chain with locations well outside Texas, and this list is limited to independent Austin operations. We also cut the Duval Street Gelatoro to avoid listing the same business twice; the Anderson Mill location carries the larger review count, so it represents the pair.