Dondurma is one of Turkey’s most beloved treats, and it is also one of its most regional. The best ice cream in the country is not found in one place; it is spread across a geography of traditions, from the goat’s milk of the southeastern mountains to the pistachios of Gaziantep and the seaside parlors of the Mediterranean. This guide takes you through the cities and regions where dondurma reaches its peak, so you know exactly where to order when the craving hits.
Kahramanmaras: The Home of Dondurma
Any search for the best dondurma in Turkey begins in Kahramanmaras, the southeastern city that gave the world Maras ice cream. This is the thickest, stretchiest, most famous version of the dessert, made with goat’s milk and pounded for hours until it becomes elastic.
The ice cream parlors of the city center are institutions, some of them run by families for generations. The Maras style is served with a knife and fork as often as in a cone, because the texture is closer to a firm, chewy block than to a scoop of Western ice cream.
For the traveler, Kahramanmaras is a pilgrimage site. The city is not on the standard tourist route, but the locals will tell you that the trip is worth it for the ice cream alone, and they are not wrong.
Gaziantep: Pistachio Country
Gaziantep is famous for baklava, but its dondurma deserves equal billing. The city sits in the heart of pistachio country, and its ice cream parlors use the finest local pistachios, grinding them into a paste that turns the dondurma a deep, fragrant green.
The Gaziantep style is rich and nutty, often served with the pistachio flavor as the house specialty. The pairing of the city’s two great products, pistachio ice cream and pistachio baklava, is an experience no food lover should miss.
The old city’s bustling streets are lined with ice cream shops, and the best ones are always busy. Order the pistachio, and if you are lucky, you will watch the vendor stretch the scoop to show off its quality.
Istanbul: The City of Parlors
Istanbul has more dondurma parlors than any other city in Turkey, and the range is enormous, from century-old establishments to modern artisanal shops. The historic districts, especially around the Grand Bazaar and Sultanahmet, are full of ice cream vendors performing the famous teasing routine for visitors.
The Bosphorus villages are a separate chapter. Districts like Kanlica and Cengelkoy have their own ice cream traditions, and the waterfront parlors serve their dondurma with a view of the strait. The Asian side, particularly around Kadikoy and Moda, has a lively modern ice cream scene.
For the classic experience, look for the parlors with the marble counters and the long wooden scoops. For something new, the artisanal shops of Beyoglu and Kadikoy offer experimental flavors alongside the traditional ones. In the summer, the breakfast places of the city also serve dondurma at the end of the morning spread, and the sweet-and-savory contrast is a local favorite.
Antalya and the Mediterranean Coast
The Mediterranean coast is dondurma territory in the summer, and the resorts of Antalya, Alanya, and Side are full of parlors catering to beachgoers. The ice cream here is made for the heat: dense, slow-melting, and perfect for a long afternoon in the sun.
The quality on the coast is generally high, since the region attracts serious makers. Look for parlors that make the ice cream on the premises, which you can usually tell by the metal tubs and the busy counter. Many of the coastal parlors trace their recipes back to makers from Kahramanmaras, who carried the southern tradition to the sea decades ago.
Beyond the resorts, the smaller coastal towns have their own ice cream culture. In the old towns of Kas and Kalkan, the parlors serve dondurma with local fruit flavors, and the pace is slower and more traditional.
The Aegean: Izmir and Beyond
Izmir, the great city of the Aegean, has a proud food culture, and its dondurma is part of it. The city’s historic ice cream parlors are famous for their sade, or plain, dondurma, made with the classic salep and mastic and served with quiet ceremony. These are meeting places, where families gather for the evening walk and the ice cream comes with conversation.
The Aegean countryside adds its own flavors. The region’s famous figs, melons, and citrus appear in seasonal dondurma, and the villages around the coast serve ice cream made with local milk and honey.
In Cesme and Alacati, the fashionable resort towns of the peninsula, the modern ice cream scene is thriving. The young makers there combine the traditional base with creative flavors, and the result is some of the most exciting dondurma in Turkey.
Ankara: The Capital’s Classics
Ankara does not make the guidebooks’ lists of food cities, but its dondurma scene is quietly excellent. The capital is home to some of the oldest ice cream parlors in the country, and they serve the classic Maras-style dondurma with a level of craft that rivals the southeast.
The city’s best parlors are found in the old neighborhoods around the citadel and the main boulevards. They are the kind of places where the recipe has not changed in decades, and the customers know exactly what they want. Ankara’s dondurma culture was built by families from the southeast, which is why the Maras style dominates the capital’s parlors.
For the traveler passing through, a visit to one of these classic parlors is a lesson in Turkish ice cream history. The plain dondurma here is a benchmark.
The Black Sea: A Different Tradition
The Black Sea region has its own dondurma culture, less famous than the south but deeply rooted. The dondurma of the region is often made with the milk of the local cows, which graze on the lush mountain pastures, giving the ice cream a rich, creamy character.
In cities like Trabzon and Samsun, the parlors serve a slightly softer, milkier dondurma than the Maras style, and the fruit flavors follow the region’s harvests: hazelnut, the great crop of the Black Sea, appears in the ice cream in the autumn. The hazelnut version is a seasonal delicacy, at its best when the new crop arrives.
The region’s dondurma is less theatrical than the south’s, but the quality is serious. It is the ice cream of the mountains, honest and full of flavor.
The Eastern Provinces: Hidden Classics
Beyond the well-known cities, the eastern provinces hide some of Turkey’s most traditional dondurma. In Van, Diyarbakir, and Sanliurfa, the old parlors make dondurma exactly as it has been made for generations, with goat’s milk, salep, and mastic, and nothing else.
These are the places where the dessert is closest to its roots. The serving is simple, the flavors are classic, and the skill of the maker is the only advertisement. In these cities, the dondurma is often served with a piece of the local bread or pastry, and the meal-like quality is part of the tradition. The dondurma of the east is a discovery for the traveler who ventures off the tourist trail.
If you are traveling between the southeast and the Mediterranean, the roadside dondurma stands of the region are worth a stop. The quality is a happy surprise.
How to Choose a Great Parlor
A great dondurma parlor announces itself. Look for metal tubs of ice cream at the counter, a long-handled scoop, and a vendor who works the mass with confidence. A parlor that makes its own ice cream will have the tubs out and the counter busy.
The locals are the best guide. A parlor with a steady queue of neighborhood customers, especially in the evening, is almost always excellent. The tourist strips have good dondurma, but the neighborhood parlors have the tradition. A parlor that has survived for decades without changing its recipe is a treasure, and the regulars will gladly tell you its story.
Order the plain flavor first. It is the truest test of the maker’s skill, since it hides nothing. If the sade dondurma is excellent, the rest of the menu will be too.
When to Go
Dondurma is a year-round food in Turkey, but the experience changes with the season. In the summer, the parlors are at their liveliest, the fruit flavors are fresh, and the evening ice cream walk is a national ritual.
In the winter, the Maras-style dondurma comes into its own. Eaten with a knife and fork, thick and chewy, it is the perfect dessert after a heavy winter meal, and the southeastern cities are at their best for it.
Wherever you go, go in the evening, when the parlors are full and the vendors are in their element. The best dondurma is eaten slowly, with the city around you.
Frequently asked questions
Which city is famous for dondurma?
Kahramanmaras is the spiritual home of Turkish ice cream, and its Maras style, made with goat’s milk and pounded by hand, is the most famous version in the country. Gaziantep is known for pistachio dondurma, while Istanbul has the greatest number of classic parlors. Each region has its own tradition worth trying.
Is dondurma the same all over Turkey?
No. The Maras style of the southeast is the thickest and stretchiest, made with goat’s milk. The Black Sea version is milkier and softer, and the Aegean makers favor classic sade dondurma with local fruit. The ingredients vary with the region, so tasting dondurma across Turkey is like tasting many desserts with one name.
How do I know if a parlor sells authentic dondurma?
Look for signs of craft: metal tubs of ice cream, a long-handled scoop, and a vendor who works the mass with obvious confidence. Order the plain sade flavor, which hides nothing. If the vendor performs the stretching routine, the salep is real. A steady queue of local customers is the surest sign of quality.
All Over Information
The All Over Information editorial team researches and writes practical English-language guides to Turkey. Facts are checked against official and local sources before publication, prices are published as dated ranges rather than quotes, and guides are revised when things change. We accept no sponsored posts, paid placements or paid links.
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