Renato Vanzillotta has a lot to do. A queue is waiting for the longed-for cooling off before the “Jessa’s Ice Cream” is served. Some of the sunny seats are occupied, there is something going on in “Jessa’s Ice Cream”. The cozy café on Klenzestraße seems to be a popular destination, especially for families. Owner Renato Vanzillotta and his employees produce 16 varieties every day. In addition to the classics such as chocolate or vanilla, the display also presents real delicacies in an appetizing way: rice pudding, yoghurt pomegranate and caramel ice cream with pink salt from the Himalayas are well received by customers.
Even vegans don’t miss out with chocolate ice cream made from coconut milk. For special varieties, the Italians sometimes charge 2.50 euros per scoop, while an ice cream ball usually costs two euros. There is a tasting spoon with every portion of ice cream – and you want more.
As soon as the weather is nice and warm, long lines form in front of the ice cream parlors.
(Photo: Stephan Rumpf/Stephan Rumpf)
The Eismeer ice cream parlor is just a few meters away on Pestalozzistrasse. Surrounded by a fashion shop and a nail salon, there is enough space in the Schanigarten to enjoy. Operator Robert Maier-Kares is proud of his climate-neutral ice cream parlor, which completely dispenses with plastic cups and spoons. The owner, on the other hand, keeps it simple when it comes to ice cream flavors. “It’s not our style that’s unusual. We don’t get customers with marketing, but with quality,” says Maier-Kares. And it works: new customers keep coming and just don’t let the line in front of the issue break off. The trend is going back to the basics, says Maier-Kares. “People want to buy a piece of memory and something familiar.”
The most unusual varieties in the “Eismeer” are pineapple-ginger or strawberry cheesecake. The standards are still the most popular: strawberry, raspberry, mango. An absolute hit in the ice cream parlor is the “Nero” chocolate ice cream.
But simple does not mean boring: the lemon ice cream almost tastes like a fresh lemon. All varieties are also made with regional hay milk from the Tegernsee region. This is noticeable in the prices, which are also not insignificant here: a ball costs two euros. The owner cannot understand the discussion about prices: “If you pay attention to quality, you don’t have to look at the price,” he says.
Fresh hay milk from the farm is the basis of the ice cream flavors at “True & 12”.
(Photo: Stephan Rumpf)
The “True & 12” also pays attention to quality. The tiny ice cream parlor on the Gasteig works without ready-made powder, but instead uses local farms and fresh hay milk. Here, too, there is a ball from two euros. “I think we should ask for more. But we also want the ice cream to be affordable,” says operator Davina Utz.
The ice cream parlors would also feel delivery bottlenecks and inflation. The customers don’t seem to be bothered by the price increase from 1.80 euros to two euros: despite the rush of customers, they are happy to wait on the busy Rosenheimer Straße. Those who like more unusual products can try the varieties “Haidhausen” (lavender with strawberries) or “Happy Monkey” (banana with caramel and pieces of chocolate). Pistachios are the most popular, explains Davina Utz. The ice cream is made with whole pistachios and nuts from Italy – the customers noticed that too.