[Hai Lights] 5 Fierce Places For Gelato in Xuhui District

Shanghai's got everything. Too much, probably. Hai Lights cuts through it...the best restaurants, bars, galleries, bike routes, football clubs, hot pot joints, pizza spots, pasta dens, and whatever weird little shops are currently losing money in interesting ways.

Each list hits a theme. Spanish restaurants that don't suck. Places to pretend you're into cycling. Clubs where people actually play football, not just wear the jerseys.

No fluff. Just the good stuff.

People in China believe that when the Fire Horse takes reign, it's best not to add more fuel to the flames. The fierce Yang energy of the fiery horse needs to be balanced – whether that's through more muted colors in the way you dress, or something even more exciting: ice-cold gelato.

Something I've noticed: in a culture where serving cold water is considered a personal insult, Shanghainese people sure do love eating ice cream in the dead of winter. And recently, there's been a boom in openings of unique gelato stores, especially around the hip corners of the Xuhui district. From flavors inspired by traditional Chinese medicinal herbs to sour cream and pesto... right now, Shanghai has it all.

1) Igloo

Starting off with probably the most unique spot when it comes to flavors – and my personal fav. I mean, what could be better for a Slavic person than sour cream-flavored gelato? Their interior design is cool, and the little penguin mascot? Absolutely adorable. As previously mentioned, they have the most interesting flavors in my opinion: sour cream and pesto, green apple avocado, Ceylon black tea, pineapple sweet rice wine – and those are just some of the options worth trying. I personally loved the pesto, sour cream and green apple, especially together. The tanginess of pesto with the sour-sweet apple – delish. The green apple has the consistency of a sorbet, and if I remember correctly, it's either milk-free or contains very little of it.

They also offer a more classic selection, like a four berry blend and Madagascar vanilla. The berry one is your classic tangy, refreshing berry flavor that also pairs quite well with more mellow flavors. I wouldn't personally mix it with the apple flavor, though. Too much of it together and it starts to feel and taste like flavored ice.

The place is small, but there is a seating area both inside and outside.

If you go...

Opening hours: 12-6pm

Address: 328 Xianyang Rd S.

Price range: 1-2 scoops 35 yuan (US$5.12), 1-3 scoops 45 yuan, add a cone +5 yuan

2) Flaverse Gelato & Soda

Let me start by saying, I can't stand soda, so you won't find any opinions on the & soda part of this place. What I can stand, however, is wacky gelato flavors. (Even though I don't usually eat ice cream because I'm lactose intolerant. But I did it for science.) This place originally caught my eye because of its visuals. The design and vibe are really giving Jetsons futuristic 60s postmodern. I don't know how else to describe it. And surprisingly, the gelato they feature leans very traditional Chinese in its flavor palette. When I went, they had two sections: the classic and the extra Chinese section. Not sure if that was the official name, though.

The classic flavor I had was Guizhou Matcha. Delicious. Straightforward, earthy, thick matcha gelato. Fun fact: most of the matcha we usually drink, including in Western countries and even Japan, is from Guizhou province unless otherwise specified. (Not surprising, considering matcha originated in China.) Then, for the extra Chinese section, I picked Nanguo Pear (those yellowish, round, juicy apple pear things) and Pine Needle & Birch Sap Ginseng Honey, pretty self-explanatory. The Nanguo Pear was more of a sorbet consistency, so quite refreshing and light, while the PNBSGH was very subtle in flavor, soft with distinct hints of ginseng. All three flavors paired well together. I felt like I was eating something healthy rather than three scoops of ice cream.

There are some barstools to sit inside, as well as some chairs outside.

If you go...

Opening hours: 12am-9pm

Address: 360 Xiangyang Rd S.

Price range: 1-2 scoops 38 yuan, 2-3 scoops 48 yuan, gelato & soda set 68 yuan

3) Zhong Yao Tang Gelato

Not a newly opened place. I believe it's about 2 years old at this point, but still very much relevant. They went quite viral when they first opened their doors, their distinct point of view being the incorporation of traditional Chinese medicine flavors and ingredients, with no artificial flavorings or colors. If you've been in Shanghai for a while, you're probably aware of this place. Every influencer went and took pictures there when it first opened.

Within those two years, they seem to have kept more or less the same flavors. Besides my favorite hawthorn one, which they changed the recipe for, I am still lowkey mad about it… Anyways, the other flavors are still hitting hard. My personal recommendations would be the ginger jasmine tea sorbet, hawthorn cinnamon apple (used to be better imho, but still quite tasty) and their dark chocolate one. Oh, and there is a flavor called Nutty Chrysanthemums. It is tasty, but if you know some Chinese slang, this name is... something. They also have a big offering of other traditional Chinese desserts like grass jelly and drinks, mostly tea.

There are some seats inside as well as outside.

If you go...

Opening hours: 1-9pm

Price range: two scoops 38 yuan, three scoops 45 yuan

Address: 267 Xiangyang Rd S.

4) Mr Savage Gelato

I went on the opening day of their new humongous store, right next to Alimentari Grande. From what I gathered, their concept is also no additives, no coloring focused. That day, not every flavor was available to try, so I settled on the safest bet: hazelnut chocolate. Some other options were coffee, pistachio (the most expensive one), rice and caramel nut. Their thing was to have a nice-looking gelato barista rotating the gelato wheel of fortune, scooping the gelato in a specific, cheese-pulling type of way before inserting a cookie into it. One thing stores in Shanghai will do is turn the most basic service into a show, and honestly, I am not opposed to it.

Now, the gelato was okay. Was it the best hazelnut chocolate I've ever had? No. I would give it a solid B. However, I would like to come back and try out more flavors just to be at their gorgeous location. I have to say, they turned that building OUT. It has two floors and a huge outside area for you to gobble your little sweet treat at. plus a whole assortment of cakes and pastries, this really makes into a sweet-tooth person's heaven.

If you go...

Opening hours: 11:30am-7:30pm

Address: Lane No. 26, 56 Donghu Rd

Price range: 28-38 yuan depends on the ice cream

5) OUO Thai Tea

Probably the easiest to miss store on this list. Located right next to the IAPM mall, this little gelato store has a very specific focus: Thai tea. Besides serving the actual drink, they also have an interesting option for Thai tea gelato, where you can choose the intensity, ranging from 85 yuan to 180 yuan. Of course, I haven't tried every single Thai tea ice cream variant as my delicate GenZ stomach just wouldn't survive, but from what I understood, the number refers to the Thai tea flavor intensity in your little scoop. I tried the 125 intensity, which was nice. Not too overpowering, not too bland. If you like Thai tea, you can definitely go higher. You can also get a Thai tea drink with a scoop of Thai tea gelato on top, but I heard it doesn't mix all that well together, ending up as just a watery mess.

Besides Thai tea, there are many other classic flavors like chocolate, matcha and even Matsuko soy sauce? Haven't tried it but it sounds wacky enough to visit them once more. My random personal observation: it seems like OUO only hires tall, frail twinkie guys in their little white uniforms and face masks. Is it relevant to the quality of the ice cream? No. But I am a thorough reporter, and I want you to know all the details.

There is no real seating space inside the store, but there is a bench right outside.

If you go...

Opening hours: 10:30am-8:30pm

Address: 92 Xiangyang Rd S.

Price range: 1-2 scoops 28 yuan, 6 scoop set 150 yuan