Looking for the most luxurious ice cream in the Middle East?

It’s not every day that an ice cream parlour makes the news. Then again, Florencia is no ordinary ice cream parlour. It was recently crowned the ‘Best Luxury Ice Cream in the Middle East’ at the 2020 Luxury Lifestyle Awards, a global award selecting, recognising, and celebrating the best in luxury across the globe.

Over 10,000 goods and services in 400 categories from 60 countries were evaluated to reveal the best of the best, and Florencia is in great company – brands as Chanel, Dom Perignon, and Ferrari were also named winners.

As it turns out, the announcement is in perfect harmony with the theme of this issue, as founder Florencia Chaldu’s childhood in Argentina exposed her to the one thing all kids can agree on: great ice cream. “I was so lucky to grow up in a time where making ice cream from scratch was a part of everyday life. During my travels around the world, I would find myself searching for the same tastes that sparked so many happy memories,” she recalls. “In my quest, I studied the art of true, artisanal handcrafted ice cream in Lucacen, Argentina, where I learned the quality and love you put into your product can distinguish one tasting experience from the next. Our flavours are so delicious for one simple reason: each one of them is made with love.”

Love – a secret ingredient you’ll notice recurring in our cover story. Today, Florencia Ice Cream continues its mission to bring artisanal, handcrafted ice cream in unique flavours to the Middle East. A health-conscious boutique company, it focuses on creative innovations by using techniques originating in Italy and translating them into flavours found throughout the world. But it’s not just the menu that looks worldwide for inspiration.

Florencia scours the globe in search of the finest ingredients possible. That translates to dulce de leche from Argentina, vanilla beans from Madagascar, Sicilian pistachios, lavender from France, edible rose from Holland, Togoan cacao, and Italian ricotta and mascarpone cheese.

The result is a menu that boasts the usual suspects alongside options that are downright decadent – read: Chocolate & Orange, Lavender Lemon, Ricotta & Figs, Rosemary & Pine Nuts. Vegans will find respite from the heat in an assortment of sorbets, while seasonal flavours like Pumpkin and Gingerbread Cookies scream festive celebrations. Is it Christmas yet? ✤

GO: CALL 3400 7233 TO MAKE RESERVATIONS AND FOR MORE INFORMATION.