The last week has seen a series of reports regarding the soaring weather temperatures across Spain. It is then no surprise to see the rise of “heladerias” open for the summer and making money at a crazy rate. Ice-cream brings back those lovely childhood memories, that urge to choose your favorite flavors and take a seat in the park or beach disconnected from the rest of the world.

In trendy neighborhood Grácia, Plaza de la Vila de Grácia is Ottimo Gelats, one of our favorite places to go to for ice-cream.Why? Well not only are the ice creams delicious but they are also completely natural – no chemicals preservatives, artificial flavors or hydrogenated vegetable fats. They also take their care process of ice cream seriously following the craftsmanship passed down for decades before. Ice -cream is served at a higher temperature -12º / -14º and Guar flour is used to thicken the ice cream naturally giving it a unique texture.

I am a huge fan of the violet flavor, I have been known to travel across a few neighborhoods for this alone as it takes me straight back to childhood days.

Note that Ottimo in Italian is a word used to describe a place, a moment…a vivid sense of something that you want to repeat and how very fitting that name is for this ice cream parlor.