The artisan ice cream maker Gelat Sóller (Sa Fàbrica de Gelats) sits in the heart of Sóller, right on the Plaça des Mercat opposite the market hall and beside the tracks of the historic tram. Since 1994 the family business has made its ice cream by hand from fresh milk, cream and natural fruit juice – famous for its sorbets pressed from the oranges and lemons of the Sóller valley.
What makes Gelat Sóller special
It all began in 1994: Franz Kraus, a German who had put down roots in Sóller's orange valley, wanted to make better use of the local citrus and carry it beyond the island. From this ice cream workshop grew the Fet a Sóller group of companies from 1996 onwards, today employing around 70 people – with the ice cream remaining at its core.
Part of the appeal is the spirit behind it. The house works with local growers and employment offices, championing fair employment in the region. The respected Eater guide ranks Gelat Sóller among Mallorca's 17 best addresses and calls its citrus sorbets simply "legendary". Across roughly 1,500 Google reviews it holds a steady 4.5 stars.
Flavours & specialities
The signature is the sorbet made from freshly squeezed Sóller-valley oranges and lemons – clear, bright and intense in citrus aroma. If you prefer something creamier, there are around forty ice cream varieties, from almond and chocolate to home-developed Mallorcan creations such as ensaïmada or coca de patata, added for the 30th anniversary in 2024.
The fruit sorbets are vegan and dairy-free; soy milk is on hand for coffee. A scoop costs a low single-digit euro figure and is generously sized. Alongside, the team presses fresh oranges into juice that you can enjoy chilled in the shady, leafy courtyard – a quiet retreat just steps from the main square.
Origin & quality
The Sóller valley in the Serra de Tramuntana is considered a privileged spot for oranges and lemons, and it is exactly this fruit that ends up in the ice cream here. The team works with real milk and cream and fresh juice complete with fine pieces of peel and pulp – with no detour via concentrates. Since 2018 production has run from the company's own workshop in the Son Angelats industrial area overlooking the valley; the ice cream is sold and savoured on the Plaça des Mercat in the middle of Sóller.
