What's the best way to end a meal? For us, it's with a sweet treat, specifically, ice cream. If you're looking for the best dessert to indulge in, then we've got you covered with a list of some of Manila's best soft serves, some of which you may not have heard of yet!

A Mano

Founded by Amado Fores, son of Chef Margarita Fores, A Mano is best known for its mouthwatering Italian dishes. Of course, aside from pasta and pizza, the eatery also offers soft-serve! The beloved Burrata Gelato soft-serve (P260 per cup) is milky, creamy, and genuinely delicious. Customers can even add these combinations of toppings for only P60 each: Honey & Honeycomb; Olive Oil & Maldon Sea Salt; Balsamic & Strawberries; or Chocolate Crumbs & Nutella. Add P50 to have it served in a homemade waffle bowl! Delicious and refreshing!

Location:A Mano Rockwell, G/F Lopez Drive, Power Plant Mall, Rockwell Center, Makati City, Metro Manila

Carmen's Best

You may have spotted pints or cups of Carmen’s Best at your local supermarket – but did you know they also serve up a mean soft serve? Made with 100% fresh cow’s milk, Carmen’s Best soft serve can be found at their Rockwell branch where customers can also order sundaes, scoops, and milkshakes.

Creamy to a fault, Carmen’s Best soft serve can come in a medium or large cup, a regular cone, or a homemade Belgian waffle cone. Each iteration can be topped with caramel, chocolate, or strawberry syrup. Customers can also add crunchy bites such as almonds, chocolate chips, and sprinkles for extra sweetness.

Location:Carmen’s Best, R2, Power Plant Mall, Rockwell Center, Makati City, Metro Manila

Minnano Supermarket

Formerly a well-kept secret, this Japanese supermarket has since risen to Internet fame through TikTok virality. Located in Makati City, Minnano Supermarket stocks its shelves with fresh imports from Japan; but aside from the usual Japanese goods, this one-stop-shop also boasts of their very own Hokkaido soft serve.

Lauded by its customers as authentic and delicious, Minnano’s soft serve ice cream can also be topped with in-house Japanese fruits such as grapes and melon.

Location:Minnano Supermarket, 197 Salcedo St., Legaspi Village, Makati City, Metro Manila

Harlan & Holden

People flock to Harlan & Holden for a cup or two of coffee but we love their soft-serve menu just as much. The café offers two flavors: Milk, for the soft serve purists, and Chocolate Hazelnut, for those craving a little more. Each is delicious, so don’t worry about making the wrong choice – both are equally refreshing and will keep you feeling happy throughout the day.

Harlan & Holden insiders know they can even add boba to their chocolate hazelnut soft serve, an added topping to an already delicious treat.

Location:Harlan & Holden Coffee, 28th Street corner 3rd Avenue, Bonifacio Global City

Bunny Banana

Watch out: this up-and-coming soft serve stand is taking over the Metro. Bunny Banana, known for their affordable banana-flavored soft serve (starts at P99) has been expanding to malls all over NCR. Made with fresh fruit, soft serve at Bunny Banana comes in two sizes: small on a wafer cone or large on a sugar cone. Those who want more can even try the brand’s innovative sundaes such as their Turon Sundae, or their Banana Nutella. Wash it all down with banana smoothies flavored with black sesame, graham crackers, or even matcha.

Location:Bunny Banana, 2F, SM City Sta. Mesa, Quezon City

Alt Scoops

Lactose intolerant? Or maybe you’re simply avoiding dairy? Either way, we’ve got you! If you’re looking for a dairy-free alternative to delicious soft serve, then head over to Alt Scoops. Made with oat milk, Alt Scoops offers both traditional ice cream scoops and soft serve (starts at P125) that can be eaten in a cup or a special chia cone.

Location: Alt Scoops, 2F, Podium, 12 ADB Ave, Ortigas Center, Pasig City

The Matcha Tokyo

Matcha is having a well-deserved moment on the Internet. The Matcha Tokyo, which dedicates itself to just that is one of the best places to find matcha treats and drinks. From cakes and cookies to coffee, and even merch, The Matcha Tokyo prides itself in bringing the best of what Japanese matcha has to offer.

Among its must-tries is its soft-serve ice cream (P150) which comes in two flavors:matcha and hojicha. Surprisingly, many people prefer hojicha to the traditional matcha; nevertheless, both are delicious options and can also come wrapped in a mochi sheet for that extra bite.

Location: The Matcha Tokyo, Grand Central Park North, Mitsukoshi Mall, 8th Ave, Corner 36th St, Taguig, Metro Manila

Chebi Webbi

Did you know that the ultimate dessert house is located at Greenhills Mall? Chebbi Webbi, a café that prides itself on its vegan soft serve (P115 to P225), serves two flavors: Horchata and "Coconana" (mix of coconut, pandan, and banana). If you’re lucky you may even come across their limited edition flavors such as matcha or Earl Grey.

Order it plain or as a swirl, which is when they mix up your soft serve with two or three toppings to create a thick, creamy Blizzard-like dessert that’s more unique, and much more fulfilling.

Location: Chebi Webbi, LG/F, Ortigas Ave, GH Mall, Greenhills, San Juan, Metro Manila

Avocadoria

Don’t sleep on Avocadoria! This ice cream stand, founded in 2019, is experiencing something of a renaissance. With new branches around Metro Manila, Avocadoria is forging on, serving customers with mouth-watering avocado treats that are creamy, sweet, and delicious. Their classic is the Avocado Lover (P130 to P140), which features soft serve topped with chia seeds, slivers of almonds, and homemade biscuit crumble. You can also add chewy boba on the bottom for that extra, chewy bite.

Avocadoria has multiple branches

Auro Café

A beloved brand used by home bakers and brands, Auro Café puts Philippine chocolate on the map by using the best ingredients to get the best flavors.

While they’re known for their chocolate bars, Auro Café doesn’t hold back when it comes to recipe development. Here, they serve home-baked goods such as brownies and cookies alongside an incredible Dark Chocolate Soft Serve in a Lengua de Gato cone (from P170)! Definitely worth the few extra calories.

Location:Auro Café, Unit 01, Ground Floor, One Maridien Tower (U/C), 27th Street, Taguig City