Best Ice Cream in Pula: Gelato, Crepes and Sweet Shops
Our picks for the best ice cream in Pula, from a family-run gelateria near the Arena to a boutique old-town gelato shop, plus crepes, pastries and baklava.
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For classic gelato in Pula, head to Fortuna on Istarska ulica, a family-run gelateria and pasticceria a short walk from the Arena that has been serving since 1948. For something more modern, aROMA Gelato on Ul. Sergijevaca in the old town makes natural, handmade gelato and sells it in 100-gram portions rather than scoops.
This guide separates the gelaterias from the pastry shops and creperies, so you can match the place to the craving: a cone after dinner, a tiramisu with an espresso, a plate of baklava or a build-your-own crepe for children. Each entry gives the street, the area and the dish to order.
Best ice cream in Pula at a glance
Two gelaterias anchor the list: Fortuna, the long-established family shop near the Arena, and aROMA, the boutique address on Ul. Sergijevaca in the old town. Both make their gelato on the premises, but they sell it differently, so compare them by portion rather than by the headline price of a scoop.
Three more stops cover non-gelato cravings within a short walk or bus ride of the centre: Ale Dolci & Dolci on Ul. Bože Gumpca for Italian pastries, Pulačinka for made-to-order crepes, and La Turka inside the Max City shopping centre on Ulica Stoja for Turkish sweets.
Fortuna: family-run gelateria and pasticceria near the Arena
Fortuna sits on Istarska ulica, close enough to the Arena that it fits naturally into an evening walk through the centre. The family has been serving here since 1948, and three generations are still behind the counter; the gelato is made fresh on the premises, creamy and generously flavoured.
Order a gelato here, and add a pastry from the pasticceria side if you want something to carry away. There is a terrace across from a leafy park, which makes it a place to sit down rather than walk with your cone.
aROMA Gelato: boutique gelato sold by weight in the old town
aROMA Gelato occupies a small modern shop on Ul. Sergijevaca, facing a park in the old town. The gelato is made by hand with natural ingredients and no artificial additives, and the shop caters for vegans and other dietary restrictions, which is unusual among Pula's ice cream counters.
The difference that matters at the till is the portion: aROMA serves portions of 100 grams of gelato rather than scoops, so the amount you get is weighed out. That means its price cannot be compared directly with a scoop elsewhere, and it is best treated as a treat-yourself stop rather than an everyday cone.
Ale Dolci & Dolci: Italian pastries and tiramisu
Ale Dolci & Dolci on Ul. Bože Gumpca is a pastry shop rather than a gelateria, devoted to traditional and modern Italian sweets. Come here for tiramisu, decorated torte and delicate biscuits, and pair them with an espresso if you want a sit-down pause in the afternoon.
It is the stop to choose when the craving is a proper pasticceria rather than a cone: the room is made for lingering over a pastry and a coffee, not for eating on the move. If you want more places for a proper sit-down espresso, our guide to Coffee in Pula covers the café side of the same habit.
Pulačinka: build-your-own crepes in the city centre
Pulačinka is the city's dedicated house of pancakes, in the centre, and the format is the draw: you choose your toppings and watch the thin crepes being made in front of you. Nutella, fresh fruit, coconut, caramel and nuts are among the sweet options, and there are savoury versions if you want to start with something less sugary.
This is the family stop on the list. The ordering is interactive, the mood is laid-back, and children tend to enjoy assembling their own crepe, although anyone after pure gelato should stay with Fortuna or aROMA.
La Turka: baklava and Turkish sweets at Max City
La Turka is a Croatian-based Turkish sweet shop that opened its first location in Zagreb in 2019; the Pula branch is inside the Max City shopping centre on Ulica Stoja. The display cases hold several kinds of baklava, from classic walnut to pistachio kivrim and chocolate hazelnut, all layered with thin filo and soaked in syrup.
You will also find Turkish delight, halva, dates and Turkish coffee and teas, so it works as a sweet-and-coffee stop rather than an ice cream one. The setting is a shopping centre unit rather than an old-town terrace, which makes it a practical choice on a wet day or when you are already out that way.
How gelato is sold in Pula: scoops versus 100g portions
Two models sit side by side in Pula. Traditional gelaterias such as Fortuna serve gelato as scoops or cones, while aROMA weighs out 100-gram portions, so what you pay there reflects the weight of gelato you take rather than the number of scoops.
Practically, that means a scoop at Fortuna and a 100-gram portion at aROMA are not the same amount of gelato, so judge value by the tub in your hand rather than by the figure on the board. If you want a small, high-quality weighed portion, aROMA is built around exactly that.
Paying for ice cream in Pula: what to expect at the counter
Croatia uses the euro, and aROMA sits at the premium end of the local scale, so read the price before you order, especially at a weight-based counter where the final amount depends on how much is served.
If you are stocking up for a picnic rather than eating out, a supermarket is the cheaper way to buy tubs and cones to keep a family supplied; our guide to Supermarkets in Pula covers where to go.
Which Pula ice cream stop suits you?
Choose Fortuna if you want a sit-down cone near the Arena from a family that has been at it since 1948, and aROMA if you would rather have a small, natural portion in the old town and do not mind paying for the privilege. Add Ale Dolci & Dolci for tiramisu and pastries, Pulačinka for a crepe the children assemble themselves, and La Turka when baklava is the point.
If your sweet stop turns into a full morning out, the Pula market is the place to pair with it for fruit and picnic supplies before the day heats up.
Explore more Pula guides
Frequently Asked Questions
How much is ice cream in Croatia?
Prices vary by town, by shop and by how the gelato is sold. In Pula, aROMA sells gelato in 100-gram portions rather than scoops, so what you pay depends on the weight you order, while scoop-based gelaterias charge by the scoop or cone. Read the price board at the counter before ordering.
Is gelato in Pula sold by the scoop or by weight?
Both. Many traditional gelaterias sell scoops or cones, while aROMA Gelato in the old town weighs out 100-gram portions of its natural, handmade gelato. Because the units differ, compare the actual amount you get rather than the headline figure.
Where can I get something other than ice cream in Pula?
Ale Dolci & Dolci on Ul. Bože Gumpca covers Italian pastries and tiramisu, Pulačinka in the centre makes build-your-own sweet and savoury crepes, and La Turka inside the Max City shopping centre on Ulica Stoja sells baklava, Turkish delight and Turkish coffee.
Sources
Notes on eating well in Croatia
Optional updates to our food guides.
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