Get ready to exclaim “Tadaa!” whenever you crave a sweet treat. Just in time for spring, a new ice cream store opens its doors in Gardens, ready to scoop joy for Capetonians and travellers alike. Tadaa! ice cream is made fresh and on site, using artisanal methods and only the best ingredients sourced as close to Cape Town as possible. With a focus on creative, indulgent and novel flavour combinations and an ever changing menu of up to 24 different flavours available at all times, Tadaa! aims to surprise and delight. Tadaa! doors opened for the first time on Friday, 30 August at 17 Kloof Nek Road.
Next to familiar favourites like vanilla, hazelnut, pistachio, and chocolate – all made using only natural ingredients and forgoing colourings, flavourings or additives – guests will see a blueberry sorbet swirled with mascarpone ice cream and pieces of merengue for example. A Vietnamese coffee flavour with ribbons of sweetened condensed milk or marzipan pear with thick chunks of real marzipan. Vegans will love the intense fruit sorbets (classics like raspberry and granadilla meet new creations like grapefruit & cinnamon) as much as nut and chocolate based concoctions that are made with rich Belgian chocolate and are just as creamy as milk-based ice creams. To delight parents on school runs, lunch break revellers, leisurely strollers and the after dinner crowd alike, Tadaa! opens at 1 pm and stays open long into the night, seven days a week. Ice cream and sorbets are available scooped in a cup or cone or in 600ml tubs that are perfect to enjoy at home or on the beach.
Lena Sönnichsen, the founder of Tadaa!, creates the ice cream herself and considers each scoop “a love letter to Cape Town”, inspired by the city’s sunny days, freezing tidal pools, vibrant people, and aromatic kitchens. “I don’t know what I love more, ice cream or Cape Town”, she laughs. “Bringing both together is a dream come true. I have loved ice cream my entire life and hope to create a place that celebrates the good things: childhood memories, shared connections, the delight of a small indulgence. Ice cream really is for everyone: a small moment that brings so much joy.”
The ice cream is the star, but Tadaa!’s store plays a supporting role in delivering joyous, “melt-y” moments: natural materials, bold typography, and lots of coral pink dominate a space that boasts ample seating space both inside and outside, inviting guests to enjoy their scoops on site. While there is no direct view into the ice cream lab where new flavours are created and churned out freshly, shadows behind the glass door indicate that ice cream magic is happening almost daily. Tadaa!’s interior was brought to life by local designer Donna Wills of 8a Creative who wanted to create a space that fosters connection and a playful atmosphere. One of its main features? An oversized, melting disco ball (complete with a motor for rotation) that was commissioned especially for Tadaa!