38 of the best ice cream and gelato stores in Melbourne, Victoria: A guide
GET a lick of this: 38 cool reasons to make eating more gelato one of your New Year’s resolutions.
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ICE CREAM in Melbourne is seeing a renaissance.
For a while there it was all about soft serve and fro-yo, but — thankfully — the pendulum has swung back in sorbet’s favour.
And this time, it’s a little bit fancy.
Gone are the bright bites, neon flavours and artificial ingredients of the Pre-Artisan Era.
Chilled cream ballers the likes of Pidapipo and Gelato Messina have blasted Melbourne into a new ice age. This frozen love affair has seen a rise in handcrafted, small-batch ice cream specialists who are scooping their way into our hearts (and our stomachs) one chocolate-dipped waffle cone at a time.
So if you’re after an ice-cold afternoon delight, a creamy post-dinner palate cleanser or a refreshing, sweet summer snack, look no further.
Here’s our guide to the best ice cream, sorbet and gelato in Melbourne and beyond.
38 OF MELBOURNE’S BEST ICE CREAMERIES AND GELATO STORES
EAST
1. SCROLL
Chadstone Shopping Centre
Cold-plate ice cream, rolled out, smashed up then scrolled up. Add mix-ins as you please. Inspired by the streets of Thailand.
2. MENO ZERO
914a Doncaster Road, Doncaster East
Four Italian boys have brought to life one pretty cool gelati shop. Flavour faves include hazelnut and pistachio. You can watch as they make it fresh, in store, daily.
3. PICCOLINA
802 Glenferrie Rd, Hawthorn
Every day the team behind Piccolina puree fresh fruit, roast nuts and temper quality chocolate to craft damn fine, all-natural gelato. Get around it.
4. YARRA VALLEY CHOCOLATERIE & ICE CREAMERY
35 Old Healesville Rd, Yarra Glen
Ice cream and chocolate in Victoria’s wine country is a match made in heaven.
5. THE OAKLEIGH DOUGHNUT CO
36 Portman Street, Oakleigh
So this isn’t quite artisan ice cream or gelato — but ice cream in a doughnut cone? That’s one food mash up that is pretty hard to top.
6. LAVEZZI
Eastland Shopping Centre, Town Square, Ringwood
Hands down, one of the best gelato shops in Melbourne. That is all.
7. PAGOTO GELATO & WAFFLE HOUSE
26 Portman St, Oakleigh
From ‘mestixa’ to a tasty ‘tsoureki’ — be prepared to cool off with authentic flavours of the Aegean. Translation? Greek-style gelato. Think watermelon and feta, baklava and galaktobouriko (Greek-style custard) flavours. #getinmybelly
NORTH
8. PIDAPIPO
85 Chapel St, Windsor | 299 Lygon Street, Carlton
You’ll probably have to line up for your frozen treat at this cult ice cream club.
9. GIRLS AND BOYS
382A Brunswick St, Fitzroy
Plant-based, vegan ice creams, desserts and smoothies. Go on, #treatyoself.
10. GELATO MESSINA
237 Smith St, Fitzroy | 164 Swan St, Richmond | 171 Chapel St, Windsor
These guys pretty much pioneered the artisan gelato scene in Melbourne.
11. AUGUSTUS GLOOP GELATERY
15A Pascoe St, Pascoe Vale
Come with me and you’ll be in a world of pure ice-creamination.
12. MIINOT GELATO
71 Melville Rd, Pascoe Vale South
Fresh, natural ingredients and velvet-smooth textures, made on site in Pascoe Vale.
13. GELATO PAPA
14a Gilbert Road, Preston
Authentic, handcrafted gelato with a contemporary twist on flavours. Hello, jaffa gelato.
14. CUPPA TURCA
244 High St, Northcote
Stretchy, Turkish-style ice cream in a variety of exotic, middle eastern-inspired tastes (halva ice cream, anyone?) There are also plenty of vegan options.
15. WALLY & FLETCHER
155 Burgundy St, Heidelberg
Bright new store on bustling Burgundy St with beautiful flavours. Give the Kinder Surprise a go. You won’t regret it. Also — add the Nutella. You know you want to.
WEST
16. HELLO GELO
15 Anderson St, Yarraville
Homemade ice cream, sorbets, smoothies and poffertjes.
17. WILLIAMSTOWN ICE CREAM SHOPPE
199 Nelson Place, Williamstown
Bringing delicious ice cream to the people for more than 29 years. Their rotating flavour specials (Vegemite toast, crunchy doughnut and pancake stack, for example) are a real treat.
SOUTH / BAYSIDE
18. BIBELOT
285-287 Coventry St, South Melbourne
Seasonal gelato, made using the finest ingredients, which are all naturally based, without artificial colours or flavourings.
19. 7 APPLES
75 Acland St, St Kilda | Chadstone Shopping Centre | Emporium Melbourne
Founder Mark Mariotti is so passionate about authentic gelato that he even moved to Tuscany, where he learned to perfect his craft from one of the country’s most famous artisans. And they recently teamed up with Bistro Morgan to bring us decadent, doughnut ice cream sangas. La dolce vita, indeed.
20. JUST DELICIOUS
444 Nepean Hwy, Chelsea
Local ice-cream parlour serving gelato, ice cream and sorbet. Add them to waffles, milk shakes and smoothie for an extra hit of indulgence.
21. DOLCE HOUSE
225 Tucker Rd, McKinnon
This is a gelateria and dessert bar in one so, yeah, dreams really do come true. Gelato is made in store daily. If it’s on the menu, you won’t want to miss the burnt caramel fig.
22. WILL’S BATCH ICE CREAM
300 Glenhuntly Road, Elsternwick | 435 Centre Road | 17 North Concourse, Beaumaris
Small-batch, seasonal ice cream made using the finest ingredients. This makes every batch unique. It also means the flavour possibilities are endless.
23. DAVEY MAC’S
602 Balcombe Rd, Black Rock
An artisan gelateria in the beautiful, beachside suburb of Black Rock. All of their gelato is made fresh on site using premium ingredients.
24. DEUSY DOO
Shop 1, 300-302 Beach Road, Black Rock
A new health-conscious all-day eatery, dishing up Acai bowls, collagen-infised smoothies and velvety-smooth gelato.
CITY
25. POPSTIC
1-9 Federation Wharf, Federation Square, Melbourne
Small batch ice cream is apparently a thing these days and these ice creams (and sorbets) on a stick are the most delightful ways of enjoying it. Plus, they are probably the most adorable / ‘gramable popsicles on the planet.
26. SPRING ST GROCER
157 Spring St, Melbourne
Gelateria Primavera at Spring St Grocer is scooping some of the city’s freshest — not to mention most authentic — gelato in town. The perfect pre-theatre treat.
27. AQUA S
16 Red Cape Ln, Melbourne
Because ice cream tastes better when it’s served in a fairy floss cloud. We can’t get enough of these Japanese-inspired flavours (think sea salt soft serve and coconut pandan) with a highly Instagrammable twist.
MOBILE CONE VENDORS
28. GELATO TINO
Roving
Guy Grossi (of Grossi Florentino fame) is the man behind this roving gelato store, so you know it’s going to be good. Keep an eye on its Facebook page for latest pop ups and locations.
29. BIANCO LATTE
Roving
Authentic Sicilian ice cream cart scooping seasonal, artisan gelato and sorbet.
30. VELVET CREME
Roving
French pastries, authentic gelato and macaron ice cream sandwiches. Need we say more?
31. EXOTICA ICE CREAM
Roving
Hand-crafted, Indian-inspired flavours that are 100 per cent vegetarian and 100 per cent yum. Try the saffron pistachio or the paan marsala.
OUT OF TOWN
32. GELATO GELATO
8 Mountjoy Parade, Lorne
Cool off after a day at the beach with a creamy treat from this Surf Coast holiday hotspot.
33. MISS GINA
58 Moorabool St, Geelong
Italian-style gelato, made in store daily. Mmmm, Ferrero Rocher.
34. ICE CREAM SOCIAL
12 Hargraves St, Castlemaine
Small-batch ice cream, gelato and sorbet crafted from fresh local ingredients in the Goldfields of Victoria.
35. IL PICCOLO GELATO
217 Sturt St, Ballarat Central
Artisan gelato in a range of genius (alcohol-spiked) flavours. Prosciutto and melon, prosecco sorbet, chilli chocolate, pink prapefruit and gin, mojito ... we’re sensing a theme here.
36. CHILL MT MARTHA
3A Bay Rd, Mount Martha
Light and bright gelato shop on the Mt Martha foreshore. Get a scoop of the raspberry and white chocolate cheesecake in you.
37. TUTTIFRUTTI ARTISAN GELATO
5 Blake St, Mornington
This peninsula is cream parlour specialises in fresh, artisan gelato and sorbet, handmade on site.
38. VULCANO GELATO
2387 Point Nepean Rd, Rye
She sells sorbet by the sea shore. When the store is named after the breathtaking island of Vulcano, off the coast of Sicily, Italy, you know it’s going to be good.
HAVE A FAVOURITE LOCAL GELATERIA OR ICE-CREAM PARLOUR?
LET US KNOW IN THE COMMENTS BELOW
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