Good Daze Gelato, Glen Waverley

Summer has finally hit Melbourne with a bang. It’s been one of the coldest Januarys in decades, and the middle of a mini-heatwave is a perfect time to cool down with a gelato.

After a sumptuous Thai feast at the highly recommended Miss Ping’s, we finished off with some mighty fine gelati from Good Daze Gelato.

It’s a pop-up, close to the entrance to the dining precinct, near The Coffee Club. Good Daze doesn’t have a permanent gelateria, but one of its gelato carts has been at The Glen for a few months now.

Mapo, Newtown

Traditional techniques coupled with a modern sensibility. That’s Mapo.

The focus of this Newtown gelateria is artisan gelati and sorbetti. No elaborate concoctions here, just a celebration of high quality natural ingredients, with an emphasis on seasonal produce. Chocolate and coffee are fair trade, milk is organic.

Behind its bright yellow door, the narrow shop has a sharp contemporary design, cleverly optimising the available space.

Gelato Franco, Marrickville

Marrickville’s Gelato Franco is unashamedly an old-school Italian gelateria. From its focus on traditional gelati, right through to the home-style interior décor – a scattering of pictures and mirrors, green wooden panelling, trailing indoor plants. And it is very, very popular.

Everything at this family-run gelateria is made on-site from scratch in small batches, with an emphasis on fresh seasonal ingredients. Gelato Franco even roasts and chops the nuts for its pistachio and hazelnut gelati.

Cow and the Moon, Enmore

Over the past few years, we’ve sampled some mighty fine gelato. There are many great gelaterias producing superb artisan-made gelati and sorbetti. Occasionally however we come across one that has something truly special. And on a quick trip to Sydney just before Christmas, we found Cow and the Moon.

Established in Enmore in 2010, this family-run gelateria has a long history of gelato excellence, culminating in winning the 2014 Gelato World Tour in Rimini, Italy.

Allora, Newmarket Qld

A few months ago we were in Brisbane where Benny’s brother hosted our stay, indulging our passion for exploring local gelato hotspots. Maybe there was an ulterior motive? He certainly scored some great gelato along the way.

Highlight of our trip? Well there were a few, but Allora was definitely up at the top of our list.

Luna Blu Gelato, Elsternwick

The world’s best hazelnuts are Italian, grown in the Piedmont region. And anyone aiming to make the best gelato will be using Piedmont hazelnuts. Just like Elsternwick’s Luna Blu Gelato.
After studying how to make gelati at the Gelato University in Italy – yes, Gelato University really is a thing – Asha returned to Melbourne and, with a good dollop of courage and optimism, launched Luna Blu three years ago, mid lockdown.