Coins and cups, clubs and swords: these are the four suits in Sicilian playing cards. And in a celebration of its Sicilian heritage, Gelato Papa’s logo is based on the symbols from those same cards.

Coming from several generations of gelato makers, this family enterprise produces all its gelato in-house using traditional Sicilian techniques. That means that the gelato is made from scratch using all natural ingredients – real fruit, real nuts, with different bases designed to suit each flavour. Continue Reading

It’s a big step to give away the long hours and hard work of high-flying corporate careers for the long hours and hard work of the food service industry, but Caroline and George from Brazen Dessert Bar did just that. And after three years they are still in love with the challenge.

Luscious brownies are their specialty, but they also make their own gelati. And that’s why Benny and I were in Fairfield Village. Continue Reading

Down at the beach end of Bay Street is a gelateria with a difference, Ice Cafe Venezia. We never realised that German-Italian ice cream culture is a thing, but there you go. Think of tall curvy glasses filled with gelato, topped with whipped cream, fruit and sweet sauces. And now that culture has come to Port Melbourne.

Before moving to Melbourne, Ice Cafe Venezia’s owner worked in a German ice cream parlour. Melbourne has lots of ice cream shops and gelaterie, but none are quite like the ice cream parlours she loved in Germany. And so Ice Cafe Venezia was born. Continue Reading

No matter where you are in Melbourne, it seems like great gelato is never very far away. Our latest discovery took us to the outer northern ’burbs to visit the newly opened Cielo Gelateria in Mill Park.

The 2017/18 redevelopment of Westfield Plenty Valley created a very attractive outdoor dining precinct, around ten minutes’ walk from South Morang station. Winding landscaped pathways connect a diverse collection of restaurants, one of which is Cielo (“sky” in Italian). The gelateria’s exterior is clad in burgundy and white tiles, and the inside space is dominated by a huge mural of various gelato-clutching celebrities. Continue Reading

It’s a big step, going from a gelato cart for hire to a shopfront gelateria. Since 2013 Bianco Latte has been serving up artisan gelato from its vintage Sicilian gelato cart. Four years and much gelato later, Bianco Latte opened its stylish little gelateria in Elwood Village. Continue Reading

All seaside towns should have a gelateria, and the people of Sandringham are fortunate to have such a nice little gelateria as their local. The family-run Cool Delights on Bay produces small batch artisan gelato and judging by the steady stream of happy customers on the day of our visit, it is very popular.

Just around the corner from Sandringham station, the rather plainly decorated shop is modest in size. Room for just a couple of tables, plus another two tiny tables outside on the footpath. A large group – clearly regulars – made for a cheery but noisy environment. Continue Reading