A trip to Ballarat has been long overdue – ever since Jonah first reported a brilliant local gelateria, Il Piccolo Gelato. And now we have a great reason to motor up to Ballarat: to treat ourselves with some outstanding gelati.
Il Piccolo’s proprietor, Anthony, is from Sydney and loves the more relaxed lifestyle of Ballarat. With a restaurant background, he wanted to try something a bit different. And so Il Piccolo was born.
It’s a fantastic location – in the centre of Ballarat, right next to the town hall. The lime green interior is very spacious – lots of seating at tables as well as benches along the walls. Colourful Italian posters adorn the walls, and a freezer cabinet displays glossy gelato cakes.
The gelati is based on all natural ingredients – made daily from fresh milk with no artificial colours or flavours. The friendly servers assured us that Il Piccolo roasts and grinds all the nuts for its gelato. There are over 100 flavours in Il Piccolo’s repertoire, with around two dozen on the menu at any time, including non-dairy options.
My choice: the classic combination of pistachio gelato with a dark chocolate sorbetto. Gorgeous flavours, dense and creamy, with the elastic texture of great gelati. The pistachio was studded with whole nuts and the chocolate was rich and intense.
Benny picked passionfruit and raspberry gelato, which he paired with lemon cheesecake. A great combination – superb flavours, creamy texture and not too sweet.
Ballarat hosts loads of events to attract visitors – gelati from Il Piccolo would be the cherry on top of any day trip. Damn it, Il Piccolo is a good enough reason for a day trip all by itself.
We’ll definitely be visiting Ballarat more often.
Outstanding. Il Piccolo has some of the best gelati we have eaten over the past year. Not to be missed when visiting Ballarat.
Il Piccolo Gelato
217 Sturt Street
Ballarat Central Vic 3350
T: (03) 4310 6437
W: www.ilpiccologelato.com.au
