'Gelato’ may simply translate as ‘ice cream’ in Italian, but it's a much more complex matter than that. The Italians are passionate about the frozen treat, and with a heritage dating back centuries — Sicilians used to bring ice from the mountains and mix it with fruits for a delicious indulgence — it’s no surprise.
Methods have become more sophisticated since then, and gelato is now characterised by three key qualities that set it apart from standard ice cream. Gelato is (by Italian law, no less) lower in fat than its simpler cousin; it omits the extra air whipped into ice cream, so is denser, smoother and richer; plus it tends to be served a degree or two warmer — the resulting dessert has a more immediate yet satisfying melt and, therefore, flavour. If you're convinced it's ice cream, and only ice cream, you want – here's where you can find London's best ice cream instead.
But, gelato really shouldn't be missed. The good news is you don't have to get on a plane to taste the stuff for yourself. Whether it’s wacky flavours you’re after, dairy free, vegan or simply some true Italian style indulgence, London has a gelateria for you. Here are our favourites.
Gelato at Gelupo, Soho
The baby brother of fantastico restaurante Bocca di Lupo, Gelupo sits opposite on Soho’s Archer Street, tempting passers-by with some of the best gelato in London. Hands-on executive chef Jacob Kenedy personally develops, tests and tastes all the flavours that come out of the Gelupo kitchen to ensure that they are of top quality, and its awards cabinet is testament to this. Gelupo prides itself on its particularly gentle churning methods, and says the density and the low fat levels give delicious flavour with a very clean finish. We recommend the ricotta and sour cherry for an authentic taste of Rome, although the salted caramel with crunchy almond is hard to pass up.
Gelupo, 7 Archer Street, Soho, W1D 7AU
Gelato at Snowflake, Soho and other locations
This Soho gelato parlour boasts an all-Italian kitchen and the biggest gelato cabinet in town. Snowflake’s head chef trained at the university of gelato-making in Italy, and is passionate about ingredients; using seasonal, natural and organic as standard and local wherever possible.
Snowflake won the coveted Great Taste Supreme Champion Award back in 2014 and although that was for the marvellous raspberry sorbet, we urge you to try all the combinations. There are over 50 different flavours on rotation and the deeply luxurious hazelnut (another Great Taste award winner from 2013) is a great place to start. If you’re dairy-free then run, don’t walk there. There are over a dozen dairy-free sorbetto options, and the dark chocolate sorbetto is richer and delivers a better cocoa hit than any chocolate gelato we’ve tried.
Snowflake, 102 Wardour Street, Soho, W1F 0TP and there are further outlets in Bayswater, South Kensington, Westfield and Marble Arch
Gelato at La Gelatiera, Covent Garden
La Gelatiera is a tiny shop dedicated to gelato and coffee nestled among the boutiques of Covent Garden's New Row. Although coffee shops may be 10 a penny around here, we bet none can tantalise your taste buds with a serving of honey, rosemary and orange zest gelato on the side. Or perhaps you’d prefer a scoop of basil and Calabrian chilli? Both flavours are triple award-winning and there are many more where that came from. Calabrian chef Antonio hails from a long line of gelato makers and with a commitment to using the best natural ingredients while pushing the boundaries of flavour, he produces exceptional artisanal gelato that has to be tasted to be believed.
La Gelatiera, 27 New Row, Covent Garden, WC2N 4LA plus two further sites in Stratford and Crouch End
Gelato at Lick, Soho
Greek Street's Lick makes all its gelato, sorbetto and even yogurt daily from natural ingredients and so far has 150 flavours under its belt. Each day, staff select 24 different options, which could be Lick Rocher (they are really spoiling us with this one), festive Cinnamon Pumpkin, or even the exotic Durian gelato — a pungent, custard-like fruit from Malaysia. We’re firm fans of this Soho parlour and can frequently be found enjoying a gelato coke float to cool down over the summer months. There's even a number of boozy gelato flavours — Mojito, Strawberry Champagne, Pina Colada — so we’ll be bothering them even more. Cin Cin.
Lick, 55 Greek Street, Soho, W1D 3DT
Gelato at Ice & Slice, Fulham
Ice & Slice is a Fulham based Roman-style pizza and gelato bar that prides itself on offering serious quality artisanal gelato in modern and exciting flavours. Staff make the gelato in view of the customers and strictly adhere to the true Italian traditions of gelato making; small batches are made throughout the day and served immediately for the best taste. Organic milk and thick double cream are the basis for incredible flavours like Tiramisu and almond with fig. Pizza and ice cream — it's the stuff childhood dreams are made of.
Ice & Slice, 24 Jerdan Place, Fulham, SW6 1BH
Gelato at Oddono’s, South Kensington
Christian Oddono brought his Italian grandmother’s homemade gelato-making methods to South Kensington in 2004 after realising high quality gelato was hard to find in the capital. His inherent skill, blended with the finest natural ingredients (Valhrona chocolate, Madagascan vanilla, Sicilian pistachios and so on) has since allowed branches to spring up in Hampstead, East Dulwich, Battersea and Chiswick bringing traditional flavours such as Bacio (milky chocolate and hazelnut gelato that means 'kiss') and pistachio to almost all corners of the city. Oddono’s also does a fantastic line in soya-based gelato, so no need to head straight to the sorbetto if you’re dairy-free.
Oddono's, 14 Bute Street, South Kensington SW7 3EX. Further venues in Hampstead, East Dulwich, Battersea and Chiswick
Gelato at Chin Chin Ice Cream, Camden
Trust Camden-based Chin Chin Ice Cream to put a spanner in the works. This alternative style ice cream parlour does not produce gelato in the truest sense, but as it’s so good, we’ll let them off. Essentially, the word ‘gelato’ is derived from ‘frozen’ and, as Europe’s first liquid Nitrogen ice cream operation, that is indeed what Chin Chin Labs do best. Having chosen your flavour from a small selection (usually around five — a handful of classic flavours plus a couple of extra weekly specials) watch in awe as the team freezes your choice instantly. The Willy Wonka-style set up and Heston-worthy flavours such as tonka bean and burnt butter caramel make this a must-try.
Chin Chin Ice Cream, 49-50 Camden Lock Place, NW1 8AF. Further venues in Soho and Shoreditch
Gelato at Gelateria 3BIS, Borough Market
Gelateria 3BIS is situated just off Borough Market and, true to form, it lives up to the area’s artisanal reputation with well-crafted gelato. With tiny batches being made throughout the day, you can be guaranteed a high-quality scoop from this Italian outfit. Organic milk and the best Italian produce money can buy is churned to create flavours such as Calabrian liquorice or 50% fruit sorbetto with British fruits like Yorkshire rhubarb or gooseberries. We loved it so much we even made the trip to their founding branch in Rimini and can report it to be reassuringly busy.
Gelateria 3BIS, Borough Market, 4 Park St, SE1 9AB. Second venue in Notting Hill
Gelato at Gelatorino, Covent Garden
Recommended by readers, Gelatorino in Covent Garden is a smooth experience from beginning to end. It's a warm and welcoming spot, and once your order is placed you can watch the 'maestri' — bedecked in white aprons — churning the gelato into creamy deliciousness before your eyes. Staff are happy to give you a few tasters before you make your final decision from flavours such as fig ripple, chocolate orange and cookies'n'cream. Their pistachio gelato reigns supreme, lightly nutty and not-too-sweet, although you're likely to have to queue for it — Italians certainly have this spot on their radar.
Gelatorino, 2 Russell Street, Covent Garden, WC2B 5JD
By Joanne Gould.