When the temperatures rise and air-conditioning units activate all over Brisbane, it’s safe to assume that gelato weather has arrived. This summer has been particularly scorching, so it’s only fair that we treat ourselves to some ultra-cold, creamy and delicious ice-cream to help us cope. Brisbane has a great selection of gelaterias and ice-cream parlours across town. If you’re keen to brave the heat to get your fix of gelato or ice-cream, be sure to equip yourself with knowledge before hand. This is our list of Brisbane’s best!
Milani Minus Eight Degrees, Sunnybank: If we’re going by recent accolades, Milani Minus Eight Degrees currently holds the belt for best gelato in the country. The scoop slinger’s peanut caramel gelato was recently named the best dairy product at the 2024 Australian Grand Dairy Awards, edging out hundreds of other entrants from across Australia. The gelato maker’s range is nothing short of extraordinary, with white peach gelato, apple ginger and lemon gelato, and cucumber sorbet just some of the imaginative flavours you’ll spy.
Gelato Messina, South Brisbane and Fortitude Valley: When it comes to big names of the gelato game, Messina is one of the biggest. This nation-spanning chain made a significant splash in the ice-cream scene when it arrived in South Brisbane in 2016, following up with another location in Fortitude Valley in 2019. If you’re not sure what the fuss is all about, let us educate you. Firstly, every Messina location has 40 flavours – 35 traditional and five rotating special flavours. Gelato Messina also owns its own dairy farm, which supplies incredible jersey milk to its various outlets. Finally, the crew makes its own chocolate using high-quality single-origin Ecuadorian cacao, guaranteeing an authentic richness you can’t deny.
Anita Gelato, West End: Famous across the globe for its decadent, hand-made and real cream-based gelato, frozen yogurt and sorbets, Anita Gelato is well deserving of a spot on this list. Nestled in a 1920s brick warehouse in the heart of West Village, this 50-seater gelateria employs Italian techniques to craft a Rolodex of options including 150 different kinds of frozen yogurt, sorbets, and organic sugar-free, fat-free, vegan and real cream-based gelato. flavours including pistachio with white-chocolate cream, Cookieman (a gelato boasting biscuit, Nutella and meringue), milk-chocolate gelato with pretzel sauce, mascarpone ricotta and strawberries, and pavlova – all served with a branded wafer and an edible spoon.
La Macelleria, multiple locations: One of Brisbane’s best home-grown gelato outfits holds a place near and dear to every sweet-tooth’s heart. La Macelleria owner and operator Matteo Zini has opened locations all across town, hawking classic and specialty gelato, sorbets, cakes and gelato sticks to hordes of dessert lovers. La Macelleria’s gelato is made without preservatives, colourants, additives and hydrogenated vegetable fats, making it as clean a gelato as possible. What’s more, the gelato crew supports local artisans and growers, incorporating buffalo ricotta from Casa Motta, honey from Bee One Third and raisins from Tabletop Grapes in its processes.
Milani House of Gelato, Hamilton: If you’re seeking Brisbane’s most highly awarded gelato, look no further than Milani. This Hamilton icon has notched numerous accolades, including Australia Grand Dairy Awards Grand Champion Dairy Product 2017. The secret to Milani’s success? All of the gelato here is lovingly hand made using techniques learned at the University of Bologna under a Master gelato chef. The flavour range is extensive (and includes vegan sorbet and gluten-free options), and boasts some unique options, such as Kinder Surprise, Cherrypino, Crunchie and Baileys.
Matilda – The Art of Gelato, Wynnum: Bayside locals rave about this Florence Street scoop spot, and they’ve got good reason to be proud. This neighbourhood gelateria makes artisanal gelato on premises using authentic ingredients, with classic flavours joined by imaginative specials like mascarpone, walnut and fig, Hokey Pokey, and panettone. Matilda also sells gelato cakes, gelato-topped waffles and other creative desserts.
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West Side Pasta, West End: Though the West Side crew is known to shake up it culinary offering often, team behind the pop-up eatery always has sensational gelato on offer. Here, a Cattabriga gelato machine is churning out a range of unique and nostalgia-inducing flavours made from authentic ingredients – we’re talking burnt sourdough, dark chocolate and grapefruit, pecan, walnut and maple, campfire marshmallow, and mango lemon sorbet.
Allora, Newmarket: This chic gelato joint consistently gets tongues wagging with its inventive menu of flavours. Of the 16 flavours on display, a good portion of them will be options commonly unseen elsewhere. Although the classics are available, we’d suggest expanding your comfort zone and opting for a taste of the wild berry panna cotta, rainbow bubblegum or peach and basil sorbet. Once you’ve made your selection, the only other choice remaining is whether to enjoy it in a cup, cone, in a shake or gelato sandwich.
Rosé Gelateria, Hamilton: This Gold Coast-born dessert destination brought its specialty gelato and decadent desserts to Portside Wharf in 2023, immediately wowing gelato seekers with its rose-toned aesthetic and myriad of mouth-watering desserts .Rosé Gelateria’s finger-licking menu boasts 20 signature flavours (encompassing a range of vegan and dairy-free options), four limited-edition flavours that will rotate each month, as well as a range of fur-baby friendly flavours for your pooch to enjoy.
Lick! Ice Cream, Graceville: Ice-cream lovers are known to travel from as far as the Gold Coast for a taste of the delicious desserts available at Lick! Ice-Cream. The creators of the iconic strawberry sundae at The Ekka and the highly coveted baklava ice-cream at Paniyiri, Lick! Ice Cream stocks a mind-boggling selection of more than 30 ice-cream flavours, which includes gluten, dairy and nut-free varieties. Other iconic Lick! specialties include the doughnut and waffle hybrids (called doffles), chocolate-fudge brownies filled with cocoa sorbet as well as vanilla and couverture dark-chocolate ice-cream, plus ice-cream sandwiches, banana splits, milkshakes and more.
Nom Nom Natural Gelato, Bulimba: Typically those with dietary intolerances have been excluded from the gelato-enjoying experience, but no more. Nom Nom Natural Gelato on Oxford Street serves a selection of natural, artificial-free, dairy-free, vegan and gluten-free flavours, all made from quality ingredients using homemade recipes. The dairy range made using fresh milk and cream from Maleny Dairies, while a selection of sorbets are rotated based on seasonality.
Miss Sophia’s Gelateria, Kedron: The sweet younger sibling of Kedron’s Farmhouse Cafe, Miss Sophia’s blends traditional Italian techniques with imaginative flavour pairings. The gelateria’s serving freezer stocks 20 flavours at a time each day, with options ranging from classics like salted caramel and pistachio to inventive signatures such as Froot Loops, ricotta and fresh figs, and peach melba. All flavours here are made using professional gelato-making gear from Carpigiani, so you know it’s legit.
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oh’Gelato, Everton Park and Woody Point: It’s hard to miss this pink-hued purveyor of creamy confections and once you step inside you’ll be tempted to never leave. oh’Gelato’s cabinet contains 20 classic and delicious flavours as well as some premium options – we’re talking Ferrero Rocher, Mars Bar, pistachio and mango sorbet, just to name a few. Not keen on a gelato? Guests can also snag fresh homemade brownies, sundaes, sticky date pudding and other tasty treats. The dessert dispensary also caters to lactose intolerant, gluten free, vegan and dairy free eaters – no one is excluded from enjoying an oh-so-good time!
Gelateria Cremona, Rosalie: Tucked away near Blue Room Cinebar in Rosalie is Gelateria Cremona, an old-school dessert joint operated by Gerardo and Lei Deflorian since 2005. The crew here employ traditional methods of production, the origins of which can be traced back as far as a century. The flavour mix here is comprised of simple, preservative-free recipes made using ‘Effe’, Gelateria Cremona’s old-fashioned Italian-made gelato machine. With over 200 flavours in their repertoire, the skilled artisans at Gelateria Cremona will definitely have something you’ll like.
Amoroso Gelato, New Farm, Paddington and Sunnybank Hills: A relative newcomer on the scene, this pint-sized, family-run gelateria makes up for its small footprint with a killer menu of rich and creamy options that’ll seduce taste buds. Locally sourced and seasonal ingredients are seamlessly woven into the gelato, with flavours including Dutch chocolate, rum and raisin, cappuccino, blueberry yoghurt and Cherry Ripe. Amoroso also makes decadent croffles (a French croissant and waffle hybrid) topped with fresh cream, Tiramisu, Oreo and Norwegian creamy caramel crown cheese.
Sugo IT, Bulimba: Although known by many as one of Bulimba’s best pizzerias, Sugo IT on Oxford Street is also home to a damn-good gelateria. Located down the alleyway next to the bistro itself, the Sugo IT’s gelato component sells scoops of fresh small-batch gelato and sorbet made in-house using fresh and locally sourced ingredients. Classic flavours such as chocolate, salted caramel, tiramisu and pine-lime coconut sorbet are available alongside speciality flavours like lemon cream meringue, liquorice and scorched almond. Dairy, egg and gluten-free options are also available.
Goodtimes Gelateria, Brisbane City: Located at the base of Crystalbrook Vincent hotel, Goodtimes Gelataria is a lively and colourful nook created by Howard Smith Wharves executive pastry chef Rhian Shellshear. Gelato-craving folks can flock to Goodtimes to gawk at its incredible range of 22 flavours in its gelato cabinet. This number includes 12 year-round flavours, six sorbets and four unique flavours. The bona fide classics (vanilla, chocolate and salted caramel) are all present and accounted for, while more experimental flavours such as baked apple pie, brown butter and caramelised popcorn, and mandarin sorbet will be sure to tantalise tastebuds.
Happy Pops, South Bank: Let’s face it – sometimes eating gelato gets a little messy. Cones are great, but are prone to drippage. Cups are neater, but now you’re dealing with a two-handed operation. Happy Pops in South Bank solves this conundrum by serving premium gelato on a stick. Happy Pops gelato is handcrafted using all natural and preservative-free ingredients, offering a create-your-own option and pre-made flavours including Hokey Pokey with Australian honeycomb, homemade caramel sauce and Belgian chocolate and the salted caramel with caramel sauce, chocolate and Murray River pink salt. Excessive melt is caught by finger guards, saving you a trip to the hand soap, and can be consumed on the go. Brilliant!
Yo-Chi, various locations: Okay, yes – Yo-Chi doesn’t serve gelato or ice-cream, but its soft-serve-style natural yoghurt tastes so good you wouldn’t know the difference. Here, swirls of fro-yo (available in flavours like chocolate, signature tart, classic vanilla, salted butterscotch and strawberry cream) are crowned by an assortment of choose-your-own toppings, including fruit, chocolate soil, strawberry mochi, raspberry coulis, mini M&Ms, mango fruit pearls, Biscoff biscuits. Basically, at Yo-Chi you can create your dream dessert, which is something we can always get behind.
Bennie Adam Ice Cream, Bulimba and Capalaba: This old-school ice-creamery is open seven days, which means whenever a craving for an icy confection strikes, Bennie Adam has got us covered. Fans rave about the scooper’s range of flavours (which includes an extensive selection of vegan, gluten-free and nut-free options), from the refreshing lemon, lime and bitters sorbet and classic pistachio praline, to the inventive brown sugar bubble tea ice-cream.
Ruby Little Red Ice Cream Van, food truck: The tinkling of the ice-cream truck’s music as it moves from neighbourhood to neighbourhood never fails to excite us, which is the same feeling we get when we see Ruby coming our way. This imported ice-cream van (built in Southampton in 1973) has been done up and transformed into a roaming soft-serve dispensary, serving specialty treats such as sherbet cones, choc tops, sundaes and more,
Gelato à go-go, food truck: You may have spied a done-up Citroen H Van cruising the streets lately, serving gelato to sweet lovers across Brisbane. Gelato à go-go is the name of this dessert mobile, which is equipped with Pozzetti gelato chambers for optimal refrigeration. Gelato à go-go serves up some of the finest gelato made in Queensland by Maleny Food Co, with more than 100 flavours in its repertoire. Eight flavours are served on a rotating basis, encompassing classics such as chocolate, salted caramel and peppermint, with more flavours appearing based on public demand.
Honourable mentions: Still craving something sweet? Be sure to also check out The Parlor in Eight Mile Plains, Gelare in South Bank, Samford Gelato in Samford and Ungermann Brothers in Ipswich.
Is there a gelato spot we missed? Let us know by dropping us a line at [email protected].