Melbourne did not build its dessert reputation on novelty alone. Behind the queues and the Instagram-friendly cones sits a genuinely deep gelato culture, shaped by decades of Italian migration into Carlton and Brunswick, layered more recently with Filipino, Turkish and South East Asian influences that have pushed the flavour list well past the old choice of vanilla, chocolate or strawberry.
Anyone who has spent a summer in this city knows the drill: hot pavement, a laneway queue, and a debate over whether gelato and ice cream are actually the same thing (they are not, and we get into why further down). This guide pulls together the shops that keep earning repeat visits from Melburnians rather than just tourists passing through, with real suburb locations, indicative Google ratings and the specific order worth asking for at each one.
Why Melbourne’s Gelato Scene Is Genuinely Different
Most Australian capitals have a handful of decent ice cream shops. Melbourne has a scene, and it exists for the same reason the city’s coffee culture became internationally recognised: a wave of post-war Italian migration settled heavily around Carlton and the inner north, bringing proper gelato-making technique with it. You can read more about the history of gelato and how it differs from American-style ice cream on Wikipedia, but the short version is that the technique arrived in Melbourne generations ago and never left.
That foundation is exactly what makes the newer wave of shops interesting rather than derivative. When a Filipino-inspired gelateria or a Turkish dondurma specialist opens in a city with an already-educated gelato-eating public, it gets held to a higher standard than it would elsewhere. If you enjoy tracking how migrant food cultures reshape a neighbourhood’s dining scene, our guide to the best coffee in Carlton covers a near-identical story playing out one drink category over.
What Actually Separates a Great Scoop From an Average One
Most people judge gelato on flavour alone, but the tell-tale signs of a properly made batch show up before it even hits the spoon. Good gelato sits low and dense in the pan rather than piled into tall, airy peaks, since those peaks usually mean extra air has been whipped in to stretch the batch and cut costs. The colour should look closer to the natural ingredient than a fluorescent version of it, a properly made pistachio gelato is a muted, dusty green rather than the bright neon shade some shops still use. Texture matters just as much as flavour: it should hold its shape on the spoon for a few seconds without turning to soup, and it should never leave that gritty, icy residue on the tongue that signals poor temperature control in the freezer cabinet.
None of this means the flashier, more novelty-driven shops on this list are cutting corners. Several of them, Kariton Sorbetes and Cuppa Turca in particular, build genuinely technical products around unusual bases, and the craftsmanship is arguably harder to pull off than a straightforward vanilla. It simply helps to know what you are tasting for once you start comparing shops properly rather than just picking whichever queue looks shortest.
Quick Comparison: Melbourne’s Top Ice Cream and Gelato Shops
A fast reference before the full write-ups below. Ratings are indicative figures based on aggregated public reviews at time of writing and can shift as new reviews come in, so treat them as a strong starting signal rather than gospel.
| Shop | Suburb | Google Rating | Signature Order | Price Guide |
| Gelateria Primavera | Melbourne CBD | 4.8 | Pistachio and stracciatella | $$ |
| Billy Van Creamy | Fitzroy North | 4.8 | Classic vanilla bean | $$ |
| Gelateria Bico | Brunswick | 4.7 | Tartufo | $$ |
| Pidapipo Gelateria | Carlton / CBD / Windsor | 4.6 | Pistachio with Nutella swirl | $$ |
| Luther’s Scoops | Northcote | 4.6 | Seasonal custard-base scoop | $$ |
| Sugarays | Melbourne CBD | 4.6 | Ube and pandan pistachio | $$ |
| Kariton Sorbetes | Abbotsford / Chinatown | 4.6 | Ube halaya | $$ |
| Piccolina Gelateria | CBD, Hawthorn and more | 4.5 | Pistachio with Nutella tap | $$ |
| Cuppa Turca | Melbourne CBD | 4.5 | Dondurma (stretchy ice cream) | $$ |
| Taste of Amalfi | Carlton | 4.4 | Whole-lemon sorbet | $ |
Google Rating Snapshot
The chart below lines up the same ten shops side by side, which makes it easier to see how tightly bunched the top tier actually is. A gap of two or three tenths of a point at this level usually comes down to consistency across multiple locations rather than any real difference in flavour quality.
Melbourne’s Best Ice Cream and Gelato Shops, One by One
1. Gelateria Primavera — Melbourne CBD
Tucked inside Spring Street Grocer, this small counter has quietly built one of the strongest reputations in the city without ever needing to shout about it. The gelato is made in tiny batches, the rotation changes constantly, and the texture sits closer to true Italian gelato than almost anywhere else in the CBD, dense, glossy, and never over-aerated. Pistachio is the benchmark order here, but the seasonal fruit sorbets are worth chasing too, especially in the warmer months when stone fruit is at its peak.
2. Billy Van Creamy — Fitzroy North
This is the shop locals point to when someone claims Melbourne ice cream is all style and no substance. Billy Van Creamy keeps the ingredient list short: milk, cream, sugar, egg yolk, nothing else. The vanilla bean is the standard by which every other vanilla in the city gets measured, and the chocolate has a depth that comes from restraint rather than gimmick. Vegan flavours made from housemade cashew and coconut milk are genuinely good rather than a token afterthought.
3. Gelateria Bico — Brunswick
Run by a father-and-son team with recipes carried over from Pizzo in southern Italy, Bico is the neighbourhood gelateria Brunswick locals are quietly protective of. The tartufo, a half-moon dome of hazelnut and chocolate gelato with a soft mousse centre, is the dessert people drive across town for. Cannoli filled with gelato instead of the usual sweetened ricotta is a clever twist that rarely gets copied properly elsewhere.
4. Pidapipo Gelateria — Carlton, CBD and Windsor
Founder Lisa Valmorbida trained at gelato university in Italy, and it shows in how tightly the flavour balance is controlled across every batch. The queues outside the Lygon Street original are a fair indicator of demand rather than hype. Pistachio topped with whipped cream and a proper Nutella swirl remains the order that built the brand, and the flavour list changes often enough that regulars always have a reason to come back.
5. Luther’s Scoops — Northcote
Named after plant breeder Luther Burbank, this ice creamery leans hard into seasonal, farm-sourced produce and a French-style egg custard base that gives every scoop a noticeably richer, silkier finish than standard ice cream. The flavour board shifts with what local growers have on hand, so no two visits look quite the same. It has become one of the genuine queue-worthy stops in Melbourne’s inner north.
6. Sugarays — Melbourne CBD
Every flavour at Sugarays is entirely plant-based, and the South East Asian-inspired range, think purple ube, vanilla coconut crunch and pandan pistachio, proves dairy-free ice cream doesn’t need to compromise on creaminess. The loaded sundaes, piled with vegan crumble and coulis, are built for sharing, though most people don’t.
7. Kariton Sorbetes — Abbotsford and Chinatown
Two former fine-dining chefs built this brand around the ice cream carts that once rolled through Filipino streets, and the flavour development shows serious kitchen discipline. Ube halaya with blackberry jam and caramelised coconut is the flavour that put the shop on the map, though the malted chocolate and honey combinations are just as considered. Everything is made from scratch in small batches.
8. Piccolina Gelateria — CBD and multiple suburbs
With outposts across Swanston Street, Degraves Street, Hardware Lane and beyond, Piccolina is the shop most visitors stumble into first, and it consistently earns the repeat visit. The pistachio gelato stacked with whipped cream and a free-flowing Nutella tap has become something of a Melbourne rite of passage. Gelato sandwiches and Nutella-drenched cones round out a menu built for people who want indulgence without pretension.
9. Cuppa Turca — Melbourne CBD
Dondurma, the stretchy, chewy Turkish ice cream made with mastic and salep, is genuinely hard to find in Melbourne, and Cuppa Turca specialises in doing it properly. Watching it get served, stretched and twirled theatrically at the counter, is half the appeal. Turkish delight and crisp baklava round out a menu that offers a proper change of pace from the standard gelato counter.
10. Taste of Amalfi — Carlton
Grattan Street’s sorbet specialist serves its fruit sorbet inside whole hollowed fruit, lemon, orange or coconut, and the presentation alone has made it one of the more photographed dessert stops in the city. Underneath the novelty is a genuinely well-made product made from real fruit rather than concentrate, and the lighter texture makes it a smart pick after a heavy Carlton dinner.
How to Actually Choose Where to Go
With this many strong options, the decision usually comes down to what kind of experience you want rather than which shop is objectively best.
- Want classic, no-frills quality: Billy Van Creamy or Gelateria Primavera. Both prioritise ingredient quality over novelty.
- Want a full sensory event: Pidapipo or Piccolina, where the Nutella tap and constant flavour rotation are part of the draw.
- Chasing something you can’t get elsewhere: Cuppa Turca’s dondurma or Kariton Sorbetes’ Filipino-inspired range.
- Eating plant-based: Sugarays is built entirely around it, and Billy Van Creamy’s vegan range is strong enough to order on its own merits.
- After a photogenic dessert to share: Taste of Amalfi’s whole-fruit sorbet or Gelateria Bico’s tartufo both do the job.
If food-scene curiosity is what brought you here, it is worth widening the search past dessert. Our guide to the best ramen in Melbourne and the roundup of the best Malaysian restaurants in Melbourne both cover the same inner-city precincts where a lot of these gelaterias sit, so a single afternoon can easily cover lunch, coffee and dessert without much backtracking. For something a little different before the ice cream, the best matcha cafes in Melbourne round-up pairs well with a gelato chaser on a warm afternoon.
A Note on Seasonality
Melbourne’s weather has a well-earned reputation for changing its mind within a single afternoon, and the better gelaterias plan around that rather than fighting it. Expect fruit-forward sorbets and lighter bases to dominate menus from late spring through summer, while several shops, Pidapipo and Gelateria Bico in particular, lean into genuinely worthwhile winter specials, torched marshmallow hot chocolates, baked-apple style bowls and spiced flavour drops, that make a cold-weather visit just as worthwhile as a summer one. If you are the type who researches a destination properly before committing an afternoon to it, a quick scan of community discussion threads such as those on Quora can also surface newer, smaller shops that have not yet made it onto the bigger guides.
Final Word
Melbourne’s ice cream and gelato scene rewards a bit of wandering. The famous names on Lygon Street and in the CBD earn their queues, but some of the best scoops in the city are sitting quietly in Brunswick, Northcote and Fitzroy North, waiting for someone to walk in without checking a guide first. Start with whichever shop on this list matches the mood you’re chasing, and build the rest of the afternoon around it.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the actual difference between gelato and ice cream?
Gelato is churned at a slower speed than ice cream, which means less air gets folded into the mixture. It also typically contains less cream and more milk, and it is served at a slightly warmer temperature than ice cream. The result is a denser, silkier texture with a flavour that tends to feel more concentrated per spoonful.
Which Melbourne suburb has the best concentration of gelato shops?
Carlton and the surrounding CBD laneways have the highest density, largely thanks to the area’s long-standing Italian community, but Brunswick, Fitzroy North and Northcote have all built strong independent scenes worth a dedicated trip.
Do Melbourne gelaterias cater for vegan and dairy-free customers?
Yes. Several shops on this list, including Sugarays and Billy Van Creamy, run entirely or partially plant-based menus made from cashew, coconut or oat bases, and many mainstream gelaterias now stock dairy-free tablets at the counter for customers who want a regular flavour without the discomfort.
Is it worth queuing at the well-known spots like Pidapipo and Piccolina?
Generally yes, though timing matters. Visiting on a weekday afternoon rather than a warm weekend evening usually cuts the wait significantly, and the product quality at both shops holds up to the reputation.
What is dondurma and where can I try it in Melbourne?
Dondurma is a stretchy, chewy style of Turkish ice cream made using mastic resin and salep flour, which gives it a texture unlike standard gelato or ice cream. Cuppa Turca in the Melbourne CBD specialises in it and is one of the few places in the city serving it properly.
Are Google ratings a reliable way to choose a gelato shop?
They are a useful starting signal rather than the full picture. A shop sitting above 4.5 with several hundred reviews is generally a safe bet, but it is worth reading a handful of recent reviews too, since flavour ranges and quality can shift when a shop changes ownership or head gelato maker.
What is the best time of year to go gelato hopping in Melbourne?
Summer is the obvious answer, but several shops, including Pidapipo and Gelateria Bico, run genuinely worthwhile winter specials such as torched marshmallow hot chocolates and spiced flavour drops, so it is a fair year-round activity rather than a strictly seasonal one.
Is it cheaper to buy gelato by the tub instead of a cone or cup?
Usually, yes, if you are planning to share. Most of the shops on this list sell take-home tubs that work out noticeably cheaper per gram than an in-store cone, and it is a common move for locals stocking the freezer before a warm weekend rather than queueing twice.
Can I bring young children or a pram into these gelaterias comfortably?
Most of the shops listed here are small, casual counters with a mix of standing room and limited seating, so prams can be tight during peak weekend hours. Visiting on a weekday afternoon generally makes for a far easier experience with kids in tow.
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At OzKiwilife, Debashrita Majhi contributes fresh perspectives on lifestyle, technology, entertainment, and online culture. His writing style combines clarity, creativity, and real-world insights to connect with readers from different backgrounds. He is passionate about digital media, content marketing, and building valuable online resources that help people stay informed in a fast-changing world.
