Looking for the best gelato in Melbourne? Melbourne doesn't do things by halves when it comes to gelato. From old-school Italian pozzetti counters on Lygon Street to Japanese-inspired scoop shops wrapping ice cream in mochi, this city has more genuinely excellent gelaterias per capita than almost anywhere outside Italy. And the rest of the country has taken notice — Essendon's own Oh My Gelato! was just crowned Australia's best at the inaugural Australian Gelato Cup, proof that Victoria is where the country's gelato game is at its sharpest.
We've eaten our way through the city's best gelaterias — from the Italian institutions to the boundary-pushing newcomers — to bring you this guide to the best gelato in Melbourne right now.
1. Oh My Gelato! — Essendon
Oh My Gelato! at 244 Buckley Street, Essendon, is now officially Australia's best, having taken out the inaugural Australian Gelato Cup at Fine Food Expo with their bespoke flavour "The Melbourne Marvel" — a combination of Australian pistachio, espresso variegato and dark chocolate-coated honeycomb. We visited the expo personally and got to taste this gelato sensation. This is small-batch, handcrafted gelato made using Jersey milk from Warrnambool and organic cream from Timboon, with genuinely inventive flavours like durian and salted butter caramel sitting alongside multiple Australian Food Awards gold and silver medallists, including their mango sorbet and Madagascan vanilla bean. If you only try one gelato on this list after the recent win, make it this one.
2. Pidapipo — Carlton, Windsor, CBD & Fitzroy
Founded by Lisa Valmorbida — who trained at the Carpigiani Gelato University in Bologna — Pidapipo has been a Melbourne cult favourite since its first Lygon Street pop-up in 2013. The flagship Carlton store sticks to gelato alone, churned fresh daily and served from traditional stainless-steel pozzetti tins, with cult flavours like the Nutella swirl, pistachio and ricotta and fig. We've visited the Carlton store on many happy occasion - it's hard to walk past. The showpiece is the newer Fitzroy Laboratorio on Brunswick Street, where you can watch single-origin chocolate being made behind glass and try experimental small-batch flavours before they hit the other stores. You'll also find Pidapipo in Windsor and the CBD's Degraves Street.
3. Gelato Messina — Fitzroy & more
The Sydney institution that's been voted Australia's best gelato by the Good Food Guide finally made its way south to Smith Street in Fitzroy, and Melburnians haven't looked back. Another gelato sensation that we have visited regularly over the years, whether in Melbourne or during our visits to Sydney. Gelato Messina rotates around 35–40 flavours at any one time, plus five weekly specials, with everything from apple pie to poached figs in marsala made completely from scratch in-house. The salted caramel with white choc chips is the perennial best-seller, and the elaborate gelato cakes are worth ordering ahead for any celebration.
4. Piccolina Gelateria — Multiple Locations
Started by gelato maker Sandra Foti to honour recipes handed down through her family, Piccolina has grown into one of Melbourne's most loved gelato brands, with stores across Collingwood, the CBD (Degraves Street, Hardware Lane and Swanston Street), St Kilda, Richmond and beyond. Every gelato and sorbetto is made entirely from scratch — no shortcuts, no pre-mixes — and each store has its own distinct, design-led interior inspired by 1950s southern Italy. We were invited to the original launch and have enjoyed regular visits to their locations ever since. It's an easy pick for pure, natural, 100 per cent Italian gelato wherever you are in the city.
5. Meno Zero — Doncaster East
Started by four young men with a shared Italian heritage and a background in quality pizza-making, Meno Zero on Doncaster Road has become the east's go-to gelato and dessert bar. We have visited many times, being locals with a penchant for fine gelato. Expect a serious display of hand-crafted gelato and elaborate Italian cakes, cannoli and crepes, plus attention-grabbing specials like their Dubai chocolate gelato and award-winning vanilla slice flavour. It's a destination in its own right for Melbourne's eastern suburbs, worth the drive from the city.
6. Kori Ice Cream — CBD, Windsor & Hawthorn
Founded by pastry chefs Joane Yeoh (ex-Tonka, Press Club) and Bernard Chu (formerly of Luxbite), Kori brings a distinctly Japanese sensibility to Melbourne's ice cream scene — light, restrained sweetness, clean flavours and no artificial colours or additives. On rotation you'll find Hokkaido cheesecake, black sesame, tofu vanilla and vegan sorbets like Fuji apple and strawberry sudachi, all made in small batches. It's proof that "gelato" in Melbourne doesn't have to mean Italian to be exceptional.
7. Zero Gradi — Brunswick, Southbank & Mornington
The gelato offshoot of world pizza champion Johnny Di Francesco's 400 Gradi empire, Zero Gradi is traditional Neapolitan gelato done properly — Di Francesco spent two years travelling to and from Naples researching technique before opening. Expect classics like lemon, coffee, zabaglione and pistachio alongside curveballs such as black Hawaii, bacio and white chocolate with sour cherry, plus fully vegan sorbets. You'll find Zero Gradi in Brunswick, on the Crown Riverwalk in Southbank, and down at Mornington. We've enjoyed many visits to Zero Gradi locations and it never fails to deliver, with consistent high quality.
8. Hareruya Pantry — Carlton & CBD
Tucked down a laneway near Lincoln Square, with a second outpost on Somerset Place in the CBD, Hareruya Pantry is best known for its mochi-wrapped gelato in flavours like shirogoma (white sesame), matcha and yaki-imo cream cheese. Owner Kantaro Okada pairs the gelato with bento boxes, nikuman steamed buns and sando, making this as much a light meal stop as a dessert one — just be prepared to queue, especially in the evenings.
9. GLO Gelato — Lygon Street, Carlton
The newest name on Melbourne's most Italian strip, GLO Gelato is the work of the Mercuri family, third-generation owners of Lygon Street institution Universal Restaurant next door. Their gelato is churned fresh on-site daily across 12 core flavours plus four rotating specials, with a playful, nostalgia-driven bent — think Icky Sticky (popcorn gelato with salted caramel and sticky date pudding) and Pistachio Mayhem. Everything from the fruit jams to the sauces and brittles is made in-house, and the bright, illuminated fit-out makes it hard to miss after dark. Gelato cakes, thickshakes and a hireable gelato cart round out the offering.
10. Gelatissimo — Eastland & Northland
For gelato without leaving the shopping centre, Gelatissimo's Eastland and Northland stores are hard to beat. Each location has its own artisan gelato maker churning more than 40 flavours fresh in-store every day, using seasonal ingredients with no artificial flavours or colours, alongside vegan, dairy-free and gluten-free options. It's proof that reliably good, freshly made gelato doesn't have to mean a laneway queue — sometimes it's right next to the food court. As regulars to Eastland, this gelato haven is a winner.
11. Boca Gelato — Ivanhoe
A collaboration between chef Adam D'Sylva (Coda, Tonka) and pastry chef Monika Frkovic, Boca Gelato has been drawing queues down Ivanhoe's Upper Heidelberg Road shopping strip since 2021, with a second store now in Balwyn. Everything is made from scratch, using dairy from local producer That's Amore, and served from traditional pozzetti set into a colourful terrazzo counter. Classic Italian flavours like pistachio, coffee and bacio sit alongside playful specials such as basque burnt cheesecake and pumpkin spice, plus a dog-friendly gelato for four-legged visitors. It's well worth the trip out to Melbourne's north-east. We visited the Balwyn store and the quality and passion of Boca Gelato had us raving.
12. Piccolina, Messina and beyond — honourable mentions
Melbourne's gelato scene is deep enough that half a dozen more shops could easily make this list. Keep an eye out for smaller neighbourhood gelaterias popping up across the inner north and bayside suburbs — with a scene this strong, today's hidden gem is tomorrow's household name.
What Makes the Perfect Gelato?
Not all gelato is created equal, and after tasting our way through Melbourne's best, a few things consistently separate the good from the truly great:
- Low overrun. Gelato has far less air churned into it than ice cream, which is what gives it that dense, silky texture rather than a light, fluffy one.
- Served at the right temperature. Proper gelato is stored a few degrees warmer than ice cream — around -12°C to -15°C rather than -18°C — so it stays soft and scoopable straight from the case, never rock-hard or icy.
- Lower fat, more flavour. Gelato typically uses more milk than cream, so the fat content is lower than ice cream, letting the actual flavour of the pistachio, fruit or chocolate come through cleanly rather than being masked by richness.
- Fresh, real ingredients. The best gelaterias make everything from scratch — roasting their own nuts, stewing their own fruit, brewing their own coffee — rather than using pre-made flavour pastes.
- No ice crystals. Great gelato should taste smooth and stretchy, never grainy. That comes down to how quickly it's churned and how well it's stored, which is why the best shops make small batches daily rather than huge batches that sit for weeks.
- Balance, not just sweetness. The most memorable gelato flavours — think an olive oil ripple or a savoury avocado and lime — use a touch of acidity, bitterness or salt to stop the sweetness from becoming one-note.
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the difference between gelato and ice cream?
Gelato is made with more milk and less cream than ice cream, is churned slower to incorporate less air, and is served slightly warmer. The result is a denser, silkier texture with more intense, cleaner flavour.
Where is the best gelato in Melbourne?
Essendon's Oh My Gelato! was recently named Australia's best gelato at the inaugural Australian Gelato Cup. Beyond that, Pidapipo, Gelato Messina, Piccolina Gelateria, Meno Zero, Kori Ice Cream, Zero Gradi, Hareruya Pantry, GLO Gelato, Gelatissimo and Boca Gelato are all considered among the very best in the city.
Is Melbourne gelato better than Sydney's?
It's a friendly rivalry — Sydney's Gelato Messina now has a Melbourne store on Smith Street, Fitzroy, but Melbourne has its own deep bench of homegrown gelaterias, including the country's current national champion.
Where can I find vegan or dairy-free gelato in Melbourne?
Most of the gelaterias on this list offer dairy-free sorbets or vegan gelato options, including Zero Gradi's vegan sorbets, Kori's plant-based flavours like Fuji apple and pandan matcha, and rotating dairy-free specials at Oh My Gelato!
More Melbourne Food & Drink Guides
Looking for more sweet treats? Check out our guide to the Best Doughnuts in Melbourne, or if you're planning a bigger night out, browse our pick of the Best Wine Bars in Melbourne. Also check out Australia's Best Gelato 2026 Cup Winner at Fine Food Expo.