Ginelli’s

Every once in a while in Mission Bay, a competitor emerges to try and dethrone Movenpick. I’ve seen a couple of ice cream places that seem to have potential, but I come back months later and somehow they disappear. Well it’s too bad. I hardly go to Ginelli’s mainly because I haven’t gone to Mission Bay in a while, and actually not sure how long it’s been there.

Latte Macchiato Gelato – 1 scoop ($5).

I decided to try it once, and first impression, the interior is not bad. The business looks like it’s family-owned and operated. This particular gelato I tried tasted more like ice-cream. For $5, the 1-scoop is kinda small by my standard. Overall, I can’t really say it’s good or bad, since I haven’t tried the other gelatos and they appear to win awards. However, if I compare Ginelli’s to Giapo, I don’t think this place has a chance at all. They would need to do a bit of work.

Casa del Gelato

I’ve been MIA. Sorry. But I am back for now.

There’s a place I didn’t know existed that serves desserts in Parnell in the back alleys called Casa Del Gelato. To be honest, I didn’t find it that great, but I thought it was a good alternative to the usual places. I still think there’s better places for gelato. Apparently, Case Del Gelato has a couple of branches, Mt Eden and Ponsonby.

Affogato.

It’s not bad and worth a try. 7/10.

Giapo

This place is quite a goodie. It’s very near the Burger Fuel on Queen St. Giapo serves gelato in traditional and fruit flavours. I’ve only been there twice, but have been impressed. The triple chocolate (?) and tiramisu flavours are very good. Below is a medium cup for $7:

Medium Cup Gelato.

Highly recommended, 9/10. They have a facebook page as well.

Valentino’s Gelato

It’s been a while since I’ve tried a gelato, and it was quite interesting to see this place in the city. Valentino’s Gelato is located at the Auckland Ferry Building. You could say it’s quite close to the Britomart, or you can definitely see it when you’re taking a ferry to Waiheke or Devonport. I sampled their Passionfruit gelato for $4.50. Picture below:

Passionfruit gelato.

Just a couple of comments, apparently this flavour is an “award winner”. But personally, I think it’s a tad too sour, and thus took quite a bit of effort to enjoy it. I’ve also tried the chocolate a couple of weeks ago, which is also an “award winner”.  To me, it was a bit too sweet for my liking. They’re definitely not the only gelato shops I’ve seen. I’ve spotted one in Mission Bay and another in Newmarket (same business I believe).

If you don’t know what a gelato is, have a look at the Wiki entry. From my knowledge, they’re more flavourful and less fattening (slightly) than ice cream. The problem with gelato is unfamiliar terriroty. I’m always thinking, “Which one?”

In terms of rating, Valentino’s Gelato gets a 7/10. My last two trips there have been average, the flavours are a bit too intense for me (sour + sweet).