Gelatissimo
An Australian gelato chain makes its way to Orange County through Balboa Island and Irvine
No matter where you travel or the flavors you prefer, the joy and refreshment offered by a great cup of gelato are a constant – one of those thrills that needn’t be guilt-free in order to be wildly memorable, powerfully flavored, or diverse in looks and flavors. On the other hand, mediocre gelato evokes multi-level disappointments: how many calories did I really just consume, why did I pay that much, and would the experience have been better if I’d just selected other flavors?
We went through all of those questions after visiting Gelatissimo, an Australian gelato chain that has opened two OC locations so far, starting with a late 2024 Balboa Island/Newport Beach spot, followed by an Irvine shop across the street from UCI. Based on online reviews, we were prepared for the gelato to be expensive – $6.75 for one scoop, $9.95 for three scoops – but given their ample collection of flavors, didn’t suspect that none of our three-person group would be fully pleased with their desserts, though the reasons varied from multi-scoop cup to cup.
Note that Gelatissimo delivers each cup with a thin waffle cone-like G-branded cookie, and also offers cones, dipped cones, and a handful of drinks. A television-based menu indicating “just made” flavors was confusing in that none of the five flavors was actually on display; even so, there were around two dozen total options to choose from in the display cases.
Two of the major issues were flat flavors and completely inconsistent textures. Mint chocolate tasted like someone had dumped too much mint extract into the gelato, overwhelming any other flavor, while other scoops ranging from Vietnamese coffee to pistachio were fine at best, icy and not particularly creamy at worst. A flavor called “decadent cookie dough” surprised one of us with ginger-flavored cookie bits that weren’t a good match for the ginger-adverse orderer. Gelatissimo’s flavors do have potential, though, as a salted caramel scoop was buttery and smooth, and a plain chocolate had enough flavor to satisfy; each was only a fraction of an $8-$10 dessert, though.
We liked Gelatissimo’s service and loved the design of the Irvine store, which combined bright tiles, warm woods, and display cases full of colorful gelatos and sorbets to great effect. But based on the quality of the gelato flavors we tried, we wouldn’t return; Gelato Paradiso and Dolce Gelato are far easier to recommend.
Stats
Price: $-$$
Service: Counter
Open Since: 2002 (Australia), 2024 (OC)
Addresses
4237 Campus Dr. B164
Irvine, CA 92612
949.617.5300
304 Marine Ave.
Newport Beach, CA 92662
949.966.7240
Instagram: @gelatissimooc