Gelato Messina Darlinghurst

I had two scoops of gelato from Messina. They do make good pistachio ice cream, and I was pleasantly surprised by the coconut mango sorbet I got. It was refreshing, though I wished it could be less sweet. Staffs are friendly and they will help you with the tasting :)

The female staff here is incredibly friendly! They're so warm, polite, and hospitable! The gelato is absolutely delicious, and you can sample every flavor. I ended up choosing the pistachio flavor, which might be the most delicious pistachio gelato I've ever had. 😍 The nutty aroma is rich, and the pistachios are still crunchy! They offer a mini size option ($5), perfect for those who just want a little sweet treat.

Messina Darling Hurst is a must-visit for gelato lovers! The flavors are creative and delicious, and the service is outstanding. The friendly staff go above and beyond to help with recommendations and samples, making the experience truly enjoyable. Highly recommend!

March 2025 5* Visited with colleagues for late night icecream and it was amazing. The shop remains open till 10 pm and staff is very helpful. They have so many different flavours. I tried: - Pistachio ***** - Pistachio Paraline ***** Both are hot seller and amazing flavour. You can try more.

This place is a chain apparently, but this location is the only one I've been to. My favorite flavor is lemon, and this lemon gelato has a very strong lemon-y flavor that lingers. Absolutely delicious! During our week-long stay in the neighborhood, we sampled many restaurants, but always returned to Messina's for gelato, and tried as many flavors as we could. They gave my wife a lot of taste samples, but I just dived in and picked one; never disappointed! 10/10 would do again and again. No reservations; small amount of seating indoors and on sidewalk. You can watch it being mixed up, through a window inside. There's at least a couple dozen different flavors all the time.

Disgustingly rude staff today! My husband just returned after going to buy me ice cream because I am sick. They had multiple staff members helping one other customer try every flavour ice cream for 15mins, and refused to acknowledge him, and when he asked for help they were snide and rude! I would re-staff the place, lazy and snooty staff in the local ice cream shop isn't the vibe. We will never buy again. Utterly pathetic.

I pick up orders from this shop very often, but one male staff member is extremely unprofessional. He always prioritizes walk-in customers and completely ignores Uber drivers waiting for orders. It wastes my time and money, and honestly makes me feel fed up. Order handling is very poorly managed.

The line was down the block so we decided to see what the hype was about and we were not disappointed. Fast friendly service and delicious, high quality gelato with fun, complex specials are in store for you. If they have the Eton Mess & Yeah Mon specials, Go for it!!

Honestly, when it comes to fancy ice cream, these folk hit the bullseye more often than not. At the worst, it's been nice ice cream but a bit weird. Usually, I would try one of their many tantalising experimental flavours that'll make your tastebuds dance. I stuck with an oldie but a goodie.. choc orange. It was without a doubt the absolute BEST choc orange ice cream I have ever had. The chocolate was not too dark and not too sweet, and the orange had a depth of flavour that complimented the choc perfectly. The waffle cone was delightfully crisp. The only problem is that if it's available next time I go, I probably won't have something different. Not a bad problem to have really!

One of my favorite places for gelato in Sydney. Always a line, but also well worth it.

An amazing selection of ice cream creations. Always a line to get ice cream but it's worth it.

This gelato was so good I went twice in two days.... They had amazing flavors, not a bad one in the bunch. I hope they're still around as I visited precovid, but I imagine they are because they were super busy both times I visited. This place is worth going out of your way to visit.

We were in the area so after dinner and drinks, we walked over to Gelato Messina Darlinghurst. The place sounds/looks more like a club than a gelato spot. They seem to be doing quite well as there's over a half dozen over locations in Sydney. We dropped in around 9:15pm on a Tuesday evening and it was busy. Crazy busy but I guess that's why they're open till 11:00pm. There's almost three dozen flavours with the left display mostly sorbets while the right has more chocolate/nutty options. You can get either scoops or pints. The staff is super friendly and let us try all the flavours we wanted. - 0.5L ($12.80 AUD) - you get to choose three flavours! I thought this was a better deal than getting individual single scoops. It's a lot but we downed it pretty easily. We ended up going with white chocolate hazelnut, pistachio praline and salted coconut & mango. My favourite was the pistachio praline (huge chunks of pistachio in it) but we had a nice balance of flavours. The salted coconut &a mango was pretty unique and delicious combination. Good first gelato spot of many to come! Cash only.

Very Yummy Ice cream love the place nice kind friendly staff and also fast service. And also Yummy ice cream. Highly Recommend this place.

Always a treat! Amazing flavours and great to see them still thriving during the ups and downs of Covid. You've just got to be prepared to wait in line.......otherwise perfect.

Good.. Not the best but def good. They have some really unique and tempting flavors but we had to choose one so I had the coconut lychee and it was too sweet (but that's expected from all gelatos) but pretty tasty. The small was a bit more than necessary to fill a sweet tooth's craving and at 4$ a pop you prob won't want more than one anyway so it all works out :) We stopped by on a Monday night and the queue was surprisingly long but also moved quite quickly. Limited seating inside and a few seats around two small tables outside so many ppl just stand around the proximity of the shop. You Wong have any problem finding the shop..., just look for the huge crowd on the, otherwise, quiet street. Cash only so bring out your bills... Or dig up some coins laying around your car :P

The original. And we think still the best. My family and I just think the ice cream gets better and better. A wonderful mixture of classics to crazy. Honestly, some of the combinations are nuts, but often so delicious. Super cool and fun. They should make a tv show about this place!

I'm glad to have my cousin take me to the best places in Sydney because this is hands down one of the best. The have 35 flavors (that tend to remain the same), but 5 new flavors every week. Take a sample if you're not sure. G E L A T O : Salted Caramel and White Chocolate is what they're known for and it's pretty impressive. I've had a few of their special flavors so I can't tell you what to get on that one.. But, another favorite (sorbet though) is the Pandan & Coconut which to me: is overwhelming, pandan is good in desserts, but that's it in my opinion. However my cousin's favorite flavor is that one. I would definitely get a sample of that if you were curious or were interested in getting it: it's not for everyone. S O R B E T : All vegan, don't you worry with ten incredible options: Salted Coconut and Mango Salsa Blood Orange Chocolate Sorbet Lemon Coconut & Roast Almond Sorbet with Chocolate Coated Almonds (N) Mango Pandan & Coconut - Pandan is a green asian leaf used in asian cooking. Passionfruit Raspberry Strawberry My favorite was the Salted Coconut and Mango Salsa, it's a little salty, but a little sweet: just right. I'd get that over the Pandan & Coconut (which is one of the local favorites).

It is around 10pm and it looks like a queue for a night club, and a seriously popular one at that.......no, no it's a queue for ice cream. Excellent ice cream. This joint continues it's amazing journey of success and turns out the ultimate in ice cream.....it is worth the wait, definitely so. The options are considerable, and add in the specials and there is a lot to choose from. I am sure the queues are longer as indecision occurs when it becomes selection time; decisions like trying to decide which varieties to select, how many scoops....and to be fair, it is so hard to decide as everything looks good and is good. I know! Remember, it is cash only and that this is an excellent indulgence. We will be back again soon.

If you have taste buds, you must come here. The gelato is out of this world. Creamy, dreamy texture and a plethora of astoundingly imaginative flavours with witty names. This gelato has started a cult following. I'm not exaggerating. Orgasmic.

So friggin good. Get a double scoop because you're going to want to savor every lucky.

Best. Ice Cream. Ever. Seriously. If you haven't given it a go, give it a go. It will change your life. Protip: Get the panna cotta and the pear & rhubarb. The skies will open and angels wil start to sing.

Yeap just want everyone is saying. It's worth the wait but I'm going to let you on a little secret; if you come when its gloomy & raining; there will be no line. Incredible gelato with few funky flavors depending on a day. Tiny is 4 aus, one scoop is $4.80 aus & two scoops are $6.80 aus

16 reviews here already so I don't have much to add but I will say this... Salted caramel and peanut gelato I can't put my emotions into words... I'm weeping slightly

Very crowded even on a winter day. Beware of confusion, BUT the gelato is quite amazing. First, in terms of prices, it is very reasonable where one scoop is $4, two scoops is $6, and three scoops is $7. Obviously I had to get the three scoops:) Gelato Messina also offers tub purchases from a 500ml to 1500ml tub. After a taste of a few different flavors, I ordered the tiramisu, mint chocolate chip, and giandula bianca (30% hazelnut and 70% chocolate) gelato and probably because I'm a coffee aficionado, tiramisu was still my favorite. The texture of the gelato was creamy and smooth leaving a taste that felt nonfattening like ice cream but maintained its density. My only disappointment was the chocolate chips in the mint gelato because it was more chocolate shreds than chips, but the mint tasted authentic. Real mint. Gelato Messina also offers a special menu every week with different combinations of flavors and ingredients. Take note on the bulletin outside and inside the shop. This week they offer flavors like P. Nutty, Steve Jobs, etc. Based on the quality of the gelato and the reasonable prices, I would definitely come back for more if I'm craving sweets.

the BEST gelato i've had since italy! Amazingly rich and creamy and the perfect texture. I enjoy the simple flavors....we had the pistachio. it was heavenly. An absolute must!!!!

If you've never tried Gelato Messina before (and if you haven't, where are you?), this is a must. They now seem to be an empire of ice cream, doing tie-ins with Tim Tams and expanding across the nation. But there's a reason for this: fun, whimsical specials (always changing) and rich, luxurious gelato. There's a flavour (or two) for everyone.

My colleague, trying to show us the often overlooked eateries of Sydney, eagerly spoke to us about Gelato Messina days before we finally ventured to the newest dessert venue in town (I'm hearing Sydney-siders say, "Zumbo who?"). I'll admit for all her hyping I had my doubts, afterall, it is just gelato isn't it? Could it really be that good? Based on the line out the door and double line once inside you'd be fair to say, yes, yes it could really be that good. Still, would it taste as amazing as they all say? I'll happily sing from the rooftops that the taste expectation lived up to its promise and so much more. Once you've patiently made your way to the front of the line you're greeted with a hefty decision. There's a multitude of flavours all tantilizing your tastebuds, longing to melt in your mouth. Choose fast because you won't regret it. On this occassion I chose Mocha Cheesecake and Apple Pie. I'd have happily had Apple Pie on its own and it was the star of my gelato cup that night. The good and bad news is the flavours change regularly so its best to take a buddhism approach to your gelato and accept that all is impermanent. Enjoy and savour your flavour while it lasts.

Let's be real. More important to me than finding an apartment in Sydney - was finding an ice cream place that I loved. And obviously it was in McKay's best interest as well since, as he puts it, he's "always just $5 away from the center of my heart". Sad, but true. I just prefer ice cream to a real meal any day of the week. Anyways...surprisingly enough, there aren't very many ice cream or frozen yogurt places in Sydney?! Not nearly as many as in SF at least. Which is why I'm SO GLAD that we happened upon Gelato Messina early on. The gelato here is amazing. AMAZING. I haven't tried as many flavors as I'd like, but so far my favorites are the coconut, caramel yogurt, and the dulce de leche. It all looks so good though... Pro Tip - I don't know why, but the gelato here melts FAST. So EAT up quick unless you want it all over the place - enjoy! Also - Cash Only

Waiiiiiiiiiit! Why did no one tell me this little gem was hidden away in Darlingithurts?! At least it was easy to find. Follow the huge que peeps! Or the huge crowd standing around outside, inside, everywhere... It's a bit of a shit fight to get in and get served, there seems to be no logical line forming in the least. HOWEVER! This is all made up with the fact that they make the best gelato in Sydney. Hands down no contest. And they have gelato named "have a gay one tonight" - how could you not want to visit? I'm already planning my next outting around making sure I somehow end up here. Oh yes. Yummo.

Finally made it to the Messina mothership. There were two entrances: one side with normal gelato front shop and the other was the Creative Department. The latter section was not what I was expecting somehow I always thought that the seating area would have been a little firstly bigger and secondly more grandiose. Seating was limited 4 tall bar seats and 2 small coffee tables outside which is not ideal to eat plated desserts. In terms of the dishes themselves, they are made to order/assembled and none of them would not be misplaced in any high profile restaurant. ECLAIRE DE LUNE (Fresh baked éclair filled with lemon curd & lemon jelly. Filled with fresh vanilla custard gelato, topped with caramelised meringue & confit lemon.) This is my first iced eclair. They really do the eclair justice with this interpretation and even improved it. The pastry was amazing since it was fresh, adding the crunchy element to the dish. The vanilla custard gelato was smooth and light. It was a great substitute to the usual cream along side the curd and jelly which just provided more textures and bursts of flavour. The addition of the delicious meringue just makes all that richness lighter in the mouth. The confit lemon did its job of giving that acidity kick while still remaining balanced. BIGGIE S'MORES (Choc-coated peanut gelato, peanut nougatine shards and marshmallows atop our home made chocolate graham cracker.) This one was a little harder to eat on a coffee table. The execution was perfect, all the flavours delivered and the cracker just wow gave that additional level of crunchy texture. The only flaw for me is that the base was too hard to eat with a spoon only. Conclusion Messina never fails to deliver in creativity and taste. This creative department is mainly a kitchen/factory but I think they should have a proper sit-down place for customers to enjoy on premise and not just a pick-up point. The dishes themselves are 5/5 but 4/5 for the location and overall experience. @thesydneynoob

There's no other Gelato shop in Darlinghurst, or Sydney that I can think would have a hopelessly devoted line of patrons wrapping around the block to grab a taste of their velvety creme & fruit gelato creations. Once you're there, especially on the weekend, you'll witness the calm and patient Messina lovers that flock to the Gelato bar in search of their favourite home-made near orgasmic night time treat. Last time I went I enjoyed the Tiramisu and Hazelnut, and also enjoyed the fresh coconut & white chocolate mixture of a friend. For the quality, and near innovation of flavours, the mere $4.90 for two scoops is not even a thought worth considering, and the $10 small tub, will last you a few nights divulgence at least in the freezer. Next door, they offer up Messina gelato cakes, which are some of the best sweet art creations in the world, they look amazing, and taste equally as good.

The Mighty GM Pie - peanut butter gelato w choc custard, choc pie crust, banana and cream cheese pie - ARE YOU KIDDING ME??? I die !!! Ohhh Gelato Messina .. you are all sorts of yummy goodness !! From your blood orange sorbet to your baklava gelato - what flavour can't you tempt me with? Good thing you aren't my neighbour, I'd be in some serious trouble. It could be blowing a cat 5 hurricane out, but this place will still pull that crowd like no ones business. TIP: have a mate stalk the tables outside while you line up with their order - thats the least you can do for having them score a spot to sit with what truly will be the best gelato to pass your lips. In the words of Nike - just do it.

Night club. I bet those are two words that come up quite often when scrolling through the reviews of Messina. Shut (squint?) your eyes and that's exactly what it will feel like. A line, out the door. Young and beautiful things queuing to get to the front. A few people in said line angling to get to the front faster than everyone else (queue jumpers). Hip wait staff, waiting with a smile to take your order. Dance music pumping to the point where you have to speak up. A big enough crowd inside that you can't really see all the options on offer, and everyone is bumping into one another. Then there are those same guys from the clubs who are in a rush to get out to find their friends, that are willing to push (barge) past everyone with their recent purchases. But for one small fact, you should really consider this to be Club Messina. The one big difference, of course, is that rather than pushing alcohol, Messina is pushing sugar and cream. It's probably got a not too dissimilar markup, but damn the way these folks put together the sugar, cream and variety of other assortments they have on offer just makes your mouth sing. This is the real deal when it comes to ice cream -- excuse me, gelato (none of their patrons would be seen dead in an ice cream shop). The originals are all on offer; done to a pretty exacting standard. There's a specials board that revolves through some pretty cool seasonal stuff, too. You won't find your boring corner shop neapolitan ice cream here -- the night I was most recently there, there was Prince of Persia (turkish delight) and what I ended up ordering, Mangosteen and Hibiscus. Where they came up wit the idea of that I'm not sure, but it was both unique and delicious. Which, alongside its nightclub vibe, sums up Messina really quite neatly. Highly recommended.

This is a must, absolutely goes without saying that if you haven't tried Messina your life is incomplete. Go there. Now.

The "cakes" in the laboratorio are mad science genius style awesome. I had the strawberry fields, and I wish it had lasted forever. White chocolate outer shell with strawberry gelato under strawberry gelee, presented in a space-ship-y futuristic pod shape of sorts. The chefs in the back had adorable chef outfits on and I really felt like I was in a chem lab with people experimenting on delicious new foods in the back. My one criticism is the clusterf*ck outside. This probably is either not controllable by the venue or is already at its best possible level as/is, but approaching the block with the shop on it, my partner and I almost turned away because the droning hoarde seemed impenetrable. We trepidatiously approached the lab, which had a closed sign on its open door...went inside and eventually ordered our cakes, but not without confusion and a sense that we had pulled one over on the staff by sneaking in. People came in after us too. Closed? Open? One shop? Two? This place could do with a bouncer to clear up such questions and organize the sheeple.

The gelato was generally good but I think there is a mix of hype. I can think of several other places which has as good a gelato as this place or even better. The nice thing about this place is the variety of flavors. There is a lot to choose from. The gelato was good but I would have given it five stars if I didn't have to wait long for one. They maybe should have one more person behind the bar.

If you have room for an artistic treat, do not get the gelato but their savory creations from the suite next door. I do not recall what I had except it went by a three-letter acronym.

Whenever I'm in the area, this place beckons! All the flavors look yummy! Limited seating though.

This is one of those places that "lives up to the hype" for me. I had heard awesome things about Gelato Messina and couldn't wait to try it for myself. Now I have the daunting task of working my way through every flavour they have. They are also constantly featuring new flavours. Great tip is to keep an eye on their Facebook page to find out which flavours are out, but be careful they disappear. I missed pumpkin this year and was bummed out. Don't be nervous if there is a queue out the door, it moves quickly. The counter staff are gelato pros and it's worth the wait.

Gelato Messina is the best ice cream I have ever had. I always visit at least a view times every time I go to Sydney or Melbourne for a holiday. Oodles of flavours to choose from and you can ha d a cone or a cup. They make amazing ice cream cakes too! Go there, you won't be disappointed. It is cash only so be prepared!

This is so good, I can't really say much more! I guess it helps that a mate lives nearby. Her kids absolutely love it. I love the friendly service! They're always smiling and it makes me feel comfortable. Best part is that they have the most amazing flavour combinations! Some advice would be to use the app (gets you loyalty points) to order and pay!!! Then just collect.

The staff are simply lovely taking their time & even encouraging patrons to try all favours if necessary

The gelato here is so good that I am planning to provide my guests with a scoop or two of whatever flavor they desire for my wedding (in addition to some decidedly un-fancy but ultra-tasty looking cake). For real. The chocolate chip is my favourite but be my guest (or of course I'm always free to be yours) - to try any of the 30-odd flavours. And be sure to get two scoops like the chocolate chip with Dulce De Leche or Salted Caramel with White Chocolate or hell, why not, go for the Cucumber Sorbet. And sit. If there are no available seats (outside or in), leave. Go to Fu Manchu for some delectable dumpling dishes and come back. Why do you need to sit? Because you can go back for seconds. Duh.

It might take you a while to elbow your way through the crowd to behold the flavour upon flavour of gelato available but the push and shove will be well worth it. Gelato Messina is probably the most popular gelato place in Sydney. Once you've glanced the array of flavours it is easy to see why. All the usual suspects are there of course (Chocolate Fondant is a must try!!), plus many more that sound too good to be true (or taste good, but they do). They also have sorbet flavours that are just as good (try the Blood Orange). Within reason you can try a couple flavours before you buy. Two scoops and you will want two scoops, will set you back $4.90.

First-timers could be forgiven for mistaking this trendy gelato joint for an exclusive cocktail bar - a snaking queue signals the entrance to the always-packed little shop, and it's there night after night, even in winter. Last summer, my Messina addiction became so intense the chirpy resident Cone Builder learnt my regular order off by heart - a kid's cup with a scoop of coconut and lychee sorbet. That said, the impressive selection of house-made flavours are just as tempting - think poached figs in marsala, pear and rhubarb, yoghurt and berry, and blood orange, as well as plenty of daily specials and a separate fridge full of colourful celebration ice cream cakes. Seats inside are hard to come by, but scooping away at your little cup of chilled goodness is very sidewalk-acceptable. For an all-in-one Victoria Street night out, start with dinner at the wallet-friendly Zushi next door, and maybe continue on for a drink at the Victoria Room after dessert.

I always find it a bit odd seeing a queue outside this place. I mean, it's just ice cream! Or is it? Yes it is! Turns out bloody good ice cream, but still, I'm not a queuer. However on the occasion I have been here, I didn't have to wait too long to get my taste of this creamy goodness. And yes, it was goodness! Although my choice of pecan and peanut butter together was a little dry on the palette, it tasted damn good! And to be fair, the hordes of dessert seekers can't be totally wrong. Plus, it's open till 11pm (11.30 on Friday and Saturdays) so you don't even have to rush your dinner in order to get there in time. You can even check out their website for their Top 10 Flavour Combos (unsurprisingly, my nutty combo isn't there), so you can plan ahead! There'll still be a queue though.

I came here and got 2 scoops to share. I got the passion fruit and mint chocolate. The gelato had good flavor. The scoops of gelato were a good size. You can try the flavors before you buy. There is a huge selection of flavors. There is indoor and outdoor seating.

Sooo delicious! Several flavors to choose from. The guy helping us was nice, friendly & patient while my husband & I made decisions on the flavor we each wanted. It was so good we came back the next day before leaving Sydney to head back to California.

This place has the best selection of gelato flavors! I always get the one with apple crumbs in it, and the portions are a good size. There's really nothing wrong with this place, and the service is amazing. Definitely give it a try-- I don't think you'd regret it. And if you're unsure about a flavor, ask for a sample. Duh

The dessert bar was awesome, servings are huge! Had a food coma in no time! Recommend the dessert bar for all icecream lovers, and for coffee/chocolate lovers, the Luigi Wilson is a must have! The flavour literally bursts in your mouth !

You know what's even better than a perfect scored gelateria? One that would kindly replace your caramel empanada after you dropped it after just 1 bite. Yes, I was the said individual who clumsily dropped my caramel empanada...after one bite (didn't even get to the caramel)... and yes I was devastated, distressed even... The good people of Messina saved a grown woman from crying on the sidewalk. Thank you Messina, on behalf of all clumsy-dessert-dropping-people, thank you.

Literally went out of our way to come here just to try this place out after hearing all the rave, and omg it was WORTH IT! I had the special heisenberg flavor with yogurt blueberry gelato and crystallized violets, and it was delicious! If I lived in Sydney, I probably would be coming here on the daily. I was pretty disappointed though to hear that they ran out of the small size mushroom gelato cakes when I got there, since we basically walked from downtown Sydney all way over. All in all, this is the best!

The best things in life are firsts. I've only been to Messina once, and that first time at this location was sensational. Like the prelude to a first kiss; that rush when your horse is first past the post; or the solo wait before you leap off the bungee platform for the very first time... Messina delivers a moment, so fleeting that it falls through your fingertips, yet so memorable that it will be with you forever. My companion had the Boss' wife (Coffee & Hazlenut), which was "holy shiz!". Happy wife, happy life apparently... I had the Chillaxin' Princess (and some might say that accurately describes me!) and it was cheesecake and salted caramel and after the first mouthful that's all I really remember.

Look me in the eyes and tell me that a gelato combo of pear & rhubarb + chocolate fondant or salted caramel & white chocolate + peanut butter (or even poached fig in marsala + gianduia if you're feeling frisky) dosen't make your knees weak and your mouth dribble more than you'd like to admit publicly. You can't do it. Neither could I. 5 Stars. p.s. Get in line now. I'll pop by next Tuesday and see if you're nearing the front.

This is hands down, without a doubt, Sydneys most popular gelato; I can't believe it's not number 1! Everything is made in house - from the gelato base, to the sauces, the mix ins (baklava, lamington, caramel etc) and everything in between, it's all made from scratch by Messina. They have the traditional flavours which are mighty tasty (gianduia is my true love) but they are known for their crazy concoctions! For example 'Elvis the fat years' is made of peanut butter gelato, banana jam and brioche fried in butter. That is just one example! Anyway get yourself to Messina (there's a few locations in Sydney now) and give it a go! Also the prices are really fair.

Everyone loves this place. You'd have to be the devil himself to find a reason not to. There's ridiculous flavours (like peanut butter and jelly) and the classics (my favourite chocolate sorbet) and then you get some more unusual options (pear and rhubarb) that aren't TOO out there but still will make you pull the "Happy Ice-Cream Face" as I like to call it. There's queues, it's busy and frantic at times, but trust me you'll love it.