Gelato Messina Fitzroy

Delicious selection of vegan options! Highly recommend the pandan and coconut! And chocolate sorbet. The workers in here were under the pump, but appreciated their help and patience, considering all the taste testing and questions they continuously get.

Very nice ice cream shop. Huge range of flavors available. Customer service was excellent too. Highly recommended.

Ice cream was a slight too sweet for me but the experience was incredible! Entered the shop with upbeat music, way too many flavours to choose from and such friendly staff. I asked them what flavour do they recommend and she immediately gave me a taste of the flavour, decent ice cream size and the texture is milky and creamy. Very comfortable place to hangout as it has plenty of seats and the glass window that let you see the production of the ice cream, very cool ice cream shop!

Gelato messina fitzroy is located at a beautiful and peaceful place in Melbourne. Plenty of flavours and sorbets to choose from but not all the flavours are nice at all. Pandan coconut was too sweet and the flavour actually did not match well. The ice-cream with hazelnut was not well too. The nut in the ice-cream certainly did not taste like hazelnut. I hope they look into the flavours again.

Poor customer management. This Sunday afternoon was extremely hot, and many people were coming into the shop to grab an ice cream cone to cool off. The line was very long. A customer didn't line up but stood very close to my girlfriend and me outside the queue, which I found a bit disturbing given the need for physical distance from a stranger. When the male staff member at Messina called the next person in line for service, the stranger cut in front of us. I informed the male server about the queue-jumping, but he ignored me and allowed the customer who had skipped the line to throw a tantrum at me.

Gelato Messina Fitzroy never disappoints! What sets them apart is their commitment to quality—they have their own farm and make everything from scratch. The flavors are strong, natural, and absolutely delicious. I love how they introduce new special flavors every week, keeping things exciting. This store also offers a great selection of chocolate bars and amazing gelato cakes. I only wish they would open a store in the southeastern suburbs or the Peninsula area—it would be a game-changer for locals!

Love the gelato here, so much options. They even have variety of vegan ice cream option as well. Plenty of space for you to sit down as well. As night begins, lots more customers coming in. A great place to enjoy desserts while chitchatting with friends.

The OG store always delivers the goods, the weekly specials are always what keeps us coming back for more. A nice seating area inside and outside, taste test is welcome and staff is always friendly.

Yelp Review 2023 #292: I first had gelato from Gelato Messina while visiting Melbourne. We had a Gelato Messina in Vegas for a hot minute then, it went out of business for some odd reason (they were always busy). They have classic flavors: chocolate, gianduja, hazelnut, cookies and cream, coffee, Hokey Pokey, dulce de leche, chocolate mint, bounty, pistachio, rum raisin, boysenberry, salted caramel, vanilla, and tiramisu. Their sorbets are vegan: mango, strawberry, coconut and mango, passionfruit, coconut Pandan, raspberry, lemon, blood orange, and chocolate. My favorites: gianduja, hazelnut, and pistachio. They have specials that change every week. The specials are quite interesting. The flavors could have potato chips, pretzels, Nutella, nuts, fruit, marshmallows, some sort of cookie, etc. You can get 1 scoop or however many scoops you want. They have cups or cones. You can get your gelato in cake form. My favorite is the mushroom one. What I've noticed is the layout of the store is pretty much standard no matter what location you go to. You can get merchandise like shirts, mugs, aprons, and stuff.

it was deluicious icecream i recommend the super dulchdilech it was so rich i was puking for days fast service i recommend

Really fun busy gelato place in Fitzroy on a cold spring Saturday night. It is obviously a local favorite. My salted Carmel white chocolate was really good and the company the best.

A match made in heaven - salted caramel with coffee and cream It's called Nicky Glasses. Pretty good ice cream. #maneklady #manekeats #manektravels

Perfect for a summer evening. Actually perfect anytime and my fiancé got me an awesome ice cream cake here that made my best birthday!

In my opinion this is the best gelato place in Melbourne. I have tried Trampoline, Romantica and Gelatissima, and have come to the conclusion that Gelato Messina is the best. The reason why I rate it so highly is because of the large variety of flavours, especially some exotic combos for the adventurous and the quality. It is a must try, for all gelato lovers. The menu option is large, with a variety of flavours to choose from, including some unusual flavours like pandan and coconut, apple pie, blood orange and panna cotta with ameretti biscuit and fig (so nice, it's a unusual combo but it works). I do recommend trying the salted caramel and white chocolate. In my opinion, the salted caramel and white chocolate goes together so well and it's my favourite. No cold hard chocolate chip bits, just smooth melt in your mouth gelato. Another favourite of mine is dolce dulette (creamy rich nutty caramel flavour gelato) bounty and mandarin. Gelato Messina does get very packed and the queue is massive, mostly late afternoon and evenings. On Friday night and weekends, expect a long wait. Most of the times I've been there it is very packed, even some weeknights. There can be quite a fair amount of pushing in and shoving from rude people. The times I've been when it's not so packed is in early afternoons. The menu options include: 1 scoop-$5, 2 scoops- $6, 3 scoops-$7, a take home tub-$10, gelato cakes ( so pretty) $85, they are displayed at the front. The gelatos are dearer than most places but it may just be worth that extra money and patience. Also Gelato Messina is opened till 11:00pm so that's convenient.

Wow. This place rocked my socks off. I was so surprised at how packed this place was. For 11 p.m. on a cold Friday night, the crowd was even gathered outside. It's just like a bar, a bar for gelato that is. Cash only just makes sense when you have that many patrons at once, it'd definitely slow down the process using card. It's $4 for one scoop, and you have the option of waffle cone or cup. Trust me, one scoop goes a long way. I tried two from their "Specials" board, Chillax Princess and the Steve Jobs. They were creamy and delectable! Yum! I would've loved to try every single one of their flavors! They have so much range, and so many yummy ideas to pick from. I was so impressed and cannot wait to return.

My life will never be the same now that I've had gelato from here. They let you sample all the flavours you'd like and there are quite a few! Each flavour I tried was amazing but the ones I couldn't get enough of were the pistachio praline and salted coconut mango. The pistachio has chunks of pistachio in there and it's bomb. Gonna have to fly back here just for the gelato!

I forced Hubby to visit Gelato Messina with me one Thursday arvo. There are in luck! At 12:30pm it was still quite quiet. We looked like kids in a gelato store (oh opps we ARE in a gelato store!) trying to decide which flavours to get. So many different types of chocolate.... Soooo many versions of coffee! Do you want coffee, tiramisu, coffee with nuts...? My mind just boggles. Fortunately they would happily let you try all their flavours until you decide on one that you wanted. We chose chocolate sorbet (dairy and gluten free) and one of their specials called Nuttin To It. What an amazing choice. The chocolate sorbet was dark and smooth, not too sweet but just hitting all the right spots. Nuttin to It is a peanut gelato with coffee crunch, peanut and white chocolate. I feared that the white chocolate would make it sickly sweet, but no, it was delicious. I know a lot of peeps would disagree but to be honest, I felt that the gelato at Spring st Grocer seemed smoother and yummier, but of course, I do like the quirky special flavours they have in Gelato Messina too.

How can amazing ice cream be anything but a five star experience? I scream for this ice cream and happily cross town for their amazing array of flavours and at the moment the lead contender for Lauren's milkshake of the year! Do not be afraid to try some of their wilder flavours as it is usually always worth the gamble. I do not line up for much in this world but I do line up for this ice cream. Service is always super friendly and the staff seem to enjoy their work which is always great especially in a place as busy as here. I am yet to try their birthday cakes but with my bday up in a few weeks I think it is top of my wish list! I think the fact that when you walk in and out you get a hello and goodbye with a smile adds to the deliciousness of the whole experience. Gelato Messina is a welcome import from Sydney and I hope they spread their stores more over our beautiful city.

Thanks Emma L.. Great call! We went there after Yelp's Havana Nights and it was the perfect night for it really. Surprisingly, it wasn't too shockers given how nice the weather was. I love Gelato, everyone does, seriously who doesn't? Anyway, Gelato Messina has to be the best one I've had. They have heaps of flavours to choose from and you can also try before you buy, which is cool. I'm glad she made me try the Nachito prior to me getting it otherwise I wouldn't have been too happy with that choice! In the end, I went with the Frigga Lickin Good and the Lychee Martini. Both were amazing - rich and great flavour. It's not pricey as well really. A cup with say 2 flavours cost me about $6 or $7 I think. I can't wait to return and I might try one of their shakes next time as well.

You will know you've arrived at Gelato Messina when you reach the massive line stretching halfway down the block. One a warm summer night I finally decided to give in and join the cool kids. And I can confirm - the wait is worth it!! Their gelato is freshly churned every day and it is heavenly. Rich, creamy, and a great variety of different flavours. Plus a "specials" board of additional flavours. When I visited the specials included things like 'Elvis the fat years' with peanut butter gelato, fried brioche, and banana jam. And a coffee, salted caramel, whipped cream gelato. There are also sorbet options. Their scoop sizes are large. A customer beside me described it as 'American' sized portions. Combined with their pricing structure it's is guaranteed I won't be getting a bikini body this season! $4 for one scoop, $6 for two scoops, but just a dollar more for three scoops. Inside it's crowded and hectic, but the staff was effective & helpful on my first visit. As Schwarzengger would say, "I'll be back."

With apprently over 500 flavours available either in store or hiding away for a rainy day, I'll definitely be giving Messina multiple visits just to make a dent into their recipe book. We tried the salted white chocolate, nutcase (roasted coconut and a whole bunch of nuts), and mango and lychee. Delicious, great consistency and fresh as can be, Messina is truly as good as it gets!

This is a place where everyone can fall in love with. Parking is not an issue but the queue to get your indulgence is. Why we love Melbourne so much? This place can help with their goodies. ENJOY!

My favourite gelato shop in all of Australia is Messina! I loooooooved the Blood Orange and the Salted Coconut & Mango Salsa~ Totally unforgettable gelato mix right there! I ordered the Quad Choc cake for a friend's birthday and it was the best ice cream cake my entire department had ever had! Amazing stuff here!

This place is pretty good but I don't understand why the lines to get an ice cream get so long sometimes haha All the ice cream is made in house and from scratch in a kitchen that looks like a small laboratory... It's all stainless steel and boy do they keep it clean! A small dream of mine to have in my own home haha. Back to the ice cream. It's pretty good but a heads up to those who are lactose intolerant. Everything has milk in it except for their sorbets. The current menu notes that anything with a "D" has dairy just like some have"N" for nuts, except they forgot to say that all of the ice creams on the top half of the menu are "D" haha don't let that deter you though. If you can stomach milk go nuts! They have a selection of odd ice creams they rotate as specials which have quirky names and flavour mixes for those looking to be a little more exciting than vanilla, strawberry or chocolate. Ps the prices are actually fair and their $3 tiny scoop was actually bigger than I though and as someone who enjoys ice cream in small doses just to savour something sweet after a meal... It was the perfect size! If your a three scoop kind of person, they have a special for one two or three!

I love ice cream and this is one of the best I've found, short of being in Italy. Inventive flavors, smooth, and creamy - this is heaven in a cone or a cup... if only it didn't have any calories. If you're on a diet, forget about it for a few minutes and just eat this ice cream - it's worth it. There were so many cool flavors, I wanted to get a teeny scoop of each of them. I wished I had come here towards the beginning of my trip so that I could have come here on multiple days. I had the Monofee Pie which was caramel gelato w/ banana jam, whipped cream, and pie crust. It tasted like a banana cream pie - it was a tad too sweet for me, but I did like this unique flavor and the large chunks of fresh pie crust. I also had the Tim Tam Slam which was coffee gelato with Tim Tam biscuits, chocolate buttercream and chocolate chip sauce. It was really delicious - very chocolatey and rich - if you love coffee and chocolate, and Tim Tams (like I do), you'll like this too. I wanted to try their other flavors like Pear & White Balsamic sorbet, Mr. Potato Head (peanut butter gelato with white chocolate covered potato chips), and Pretty Shady (Passionfruit Sorbet w/ Coconut Lychee). They had a wide variety of fresh fruity sorbets, all the way to rich chocolate flavors. 2 scoops is $6, and you can get it in a cup or a sugar cone. I thought the price was reasonable but I wish they took credit cards (make sure you have enough cash!). It can get crowded in here, so just be patient (you'll need time to decide on a flavor with so many to choose from anyways).

Easily the best gelato I've had in Australia and I've had a lot of gelato. What makes Messina unique is not just the interesting and tantalisingly delicious flavour combinations but their dedication to continuous innovation and evolution. I first tried Messina in Sydney and have to say I have been eagerly awaiting the Melbourne store opening. I love the specials and with changing flavours there is always something new and delicious to try. The sorbets are as delicious as the richer gelati flavours. The coconut and lychee is one of my favorites and great for summer. If you can't decide what to have and are with others or just hungry try the misto. You get 5 scoops of gelati in individual cups so you can savour the flavours without them melting into each other. I also recommend trying a thick shake. Made with 3 scoops of gelati it's a decadent treat, I would recommend the salted caramel. This is one place that definitely lives up to the hype.

Very nice ice cream except it is way too overpriced and they seem very stuck up. But still I like the flavour range.

Came here with my sister & friends after dinner last night and the gelato was so good! They had tons of different flavors, and a couple of different specials. One scoop was the perfect amount of ice cream too. I'd definitely return and try other flavors if I was in the area again.

Gelato Messina is one of the best gelato places around. We've been coming here for years and it still draws a crowd. We popped in last night after 9pm and it was still a scurry of activity. I will have a quick look at Facebook before going so I can think about the specials available. Last night I had 'one fine day'. This is a toasted milk gelato with chocolate biscuit crumbs and dulce de leche. It was really good. Also had tiramisu which is always available and always delicious. It's $6.80 for 2 scoops, which are quite generous. You can also get take away containers of ice cream, coffee and ice cream cakes. You can try the flavours before you buy as well and I recommend doing this.

There isn't much to say about a place that sells delicious ice cream and is packed with people to the door. I feel like that sort of patronage speaks for itself :) I had a 2 scoop cup comprised of salted pistachio and some other delicious creation I randomly picked from the window. It was a Thursday night when we visited and it was busy. Be prepared to queue... Totally worth it though :)

If you think that hour long queues for gelato are a bit ridiculous and have deliberately avoided the hype of Messina - you really only have one question before heading here. Is it worth it? Well...yes and no. Would I wait more than 10 minutes for a scoop? No. Is it 5-star worthy Gelato? Abso-freaking-lutely. Like pizza and sex, gelato falls into the "even when it's bad, it's good" category. But in comparison to other gelaterias in Melbourne, this is as good as it gets. I put it on par with my fav gelato (not better or worse), but if you're more partial to ice cream and chocolatey/candy flavours, Messina will likely be your preferred go-to. Pretty reasonable at $4 for a big scoop too. I like simple flavour combos and LOVE coconut anything, so I opted for the bounty. Really amazing coconut ice cream chop full of chocolate flakes. Yum. You can go all out and get some of their specials which could have anything up to 5 combos in one and they are equally good. You're allowed to get tasters first so definitely give a few a go to avoid some serious FOMO. If it's not too crowded, get a seat by the window and watch them work away at making the gelato. We watched them heap about 5 layers of melted chocolate into one. I'd go here again if I was on Smith St and wanting ice cream.

Queuing for gelato is madness, but so is living in Melbourne and not visiting Messina Gelato. With a roped line extended down the sidewalk of Smith a Street in peak times, it's easy to see the devotion of people in need of quality ice cream. There are dozens of flavours on offer however with the large crowds it may be difficult to physically see all the flavours. If you're with someone else, get them to nip inside and grab a menu whilst queuing. Flavours available include the traditional fruit sorbets and a wide range of creative combinations such as pear and rhubarb, poached figs in Marsala and Italian nougat. There are also weekly specials written on a chalkboard. I had a combination of the chocolate chip, cherry pie and fragole e zabaglione (frozen Marsala custard and strawberries). Delicious. I cannot wait for my next visit to try some different flavours. For those looking for more than just eating gelato, Messina also offers gelato making classes.

SO HAPPY I DON'T HAVE TO FLY INTERSTATE FOR MESSINA ANY MORE! That's how much I love this place. It has always been a must-do when visiting Sydney no matter how long the stopover. Messina's Melbourne store is nice and roomy with plenty of space for gelato-choosing-time, ordering and devouring. It's not even warm yet and the crowds are flocking to check out innovative flavours like pretzel peanut butter and salted coconut with mango. These guys know how to put a party in your mouth. I wonder how much gelato is too much gelato in one week....?

OMG! So I hear all the rave about this place, and it took me some good time before I actually went to see what the fuss is about. Any time of the day you go it will be busy, such a great atmosphere. I looked at all the options of ice cream, and whilst I was reaching for a serviette to wipe my dribble, I just told the staff I want 2 scoops of something sweet and full of amazing flavor in a waffle cone. I handed them the power of my choice. And what came back was amazing.. I got apple pie. it was apple pie, yes apple pie, did i mention the flavor was apple pie. It was exactly what an apple pie should be. omg apple pie........ and the second scoop was like a macadamia and caramel heaven. All the ice cream, and it was sooooooo amazing. There is a reason why these guys are always soo busy, and this just proved it :)

I was told that there's always a queue to this establishment over the weekend. I am a visitor to Melbourne. Coming back from the city by tram after a long hot afternoon, we couldn't resist to hop off as the queue wasn't too bad and within minutes we savored the creamy, yummy, out of ordinary flavours gelato. Well worth a visit.

You will be forgiven for thinking you are 'up in da clurb' when you're at Gelato Messina. The music is pumping (people are actually dancing while they wait), you'll have to fight your fellow patrons off for a seat and everyone is huddled around the service area like they're waiting to get a drink at the bar. It's surprisingly well priced at $6 for a double scoop in a cup. I mean, there's really no point in getting just one scoop. Even if you couldn't finish 2 whole scoops there's just too much to choose from to narrow it down to one. There are plenty of exotic flavours (and so many with cake in it). I picked my staple salted caramel and also a scoop of tiramisu. I'd have to admit I was actually let down with the salted caramel. I have definitely had better. But the tiramisu was a hit and taste testing my friends scoops also I'd have to say 3 hits and 1 meh (it's not a totaly miss) is pretty darn good.

Showing up at 10 minutes to 12pm, midweek, I stared in to the store like a hawk. As soon as the door opens, my hawk friends shows up from everywhere, the old ladies on my left, the kids swooping in quickly to stare at the flavours, the yummy mummies behind me discussing the special board, the lunchtime workers on my right. I'm standing there getting information overload, how can there be so many flavours? Why do they all sound so damn good? Can I mix dairy with sorbets? How many flavours can I fit on that juicy looking cone? Just thinking about it is spinning me out. $6 double cones. Get it, walk to your car that's park at the woollies parking next door, or your cool bike. Decide that you can't eat gelati and drive or steer at the same time. Decide that you might need a moment to finish them gelati. Finish your gelati. Decide that you might need one for the road. It's a vicious cycle. I'll probably still be at that carpark when you get here.

It's ice cream but, like, at a night club. But not at a night club. People cue like at a bar, desperate for their next vodka, no I mean ice cream flavour, elbowing each other out the way whilst trying to look cute in their tight jeans/mid drift tops. No matter what the weather. There are loud bangers playing in the background with mood lighting and lounge communal seating for people to sit around and watch the dance floor, no I mean ice cream cabinet. There are often lines to get in the door as people anxiously try to persuade the door bitch to let them inside. Oh wait, no there's no list, that bit is made up. All of this aside, the ice cream tastes great and there are many flavours that your grandparents would have never considered such as salted coconut and mango, salted caramel and white choc, poached figs in marsala & gianduia and, my favourite, something with peanut butter which is potentially salted. The official name escapes me. Girls seem to go crazy for this place so tinder fellas, impress you next date by taking her here for dessert.

It's probably heresy to say my overall impression with the much lauded Messina is "meh". Please don't get me wrong, it's good, it's fresh, it's made in-house. All important attributes for my gelato experience. But, I don't get the hype & I wouldn't stand in an out-the-door-down-the-street line for a scoop. I will go back when the opportunity presents itself because it IS nice gelato & they have clever, intriguing flavours. The staff moves through the line as best they can whilst being helpful & answering your Qs. However, this is not a joint for perusing the flavour options & drooling over heaping mounds of colourful gelato. It's just too crowded. In fact, good luck getting to see all the selections during your visit. Be sure to check the specials board for truly interesting flavours on offer! Also, kudos for having scoops that are generous in size.

They have a fantastic selection of creative flavors. I fell in love with Burnt Caramel & Ginger, though the Salted Caramel & White Chocolate was also delicious! I will be back to work my way through the entire case! I'd wager they have about 18 flavors (or more) each day, so you are sure to find something you like. You'll need to bring cash (or there was a sign that said you could pay through their app)

This is going to be controversial but I just don't like Messina at all. I've given it a few goes now & it's categorically disappointed me almost every single time. The one time I wasn't disappointed I still wasn't impressed - it was okay. As other reviews have stipulated, the queues are stupid - you WILL queue and once you get in there you will still have to jostle your way to the front. And to queue for what turns out to be average gelato is slightly aggravating. Once there you're faced with an impressive array of creative flavours, but for me these flavours always miss the mark. Messina seems to be all flare and front, it sounds great, but it never comes through on the actual taste. The basic flavours are done well - but you can get those same basic flavours at other gelato places, so you don't need to queue for Messina. On the plus side, the prices are reasonable and the staff are unfailingly lovely even when faced with next level ridiculous queues. My advice is to try Messina because everyone else seems to rave about it so much, but also nip up the road to Helados or Pidapipo in Carlton for some phenomenal gelato with similar creative flavour combinations!

You can't really go wrong with ice-cream, but this place is pretty special. I guess that's why there's often a huge line of people waiting out the front. They have so many flavours that it's very difficult to choose. I think I had at least 4 samples before I narrowed it down. I am a huge fan of the passionfruit gelati. I also liked the choc mint, black forest, apple pie (although didn't love the apple pieces) and bounty flavours. Yum.

Ice cream for all. Well i don't really agree with that because then there is less ice cream for me. And I'm a greedy little dessert hog. Oh so many pretty colors and flavors to devour. It took me a good 10minutes of internal agonizing to finally decide on the white chocolate and salted caramel. What a most magnificent weekend ending choice this was. Considering the friendly staff, fantastic flavor selection and general hipness of this iconic place I was pleasantly surprised at the affordability. Don't wait for summer. Go ice cream yourself.

Definitely one of the best gelatos in town! They have a great variety ranging from fruits to sweets. They have specials running which I recommend, if you can get the Tres Leches you're in luck. Check their Fb page to be up the date.

Little bloke is Devine!! (special board combo of peanut butter & Nutella gelato with crunchy biccie) Luckily we had dessert before dinner at around 630pm it was busy but manageable. Can't say the same for 830pm as we walked past the was probably a line of 70 people queued down the street to get their yummy fix! My only advice is get there earlier to avoid long waits, especially as the weather warms up!

Yay! for Gelato. It's always been the winner in my book in the battle of Ice Cream Vs Fro Yo vs Gelato/Gelati. There's a tonne of choice here, as well as heaps of flavours ranging from your traditional Raspberry, Mango, Blood orange to things like "Apple pie." 1- or 3 scoops options, priced at $5-7 respectively. This place is pretty good, and I'm sure we're in store for more outlets in the coming months... Hopefully? This will become one of my favourite Go-to destinations. Always a winner.

Yum, Yum, Yum, Yum! Oh my, this is some pretty amazing ice cream! Okay, so you might have to queue, but fret not, it really is worth the wait! I would recommend checking out both the menu and specials board before choosing you final choice. Although it is worth remembering they do let you sample a flavour or two before placing your final order. I might go as far to say that this could possibly be the best ice cream in Melbourne, okay so that does mean I need to go and taste the rest now!

I really love this place for their fresh, new flavors and a different approach of putting flavors together like Pandang Coconut sorbet. Who thinks of that? This place always has a line out the door so be patient but go. You will not be disappointed.

Let me put it this way, I am on diet...I desperately want to lose weight but MY GOD IS IT WORTH IT! Skinny does not feel as good as this tastes! It used to be the first place I would go to when I go to sydney but now it is my weekly treat! So delicious and so well priced considering how special and exciting it feels! Love, love, love!

Messina really, truly does live up to its hype. The storefront is open plan and spacious and oh so inviting. And the flavours are just... countless! Being a chocolate fanatic, I went with Tiramisu and the special (I forget the name) which was peanut butter ice cream with chocolate swirls, peanuts and other goodliness. My more rational friends had the fruity flavours, which are just as good. It's also reasonably priced, as I paid $6 for mine which had two flavours and very generous scoops. And though the place was packed, we were served quite quickly. A must try.

I've been to messina a couple of times but i can't remember all the flavours i've tried. To night i went after dinner with my girlfriends and i bought myself 2 scoops. The flavours were pear& rhubarb and dulce de lychee. Honestly the pear&rhubarb didn't taste like either of the flavours listed. It tasted more like vanilla icecream with some strawberry bits in it. Nonetheless i still enjoyed it as i love icecream so much. I don't know what dulce de lychee means but it tasted like coconut mixed with lychee and it was delicious. The icecreams here are gelato so it's good for people who are lactose intolerant. It's very smooth and fluffy. I recommend trying this place alll year round because there's always room for icecream. Icecream also taste the best in winter. Try it in winter haha! I dare you.

There's no shortage of good gelato stores in Melbourne; thankfully Messina doesn't disappoint. They serve a diverse variety of flavours that range from the typical to the exotic. The flavours I tried during my visit were the fig and marsala and the caramelised pear, both of which were good.

For Melbourne, this is pretty good gelato. Apple pie is good, but not as amazing as diehard fans would have you believe. Baristas (is that what you call them in this scenario?) are friendly and service is fast and good. Minus one star because I find it hard to justify spending $6+ on two smallish scoops..

Melbourne is no stranger to the wonderful allure of gelato, that Italian variation on ice cream, with stores dotted around the city from Lygon Street to Southbank and beyond. However in the past year a new gelato craze has hit Melbourne: the opening of Gelateria Primavera at Spring Street Grocer, the rise of Helados Jauja (an Argentinian take on gelato) and more recently the arrival of the Heston inspired liquid nitrogen wizardry of N2 Extreme. All of this culminated in 70 000 people attending the Gelato World Tour in October where first prize went to Sydney-based Gelato Messina, who have recently opened on Smith Street, Fitzroy. Anyone who has lived in or visited Sydney, especially in summer, will probably have heard about or lined up at one of Gelato Messina's stores around the city waiting to taste one of the forty flavours on display. While they always have traditional flavours on hand like coffee, gianduia (chocolate & hazelnut), pistachio and vanilla, they have become popular for their sometimes boundary pushing special flavours, a new one appears on the menu every day from Tuesday to Saturday. Lately there has been the Fo Shizzle (caramel custard gelato with candied hazelnuts, chocolate chips and raspberry sauce), the Elvis, The Fat Years (peanut butter gelato, fried brioche and banana jam) and the one that took first place at the Gelato World Tour, Cremino (salted caramel and gianduia gelato with fresh meringue and amaretti). While shops like N2 Extreme favour modern techniques and a mist of nitrogen floating across their counter, Gelato Messina retains the traditional approach, with all the gelato hand-churned on site; it is only the flavours that veer towards cutting edge. So what is the difference between gelato and ice cream? Gelato contains less fat than ice cream, has less incorporated air, and is served at a higher temperature. Which means it has a greater flavour experience because there is less fat to coat the taste buds, more flavour per spoonful (due to lower quantity of air), and the taste buds are more alive since the temperature is not so cold as to dull their sensitivity. The first store was opened in Sydney in 2002 by Nick Palumbo and has grown to multiple stores across Sydney, the new Melbourne store and they are looking to branch out overseas soon with their first store in China. Inspired by his Italian heritage and childhood experiences, Palumbo first learnt how to make gelato from his uncle as a teenager, which is a similar story to his partner in the Melbourne store, Simone Panetta (who has worked at Grossi Florentino, Vue de Monde and Rosetta) who began making gelato when he was young. This passion and experience is easily seen in the effort that goes into the gelato, which uses all natural flavours and the best quality ingredients, with most of the inclusions made on-site (the apple pie swirled through their famous apple pie gelato is baked in-store). The best flavours I have tried so far are the Salted Coconut and Mango, beautifully rich and refreshing for a warm sunny day, and the above mentioned Apple Pie, with chunks of apple, pastry and aromatic cinnamon. For me the dark chocolate based ice creams were a bit rich and overpowering when sharing a cone or tub with other flavours, but for any chocolate lover they will be in heaven, the Black Forest has cake and cherry strewn through dark chocolate gelato. It is not all about scoops of gelato, they have picked up a reputation for their gelato cakes which are a world away from those horrible supermarket ice cream cakes you may have suffered through. Their Dr Evil's Magic Mushroom is just that, a mushroom cap filled with dark chocolate gelato, peanut cookies and dulce de leche and covered in vanilla cream, chocolate sponge, and red ganache; the stalk is dulce de leche caramel and dark chocolate gelato, all sitting on popping candy 'grass' and crushed biscuits. Their Black Forest cake is anything but simple, a spherical cake with chocolate fondant gelato, kirsch semi freddo with amarena cherries, cherry sorbet and a crisp dark chocolate dome. If the lines out the door at their Sydney stores and similar queues at Melbourne stores like N2 are anything to go by, Gelato Messina is going to be one of summer's (if it ever arrives) places to be and somewhere to cool down with a delicious gelato.

Even on a cold winters evening the walk to Gelato Messina was well worth it. Super friendly staff that would have happily let us try every single flavour if we'd wanted to try them. The gelato is amazing, some of the best I've tried outside of Italy. 40+ flavours so you will find something to blow you away. I just wish we had one of these back home in Perth!!

No wonder this shop it's always busy. It's the best ice cream in Melbourne! (and it's cheap!)

Favorite ice cream place ever, I know its only been open for less than a year, but there's still that vibe of being a super trendy and hip shop. Staff are super friendly and ice-cream is the best! If you follow their instagram, you'll find yourself in their store at least once a fortnight due to the ever changing "special flavors"