Gelo Bar 74 Lygon Street, East Brunswick

Well, it ain’t half hot, mum!  It’s summer in Melbourne and anyone with a milligram of energy left considers a gelato reward an adequate reason to brave the unremitting heat.   These days Melbourne suffers from the tyrrany of choice regarding gelati purveyors, with staple Lygon Street now competing with Brunswick street and the city at the very least for sweet fruity chocolatey cones of goodness. 

 

However, one name amongst the myriad never fails to please and – important for those sleepless nights – provides cooling treats late into the night on weekends.  That name is Gelo Bar.   Situated at the top end of Lygon street in East Brunswick,  Gelo Bar is your no-longer-but-once-typical laminex tabled old fashioned Italian looking bevande.  They make Gelati on premises and their website even lists the types which are constantly and intermittently available.  It’s an impressive list:  

 

the constants:  

 

Torrone, Nocciola, Caffe, Zabaione, Bacio, Cioccolato, Vanilla, Limone, Orange, Fragola, Mango, Pistacchio, Yoghurt, Amarena Cherry, Tiramisu, Chocolate & Cream, Gelobar

 

 some of the intermittents: 

 

Coconut, Caramel, Rum’n’Raisin, Apple Pie, Apricot, Tropical, Roscher, Blackberry, Panna Fragola, Rum Crunch, Cointreau, Peppermint, Banana, Watermelon, Green Apple, Cappucino, Pineapple, White Chocolate, Cassata, Mud Cake, Raspberry, Straciatella, Guava, Butterscotch, Dolce Latte, Licorice, Marrans Glace, Frangipane, Pear, Florentine, Rum Fudge, Cremino, Caffe Bianco, Crema Lima, Passionfruit, Nutella, Pesca

 

 

While it’s further out of the way than most Gelati places, Melbournians who know their food make the journey and on a hot night the place is usually packed so don’t go expecting to get a table and psyche yourself up for a bit of mayhem.  I can’t stress enough that once you get your cup or cone of their fresh sweet ices you’ll have no regrets about the journey.  

 

 

The best thing about Gelo Bar:  

 

the range and freshness of the flavours.  Personal highlights are the cherry and berry varieties, but even staples like good old fashioned lemon and chocolate are brilliant. There are so many to try that I haven’t had a chance to sample, high on the list being frangipani and pear.

 

The downside: as much as I’d say psyche yourself up for the jam-packedness of this place on a hot night, being warm can make one impatient.  Waiting in line for your own cool coppa can seem unbearable with the rowdy children and bodyheat between you and the cool cool refridgerated counter.   But I’d rather this than some chainstore who don’t make their own any day.