Artisan Gelato, Edinburgh 01-2019

On a freezing 2C day, there is nothing better than gelato. I was the only one who thought this way and ended up here after a quick search for places around my Airbnb.

They serve an exceptional gelato. The pistachio was a perfect colour and flavour. The dark chocolate with orange wasn't one I've seen elsewhere, but a favourite chocolate of mine usually. It could have used a touch more orange, but that's just being picky. 70% dark is also the right amount of dark.

It was texturally great with no ice crystals. And of course in the cold it didn't melt at all.

It isn't cheap by any means, but it's very good.

Il Bio Gelato Di Salvatore, Budva 09-2018

I had a gelato place in mind in Budva and I knew it was between the bus station and the beach. Perfect. I planned to swing through on the way back after some time basking in the sun.

It's a long stand with many flavours on offer.

The hazelnut and pistachio were both adequate without either being very strong or overly memorable.

The server was very unhappy that she was in my photo. Oh well.

Marshall's Gelato, Sarajevo 09-2018

There wasn't much in the way of gelato in Sarajevo. But luckily I found one down the road of some central backstreets near the flat.

This place is essentially a large dessert cafe with plenty of seating space. I couldn't figure out the pricing system easily - it seemed to be 1.9 or 2.4 BAM per scoop depending upon the flavour.

The Sicilian pistachio was very thick with bits of nut. As per advertised it was slightly salty, whereas I tend to prefer a slightly sweeter one. On the other hand, the pear was quite odd and tangy. Not the finest, but good enough for the afternoon.

Gelato b058, Bol 09-2018

Along the promenade of Bol (and also I think a second smaller branch near the square) is b058 gelato.

After a tiring day braving the breeze along Zlatni Rat, it's nice to have gelato for the walk back. There are a few others ones closer to the beach itself, but they won't compare.

The nutella/hazelnut, summer fruit and pistachio were all savoured. The summer fruit had bits of fruit and the pistachio bits of pistachio. There were no crystals. The cones were a cool black colour but otherwise tasted normal. They also really filled the cones right up with gelato, and not only because it was melting in the heat. Flavours were good but not overly strong. Overall excellent. 

11kn per scoop.

Gelateria Spalato, Split 09-2018

We were looking to end the hot afternoon in Split with an icecream before going to Bol. We figured there had to be a decent one near the promenade. And yes we saw lots of the them with their fluoro colours and large advertising. Thanks to Google Maps however this one came up as close and so I had a target.

Gelato was nice but both flavours melded together. We should have asked for multiple cones as it was charged 9kn per scoop regardless.

One flavour was the pear & ginger and the other coconut. I'd go back, but have separate cones or at least different colours...

Conehenge, London 07-2018

In King's Cross they had an icecream exhibition. It seems pretty expensive to pay £12 just to walk around and read about icecream. I couldn't justify the entry price but took advantage of the Conehenge stand in the entrance.

If nothing else, the flavours are certainly unique (and expensive).

I tried the daffodil and the cardamom & vanilla flavours. Both were ok. Texture was reasonable, not all that creamy though. The cardamom could have used a stronger cardamom flavour.

Not my favourite place but adequate for a hot summer day.

Fenocchio, Nice 11-2018

There are a surprising number of artisanal icecreameries in the Nice old town. Unfortunately I only could try one in the short afternoon in Nice. I wanted Azzurro but who knows why they were closed on a Monday. Fenocchio was the other choice and very closeby there too.

There's an extraordinary number of flavours to match the large number of people waiting despite cold, wind and some rain.

Avocado isn't a flavour I see often and so I tried it. Unfortunately the pale colour should have informed me that it would be akin to underripe avocado, and indeed it was without a strong flavour. The pistachio underneath was better although much less potent than at Gusto in Antibes. I asked if I could sample the glowing green Tourte de Blettes (which the waiter told me was vegetarian and spinach based) but he refused and said no it wasn't possible. Really?

We also tried the a simple crepe which was texturally excellent. How do they do it...

Gusto Gelato & Pizza, Antibes 11-2018

Despite the windy cool breeze, 19C and some patches of sun meant that an early afternoon gelato was needed. Gusto was well reputed, although the nearby Del Porto (closed when I walked past) has better Google reviews.

Gusto was a really excellent gelato. The mango and pistachio were both incredibly creamy and had a certain smooth thickness. Unfortunately the pistachio did have two large ice crystals in it, but I'll have to forgive them because the texture and flavour was otherwise so good.

Patisserie Valerie, London 07-2018

Strangely enough there are no gelaterias near Spitalfields. You'd think there would be something given the clientele. Spitalfields market used to have a dessert stall next to the dumplings but it's fair to say their business unfortunately paled in comparison.

The nearest and closest is the proclaimed homemade icecream from Valerie with the outside corner exposing it to the courtyard with Tour de France playing on a big screen. On a 31C humid day, this was a much needed break.

The flavours are somewhat limited and not overly exciting. Hazelnut had a very mild flavour. Black Forest tasted like mild chocolate with some dried berry within it. There were some ice crystals in it too. Acceptable within the conditions albeit far from the best.

Süsse Sünde, Berlin 07-2018

With all these 28C days, gelato is always advised. I didn't get the chance to venture down to Jones but a more convenient option walking around Mitte was this one near the park. I couldn't read most of the flavours. In the end they didn't actually have a lot of them so there's no point preparing in advance.

The pricing is odd - €1.6 per scoop. Regardless of how many scoops or how many cones. So each person to their own single scoop cone then...

The rum & raisin was excellent with a clear rum flavour and dotted with raisins. The blueberry was also nice and somewhat sweet with no tartness. The textures were smooth and no crystals.

A solid option.