Gelato Messina

Gelato Messina is a sleek and stylish gelateria churning out delicious Italian ice cream and sorbet from a spiffy laneway location in Fortitude Valley.

Located on Ada Lane in James Street precinct, next door to Jocelyn's Provisions, this is the second Brisbane store for Gelato Messina (the other is in South Brisbane).  

Everything at Messina is made from scratch using the highest-quality ingredients. The milk used in their gelato comes from Jersey cows on their own dairy farm in country Victoria. They make their own chocolate using premium Ecuadorian cacao, grow their own luscious strawberries in New South Wales and have their own hazelnut farm north of Melbourne.  

Instore you'll find 40 flavours - 35 traditional & 5 weekly specials - including gluten-free and vegan flavours. Scrumptious flavours include cookies and cream, coconut and lychee, chocolate chip, hazelnut, hokeypokey, passionfruit, pistachio, pandan and Messina's most popular sorbet, salted coconut and mango salsa.

While the weekly specials are rotated, a few of the flavours crafted are Gelato to the Rescue (banana bread gelato with cream cheese frosting) and Fragole E Zabaglione (zabaglione gelato with marsala soaked strawberries). 

In addition, there are gelato shakes like The Classic (dulce de leche and white chocolate hazelnut gelato with a shot of espresso), Key Key Do You Love Me (vanilla gelato and key lime pie) and Princess Peach (vanilla gelato, peach and raspberry puree, baked meringue, marshmallow and jelly). 

For special occasions there are gorgeous gelato cakes ranging from Bombe Alaska and boysenberry cheesecake to tiramisu tart and strawberries and cream cake.

By Deb Lidster 

The menu may have changed since our visit.