Craving some ice cream or gelato? There’s a sweet new space in town, serving up artisanal gelato with 28 rotating flavours. Pop by Mondo Gelateria on Elizabeth Street, and treat yourself to a cool scoop or two. This dessert shop was founded by gelato artist Rio Olivetti, who was trained by the Head of Carpigiani Gelato University in Bologna. On top of the scoops, you can also expect an aperitif bar serving up gelato flights infused with limoncello, an assortment of coffee for when you need a caffeine boost, and a whole stack of seasonal cakes, eclairs, cookies and other desserts. Mondo Gelateria will open on Friday January 23, and stay open seven days a week, from 7:30am to 11:30pm.
Mondo Gelateria
Enter a 150-year-old building, and discover a peach-coloured world filled with bright and cheery desserts. Look up at the ceiling, and take in the sun-shaped light installation, casting its warm glow over the sweet treats below.
Take your taste buds on a journey around the globe with 28 rotating gelato flavours. Expect fun fusions like yuzu-blood orange, cassis calamansi, matcha-mango and strawberry shortcake with pistachio. Don’t forget to try one of the five house favourites:
- Black Forest Gateau – cherry and chocolate gelato with kirsch liqueur-infused Amarena cherries, layered with chocolate sponge
- Pistachio Crunch – Sicilian pistachio gelato, dotted with pistachio praline and a salted pistachio crunch
- Salted Caramel – swirls of house-made caramel, along with kumquats and freeze-dried raspberries
- Chocolate Fudge Brownie – dark chocolate gelato, mixed with fudgy brownie goodness
- Lemon Cheesecake – mixed with almond slivers and chunks of roasted lemon chake
If you don’t feel like gelato, opt for a delicate designer pastry. Led by Taiwanese pastry chef duo Peini Yu and Jasper Yang, you can expect seasonal cakes, petit gateaux, eclairs, brioche and freshly baked cookies. Signature cakes include a Black Forest Gelato Cake and a Yuzu-Pistachio Mousse Cake.
Don’t forget the drinks
Quench your thirst with a cool drink from the aperitif bar. Each month, there will be a new concept, so you’ll have to keep coming back for more. Sip on gelato flights infused with limoncello. Expect flavours like lemon verbena and toasted coconut; yuzu, elderflower and Davidson plum; and charred mandarin and pear.
There will also be coffee available from Veneziano Roasters, and creative cold-brew concoctions, like:
- Tokyo Drift – Ethiopian blend infused with matcha, yuzu and miso caramel, topped with caramel foam and chocolate shavings.
- Casablanca Dusk – Ethiopian Single Origin blend infused with orange blossom honey, lemon zest and mint leaf, topped with almost milk foam and pistachio dust.
- Seoul Harmony – Ethiopian brew infused with plum and barley, topped with rice foam and black sesame.
- Peach Bellini – Single Origin blend infused with elderflower, peach and grapefruit soda, topped with elderflower cheese foam.
Mondo is open until 11:30pm each night, so you can enjoy a late-night treat. There will be DJs to soundtrack your evening, as well as a fridge stacked with takeaway options.
Weekly specials include:
- Uni Nights (Monday to Wednesday) – students can enjoy specials, as well as curated tees and coffee
- White Night Thursdays – dress in white and take a flight
- Weekend DJ Sessions (Friday and Saturday) – visit after dark for DJ beats and gelato
- Family Day (Sunday) – kids under 10 can enjoy gelato for $4.80 a scoop
Learn more about Mondo here.
📍215 Elizabeth St, Melbourne VIC 3000