Where Chefs Eat: 23 Top Chefs on Melbourne’s Best Ice-Cream and Gelato

East and Southeast Asian flavours are in the spotlight right now, and one Filipino shop is a clear standout for this group of Melbourne chefs. There are also nostalgic Carlton shops, new-wave gelaterias and creative ice-creameries to get around.

Nat Thaipun, Masterchef 2024 winner and cookbook author

Fluffy Torpedo. I’m weird – I only eat ice-cream in winter. I usually go for a sorbet or something not too sweet. My dream line-up: blue cheese, roasted fig, brown sugar jam, or the real orange juice and Mount Zero EVOO one.

Saavni Krishnan, Saadi

Gelato is great, but a good ice-cream is something special and Luther’s Scoops makes the best ice-cream. I always get the brown butter cheesecake. No changes, ever.

Sriram Aditya, Saadi

I like Fluffy Torpedo. I like their experimental flavours, but if I had to pick a favourite it would be the marshmallow, grape Aeroplane jelly and pink salt. 

Esca Khoo, Tyga

Kori Ice Cream by chef Joane Yeoh. This place is a heaven of Japanese-focused flavours. I always go for the soba-cha and black sesame. Oh, and the saké is so damn good!

Ravi Presser, Ruzia’s

My father had a shop in the city on Lonsdale and Swanston streets for over 35 years. When I was young, he would take me to Casa del Gelato on Lygon Street. I distinctly remember having the lemon gelato, and still to this day it blows my mind. I always only get fruit gelato: fresh, bright and acidic.

Aitor Jeronimo Orive, Basque Txoko

Honestly, just wander up and down Lygon Street, and pick anywhere. It’s the home of Italian gelato in Melbourne, you can’t go wrong. In saying that, I think Pidapipo is great and, flavour-wise, I’ll always go for pistachio no matter where I am.

Sofia Levin, Masterchef judge

Kariton Sorbetes. I adore the fact that the flavours are massive crowd-pleasers, even though they are heavily based on Filipino nostalgia. Ube is on regular rotation. It’s bright purple with chunks of fudge and blackberry jam, as well as caramelised coconut curd. My favourite, though, when available, is the champorado, based on a Filipino breakfast dish of chocolate rice pudding made with glutinous rice, often served with dried salted fish. The gelato version is chocolate with toasted glutinous rice, candied cacao nibs and fish-sauce salted caramel.

Mino Han, Alt

I love Piccolina and I always get the same flavour: fior di latte. It gives you the perfect balance of sweetness and slight bitterness after a meal. I can never walk past without going in.

Charlie Duffy, Small Batch

If you haven’t had the pistachio at Cono Gelateria, you’re missing out. The texture and flavour is something else.

Hendri Budiman, Juni

It is a hard battle. I love Kori and Cono. Kori leans towards modern Asian-inspired flavours (I get the Dassai saké and the fuji apple), while Cono satisfies cravings for more basic flavours (I get the pistachio and the passionfruit).

Khanh Ong, The George on Collins

Kariton Chinatown! I get the fish sauce caramel or ube, but they have such fun flavours, I actually just love coming and trying a different one each time.

Michael McAulay, Yiaga

I guess I’m somewhat of a traditionalist when it comes to ice-cream. If I’m in the city, I’ll always go to Piccolina and I’ll always order one scoop of pistachio. Special mention to Luther’s Scoops. Their ice-creams are incredibly original and extremely delicious. They need to open up south of the river.

Ross Lusted, Marmelo

Gelato Messina in Fitzroy. I order the chocolate and hazelnut. Messina produces the chocolate [from cocoa grown in the] Daintree Forest, grows its own hazelnuts, and the milk is all from Victoria. It is truly a great Australian product.

Albin, AJ and Arbi Lawang, Pecks Road

Albin: Kariton’s ube and turon gelatos have special places in my heart.

AJ: Kariton. I get the choc nut.

Arbi: It’s gotta be Kariton for the watermelon, cantaloupe and honeydew sorbet.

Hyoju Park, Madeleine de Proust

My favourite ice-cream spot is Luther’s Scoops. The dark chocolate Earl Grey is my favourite. It’s rich and floral at the same time.

Sarah Chan, Past Port

Kori Ice-Cream. I love the range of flavours they create. Creative, Asian‑inspired flavours that are refreshing and delicious. It makes me really happy to see fellow Malaysians excelling in their craft.

Coşkun Uysal, Tulum

Piccolina. I’m obsessed with the passionfruit and mango sorbet. I literally see it in my dreams, it’s that good.

Andy Allen, Masterchef judge

I smash ice-cream. My go-to is the pistachio at Pidapipo. But if I’m up for an adventure, it’s Fluffy Torpedo.

Jack Muir-Rigby, Masses Bagels

Luther’s Scoops. I always get the banoffee pie scoop, usually paired with the rhubarb custard pie on top.

Scott Eddington, Arnolds

It’s predictable, but in my opinion the tiramisu at Messina is unmatched.

Elias Salomonsson, Circl

Definitely Piccolina. I’m an absolute sucker for anything peanut butter, so that’s always my go-to order. The flavours are rich and balanced – it’s hard to find a better shop.