Piccolina Gelateria Collingwood

This gleaming Piccolina Gelateria flagship store (there’s another smaller store in Hawthorn, which came first) has a team of four chefs, headed by Sandra Foti, making gelato the traditional way. You can watch them making the next batch of gelato from a long bar that runs alongside the kitchen.

As well as 20 regular flavours and four kinds of granita there are four rotating gelato specials each week. There’s also the option to top your gelato with rich liquid chocolate, churned in an on-site fountain.

The flagship site is also home to Piccolina’s commercial kitchen, which produces gelato for both stores. A 20-litre nut grinder allows Piccolina to produce about 600 to 800 kilograms of nut butter a week. These form the base of gelato flavours such as pistachio and hazelnut.

The glossy, minimalist interior is based on various architectural gems discovered during the site’s renovation. The original pressed-metal ceiling and terrazzo floors have been restored, as has brickwork in shades of green, cream and brown paint.