Gelupo

Sooo delicious… slightly out of season for some.., but never for me. I love going here. Beautiful cafe serving endless amounts of sumptuous flavoured delights. They have coffee, and books, and deli things, and… just go.

Oh, the healing power of Gelupo! My favourite for a gelato and espresso pick me up. You get served by lovely people in a lovely environment too! :)

This is five stars! Ignore the naysayers!

It’s getting to the point where I try to engineer meals with friends in this part of Soho so that I can “just happen to suggest” going to Gelupo instead of ordering dessert.

The seasonality of the flavours, the ambition involved in some of the combinations (beetroot was a factor last time we went)… it’s the best gelato in London.

The. Best.

For photos and more:
http://hungryinlondon.com/2011/06/gelupo-snog-gelato-vs-f...

And then there is the naughty option of Italian gelato. Having grown up very close to the border to Italy, I have had my fair share of delicious Italian ice cream from early childhood and I never quite got used to the very heavy ice creams with too much cream that you commonly get in the Anglo-Saxon world.

Gelupo is the younger brother of the hugely successful Italian tapas place Bocca di Lupo and in addition to its main shop in Soho has also a subsidiary at Harvey Nichols in Knightsbridge. What flavour to choose when your options are for something as delicious sounding as example Ricotta, Coffee and Honey or Strawberries and Chantilly Cream?

I went for chocolate (this is not very experimental, I know, but I just always go for chocolate) and the ricotta and sour cherry. The chocolate was luscious, dark and rich and the ricotta and sour cherry fresh, creamy and moreish. I don’t know how many calories these 2 scoops had and I think we better not talk about it.

Without any doubt, Gelupo does excellent gelato with some truly interesting flavour creations. That’s all I can say really.

Having been here more times than I can remember, I think it is safe to say that I love Gelupo. It is the perfect place to go after the theatre or as a way to end the night on a high. In fact, I've got into such a routine with Gelupo that every time I am close to it in Soho, I'm hit with a double-whammy of coffee and ice cream cravings (- did I mention that their coffee is also delish?).
I usually go for the mint straciatella and the nocciola in a tub - the mint straciatella is out-of-this-world, it is so fresh! And the nocciola is just so creamy and yum.

The actual venue is really bright, clean and colourful - and they have lots of Italian paraphernalia around the store for you to marvel at. They even have a selection of olive oils - but I can't say I've ever seen anyone pick olive oil over the ice cream!

Late last night, to cheer me up after I smashed the 50mm lens on my SLR (entirely my fault, but I was very sad), I suggested ice cream. Off we skipped to Scoop, to find it shut pretty early. Oh no! No ice cream fix to cheer me up!

And then I remembered nearby Gelupo, and according to Qype Radar they closed at 11. We had 10 minutes to get ourselves there and try it out. I've never been so pleased for my Qype app, and to see happy smiling faces queuing up for their iced treats. The lady who served us was so friendly. She let us had little tastes of the flavours we fancied. I'm head over heels with the burnt caramel and pecan. I wasn't so keen on the pear, cinnamon and ricotta but I'm not the biggest cinnamon fan. I was hoping they'd have the cherry flavour I'd heard so much about but they had none (although if you're tempted today - 3.2.11 - I was informed that they've made some more and it'll be ready now). Instead I went for the aforementioned pecan, with brownie and hazlenut as well. The former was tastier, but both excellent. I was in a cheery happy ice cream place. I tried the Boy's blood orange granita too. SO TASTY.

A large granita and two scoops of ice cream was £7. Not cheap, but if you're in Soho and it's warm enough, strolling down the street eating ice cream is sometimes a nicer option than staying in a restaurant for dessert. I really really liked Gelupo. Top marks for the lovely, friendly staff. And extra points for the almond wafers too.

I've been cheered by ice cream. I've even almost stopped moaning about my camera lens.

Really great gelato, the lovely guy gave me tons of samples. Tiramiso had pieces of cakes in it and there was one with caramel. I ended up with clementine sorbet and pistachio for a medium size cup for £3

Some restaurants have great main courses, but might not do the dessert you're after. If you're walking distance away, head on over for the Chocolate Sorbet. Eat, and then sigh with utter joy. Ahhhh that's better.

P.S. there are lots of other flavours, but to be fair, I've not wanted to stray from that exquisite taste of chocolate perfection.

Scoop of Iced Joy: around £3

I love this place. Cunningly tucked away down a Soho side street, it's one of those secret Diagon Alley-style places that you stumble across, rave about to all your friends, and then have a temper tantrum when you can't find it again.

Once you've tracked it down, though, it's worth all the heartache and wandering around Soho wondering it if was all a dream. The staff are friendly and knowledgeable, and will insist you try dollops of every flavour you fancy and advise you on how to best to combine them.

I opted for ricotta and sour cherry on my last visit and it was delicious - fruity, light and refreshing. The gelato here isn't as decadently rich as that served up at Scoop, but that isn't necessarily a bad thing - it just means that there's heavenly ice-cream for every mood to be found within minutes of each other. As long as you can remember which side street it's down.

From the Bocca De Lupo team accross the road this is an awesome Ice Cream parlour/coffee bar/deli offering some fantastic flavours.

Pear, Cinnamon and Ricotta, Pistachio and Ricotta, Coffee and Honey in the ice cream were fabulous and unusual.

The sorbets were where it came into its own though I think, we were dubious but while tasting were told - they don't taste like sorbet - and they really don't.

Chocolate was rich and dark while the coffee was just unbelievably good, like a creamy iced coffee in a tub. Matched with the coconut to take the edge off, what a treat.

The deli is fab as well, with a range of frozen sauces that you could probably pass off as your own, some fantastic meats, olive wood implements and even a whole octopus in the freezer.

The quality of Gelupo's ice cream is undeniable and also its authenticity as Italian gelato (which just means ice cream).
That said, I won't be able to avoid the comparison with Scoop so here we go. Gelupo it's less creamy and lusty, more delicate and creative.
I had two ricotta-based flavours, pear / cinnamon and coffee / honey, and was given little tastes of the amazing chocolate sorbet and the ricotta / sour cherry. All perfectly balanced, never too sugary or too rich.
Too bad the portions are on the small side, which leaves you wanting more but also a bit disappointed.

A serious competitor for Scoop has just appeared in Soho. Not only the ice cream and sorbets are fantastic, but the staff is extremely nice and friendly. They offer you to try as many flavours as you want and never get impatient or loose the smile.

I've been there twice and have tried bonet (chocolate + cafe + egg + rum, incredible but too dense for me to have a whole scoop), chocolate sorbet (really good, Scoop's is still better), ricotta + coffe + honey, coconut sorbet (the first time I find non-dairy coconut flavour, it was amazing), blackcurrant (so fruity!) and avocado & honey. The last one is my favourite so far, I love original flavours, specially if they are so tasty.

To sum up, two visits in one week, and I already have the loyalty card.

Oh, and I haven't tried the deli and don't really think I will, the gelato simply monopolizes all my attention.