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Il Gelatiere
Category: Food Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt [Edit]
647 Mount Pleasant RoadToronto, ON M4S 2N2
Neighbourhood: Mount Pleasant and Davisville
(416) 488-2663
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
28 reviews for Il Gelatiere
Review Highlights
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"This is by far the best gelato place in town." In 20 reviews -
"OK, all were delicious, but let's get to the pistachio." In 6 reviews -
"The 'Pistacchio' is also marvellous." In 2 reviews
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28 reviews in English
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Review from Marcel L.
Toronto, ON
7/17/2011
Gelato is not ice-cream, and texture is a major difference. The base is less sugary and flavour is more intense. Il Gelatiere knows that, and for those reasons I prefer gelato here than any other places.
I like purity of flavour and I find Nocciola, Cioccolato, Pistacchio and Caffe' some of the most basic yet popular flavours where its possible to feel "La difference". In over two years of my pilgrimage to the place I was able to contain my urge, and not to become addicted to it.
My five stars go to "Il Gelatiere" because their product speaks for itself, and it has been consistent in the long run. -
Review from Linda M.
8/21/2011
This weekend was apparently made to remind me of my Euro travels! First France, now Italy. Walking into Il Gelatiere, it made me very happy to see that the gelato was set out just as it would have been in Italy. The flavours were written in Italian, and there was a piece of fruit or something else to indicate what it was if you didn't understand. The major difference of course was the price! I remember going to a Gelato place in Florence twice a day for a week, and it was only 1.50 euros for a cup with two flavours. But whenever specialties are imported, the price inflates, and I'll take it for gelato this tasty!
It was very warm so I definitely wanted refreshing flavours. I chose raspberry and coconut, and the boy got stracciatella and strawberry. The raspberry was exactly how it should be with a nice sharp flavour. The coconut also had an amazing taste. It wasn't like other gelato I've had in the city where I can't really tell what the flavour was. With these, you knew immediately. The strawberry and stracciatella were good too, but I preferred the strong and refreshing flavours that I had chosen.
All in all, fantastic gelato at a rather high price point - but worth it in my opinion.Listed in: Sweets and Treats, Vive Italia!
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Review from Madelaine D.
Toronto, ON
6/3/2011
Fine Italian Gelato, on a patio in the summer? YES PLEASE!
This place is open late, it always seems to be busy and has 20+ flavours of delicious gelato to choose from. They create their own flavours (the most unique we had was cake batter).
It's run by a husband and wife team but teenagers man the counters.
There is both indoor seating as well as an outdoor patio.
All I can say is I'm glad I don't live closer to this place...it would be a constant struggle of will power not to come here too regularly.
It's a must try! -
Review from Magdalena R.
Toronto, ON
5/11/2011
The hardest part of going to this place is choosing what flavours to consume.
Everything I have tried so far has been unfogettable, and therefore added to the problem when coming back and trying to choose something new but clearly remembering the awesomeness that was had before.
Dilemmas, dilemmas. -
Review from Jennifer K.
Markham, ON
2/4/2011 5 photos
I always prefer a Gelato guy... but the Gelato lady here Il Gelatiere is as Italian as you can get! :P Italian Mama serving me Gelato! :P
On a cold winter afternoon.. no wait and no lineup.. who in their right mind would be having Gelato aside from a bundle of toddlers.. who will have ice cream for breakfast/lunch/dinner regardless of what time of the year! Aside from kids with the poor parents...and me!
Small Gelato with 2 flavours (Pistaschio/Tiramisu) for $4. Love the Pistachio and Meh for Tiramisu.. Not cheap for a small cup...
Wearing my Down Jacket, eating Gelato, looking out at all the snow..... -
Review from Monica B.
Toronto, ON
2/17/2011
I came here on a cool day to have gelato for the first time. Yes, I know, I've been living in darkness!
Luckily I didn't have to experience any line-ups and I found myself standing over glass and looking down at what you call gelato- it looked beautiful! There wasn't a lot of selection at the time, and many of the flavours I could not pronounce or come to any grasp as to what they were. The staff was kind and helped me pick out what I wanted. I got the 'small' and it was pretty small, nothing generous and pricey too.
I sat in their somewhat small, clean and shiny place in front of a flat screen TV and really enjoyed my mango and coffee flavour goodness.
The gelato was very good and not too sweet. However, it wasn't anything outstanding for the price.Listed in: Mt Pleasant & Eglinton Area
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Review from Daniel B.
North York, ON
6/4/2011
The ice cream here *was* good - not sure what's happened, but this year it lacks any flavour at all.
I've been coming here every summer since the day they've opened, usually 1x per week. Loved it, pricey, but worth it for home made ice cream, which in Canada usually means the junk from Baskin Robins or worst, Dairy Queen.
Is this place the best ice cream in Toronto? If it is, wait till you go and try ice cream in Switzerland or the best in the world, Argentina. These places make the best ice cream going by far.
Back to the review...
My usual is Chocolate and Lemon. A classic. Two visits this May, and both time the flavour was flat. It was much worst then usual. I won't be coming here anymore. Now we go to Gelato Hollywood on Bayview about 6 blocks away.
Sorry, make better ice cream if you want us to return. -
Review from WaYnE c.
Maple, ON
10/5/2010
I finally found a LADY Gelato server but sad to say, I was a bit disappointed... I'll stick to Gelato guys instead until further notice. :(
This place has a patio for Summer usage and 2 LCD to watch the news as this setting of metallic tables & chairs along with those classy spotlights gives this place a Cool/Hip feel that is probably more suitable to the Yonge & Eligible rather than the Young Children.
Medium Gelato(Yogurt/Passion Fruit/Strawberry, $4.50) were pretty good I guess but that Yogurt as described to me as European-style tasted quite different. I'm thinking it tasted like Ricotta Cheese or something of that sort, I'm not exactly sure.
I wanted something clean and refreshing on the palette and the Fruity fridge was referred to me. Strawberry was nice while Passion Fruit was okay and then that Yogurt I'll have to skip next time and forever more.Listed in: Desserts - Frozen
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Review from Justin E.
Toronto, ON
5/24/2009 ROTD 6/3/2009
Let me start by saying that I am severely lactose intolerant. Which as you might imagine often presents a problem when having milk-based products like, oh, I don't know, gelato, which is frozen, flavoured milk.
And yet...this place is so good that I'm willing to spend several hours praying to the Porcelain God just to have a taste of their wares. (I now go everywhere packing Lactaid pills just in case I happen to end up at this place at the end of the day - true story.)
The gelato is freshly prepared every day, comes in about 40 flavours and is honestly so good it'll make you wanna slap your pappy. I am not condoning violence against anyone, mind you, but damn.
One warning: if you are either lactose intolerant or obese, miiiight wanna steer clear cause it's bound to get rough... -
Review from Shari M.
Toronto, ON
11/21/2009 4 photos
Craving ice cream, but not heavy ice cream. Il Gelatiere checked off all my requisite boxes.
As I would bastardize in even trying to remember and write out the iced gem's actual name...I will just say that it was a creamy vanilla with chunks of dark chocolate.
Like Kat, I got a small take out container to go. I could not believe how much of the ice cream got packed into this container. I would have stopped about half the way!
The decor is my style - modern, clean lines. Pretty and simple. The owner, a very handsome gentleman, added to the perfect ambiance!!!
Once I got my package of goodness home I was not disappointed. Light, just sweet enough, all round perfect.Listed in: Mid Town
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Review from Andrea R.
Toronto, ON
8/7/2011
After eating dinner at Viva Napoli, I decided I needed some Italian dessert to go along with it, so I headed to Il Gelatiere. There were several families with young kids in there, but the service was good at getting them all taken care of quickly. The selection of gelato was impressive... a lot of flavors that I hadn't seen before, and they all looked great. For me, the sign of authentic gelato is a very pale green pistachio gelato, and Il Gelatiere had just that. I had a small cup with pistachio and chocolate/nutella, which was an amazing combination. I mentioned to the server that I was going to be moving to Toronto in the next couple weeks, and he spent a few minutes chatting with me about all the great things I needed to check out. Very friendly and welcoming-- Italian hospitality (and gelato) at its best.
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Review from Kat F.
5/26/2009 3 photos
Il Gelatiere has all the hallmarks of a typical gelateria:
* random pedestrians namedropping it from more than six blocks away
* lineup out the door
* dozens of flavours, 75% of which you can't pronounce/translate from Italian by guessing alone
* overwhelmed customers struggling to decide on a flavour
* sweating, increased saliva production and heart palpitations in anticipation of gelato consumption.
I picked up a mixed cup of fiordilatte (cream/vanilla - the original gelato flavour) and cioccolato (chocolate) as well as a tub to go. They have two sizes of to-go styrofoam packed containers and I opted for the smaller one. They pack it super tightly with as many flavours as you like - I went fruity with banana, kiwi and lemon. They seal the container AND wrap it, then bag it and hand it to you - very professional. It was about $15 and I imagine it'll last a while as the quantity is quite substantial.Listed in: Jammin' With Gelato
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Review from Laura D.
Toronto, ON
7/14/2009
Seeing as gelato is verging on one of my life's passions, imagine my excitement when a friend recommended this gelateria! On a recent trip to Italy almost all of my espresso's were complimented with a piece of Cioccolato al Peperoncino (Dark chocolate with chili pepper), and although many gelateria's claim to have such a flavour, they lie! The cold of the gelato itself tends to diminish the effect of the chili...except of course at the Gelatiere! The 'Pistacchio' is also marvellous!
Their selection is extensive and their gelato fantastic! Most certainly worth the line-up! -
Review from Heather B.
Scarborough, ON
9/18/2009
Well Kat you're right on this one.
I had no idea what the flavours where, I had to guess haha.
I ended up with Cherry (which was lovely because it had actually cherries in it, and it was creamy), and Tufato? I think that is how to spell it, with chocolate, cream and rum.
What can you really say, who doesn't like gelato? :) -
Review from Vanda O.
Toronto, ON
8/30/2011
Really great place for lemon gelato.
And you can get nice biscotti which are gluten-free! Oh my goodness. -
Review from Vanessa G.
Toronto, ON
10/10/2008
Another amazing gelato establishment. This place is always busting at the seams with patrons dying for some sweet Italian flavour.
This place boasts by far the most flavours of any place I've been; pistachio, hazelnut, strawberry, and so many more. Every time I come here I get the chocolate ( I know, I'm boring) but they just do it right. The simple rich, buttery cocoa flavour just melts in your mouth. It's one of those things I get a mad craving for every couple of months.
On a hot summer day, nothing beats this place. Just make sure you give yourself enough time to wait in line for a while. -
Review from Amanda D.
Toronto, ON
1/20/2009
As a self-professed gelato-holic, I've tried most gelaterie in the city and many in Italy. This is by far the most authentic Italian gelato in Toronto. The owner is from Rome and still has two other locations there.
Their prices are pretty well in line with places in Toronto and you can also order a bucket of the stuff to take home. Decor is modern sleek, very white and silver, and they play popular Italian tunes overhead.
Now on to the ice cream: nocciola (hazelnut) of course is fantastic, as is the pistacchio, cioccolato al peperoncino (chocolate with chili), orange chocolate, and limone. Gelato is made with milk rather than cream and flavoured with real fruit or nuts, so it's much lighter and more flavourful than American-style ice cream. In the summer, the lines are enormous but totally worth the wait. Of course, their business goes down in the winter, but still merits a visit as they serve Nutella crepes and fantastic cappuccino and espresso too!
Finally, this place is extremely addictive...so don't say I didn't warn you!Listed in: Missing Italy?
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Review from M P.
Toronto, ON
6/2/2010
This is by far the best gelato place in town!!!
- Top-notch authentic gelatos with lots of flavors to choose from
- Friendly services, some real Italians so I imagine they know their gelatos
- Not cheap, but worth every penny
- Oh yeah, they have Italian music in the background too (really adds to the experience I tell you)
The only problem is that there are only a couple of tables and chairs outside, no patio, and a few inside.... So if you want a sitdown, you have to be really lucky!!
All in all, I give this place 2 thumbs up!!! -
Review from Downtown D.
Toronto, ON
8/7/2010
First off I'm not a gelato connoisseur by any means but I know when something I like tastes good.
Lots of flavours to choose from - yes the signs are in Italian except for the banana flavoured one but the server I had was fine with translating. I had trouble choosing since I wanted to sample everything.
I ended up with the mixed fruit, melon and hazelnut flavours in the half kg styrofoam container. Nicely wrapped in ice cream printed paper. By the time I got home (about half an hour) it was a little soft but I quickly put it in the freezer.
I went after work so there was no line up and tables were free.
Can't wait to savour some more! -
Review from Helen L.
Toronto, ON
8/24/2009
Gelato has got to be one of my favorite summer snacks. It is perfect for a hot summer night or just any time of the day! I'm a fan of Hollywood Gelato and Soma Chocolatemaker so I came with high expectations. I was a little disappointed that they didn't have flavors like Strawberry & Mint or Blueberry & Basil at Soma Chocolatemaker but I do have to say that the pistachio gelato that I tried is the best I've ever had. I also got Fico (fig) but probably won't get it again. Maybe some fruits are just not meant to be gelato flavors!
If you do check this place out, be prepared to wait in line! The whole time we were there, the line just kept on getting longer. That being said, its worth the wait! -
Review from Joanne S.
Toronto, ON
7/11/2011 1 Check-in Here
Great gelato and coffee bar in Mount Pleasant Village. Very reasonable prices, many flavours to choose from, and friendly staff! The quality of the gelato is one notch above Hollywood Gelato a block away IMO. The pistachio gelato, compared to that of Hollywood's, is much creamier and richer. They also have a nice patio and indoor seating as well.
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Review from David M.
Toronto, ON
6/10/2010
(Closer to 4.5 stars.)
My cousin and I each opted for medium cups (5.25 vs La Paloma's 6.50), me - chocolate/lemon and her - cappuccino/pistachio.
OK, all were delicious, but let's get to the pistachio. It was like no pistachio I've ever tasted, except the actual nut. All other pistachio ice creams I've tasted had that acceptable, fake-pistachio taste. This tasted like the actual roasted nut. I swear I could taste the crispy skin of the nut. It was amazing. Try it.
NB I preferred my lemon to the chocolate, and I'm a chocolate lover. -
Review from Ktimene G.
8/19/2009
Total indulgence:
- They have gluten-free cones!
- The yoghurt flavor is both tangy and creamy-- delightful! I have no idea whether the yoghurt is actually healthier than the gelato, but I like to pretend it is.
- Marzipan awaits at the checkout-- in the form of fruits like cherries and pears-- filled with chocolate!
- They don't laugh you out when you make feeble attempts to speak Italian. That's service! -
Review from Nandan F.
Ottawa, ON
12/2/2010
This is my fav gelato place in town...so far. They have a super friendly staff that takes the time to walk you through all their flavours and may even offer you a taste sample. One can get 3 flavours per serving. They have a few tiny tables cramped inside the store and a few chairs on a side street. Try their hazelnut and coffee flavours...damn! You may find it a bit pricey but its worth it.
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Review from Mi R.
North York, ON
11/17/2011
best gelato i've ever had, better than Dolce Gelato, Hollywood Gelato, The Mad Italian.
Rich flavour with just the right amount of sweetness. Smooth texture without the random little icy chucks at Dolce Gelato or the playdough-like consistency at Hollywood Gelato. And you can actually taste each distinctive flavour unlike The Mad Italian (where i could barely tell which flavour is which). I love Il Gelatiere!!!
I tried Hazelnut, pistacchio, caffe, maria. (their pistacchio flavour is my favorite) -
Review from Ed S.
5/31/2010
Get the chocolate. It's intense, flavorful, deep and creamy. It's not cheap, but it is good.
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Review from Stacey O.
Toronto, ON
2/9/2011
We have been going to Il Gelatiere since they opened a few years ago. It's a family owned business and the family is lovely. Their gelato is delicious! The space is bright and clean. It's not unusual to see a line-up out the door on a warm summer night. In addition to single servings they have take-out containers too so you can take home gelato for the whole family. They also make wonderful waffles! I suggest you check it out for yourself!
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Review from MyToronto S.
Toronto, ON
8/8/2010
Yesterday is the last time I will EVER go back to Il Gelaterie, even though it's a short walk away from my home. The first time my husband and I went to Il Gelaterie, the individual serving us was rude and snobby. My husband did not like their attitude - which was even colder than the gelato they served quite frankly - but given it is close to us, we went there a couple of other times. The service was by no means friendly, but given both times were extremely busy, we didn't mind. However, I took a friend there yesterday to try the gelato which i think is good. The server was not friendly and when we asked for one scoop each in two separate cups she didn't mention that each cup or cone is two scoops. So we ended up with two scoops of the same flavour which we didn't want. When we mentioned that that was not what we understood and if we can change our flavours, the cashier, a rather rude woman, said that the server had told us that. First of all, the cashier was not there. Second of all, if you want to please a customer, the first thing you do is let them know there may have been a misunderstanding and try and fix the situation rather than accusing the customer that they are wrong. My friend was so appalled that she won't be visiting again. And I am totally disgusted by the service and will never be returning. I would much rather walk a few minutes more and go to the Mad Italian or Hollywood Gelato on Bayview where the gelato is equally good, but I feel welcomed. I'm not sure if I should feel a slight sense of racism, but it seems to be that for the most part, the servers are friendly to the "local" neighbourhood clientele. I hope they learn from this as I'm not one to write reviews often, but this one was definitely an experience where I needed to speak my mind about.
