When I was researching for the best places to eat in Melbourne, one name consistently popped up in the recommended lists: Pidapipó!

Pidapipó is an Australian gelato chain based in Melbourne that serves “authentic, artisanal, Italian style” gelato. According to their website, the founder went to the best gelato university in Italy to learn the art of gelato-making, which is probably testament to how authentic their gelato is.

They abide by these three commandments:

All gelato must be made from scratch on site.

Small batches only. There is no good gelato without great ingredients.

Fruit is fresh, never frozen with no artificial flavouring, ever.

A lot of gimmicky marketing speak, but we were convinced that we had to try this gelato place at least once. Otherwise, how could we say that we’ve been to Melbourne before, right?

Hence, we made our way to Pidapipó’s store in Degraves St. CBD after dinner.

What to order & eat at Pidapipó

Being located right smack in the CBD meant that the queue was pretty long, but the wait was surprisingly manageable. I guess it doesn’t take very long to scoop gelato so the prep time is short?

Pidapipó actually changes up their menu every season. I believe they also have certain flavours that are reserved for specific stores. You can check out their website for the latest seasonal menu before you head down.

However, do also note that some popular flavours tend to sell out pretty early! This is especially if you’re visiting their stores with higher foot traffic.

For our first time at Pidapipó, both of us ordered the Mandarin Cream & Milk Chocolate ganache flavour.

I was quite surprised by how deliciously creamy the gelato was. I’ve had my fair share of gelato from various places, but this was the smoothest one I’ve ever eaten!

The gelato was also not cloyingly sweet, with a good strong taste of mandarin orange and hints of milk chocolate. Depending on your preference, you may wish the milk chocolate flavour is stronger. However, I do like my fruity flavours and really enjoyed this flavour balance.

It was so addictive that we gobbled down everything and secretly wished we had a second serving!

…and that is why we made a second trip to Pidapipó again towards the end of our trip!

The shop was even more crowded during the day. This is likely because we went around mid-afternoon when most people were having their tea break.

This time, we tried their signature Nutella Swirl (left), and the Hazelnut flavour.

Sadly, I didn’t enjoy the Nutella Swirl as much as I wanted to. I felt the flavour was a bit too nuanced and mild for me. The Hazelnut was excellent though – tasted more Nutella-y than the Nutella Swirl (oops)!

2025 update: we went back to Pidapipo again to satisfy our gelato cravings!

My husband ordered the milk chocolate, amarena cherry jam & dark chocolate shards and I had the mint choco. While mine was good, I had to say the chocolate flavour was definitely superior.

Is Pidapipó worth visiting?

I’ve never really fancied gelato or desserts a lot (will make an exception for Korea’s Sulbing) but Pidapipó’s gelato was so, so good!

I can tell why this gelato chain has made so many food recommendations, and I also highly encourage that you check it out when you’re in Melbourne.

Word of advice: skip the Nutella Swirl flavour!

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INDIVIDUAL RATING

• Menu: ✮✮✮✮
• Taste: ✮✮✮✮✮
• Price: ✮✮✮✮
• Ambience: ✮✮✮✮
• Customer Service: ✮✮✮✮✮

OVERALL RATING

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DIRECTIONS

Pidapipó’s addresses:

299 Lygon Street, Carlton VIC 3053

85 Chapel St, Windsor VIC 3181

8 Degraves St, Melbourne VIC 3000

429-431 Brunswick St, Fitzroy VIC 3065

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