Gelatissimo Cafe

   
I am not really a fan of cafes located in malls because I hate the crowd. However, because of my craving for ice cream, I really had to get past the busy crowd of Trinoma Mall just to have a taste of the gelato they’re serving in this gelato bar. 
   

   

I had no other option as I’ve noticed that, because of my series of eating sprees, I have gained some extra pounds and I didn’t really want to pack up some more by eating more fatty desserts. I thought that this was just the perfect place because, as I’ve heard, the ice creams they serve here are fat-free.

AMBIANCE AND ENVIRONMENT

As usual, I went to this cafe with my regular food buddy (as I wanted to taste the gelatos she’ll order too). It was a very rainy day and it was a good thing that this place is located in a mall as we got to dry ourselves in Trinoma’s restrooms before we went here. 

When we finally reached the store, dry and all, I was instantly impressed by the shop’s interior because, for such a small café, I found this place to be well decorated and very refreshing. 

What’s noticeable is that the interior is predominantly red.

The entire store was also very clean and the chandeliers inside gave the place a more elegant air.  It’s also worth noting that the chairs and benches here are very soft and comfortable to sit on.

Also, the walls at the far end of the shop have some patterns and illustrations printed on the surface, making them more interesting and, to complete the cafe experience, there were several Christmas songs playing in the background while we were happily eating our gelatos. 

Overall, I was fairly satisfied with the place. My only qualm is concerning the acoustics of the shop. This is probably not a very good meeting place as it can get very noisy inside, especially if there are many people.

FOOD AND DRINKS

There are plenty of gelato flavors to choose from in the shop, ranging from the common fruity flavors to the specialty ones. It was so hard to pick which ones to order.

Thankfully, we were allowed to taste some of the gelato flavors before ordering a full scoop by requesting the staff to give us a small sample on a plastic spoon. 

After the tasting, I and my friend both decided to have two scoops of gelatos. I tried their Panna Cotta and Lemon Cheesecake flavors and my friend had a combination of Chocolate Truffle and Forest Berries. By the way, a scoop of gelato costs P 110.00 and with just P 50 more, one could get two scoops already.

Panna Cotta & Lemon Cheesecake (P 160.00)

This was a slightly boring combination as both of these gelato flavors are light colored and they look pretty much the same. My friend said that my pick didn’t have any personality at all but I liked this combination anyway. 

Panna Cotta 

For me, this is the best flavor we’ve sampled for the day. It was very light and just had the right sweetness. It felt like I was eating a slice of cake or some chilled Creme Brulee without the unnecessary fat content. No wonder, it’s a bestseller. Look at how it appears almost sold out!

Lemon Cheesecake

This was sweet and creamy with a light lemony flavor. I didn’t enjoy this much at first try but it easily became my favorite after a while. I just love how the flavor of the lemon blended with the sweetness of the gelato. It felt like eating a real cheesecake!

Chocolate Truffle & Forest Berries (P 160.00)

My friend had this weird chocolate and berry combination, which, according to her, had more personality. However, it was a little over-the-top for me as the Forest Berries flavor was very strong and tangy and the chocolate was dark and smooth. It was, to me, two completely different flavors clashing against each other and they’re both overpowering.

Chocolate Truffle

The chocolate truffle gelato was nice and smooth and it felt like a deluxe chocalate ice cream flavor. There were tiny bits of chocolate truffles in the ice cream, which added a distinct texture to this gelato. It was very satisfactory.

Forest Berries

Hands down, this is the prettiest gelato flavor in the entire café but don’t be easily lured by the looks of this cutesy ice cream.  This is certainly not for the soft and delicate as this one’s pretty strong and tangy and it definitely has a certain kick! However, when I mixed it with my panna cotta, its strong flavor was somehow neutralized, making it more pleasant and tolerable. 

Overall, the gelatos were fantastic and I definitely want to come back to try out the other flavors. I thought two scoops was just not enough! Next time, I’m sure to grab three gelato scoops! 

SERVICE AND OVERALL SATISFACTION

We were definitely satisfied with the service of the shop. When my friend was sampling some of the flavors, the staff was very friendly and accommodating (even if it took us  a while to decide on the ones we’ll have for the night). The waiters were also keen on wiping the tables right away so that the store appears neat and clean all the time. Of course, we weren’t expecting topnotch service as this is not a fine dining restaurant. Nevertheless, I think the staff’s performance met our expectations.
   
VALUE FOR MONEY

The gelatos may be a bit expensive but there certainly is value for money here mainly due to the overall dining experience we had in the cafe. The other food items sold in the shop are also fairly priced.
   
FINAL SCORES

Ambiance - 4/5
   
Food - 4/5
   
Service - 4/5
   
Value - 4/5
   
TOTAL - 4/5

  
Gelatissimo
(02) 915 - 9997
4/F Trinoma Mall (Garden Area)
EDSA cor. North Avenue,
Quezon City, Philippines

Posted in: Cafe,Desserts,gelatissimo,gelato,ice cream,italian,restaurant review,trinoma