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Gelato Milano - CLOSED

4.5 star rating
based on 120 reviews

Category: Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt  [Edit]

Neighborhood: Downtown Berkeley
2170 Shattuck Ave
(at Allston Way)
Berkeley, CA 94704
(510) 649-1888
Hours:

Mon-Thu. 1:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m.

Fri-Sat. 1:00 p.m. - 12:00 a.m.

Sun. 1:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m.

Price Range:
$
Accepts Credit Cards:
No
Parking:
Street
Wheelchair Accessible:
Yes

120 reviews for Gelato Milano

Review Highlights   

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"The flavors here are amazing and way better than Naia." (in 40 reviews)
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"The standout is grapefruit - it's the best of any gelato I've ever had." (in 22 reviews)
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"i had the strawberry and mango sorbettos, which were both super yum." (in 7 reviews)
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Sort by: Yelp Sort | Date | Rating | Elites'
Photo of kimberly v.

Elite '09

101

147

kimberly v.

Berkeley, CA

5 star rating
5/12/2008

The most authentic and best gelato I've had here in the states.  Even the "limited" flavor selection is rather grand by Italian standards.  I hate it that Gelateria Naia gets all the business - I understand, but it's not as good.

Only problem is that he needs a place for people to sit and eat the stuff since the immediate environment is not all that appealing.

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Photo of Jennifer H.

Elite '09

218

422

Jennifer H.

San Francisco, CA

3 star rating
2/11/2008

Don't know why it says this place is closed.  I was just here this past weekend and it looked pretty open to me :)

Gelatos were pretty tasty.  They even had panna cotta gelato (one of my favorite desserts!), which I never see anywhere.  Man that stuff was good.

P.S.  Odd little place, looks like they put it together overnight.  All it consisted of was a few tables and seats, the ice cream and a cash register.  Low maintenance I guess.

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Photo of Lainie L.

Elite '09

340

212

Lainie L.

Oakland, CA

5 star rating
8/31/2006

Wow.  Wow.  Wow.

The best gelato in the bay area.  Period.  

Perfect texture.  Intense flavor.  Freshly made daily.   Standouts on the gelato side include Nutella, Panna Cotta, Espresso and Cassata.  If you like black licorice, you will be in heaven . ..I hate it but I tasted the gelato and have to say that it is the epitome of black licorice which for some folks on this planet is a good thing.   The sorbettos are luscious.  For my vegan friends, it is heaven.  They taste creamy but have no dairy in them at all.  Watermelon, Grapefruit, and Lemon are my favorite combo.  Pineapple is great, too.  For the first time in my life I think I'd pick sorbetto over gelato. . .the sorbettos are that good.   The textures are so perfect on both the gelato and sorbetto. . .especially the sorbetto . . .incredible!

This place is not cheap but you get what you pay for and it is excellent.  People keep commenting on the decor (or lack thereof) but I get it. . .it's so all about the product and I, for one, appreciate that.  Staff is friendly and will let you taste anything you'd like.  I went with a bunch of friends one night and while we ordered half the case, the girl behind the counter brought us little bites of flavors we hadn't ordered but thought we might like to try.  Nice!

Highly recommended.

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Photo of Kristina R.

Elite '09

1087

1403

Kristina R.

San Francisco, CA

5 star rating
5/23/2007

I'm losing my position at my school, y'all.

Therefore, I hate the world, and everyone in it.  With the heat of a thousand suns.

In conclusion, I will eat enough Gelato Milano vegan deliciousness until I black out from sheer ecstasy.

God, I hope I never wake up.  Death by vegan gelato...how romantic!

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Photo of Prasant R.

 

15

43

Prasant R.

San Francisco, CA

5 star rating
7/18/2006

First class gelato and a first class place run by a person who studied the art of making gelato in Italy. The owner of the place makes the gelato himself, fresh every morning and has different flavors all the time.  I have gone there several times and have always been surprised at just how perfect the gelato here is.

If you ask the owner (who is always there) about it, he will be all too glad to tell you how he is connected in the gelato market and how he started learning how to make it, and how his place is the best and better than competitors.  Just make sure you have 10 minutes to spare before asking him.

I learned that ordering chocolate flavored gelato is considered uncool and shows you are not knowledgeable about gelato.  Grapefruit is key.

Hands down, the best gelato in the bay area that I know of. Go there!

edit: looks like some of info was not perfect according to them. I got the following email from them today:

Ciao Prasant,

Thank you for your kind words and posting on Yelp. Perhaps there is a misunderstanding, but a couple comments about what you posted--

1. Our owner knows how to make the gelato and does on some occassions, but the majority of the time--our gelato is made by a native Italian from Milan (the oldest son of our master gelato artisan) who works full-time for Gelato Milano or someone that he has carefully trained. Our owner is at the shop most days for 12+ hours as it is without making the gelato.

2. Cioccolato (chocolate) is our most popular flavor made with our 22/24 cacao imported from Italy. It is not uncool to order this flavor.

3. Grapefruit is becoming legendary at Gelato Milano, but Limone (lemon) sorbetto is the King of Sorbetto and is most key in terms of determining quality of ones sorbettos.

Please let us know if these clarifications make sense, if you have any questions--and thank you very much for your positive comments on Yelp.

Grazie Mille,
Gelato Milano

*****************************

Anyways, the point is just eat some good gelato.

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Photo of Karva T.

 

16

61

Karva T.

San Francisco, CA

5 star rating
7/6/2006

Again, I was super full and coudln't stop eating the gelatto. Peach and grapefruit are excellent. Tastes almost as good as what you can get in italy!

I personally like the stark whiteness of the place. In all my architectural dorkhood, I could see the concept behind everything being so bland. It makes you focus on the brightly colored, delicious, suplendiferous gelatto before you.

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Photo of Giorgio E.

 

4

15

Giorgio E.

Berkeley, CA

5 star rating
4/22/2006

I was born and raised in Italy, and now after 14 years living abroad I can finally say I found THE BEST ITALIAN GELATO in town! The owner, after few years spent learning from italians gelato-artisans working at Mondo Gelato, has built an excellent product at a reasonable price. Don't be fooled by the lack of "exotic" flavors ... The flavors you find here are the same you'll find in Milan, Rome or Florence. In fact Gelato Milano buys ingredients directly from Seveso, Italy.

I like the simplicity of the store, very modern and clean. Great respect for the idea of preserving genuine italian gelato despite the fact that a lot of generic customers would trade a more "americanized" variety of flavors for worse final quality.

Thanks for preserving the true taste of Italy!

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Photo of mia s.

Elite '09

125

243

mia s.

Oakland, CA

5 star rating
1/10/2008

Let me start by stating that I do not have a sweet tooth and I gave Ici only 3 stars (and got a lot of shit for it.)

This place may be small, lack atmosphere, and offer fewer flavors than Naia a block away, but their gelato is far superior in my opinion.  Between the four of us, we sampled chocolate, coconut, strawberry, raspberry and lemon and they were all great.  The chocolate was my favorite.  The girl behind the counter was super nice and offered sample tastings with a smile and great warmth.  And without my asking, she even offered to split a small serving into two separate cones for my little ones.  

Initially, I did not want to stop for gelato since it was so cold but once we were inside (it helped that the room was heated to mimick a warm summer day) and tasted the gelato, I was glad that my daughter emotionally blackmailed me into it.  And I was glad that we chose Gelato Milano over Naia.

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Photo of Bruce K.

 

18

72

Bruce K.

Point Richmond, CA

5 star rating
2/18/2006

Okay, the gelato here is very very good. But the owner, who was formerly the driving force of Mondo Gelato before it became Gelato Naia is gelato-obsessed and somewhat dogmatic. So he refuses to put anything on the stark white walls, or create any non-traditional flavors. Meanwhile, Naia, down a block, has learned well enough from him, and the brightly colored place is friendly, roomy and attractive. So I am not so sure that the best Gelato (by a nose) will win the Gelato war.

Starbucks doesn't have the best coffee, but they dominate the market by creating a place people want to hang out at.

So put up a picture or somthing...

P.S.  The best Gelato I've tasted comes from Massimo, in Venice....California, that is. Massimo is from Italy and has a small Italian bakery that features his Gelato as well. Try the caramel (has a good sharp burnt sugar taste) or rum raisin! Out of this world.

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Photo of Lauren G.

 

8

87

Lauren G.

Berkeley, CA

5 star rating
5/30/2006

I just checked out Gelato Milano for the first time a week ago.  I have been back twice already.  

The customer service is superb and the store carries six vegan-friendly flavors of sorbetto.  Yay!  Vegan frozen desserts!  As for the quality of the sorbetto, it is very high - not very icy or too sweet, with a lovely texture.

Big plus: it is literally right outside of the Berkeley BART station and there is ample bike parking.

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Photo of Cheshire I.

 

41

67

Cheshire I.

Emeryville, CA

5 star rating
7/16/2007

When Naia opened down the street, we went there many times -- we'd become tired of the other ice cream options in downtown Berkeley. But I quickly lost interest in Naia -- the gelato always tasted too icy for me. I thought maybe I just didn't like gelato.

But then Milano opened up, and now I know that all along it wasn't me, it was Naia. Milano's gelato is creamy and wonderful. They may not have the same variety as Naia, but between a large menu of mediocrity and a small menu of perfection, I'll take the latter.

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Photo of arnold g.

Elite '09

427

484

arnold g.

Fremont, CA

3 star rating
11/15/2006

On first taste, you can tell that everything here is made fresh. It's a lot lighter than other gelatos I've tried, but I'm not much of a gelato fan so take that with a grain of salt.

I had the chocolate and strawberry and they were both pretty good. The chocolate reminded me of a chocolate malt and the strawberry was bursting with strawberry flavor, but still tasted a little weird to me.

My wife had the pana cotta and nutella. She said the flavors were okay but wasn't really into the lightness of the gelato. She was expecting something much denser and richer, but what she got was more like frozen yogurt.

Judging from the other reviews, it looks like we both prefer the thicker Southern Italian style than the lighter Northern Italian style.

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Photo of Michael M.

Elite '09

137

484

Michael M.

San Francisco, CA

4 star rating
4/11/2007

Well, one star off, just because it's ice cream, which I am not crazy for anyway.  This gelato combined with the ice cream I had with dinner, was more ice cream in one day than I've had for the entire year so far.

After a great meal at Vanessa's, we went here, since she knew I am crazy for licorice. I do that sort of thing.  And here, they have licorice gelato!!  I was expecting it to be black, or close to it, but it was the color of green tea ice cream.  I was told that the actual licorice flavor is green.  Anyway, it does not matter ... it was good!  I wanted to pair this with the cinnamon to magnify the taste of the cinnamon and licorice, but opted for chocolate chip.  Many other flavors are available.  I think they come in one size, but you can get up to 3 flavors in your cool plastic cup.

The taste is very creamy, with intense flavors.  It is fun to mix it up and try different flavor combinations.  Located just steps from the BART station in Berkeley, I think my BART EZ Rider card will get more use now.

AND where else can you try before you buy??  You COULD get your fill by trying this one, that one, and some of that, until you try them all, but I'll bet the girls behind the counter will cut you off at some point.

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Photo of H C.

 

20

100

H C.

San Francisco, CA

5 star rating
1/18/2006

I brought guest from out of town to check out GM.  They chose after-eight which gave me flashbacks to childhood of ghetto icecream as they ordered.  To my surprise it was great, the mint was just enough and not overpowering, the chocolate bits were fine enough to mix with every bite and to melt on your tongue with each spoonful.

Decor is a bonus.  The gelato is made italian style (with love) fresh every day by the owner.

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Photo of Yan M.

 

236

1445

Yan M.

San Francisco, CA

5 star rating
2/17/2007

Oh my gawd!! The gelato here was sooooooooo good! I sampled the nocciolo and mango and bf tried strawberry and tiramisu. We were really full from lunch hence we compromised and went with mango and strawbery....the texture was sooooo smooth and creamy! Slightly different from Naia's but still good in its own way. I guess there are slightly less flavors too compared to Naia but overall a great gelato outlet! Love the simple white design and black signage, it kinda reminds me of Prada.

Again, the gelato here warrants 5 star in my books and it was a truly orgasmic experience! ROAR!

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Photo of Kay N.

 

88

144

Kay N.

San Francisco, CA

4 star rating
5/5/2007

4.5 stars.
I really enjoyed having gelato from Gelato Milano. It's on the same block as Gelateria Naia, and a friend told me that the Gelato Milano guy used to work at Gelateria Naia, but left for whatever reason and opened his own shop.

I got the $4, 3-scoop item (coconut, grapefruit, and almond).
They were all pretty decent, but my friend seemed to enjoy the gelato much more than I did.

The cute little pastel-colored gelato cups are a nice touch. And the small, neon shovels are adorable and useful as well. The shop itself is very bare bones, no-nonsense - just a simple window display, a freezer/display case for the different flavors, and a cash register. There was a bit of seating, too, but most customers just grab the gelato and walk somewhere else.

My friend doesn't eat eggs, and the Gelato Milano guy was really good about explaining the ingredients of the various flavors.

Great afternoon/after-dinner snack. I would definitely come here again and again.

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Photo of Viv C.

 

153

303

Viv C.

San Francisco, CA

5 star rating
5/27/2007

While the interior (lack of) design could use some imagination (oh-so-sterile!) their gelato is fantastic!

The last time I had such creamy gelato was in Philly and I'm glad to have found a local place that also spends six hours churning their fruit flavored gelato into such creamy goodness you'd swear there was dairy in there!

And wow, the flavors are perfect. Green apple? Lime? Grapefruit? Coconut? Yeah, I'm a fruit gal and I was quite satisfied with the authenticity of their fruit flavors.

I suggest you be a pig and buy the large (four flavors!). That way you can have everything! Life is short, eat tons of gelato.

PS The flavors are listed in Italian (with a food signifier), but it's okay, you don't have to make a fool of yourself trying to pronounce the words. Just call them by their English names.

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Photo of Brad L.

Elite '09

59

228

Brad L.

Berkeley, CA

5 star rating
6/21/2007

Jan '07: Sold, renamed. Yet to try the place under the new ownership.

***

First Annual Berkeley Ice Cream Crawl, stop 4 of 5:

$3 + tax for a good-sized two-flavour cup. Curtis Chin takes his frozen desserts seriously: you can just imagine when he was younger, while other guys were fiddling with computers or cars, he was in the kitchen with his gelato maker. And it ABSOLUTELY paid off, at least for us. The sorbetti are close to being literally incredible -- absurdly creamy without a drop of dairy. Four of the five of us got the lemon; MB, who didn't, could see the appeal, but she didn't want something "face-crunchingly tart". If you feel that way, the grapefruit is a subtler choice. I balanced the lemon with a yoghurt gelato; the coconut was also notably fine. In all, amazing whether or not you like your face crunched.

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Photo of Patrick T.

 

25

419

Patrick T.

Berkeley, CA

5 star rating
8/10/2006

In service to you, dear reader, I've had gelato here four days in a row. It's a tough job, I tell you.

Milano's gelato is buttery - it's more like an ultra high-end chocolate in the way it melts and feels in the mouth (it reminds me of Leonidas chocolates). The selection of flavors is the same from day to day. The standout is grapefruit - it's the best of any gelato I've ever had. Others are very good, but less saturated than I like. Said another way, the flavors are delicate and not overwhelming. The chocolate, for instance, isn't trying to be triple chocolate cake.

Besides the grapefruit, the best flavor of the lot is nutella. Creamy and strong. Vanilla, lemon, chocolate, and hazelnut are also good choices.

The owner and workers clearly love gelato and care about the quality. If you like gelato, you owe yourself a trip here.

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Photo of Tim X.

 

32

22

Tim X.

San Francisco, CA

5 star rating
11/3/2006

Everyone seems to go to Naia for gelato in Berkeley, but Gelato Milano is by far the best.  The flavors here are amazing and way better than Naia.  Supposedly all the ingredients are imported for Italy.  Whatever it is, it's great.

The owner of this place was too lazy to put anything on the walls so instead he just put up a sign saying that he is folllowing a minimalist concept.  You gotta give him props for pulling that off.  Now when people ask why I have nothing on my bedroom walls I just tell them that I constructed a minimalist interior design.  =)

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Photo of Annie T.

Elite '09

95

412

Annie T.

San Francisco, CA

5 star rating
3/28/2007

Gelato = yummo

The really great thing about this place is the people who work there. They will serve you samples to your heart's content so you can pick the very one flavor of gelato that gets your goose.

How lovely is that?

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Photo of Caroline C.

 

138

550

Caroline C.

San Francisco, CA

5 star rating
1/12/2006

Gelato has excellent texture. It's down the street from Gelato Naia, and the owner is the same owner as when Gelato Naia was Mondo Gelato. I prefer Gelato Milano's sorbetto flavors to Naia's, but still like Naia for strange flavors (even though some are cliche and kitschy) and for creamy flavors. It seems like with the history of the opening of Milano that the owner shared with a few Yelpers that there may be a Gelato War about to ramp up. Let's hope it doesn't get too sticky out on Shattuck.

The inside of this store is quite small and stark white, and seems to be still in the process of building but I rather like it that way. Their website, http://gelatomilano.com, seems to encompass the same look that the store does. Everything necessary is out. It would be crowded with more than one staff member serving.

The texture is far superior to other gelato in the bay area and I definitely recommend the fruit flavors--especially the grapefruit. The lemon was also sufficently but not overbearingly tart, and melted in my mouth. Talk to the staff (probably the owner most of the time at this point?) about what flavors you might like, or what order to try them in. They don't get stuffy and rude about wanting to try a lot before you settle on something, unlike the treatment at Naia just a block away.

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Photo of Nicole C.

 

21

10

Nicole C.

Berkeley, CA

1 star rating
5/10/2007

Don't go anywhere near closing time.  Better yet, don't go.

I showed up with two friends at 20 minutes to closing and after handing me a sample of pistachio (which I didn't find particularly good), the man behind the counter declared that if we didn't know what we wanted, we should leave.

We didn't, so we left.

Do yourself a favor and walk up Shattuck to Naia.  You won't be disappointed.

0 stars for the service
1 star for half a bite of cold pistachio slurry.

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Photo of Kathleen M.

Elite '09

558

1284

Kathleen M.

San Jose, CA

3 star rating
11/12/2006

I sampled four different flavors here - zucca (butternut squash), pear, grapefruit, and creme caramel. I really wasn't blown away by any of them - I would have much rather kept on sampling.

For $3 we shared a small cup of pear and creme caramel gelatos. I liked that they let you get two different flavors, and I noticed that the price was 25 cents less than Gelateria Naia down the street. Pear was one of their sorbettos and is basically sugar free. I thought the consistency was slightly too whipped tasting. I don't know... maybe I just don't like gelato that much.

I will say this though - the pear tasted like actual pear and there were actually pieces of skin and other pear products in my sorbetto. The creme caramel had a good sweet fresh taste as well.

After I finished eating I had dessert regret though, in that I didn't feel like the flavor was worth the calories.

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Photo of Judy K.

 

80

49

Judy K.

Oakland, CA

3 star rating
10/10/2006

I was expecting the world of this place from all the rave reviews. I was sadly disappointed. Although, the gelato looks abosolutely gorgeous, I found the flavors a bit bland, lacking the intense tang as Micheal Mischer's Cholatier's Gelato. Their stuff is AMAZING and I think THE BEst I have ever Eaten.

The Gelato place at the Emeryville Public Market also rocks too with Flavors like Thai Ice Tea, Kahlua and Lychee, all really flavorful.

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Photo of Nancy H.

 

9

61

Nancy H.

West Lafayette, IN

5 star rating
4/4/2008

My all time favorite flavor is GRAPEFRUIT!  It was recommended to me on my very first visit by the owner himself (very nice guy)

I love this place.  Some people prefer Naia down the street but NOOOOOO.  Milano is CREAMY and SMOOOOOOOOOTH.  I made my brother try it and he was glad he did. "it IS good!" is what he said to me.  

Very simple design.  I like it!  Their excellent gelato is all they need to keep people coming back.

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Photo of Jesse G.

 

10

10

Jesse G.

San Diego, CA

5 star rating
5/9/2007

As good as getting on a jet plane and stopping by Rome!  

Seriously, this is excellent gelato... the owner of the place was there late one night and explained to us about the process and how he makes his own flavors in house and how he had flew a gelato maker from Italy out to setup his machines and teach him the recipes.  

The only problem with the store is that it's all in Italian... I can understand keeping the mystique of Italian gelato with the language, but can I get a small print translation at least so I don't have to ask everytime... Thanks [This complaint does not warrant a loss of a star, it's just annoying =) ]

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Photo of Susan D.

Elite '09

200

579

Susan D.

Sunnyvale, CA

5 star rating
4/12/2007

Great texture and flavors!!  I love that they have a large variety of flavors, including a good non-dairy selection.
Added plus, the gelato is served in these cute lil bowl things that you could take home and use for sauce dishes if you wanted to!  Haha!

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Photo of Belinda S.

Elite '09

312

895

Belinda S.

Irvine, CA

3 star rating
6/29/2007

Not as thick as I would like it. When gelato is fluffy and light, it tends to melt faster... then all you have is gelato gloop... which isnt very appealing. Plus, it has the texture of regular ice cream when its that light.

They do give you good sized portions, but the 3 flavors I had were very plain. They were all sweet, but just not titillating.

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Photo of Jason F.

 

5

6

Jason F.

Palo Alto, CA

5 star rating
1/19/2008

Overpriced my ass--Curtis' gelato is the best I've EVER had, and that's from somebody who comes from halfway across the globe.  Besides, where else will you go for your super minimalist Euro decor, comfy white noise, and jaw-droppingly good times?

I drive all the way up from Stanford just to come here.  It's probably the only thing I'll admit Cal has us beat.

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Photo of Adrianne F.

 

3

32

Adrianne F.

Berkeley, CA

5 star rating
5/24/2007

Don't let the clinical interior and dubious condition of the orchids out front fool you. This place is hands down the best gelateria in Berkeley and much, much better than Naia.

The gelato is creamy and the flavors are intense and pure. My favorite is the creme caramel. Mix that with the coconut and you're in heaven.

The proprietor prides himself on his craft and quality, on making gelato daily, and on using only the finest ingredients. The product is really a testament to all of these committments.

I guess it might help if this place had more and a more colorful interior. But I only say that because I want more people to go to Milano Gelato and help it stay in business.

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Photo of gabby h.

 

1

8

gabby h.

Oakland, CA

5 star rating
8/13/2006

I do not love ice cream. I do not love gelato. My husband loves both with reckless abandon.

That said, Gelato Milano's fresh creations (yes, fresh, created daily) are often sublime. I tend towards coconut with mango while my husband favors flavors like chocolate and after eight dinner mint. He loves the cinnamon while I prefer the blood orange. He does something wonderful to pull the essence of the ingredient (mint, lemon, lime, whatever) out and into the gelato. Pairing a tart fruit with the plain is lovely because neither is too sweet. Between us, we like most of what is created there.
You have to get past the minimalist presentation. Frankly, it drives me crazy to see the sad orchids in the window and the bright white walls. But I'm there for the gelato, which is the best on this side of the bay.

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Photo of Ann L.

Elite '09

361

1457

Ann L.

Fremont, CA

4 star rating
6/26/2006 7 photos

I tried this place on 6/26/06 and thought it was pretty good.  It's a tiny shop with lots of choices, all in Italian.  Wish they had the description in English so it'll be a little bit easier to order.  I tried 2 flavors and really liked it.  

I went with Gianduja (which I think is Chocolate w/ hazelnut) and Pistachio.  It's $3.00 + .26 tax for a small cup.  They don't have cones.  

Update: went back 7/9/06 and I tried about 4 flavors: all were good.  This time got a strawberry flavor and a chocolate w/ stuff in it..can't remember its name.  Both fine gelato.  They have new flavors everyday I think so just sample away to pick your favorites.

Place needs pics or something.  Too many white walls.  There are 4 small tables in the back and some counter space with 4 chairs by the window.

Asian guy that helped me was nice and efficient, he stayed so cool when tons of ppl came after me, he needs a helper bad cuz he has to serve and take the money, repeat over and over; did he wash his hands..ooh, I don't think so.

Didn't see any bathrooms.  Cash Only.  Two doors down from Downtown Berkeley Bart station..that's cool.

Update 8/27/06: got the grapefruit and the yogurt.  Both are good, but not life changing.  Tiramisu tasted gritty.

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Photo of Justin M.

 

24

121

Justin M.

Castro Valley, CA

4 star rating
3/24/2007

As you walk into this place, you think to yourself?  This place looks empty as you gaze into the blank white walls.  There are just a few tables for you to sit, and just a huge refrigerator display of their gelato.  For some reason, this place reminds me of what I would envision as a psychiatric ward.  All they need are the padded walls.

I think they are going for the minimalist contemporary theme, which is probably a good idea from a business standpoint of reducing overhead for decorations and other expenses.  I guessed wrong!  From what I'm told, though miniamalist, they have custom formica cabinets, custom lighting, custom concrete floors; custom tabletops all made from famous DESIGNERS & ARTISTS.  WOW!

Ask for samples.  It doesn't hurt to try.  The flavors are listed in an authentic Italian names.  The names are so unique that I can't even remember what I had.  All I remember was the fact that it had a lot of rum and tasted a bit like egg nog.  The gelato was smooth as ever.

Despite the interesting decor, I must say that their gelato is worth trying, and the staff is very polite.

----
Edit:
I'm giving Gelato Milano one extra star for e-mailing me the next day to inform me of reconsidering my statement about their minimalist designs when it comes to lowering their overhead.  It's good that they reply back to those who review them...whether good or bad.

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Photo of Catherine H.

 

42

201

Catherine H.

Yorba Linda, CA

4 star rating
7/18/2007

The fruit gelati here absolutely kill me.  GRAZIE for opening up next to Naia and keepin it real by creating beautiful italian ice cream I can savor with every lick!  Amazing texture and delightful flavor.

Now, if only there were more flavors...
...and more seating...
...and more parking...

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2

47

Giofreddo W.

Oakland, CA

3 star rating
7/2/2007

Compared to Gelateria Naia, a block up the street, Gelato Milano's gelato is great! So, if you find yourself on Shattuck with a hankering for Gelato, by all means go to Milano. *But* compared to the best gelato you can find in Italy, Gelato Milano is merely *okay*.

Texturally, Milano comes closer to the real thing than the grainy crud served at Naia. Milano's gelato tends to be very smooth and consistent. Milano's flavors are a little richer and fuller than Naia's as well.

But Gelato Milano does have its problems:

-Their gelato is a little bit too cold. Good gelato should *not* be freezing cold like ice cream. I had a sample of the Zuppa Inglese and I tasted ice. Ice in the gelato is a NO-NO.

-Although Milano's is better than Naia and the horrible faux-gelato of Tango Gelato (in Oakland), it's still not goopy and snappy enough. Perfect Italian gelato = texture that's smooth, creamy, consistent, as well as dense, goopy, a bit melty, with an almost toffee like "snap" to it. Gelato Milano's texture is more like soft-serve ice cream, which is not how gelato is supposed to be.

-Milano's Pistacchio flavor was super light and airy in texture, almost like Cool Whip. I've traveled all over Italy, and the only town in which I came across this particular texture was Lucca, the small walled town in the north western area of Tuscany. Many Lucchesi gelaterie served this oddly whipped-cream textured gelato, and I'll admit I really don't care for it. I prefer gelato a bit more dense and goopy.

I've recently returned from my third trip to Italy, so perfect Italian gelato is still vividly fresh in my mind. I've been on a quest to find gelato in the Bay that comes close to what I found in Italy. The closest so far is Gelato Firenze in Oakland. Gelato Milano does okay with the flavors, but still needs to work on the texture. I definitely give Milano points for trying, and would urge people to go here instead of the inferior Naia. But compared to, say, Gelateria dei Neri in Florence, or Gelateria Kopa Kabana in Siena, Milano just isn't firing on all cylinders.

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64

Catherine B.

San Francisco, CA

5 star rating
9/4/2007

This is the best gelato in Northern California! The constistency is perfect and they have all of the traditional flavors.  I am hooked and will BART it over the East Bay just for some. Oh, yea!

Nocciola (hazelnut) is my favorite!

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Elite '09

41

188

Andy M.

CA

4 star rating
3/3/2007

I am kind of conflicted about this place - for flavor they warrant 5 stars, for consistency of the gelato they deserve a 3, for decor they simply need SOME, anything, please for the love of god, decorate, just a little. And no the lonely plant does not cut it.

That being said, I don't go to gelato shops for their window treatments. My main hangup is the consistency - I appreciate how smooth the gelato is, but it always reminds me way too much of soft serve from Dairy Queen, and it is always a bit melty and airy for my taste. If I'm paying through the nose for a small cup of ice cream, I want some serious density. I think they could easily win me over if they would chill their gelato just a bit more and make it harder. Still, they definitely beat Naia for quality (although I still love the huge variety at Naia), but my current favorite is still Tango Gelato.

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33

102

Gerald C.

Burlingame, CA

4 star rating
6/29/2007

What a hip joint.  We came here after visiting the Triple Rock.  Glad it's open pretty late.  

Picking out the flavor you want is a bit of an ordeal - but a very pleasurable ordeal at that.  There are so many wild and wonderful tastes here.  You could literally sample everything under the glass, if you have no shame (like my brother!)  Though the staff didn't really seem to mind at all (what a job that must be).  Just pick your size and flavors and they'll spoon it out and mash it into a little round styrofoam container for you.  A bit pricy if you start to compare with the ice cream you can buy in a store (omg I could buy 2 quarts of Breyer's neopolitan!).  So don't!  Just enjoy!

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Elite '09

22

79

Dan S.

New York, NY

5 star rating
8/25/2006

Minus one star for the poor artisan they have chained up in the back.  But it's a necessary evil for that yogurt gelato.  Oh my god is it good.  Plus 15 stars for that.  Go figure.  It's got all the heart stopping goodness of normal gelato, it tastes like yogurt, but my god is it good.  Other favorites are pistachio and coffee.

The sorbets are also amazingly creamy for being the vegan delights they are.  Screw naia and their lineless anarchy, the only thing that has be going back to that lesser place is the affigato.  

Get the owner of this place talking and he'll be sure to mention that he owned that joint, sold it, and opened this one because they soiled his vision.  Try the yogurt and you just might agree.

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