il laboratorio del gelato
Category: Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt [Edit]
Neighborhood: Manhattan/Lower East Side95 Orchard St
(between Broome St & Delancey St)
New York, NY 10002 (212) 343-9922
- Nearest Transit:
Delancey-Essex Sts (F, J, M, Z)
Grand St (B, D)
2nd Ave-Houston St (F, V)
- Price Range: $
- Accepts Credit Cards: No
- Parking: Street
- Wheelchair Accessible: No
80 Reviews for il laboratorio del gelato
The 80th review of Il laboratorio on Yelp. Of course the ice cream is great and highly heralded. My complaint is that they no longer value retail business enough to have a cool place inside to sit. In the early days there were white cushioney seats and the retail area has been consistenly pushed toward the street till there was just a bench outside. Now they took away the bench. You order ice cream at the store front and have to sit outside on a dirty stoop. Is it worth it? of course the ice-cream is still mighty good, I had banana and dark chocolate which was creamy, fresh and full of flavor, but no damn place to sit. Just yelping about it!
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Somewhere in the east side of Manhattan. My friend recommended me this place when we were exploring NY (he was showing me around). The best gelato I've had, everrrrr. I got a small cup of chocolate amaretto and toasted sesame for $3.75, which was good stuff. They switch their flavors around, so although I was really looking forward to trying the kahlua that day, it wasn't there that day (this was in late March). :[ Oh well. Perhaps next time!
I say this like I live nearby. (It's only 3000 miles away. I can learn to teleport.)
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Yet another unbelievable snack place on the LES. The gelato is out of this world. I am not a gelato expert, but the gelato is out of this world. I have been three times and twice I have left with gelato. First visit - black sesame. Amazing. No idea how or what this flavor was all about, but it was really great and unusual. Second visit - honey sesame and ginger. Great combo and both flavors just perfect. Third visit - line was too long, had to bail out. Next on my list is the lavender although I am feeling like giving the wasabi a try will be an adventure.
Place is tiny, I don't even think you can go inside, you just order through the window. You won't know the flavors until you get up there so you have to be mentally ready to make a decision. They will let you try as many as you like, but you will hear the grumbles from the line if you try more than one - understandably so since you really want that gelato once you are in line.
Best part about this gelato is that when you get it in a cup and you try to take your time eating it, a pool of perfection forms at the bottom so when you can no longer scoop with a spoon you just drink the juice, pure. No chance someone walks away from this place without loving it.
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Had the 3 flavor medium for $4.50. No terribly exotic flavors today.
Black plum sorbet - fantastic.
Caramel Salt, and Black Mission Fig were both salty, so
neither the sweetness of the caramel nor the fig would come out.
Maybe it's because of the ethiopian food I ate earlier. I tried a bit
of my friend's Milk Chocolate and that was great, very milky.
They could improve the line efficiency by posting the flavors above their window, rather than in small letters by the tubs (can't pre-choose anything until you really get right up to your turn).
Must try more.
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I'm sure you've seen the counter at the Bowery Whole Foods, come to the shop for the real deal.
Thai Chili Chocolate....remarkable. Ice cold ice cream hits your mouth....followed by smooth chocolate flavor. By the time your spoon is involuntarily going back to your cup for another bite....wait....is my ice cream spicy??? No matter, cool your palate with another bite. It's so fun!
4 stars because of price. Sorry, yo.
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love it
love it
love it
love it
love it
one for each star - so glad i live a block from whole foods - i'm a regular at the laboratorio counter - their actual shop is better, but i'm lazy to go there all the time..and it's not as convenient...
love: rose petal, thai chili chocolate, malt, black mission fig, ricotta, and buttermilk...not that into their black sesame (chinatown ice cream is the shiznick) and not a fan of the pecan
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Almost everything you could want on a hot summer's day. Delicious and imaginative flavors that will keep you coming back for more. Their flavor selection rotates rapidly and you might be disappointed they don't have your old fav but they've always got something else equally amazing. To date my favs are the Sesame and Mexican Chocolate. Although it is somewhat charming to buy gelato out of a window it'd be more charming to be able to have a seat on a bench and enjoy your flavor selection-- sure you can hunker down on the steps of a nearby brownstone but make sure there are no tenement tours going on that day or you'll get stepped on. Also, what's up with shutting down at 6pm? Don't they realize people need jobs to afford their delicious Gelato? Make sure you take advantage of taste tests before you make your pick!
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Best gelato I've had since Italy. Went there twice on recent NYC trip, on June 22nd and 28th (after first going to dumpling house near by).
Had 2 flavors the first time: thai chili chocolate and red pepper (and vanilla I think) . The latter was actually bright and florat, and a good counterpoint to the very rich chocolate and spice of the other. The chocolate actually didn't taste that spicy when I had a taste, but it hits a bit later. May not have gotten it if I had known that! But the spice was nice and worked well with the chocolate.
The second time we went with green grape sorbet and amaretto crunch. The sorbet tasted like perfectly in-season grapes and the ameretto crunch was creamy with great texture.
Long-ish line both times, and takes a little time to order, but gelato doesn't have to be efficiently delivered to be delicious. And they do run out early as well, so get there earlier rather than later if you want the full pick. But get there!
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The flagship store on 95 Orchard but hours are 10-6. WTF? Luckily I was informed that there was another inside of Whole Foods on Bowery that closed at 11pm so I had to check it out. Sure enough, there was one on the ground floor. They didn't have as many flavors as I had hoped though. This place definitely beats out Cones. I will definitely be back!
I tried the following:
- black sesame gelato - tasted the sesame seeds, amazing! Up there with EN's ice cream, but lighter!
- strawberry gelato - very clean and refreshing, very breyeresque also but less creamy
- vanilla and chocolate chip gelato - vanilla bean specks, reminds me of breyers
- green tea gelato - too much cream, not enough matcha
UPDATE: went back and they confirmed that the mythical 'wasabi' flavor never existed. I had the following:
- red beet gelato - looked and tasted like beet..very healthy
- earl gray gelato - infused with lots of tea flavor...amazing!
must get: black sesame gelato, earl gray gelato
I took my foodie meetup here:
http://singles.meetup....
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The basil was so effin' amazing. Can I put in a request for cilantro if it hasn't been done yet? The red bean was alright. I'm dying to try the thai chili chocolate and all the other whacked-out flavors.
Scrumptious ice cream. Cute little window where you order from the sidewalk.
Tried the dark chocolate and the malt, both were delicious, nice creamy texture but I wish I could have tasted more malt. Definitely will go back for other flavors though. Such a nice neighborhood to stroll around and explore in the warm spring weather.
They're open every day 10am-6pm.
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On a cold dim rainy day, what better to bring a little sunshine into your life than gelato? It's a very small, with plain white walls plastered with reviews. The shop looks like a peek into the warehouse/factory. I was really looking forward to trying their greek yogurt gelato, as I've read that it's surprisingly delicious. However, they didn't have it - disappointed. But quickly, I was cheered up by the taste of early grey (bergamot), and green tea. It was heavenly - fresh ingredients, balance flavor, smooth texture. Reasonably price. It's $3.50 for a small cup/cone with up to two flavors. I know that in Little Italy I was charge $5 for a serving of not as quality gelato.
Simple food, quality and fresh natural ingredients. I demand that my fruit flavored ice cream be made with the real fruit! And it is at il laboratorio del gelato. There's no artificial flavor here. My only regret was not asking to taste several other flavors before I got mine. I really wanted to try the mint and the rosemary. I guess I just have to go back
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this place has some phenonmenal flavors and the texture is wonderful, but for some reason, i can't give it the full 5 stars. i wasn't blown away. nonetheless, their olive oil flavored ice cream is delicious. i know for a lot of people, that might sound gross but il laboratorio does a fantastic job at exploiting the fruity notes in olive oil. it was truly a treat. they get 5 stars with respect to executing on creativity. i hear their blueberry flavor is one of their best, but i have yet to try it!
i definitely see myself frequenting the place more often this summer. only concrete gripe is that the portions are so stingy. and the people who work there aren't that friendly.
Excellent gelato and creative flavors. The sorbet is amazing - they have flavors such as gala apple and dinosaur plum that taste EXACTLY like that fruit.
Downside: extremely small space, maybe like 3 people can fit. Don't try going when those Tenement Museum people go - there will be a line! Oh, and they close at 6pm, which sucks for people who work until 5:30.
My to-go place for gelato. They rotate their flavors pretty frequently, so while it makes for a sad experience when I go and see that they don't have pistachio that day, it just means I can try something really out of the blue... like their Jack Daniels gelato. No, really. (Eh, I don't recommend.) In fact, all of their unique flavor offerings is probably il laboratio's strongest selling point -- what are you waiting for?
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It's all about texture. The thai chili chocolate had great flavor and had a real zing to it. The hazelnut was pretty good too. But the texture is what really turned me off. It did not remind me anything of the gelato I've had in southern Italy and Sicily. Maybe the gelato wasn't kept at the proper temperature, and that's what led to the more ice cream-like texture. Who knows. Plus we had to wait about 5 minutes before anybody even came over to greet us. I won't be going back.
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Apple Calvados /
Chili Chocoate Basil /
gelato, oh my.
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If I had 100 pounds of GELATO I had to order, I'd order here!
We had Ginger, Creme Fresh, White Chocolate and Chocolate Hazelnut. All very delicious.
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why didn't i taste them ALL first, before choosing? i got greedy. don't miss it... totally a highlight of my recent trip. I went for the odd bedfellows of beet (subtle, resonant, flavorful - don't be afraid to try it), lemon basil (starts with a high, sweet-sour lemon note and glides down into the fresh basil), and thai chili chocolate (dark chocolate-y indulgence with a spicy bite at the end). if i lived in NYC i'd haunt this place, since the window service is open all year round. (they also sell in larger quantities, & supply many restaurants).
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Marscapone gelato, I am having your babies. In fact, you filled me so thoroughly with your creamy goodness, I think I might be showing already. You get 5 thousand stars for being so immensely delicious and satisfying.
Blackberry, you disappointed me. You were almost bitter, slightly herbaceous, like wild blackberries picked from the side of a dusty road in drought season. Evocative, and faithful to your roots, but not what I was expecting.
Strawberry, like blackberry you lacked sweetness, but you were fresh as if it were still June and you'd just been crushed into organic cream. Perhaps with further sampling you can win me over on this low-sugar gelato thing.
Frankly, I don't really consider it gelato - texture wise, it's too hard - more like American ice cream. But the flavours are deep and intriguing (I was beyond bummed to have missed mission fig, I KNEW I should have snapped it up), the ingredients are quality, and the marscapone - well, my sanity may survive this stretch of involuntary chastity a while longer, as a result. Yes, it was THAT good.
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Having been what I like to call an 'Ice Cream Technician' while I was in college, I know a little bit about frozen treats. When I worked down Orchard street over the summer, I would go to Il Labortatorio del Gelato almost daily. Their gelato is really amazing, totally worth the wait on lines of sweaty tourists getting off of Tenement Museum tours. Their flavors are intense but not overpowering, perfectly sweetened, and just the right density and texture. I sampled a bunch of flavors there, but the stand-outs for me were their Mexican Chocolate and the Fresh Mint. Yes, the wallet-opening experience at this place can be a little harrowing, but it's cheaper than Grom and, in my opinion, also a superior gelato.
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Holy crap this is some good gelato. I didn't have any expectations but this is seriously good. Way better than Ciao Bella, Jon F. Snyder sold the company when he was only 25 so I wouldn't even compare the two (he's 38 now). We have decent gelato at home, Classico, Yagoz, Gelateria Naia but nothing comes close to il laboratorio. I tried the chili chocolate and malt but didn't like those too much. Finally settled on green tea and dark chocolate since they didn't have pistachio that day. Oh Lord, heaven in a cup. Rich and creamy but somehow not heavy and filling. I could've had 3 more cups. Located next to a real pickles-in-barrels shop! I swear I'm going to order 4 tubs (minimum) and have them shipped overnight one of these days - the gelato, not pickles.
My only 5 star review in NY.
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Toasted almond gelato!! Oh hell yeah! Teeny tiny bits of toasted almonds. Sweet, creamy, almond-y. Better than ice cream. Better than frozen yogurt.
Don't think you're sharing any of mine. Get your own!
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Orchard St. 2007
The irony of spending more on two scoops of gelato than my grandfather ever spent on a pair of shoes from an Orchard St. shoe store. The juxtaposition of il Laboratorio next door to the Tenament Museum.
That's NY.
And this is some great gelato. I've had the espresso, dulce de leche and a few other 'common' flavors over the past two years and all were quite good. But I think this place shines with flavors that highlight the freshness of fruit or in the case of my last visit, pumpkin. The pumpkin flavor was so true to pumpkin and not sweet like pumpkin pie. It was creamy and refreshing, full of flavor yet subtle at the same time. I loved it. It also didn't hurt that it was a beautiful, sunny early Autumn day. My brunch partner and I just sat on a stoop with our wonderful gelato for what seemed like hours soaking in the sun and all that is good about NY.
Wheelchair access: It's a very small storefront and there's a step - all takeout. I always go with someone who goes in and doesn't mind bringing out a few samples. On the bright side, there aren't a lot of places to sit on the street so having your own chair does come in handy.
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Wow, this place is good! I rarely give 5 stars, especially to hole in the walls, but these folks have earned and certainly deserve every last one.
First if all, they don't charge you five bucks for a small scoop like Grom http://www.yelp.com/bi... does, they charge three bucks for a small scoop. The line, when there is one, is not so long and moves quickly too. Also, you can get two different flavors in a small, three in a medium, etc...
As for the gelatos, I've tried the Guinness, green tea, pistachio and ricotta. Also tried the lychee and pineapple sorbets. Guinness was weird - kind of dark, smoky first impression with an aftertaste of (sorry, had to say it!) stale beer. Don't know if I'd get that again! The pistachio was really terrific - nut colored with the flavor of roasted pistachio delightfully pronounced. The ricotta was incredible! Reminded me of a cross between taro and a really good vanilla and VERY rich! That was my favorite. I have yet to try the rosemary pink peppercorn.
In the sorbet department, the pineapple was the best to the point of being out of this world! Tasted even better than an actual fresh pineapple and had just the right consistency for a sorbet too. The intense sweetness of it was perfectly balanced out by its equally intense acidity. I'm drooling on the keyboard just writing about it.
Tiny place with friendly, efficient employees manning the counter. I must be turning into The Terminator because definitely, "Ahh'll be bock!".
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I have been to this absolutely fantastic, checkbook-sized gelato joint several times, and every SINGLE time, I have been utterly astounded by the flavor, the creamy consistency, and of course the variety. Despite the relatively high prices, I keep buying the stuff without giving the monetary transaction a moment's thought. Here are some thoughts on a few flavors:
1) Thai Chili Chocolate: Very dark and very serious chocolatey taste with a spicy bite that comes in as you swallow the silky stuff down your throat. The crack of gelato.
2) Rice: I was very curious about this one, with its unassuming white "hue." It was fantastic, and tasted like rice pudding! I highly recommend this one.
3) Hazelnut: None of that gianduja taste that is recycled in ice cream shops and candy counters throughout the world. This was smooth, rich, and pure NUT.
4) Espresso: Though I hate coffee, I love having a shot of espresso with some cookies, and wish that I had a macaroon or an amaretti cookie to dunk into this bitterly enticing gelato.
5) Honey Lavendar: I only got a bite of this from my greedy friend's portion, but it was wonderfully fragrant yet balanced by the sticky sweetness (there's fructose for you) from the honey.
6) Earl Grey: Given this is my favorite tea, it'd be only natural for me to try the ice cream-ed version of it, and with pleasing results. This was mellow, just like the real thing, with hints of orange.
7) Creme Fraiche and Buttermilk: Two in a series of flavors that reflect other dairy products, these are certainly not vanilla, but have a subtlety that makes them a bit harder to pin down. Regardless, both of these wre pleasantly sour and very creamy.
8) Green Grape: Again, the green grape is my favorite of the various grape varieties, and eating this sorbet was like gulping down a smooth yet light puree of the little lovelies.
9) Passionfruit/plum: Another couple of sorbets and yet another dazzling review; am I boring you with my optimism? These were the first I ever had, so though I don't remember the flavors exactly, I remember enjoying them immensely, especially when paired with a nut gelato in the same cup.
10) Grapefruit sorbet: I had this when I visited an Italian restaurant that carried the brand as their official ice cream, and a damn good thing they do. Even though I generally hate grapefruit, this was tart and very refreshing after a heavy meal.
I only have two words for you: Gel...ato
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This is the man with the plan for Frozen delight. All the flavors are well balanced and are made with the intention of truly bring out the flavor being named. The pairing however odd they may seem are sublime. Simply put I don't believe this company would create a flavor that did not stand up to the name this company has built for itself. My one disappointment is they usually run out of the flavor I want!
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I have sampled the fig and thai chili chocolate flavors at Whole Foods but I haven't had a whole serving before today, when we stopped on Orchard Street after eating amazing pizza at Isabella's Oven.
In honor of my pizza experience I had basil gelato. I tried the buttermilk while I was waiting but the line was too long to ask them for more than one flavor. No fig today, so I went with the basil.
Hands down, along with the thai chili chocolate, the best two flavors of any ice cream or gelato I have ever had. The basil was exhilarating--there is no other word for it.
UPDATE: At Whole Foods Union Square on 7-23 I had the green tea and Earl Grey gelato. The green tea was good, but the Earl Grey was full of ice and extremely disappointing. I am assuming something had happened to the tub, but it should not have been sold, and the woman at the counter seemed to have no idea how to handle the fact that the product was positively not edible. That cost it a star.
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The gelato/sorbet here alone is worth a trip downtown. Its a very small space right next to the Tenement Museum (oh, memories of primary education), so small that if there's a line its guaranteed to go onto the street. But don't let that intimidate you! The line will move fairly quickly, and the product is worth the wait.
The flavors are INTENSE, like any gourmet gelato should be, and consistency is creamy and smooth. They certainly know how to make gelato, and the flavors range from typical to exotic, but everything is wonderful! My personal favorite is the dark chocolate, but I haven't had much opportunity to try their more exotic offerings since they never seem to have them whenever I visit :(
Price is reasonable considering the size and quality - and it is definitely QUALITY gelato.
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I liked it a lot, tried the chocolate and macademia, but thought Grom was richer and had a better texture. That's just me though and I am in love with Grom's Extra noir chocolate. Yumm!
Holy #$@* !!!
I had to go down there after reading all the fabulous reviews of this place. When i got there, they were out of the basil, the fresh mint AND the honey lavender, so they came very close to losing 1 or 2 stars for that.
There was a line, but I don't take stars away for lines, if there is a small counter space and they have at least 2 people working it. You can only do so much with what you got, right?? Better have a good product in a cramped space than compromise a good product just to serve the public faster.
Anyway.... not having the raved-about flavors there, I went for the sorbetto instead. I got a medium and split it 3 ways - strawberry, passionfruit, and lychee.
First taste - strawberry: cant screw this up too much, so if it tasted bad, they would have lost me at "Hello". The strawberry was really good. Next bite: - Passion fruit - It was like biting straight into the fruit. I was won over! Last bite - Lychee - Oh My God!! They tasted exaclty like the lychee fruit served at the nicer Chinese restaurants.
So any disappointment and star-loss for missing flavors was forgotten! 5 Stars, maybe 6. They put me in a good mood.
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It's almost unfair that I have to write this review after having gelato at Grom the other day, but the gelato here is also very good. I had the mocha gelato, and it was rich and creamy and had an incredibly strong mocha flavor. This was definitely the favorite flavor of the bunch. I paired it with Oreo gelato, which was pretty good, and an amazing orange sorbet that accurately captured the flavor of a fresh orange, but I got the last of it, so it was a bit icey.
My wife's passionfruit sorbet was bitter, tart and sour...just like a real passionfruit. The coconut was good, but nothing mindblowing. My friend liked his kiwi sorbet and pear sorbet, and my wife liked the pear also. She said both the pear and passionfruit sorbets heightened the true flavor of the fruit, just like my orange sorbet.
I probably would have given Il Laboratorio 5 stars if I had never visited Grom, and I think everyone should give both a try and see which one they like the best.
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Thai Chili Chocolate.
Nothing more needs to be said.
(except that it's also available at WF Bowery & WF Union Sq)
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They have YUMMY in the TUMMY Gelatos here!!!
I cannot remember the name but they had this one flavor that comes from the sap of trees----BEWARE it is DISGUSTING!
(I know I shouldn't have tried it but hey, I was curious to know how a tree would taste like!)
Go with the more common flavors!!!!!
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The best Gelato and Sorbetto I've ever bought. Italy, America, wherever. And I've tried so many places... So, so many. Sure, I've made better, but that doesn't count. They use no stabilizers, they actually go for specific flavors rather than generic sweets, and the texture is fabulous.
Nothing I've had compares to this, including Grom, which while very good was more of the philosophy of flavored sweets, than specific and interesting flavors.
The prices are totally reasonable, you'll be satisfied by a small because of how intense the flavors are.
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I love getting brain freezes from this place. Talk about specific, refreshing flavors (although the green tea isn't my....my.....cup of tea....), I really enjoy the basic stuff here, the vanilla from mad, the chocolate from heaven, espresso, strawberry I probably ate whole batches of, etc. They are made precisely and in small batches, using lower fat buttermilk(?) so its a bit lower in calories than normal wears and tears. At least I'm pretty sure. They sell at other places in the city as well, I know that at least they used to sell at IFC Center.
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Laboratorio del gelato is simply an explosion of happiness in a cup. Coming from San Francisco, I knew ciao bella would be hard to beat. il laboratorio del gelato is actually from the same guy who dropped the ciao bella franchise to start up il laboratorio. I tried the rose. From the first lick to the last it was, an explosion of happiness in a cup.
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Their gelato flavors are mostly very good, BUT they use stabilizers.
That's not acceptable so I took away 2 stars.
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This is a decent little gelateria in the Lower East Side that I frequent if I happen to be in the area and I'm feeling self-indulgent. It's not what I would consider "cheap", but here in the city, gelato seems to command a higher premium than regular ice cream. Yum!
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The gelato here is made at its best. They have really exotic flavors, but they also have the common flavors. They are both worth a try and you can even ask to sample. Great gelato, there's nothing else I can say.......
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