Gelato Ranking

[guttergourmet]

5. Ciao Bella
4.Il Laboratorio
3.L'Arte
2.Grom
1.Cones-and don't give me #$%^ that Cones ain't real gelato.

[thesu]

Agree with the others about L'Arte. It's too "fluffy" and sweet. I would rank the gelatos

5. Otto
4. Cones
3. Fortunato's (chocolate-hazelnut only; the other ones were melting away)
2. Il Lab
1. Grom

I haven't tried Da Enzo or Osteria del Circo (they have a cart outside in the summer), but I hope to soon.

[billyeats]

I can't believe L'Arte would even be on this list. I found it too be disgustingly sweet and artificial tasting. Not even in the same ballpark as Il Lab or Otto.

[Renguin]

I don't think Il Lab should even be considered gelato. it's good ice cream, but the texture is totally wrong. they don't even use a paddle to pile it into a cup, they use a regular icream scoop. i don't have any memorable experiences with flavors at l'arte, but i find the texture to be much more authentic.

[lizardqueen]

my question is which gelateria has the double scoop I became addicted to in Puglia : liquorizia gelato & mint granita
Liz

[MMRuth]

Il Laboratorio had a wonderful licorice gelato ... but I don't think they make granita.

[Nosher]

I'm with you on #5--Ciao Bella deserves that spot.

But really, Il Laboratorio del Gelato is easily my #1 with Grom at least a few places down the list, and Cones below that.

Nosher

NYCnosh* http://nycnosh.com

[crinkle11]

The best gelati I had from Grom were way better than the ones I had from Il Laboratorio. Very best I had was lemon--chocolate was great too, coconut was only fair. It goes flavor by flavor.

[emarkman]

definitely have to give Il Lab #1. The rest truly can't compare. Now if you happen to find yourself in Rome, then Giolitti reigns supreme!

[angiebc290]

I can't say I am a big fan of Il Lab, especially for what they charge. L'Arte is simple but delicious. And if, like me, you don't live near any gelato shops, go to your nearest gourmet grocery store and get a tub of Talenti gelato.

[MMRuth]

From Mr. MMRuth - Dulce de Leche Only:

Cones
Il Laboratorio
L'Arte (Caramel)
Ciao Bella

[Miss Needle]

1. Otto
2. l'Arte
3. Il Lab
4. Cones
5. Ciao Bella

[Brian S]

Two that I love aren't mentioned here. The gelato made by Fortunato Bros in Williamsburg, and then the South Bronx's own Coco Helado, made in a little factory in the South Bronx founded 20 years ago by a Honduran immigrant, and sold for about 75¢ a scoop by street vendors in all five boroughs. http://www.nypress.com/17/27/food/Gab...

[financialdistrictresident]

Perhaps because this is the Manhattan Board (like the reference to five boroughs)? That said, I just went to Fortunato Bros. for the first time last week. Also, I Coppi serves an amazing fig gelato, could it be Il Lab's?

[Brian S]

Fortunato and Coco Helado are both available in Manhattan, if you look hard enough. Some street vendors in Harlem sell Coco Helado, and Fortunato often has booths at street fairs like San Gennaro.

[Louise C]

I am going to have to disagree on Il Lab hands down. I don't know if one place makes the best gelato. I tend to like each for different flavors. IL Lab has great Chocolate. Ciao Bella for Pistachio. I also like Otto's Olive Oil Gelato. But, that usually means dinner there too. $$$. Plus if I am getting some gelato for home that is a whole different story - then I go for Ciao Bella in the pint(pistachip again because that is my vice). Maybe it tastes better in the pint because it is more commercial but it is usually always very good. The capogiro was not worth the $$$. anyone else try it?

[windycity]

Capogiro is the best gelato I've had in the US, hands down - the dulce de leche, bacio, strawberry, kiwi, etc so amazing. Not sure why people rave about Ciao Bella - the stuff never tastes quite right to me especially when prepacked.

Grom is overpriced, but I have to say that as someone who does not like chocolate ice cream, their chocolate with candied orange flat out floored me.

Otto has the best sundaes and flavor profiles.

[Lucia]

Otto
Il Lab
L'Arte
Cones

Haven't been to Ciao Bella. I'm underwhelmed by Grom.

[drumwine]

Il Lab....no contest

[MMRuth]

I've not tried Grom.

1. Il Labortorio (I'd put the Otto olive oil gelato in this ranking as well)
2. L'Arte
3. Cones (v. close to L'Arte - I consider it gelato, but Argentine-style gelato, like Freddo's)
4. Ciao Bella - a distant fourth - though since they are on my block, I often buy gelato there!

[holland_oats]

that ciao bella stuff you can get in supermarkets is yummy, especially the coconut sorbet

[MMRuth]

I'm updating my list and putting Grom as number one. My husband and I both thought it was better than Il Laboratorio - I had pistachio and hazelnut, he had chocolate and marron glace. Very rich - small will always be enough for me.

[tpigeon]

Il Lab is #1 everything else is #2 or lower.

[Captain]

Absolutely, Il Lab is #1, in NYC. When I first lived outside the NY area, I had a naive thought that the places serving the lousy pizza eaten in the rest of the U.S. would not stand survive in this area. Time has shown me that anything that can be eaten wihout causing physical harm can be sold in Manhattan in areas with lots of office workers or tourists.

However, if one took all of our gelato places and put them down in Rome, Il Lab would survive. The others, only if you put them so that lots of tourists passed by.

[rose water]

Emphatically second this assessment. Cones is way, way, way too sweet. Il Lab is gelato perfection imho.

[Cpalms]

IMO L'Arte is an average commercial product as is Ciao Bella....Otto ought to be on the list somewhere....Grom is way way underrated by this board (I don't care how much it costs)

[LeahBaila]

Agree with the Otto comment

[guttergourmet]

I agree on Otto but have not tried the olive oil gelato nor been to the restaurant enough times to judge, however, I keep the Otto gelato cart in Washington Square in business during the summer.

[kathryn]

Not tried the olive oil?! You must rectify this, poste haste. Amble into the bar on a weekend afternoon and order it!

[guttergourmet]

Consider it rectified. The olive oil was amazing especially the first few sppons with the oil and the salt. the hazelnut and the chocolate were good too. Slot in Otto as #3.