Two Gelato Places, London

[limster]

• Polka Gelato, Warren Street
Soft, light textured, somewhat sticky in texture. Great expressive blueberry, going from the light fruity aromatics to the heavier, deeper berry flavour and sweetness. Loved how a well calibrated mint, at medium to strong, emphasizes and contrasts the fruity flavour of cassis. Hazelnut is buttery, and full of the flavorful of the toasted nut. Gelati were on the sweet side and texturally perhaps not as smooth or rich as Scoop, or the flavours as deep as Dri Dri but still good in its own way. Definitely worth trying.

• Gelatorino, Covent Garden
Very rich milky flavour in the base. Most evident in the fior de latte and the background of the nougat but also providing great support in the hazelnut, which exuded a a good intense toasted hazelnut flavour. Loved the varied textures in the nougat, form sticky fragile bits to harder crunches in the pieces of almonds. Texture is on the light to medium side, again not as smooth as Scoops, but love the great flavour of milk they use.

In the back of the store they sell Guido Castagna chocolate. Trying the Lacri Blend 76% Arriba as I type - beautiful temper - light and crumbly, a good example of the Ecuadorian chocolate in terms of the woodsy nutty richness against a moderate amount of pointed fruitiness and acidity. Good deal at £4.50 for 100g.

[limster]

One more:

• La Gelatiera, Covent Garden
Stiff, soft texture, very smooth, very slightly fluffy. Rose vanilla fondly reminds me of an ais bandung, a rose milk drink. The sweet potato expresses the root vegetable just right, without slipping into a savoury course (then again, I'm used to sweet potato in dessert, like bo bo cha cha). Loved the slight sheep's milk pungency with sweet candied orange in the ricotta e arance. Marron glace is sweetly chestnutty, and very smooth for a chestnut based gelato, only a hint of the fine powder from grinding down the chestnut.

[limster]

Thought that the pistachio at La Gelatiera was superb, complex multi-layered flavour, on par with the one I had at Dri Dri.

[Coldsoup]

What do you think of Gelupo's on Archer Street?

[limster]

I like it too, and think of it as roughly in the same league as Gelatorino and La Gelatiera. Whether one is better than the other would depend on the flavour.

[Coldsoup]

I'd agree about the ice creams but the sorbets at Gelupo's are something else

[limster]

I'm very fond of the almond granita at Gelupo.