Covent Garden’s La Gelatiera

Right now, it pays to be in a state of high alert when dealing with the weather in London. The sheer unpredictability of what is going on in the skies makes it seem like the seasons have gone to a party and mistakenly taken each other’s aspects at the end of the night, creating a bit of a kerfuffle.

Summer: ‘Sorry autumn, I appear to have taken your relentless drizzle.’

Autumn: ‘No problem, I had spring’s damp. Here are your weeks of intense sunshine.’

Winter: ‘Has anyone seen my snow? I’ve just got this massive pile of sleet.’

Spring: ‘Ah, my bad.’

This bizarre state of affairs is agony for pasty-legged, gym-dodging weeds such as myself, who long for the security of coats and the absence of cringing looks from passers-by in reaction at my attempt of pulling off a polo shirt.

Yet the upside of the recent good weather that there is still time for ice cream. When skulking through Covent Garden, I happened across something that is even better than ice cream and that is Italian gelato. What is the difference? Gelato has that European sophistication, that extra amount of care and consideration put in, with that extra quality of ingredients. Put it this way, no-one from Naples has ever eaten Neapolitan ice cream.

La Gelatiera is a poky little venue situated in New Row, with coffee bags and cafeterias stored on high shelves and is run by Antonio Parisi, a man from southern Italy who has inherited his grandfather’s passion for Italian ice cream. The gelatos on offer change from day to day, depending on what ingredients Parisi chances upon.

On the day I visited, he had produced plum as well as mango. Trying both, the difference between ice cream and gelato was immediate, which is in part due to the process by which Parisi makes his produce. Made over a longer period of time, gelato has a much smoother texture thanks to the smaller ice crystals that are formed.

The mango had a delightful zest and vim to it although the plum was not so successful. I felt that this was because the acquisition of a plum’s flavour comes about through biting into the fruit’s flesh.

Going back to more traditional flavours, I tried a trio of hazelnut, coffee and nougat. It was with these that the care and consideration that goes into the gelatos came through with long-lasting and nuanced flavours.

However, the outstanding flavour was pistachio. It came through a recommendation by one of the venue’s staff and it was telling that another attending member of staff nodded along as she spoke. The nuts came from the base of Mount Etna and whilst my pride does not allow me to make any explosive-type remarks, it was unlike any other pistachio I had ever had.

It had depth, a variety of flavours with a crafty end note of saltiness. I left the venue in somewhat of a quandry. Do I want the good weather to continue in order to keep up the desire for gelato or do I want to stop having to dress like I’m helping out at a camp for under-nines?

La Gelatiera
27 New Row
Covent Garden
WC2N 4LA

Tel: 020 7836 9559