Beloved Australian brand Gelato Messina has opened its first outpost in Singapore! Is it worth the queue? (Spoiler alert: yes.)
Cult Aussie fave Gelato Messina has landed in Singapore, bringing its award-winning gelato, house-made mix-ins, and cheeky flavours to Club Street. With the weather as muggy and unrelenting as ever, a cold, creamy treat feels less like a luxury and more like a survival tactic. If you’re doing everything short of praying for rain, this one’s for you. After a long day out and about, gelato is just what the doctor prescribes, so I popped into the store for a much-needed breather and several scoops.
Gelato Messina review: Cult Australian fave lands in Singapore
The local flagship is a five-minute walk from Telok Ayer MRT station – and don’t worry, it’s not hard to miss the shop. You’ll either be greeted with snaking queues or people clustering at the gelato displays, sampling all the flavours and debating their final orders. I visited on a Wednesday afternoon and the space was bustling with sweet tooths.
Having visited the Melbourne outlet, I noticed the differences right away. Down under, I had enough elbow room to walk around the gelateria and leisurely work my way through the display like a gelato connoisseur. The Singapore space is more of a grab-and-go vibe, with limited room to loiter and make a decision before the crowd behind you gets antsy. My tip? Pop by on weekday afternoons, when you don’t have to clamour with the crowd.
Design-wise, Melbourne’s outlet is decked out in moody dark wood and leather seats, while this one leans into bright, fresh tones. But both give off the same vibe: friendly service meets serious dessert game.
Scooping up treats made from scratch daily
No, that headline isn’t hyperbole. According to Alessandro Palumbo, nephew of Gelato Messina founder Nick Palumbo, everything is made fresh in-house daily, and yes, that statement also involves inclusions and mix-ins like chocolates, dulce de leche, and cakes. The brand’s commitment to flavour consistency includes organically growing produce on its farms.
I was lucky to go behind the scenes for a quick kitchen tour. Alessandro walked me through the process, from prep to the -20°C freezers where the gelato sets. That extreme chill is key to creating that signature silky, non-icy texture. It’s precision-level craftsmanship, not just some churn-and-serve operation.
It’s like perfectionism dialled to a thousand! There are no shortcuts involved, and their dedication towards crafting gelatos that aren’t “just another flavour” is a testament to why the brand is so reputed and well-loved among Australians and those fortunate enough to taste them.
Good luck trying to pick your fave flavour
Now for the fun part: the flavours! There are 40 to choose from, with 30 signature flavours, five rotating specials, and five Singapore exclusives made just for us. I had the chance to try almost the entire menu, and here’s what stood out.
Alessandro handed me a tasting flight of the local flavours: kaya toast, teh tarik, tau huay, Singapore, How You Durian?, and Yolk’s On You (10/10 for the pun). These aren’t just token nods to local taste – each one has thought and texture behind it.
Kaya toast comes with dehydrated toast bits and kaya jam with a generous helping of butter, mimicking the beloved local breakfast. Yolk’s On You is a luxe, savoury-sweet blend of salted egg yolk gelato and gula melaka caramel. Tau huay is the closest thing to eating a chilled bowl of soy pudding: light, subtle, and eerily accurate. The team even channelled our love of durian without being too cloying.
Tbh, I couldn’t pick a single fave. But if you twisted my arm and held me hostage for answers, I’d tell you to pair kaya toast and teh tarik. It’s like having your kopitiam brekkie in frozen form.
There were 10 sorbets during my visit, and after several scoops (all in the name of research), I crowned the calamansi sorbet my winner. Tart, punchy, and the perfect foil to Singapore’s humidity. If that’s unavailable, the lemon or mango flavours make solid backups.
The chocolate sorbet is also worth a shoutout. It’s dark, intense, and completely dairy-free, but you’d never know it. It’s one of the richest I’ve tasted without veering into artificial territory.
Out of all the standard flavours, I fell hard for the Hokey Pokey. It’s honey gelato with chocolate-covered honeycomb. You can call me biased, but you can’t say I didn’t do my due diligence.
So, should you brave the queues?
Whether you’re an ice cream aficionado or just Messina-curious, this new spot lives up to the hype. Yes, there are queues, and it’s a little tight inside. But that’s part of the experience. Waiting in line, peeking at everyone else’s orders, trying to narrow down your final scoops… It’s like edible theatre.
What I appreciate the most is how the brand didn’t just parachute into our country with its Aussie hits. Instead, the team involved local staff in taste testing, developed region-specific flavours, and chose to “start simple” before pushing creative boundaries like its other outlets. Will we be expecting something like ice kacang sorbet or pandan chiffon cake in the future? Hopefully!
Ice cream parlours may be a dime a dozen here, but if you’re in Telok Ayer and hankering for a sweet, cold treat, there’s only one place to go. As someone who’s sampled Gelato Messina in Melbourne and now Singapore, I can confidently say this isn’t just gelato. It’s intentional, full-flavoured storytelling in a cup or cone. No wonder the brand has a cult following and over 20 outlets Down Under. And now, Singapore gets a taste of the obsession.
Must-try flavours: Kaya toast; teh tarik; Hokey Pokey; calamansi
How much: Scoops from $7.50 (no “standard” and “premium” tiered pricings here!)
Opening hours: Tuesdays to Thursdays, 2pm to 10pm and Fridays to Sundays, 12pm to 10pm (walk-ins only)
Address: Gelato Messina, 1 Club Street, Singapore 069400
