Zero Gradi, Brunswick East by Bilby Blue

Our expectations for Zero Gradi were high. Opening earlier this year, it is an offshoot of the 400 Gradi pizza empire. 400 Gradi prides itself on its traditional Neapolitan style of pizza, so we were anticipating an equally authentic experience for Zero Gradi’s gelato.

The gelateria is a few doors away from the flagship 400 Gradi restaurant (which is also on our list to check out!). The space is large and modern, cool pale grey with green accents and blonde timber. A ceiling-mounted mirror over the gelato cabinet displays all the flavours – so even if Zero Gradi is crowded you will have a good view of what is on offer. The gelato is stored in round pozzetti, but covered with sliding cabinet doors rather than individual lids. Artisanal gelato – made without preservatives – needs to be stored in closed containers to maintain freshness.

Chocolate sorbet and hazelnut

The focus is on the classics rather than wacky, out-there flavours. Both dairy and non-dairy options are available – our friendly server said that the 18-flavour menu stays fairly constant although specials are occasionally available. All the gelati is churned daily on-site, using natural ingredients. Servings can be in cups or various options for waffle cones, which can be plain or dipped in chocolate and covered with crushed nuts or sprinkles. Cakes, coffees and other desserts (sourced from 400 Gradi) are also available.

It was a quiet morning when we visited, so there were lots of seats available for us to relax and enjoy our frozen treats while watching the next batch of gelato being churned.

Our friendly server happily provided tastings. The natural flavours of the sorbetti were amazing – we tried the wild berry (chock full of berry fruitiness), lemon (fresh and tangy) and the mango (absolutely stunning). Exceptionally smooth and creamy – you would never pick the sorbetti as dairy free.

From the dairy options, we also liked the bacio – that combination of chocolate and hazelnut is an absolute winner.

Making our final selection was proving to be extremely tough.

It was a chilly day which I felt called for something a bit more substantial than summer fruits. So for my two flavour choices I decided to deconstruct the bacio and have chocolate sorbet and hazelnut, in a plain cone (see first pic). Nut flavours are always a good test for gelato, and this hazelnut easily passed muster – redolent of fresh hazelnuts, creamy and studded with nut pieces. And the chocolate… oh my goodness, one of the best I have ever tasted. Rich, dark and creamy, again you would never know it was dairy free – however it is probably best appreciated by dark chocolate fans.

We had sampled the dairy version of the chocolate in our tastings, but we agreed with our friendly server that the non-dairy version was far superior.

Benny was tempted by every one of his sample tastings, but was won over by the pistachio, due to the generous scattering of whole nuts evident in the pozzetti. But what to pair with it? Our friendly server’s suggestion of salted caramel proved to be a very satisfying choice. Benny was very happy – especially with the very generous size of the serving.

Verdict

We loved it.

Overall

Expect to taste some of the best gelato in Melbourne. Made on the premises from all-natural ingredients, the focus is on the classics, which Zero Gradi does brilliantly. We will be returning to work our way through all the flavours.

Find it at

Zero Gradi
93-97 Lygon Street
Brunswick East Vic 3057