Rivareno Gelato280 Crown St
Darlinghurst, Sydney
Rivareno is Italian gelato at its best. In Italy they have won many awards for their gelato and Sydney is lucky to have secured the first Rivareno store outside Italy through the efforts of keen foodie and gelato entrepreneur Kieran Tosolini.
You must go and try this stuff. Its amazing. The flavours are intense yet not overpowering and it's so smooth and creamy. Also, unlike some gelato it's not sickly sweet. It has all natural ingredients which makes it healthier and you feel less guilty for indulging. If you're not sure what to have - ask for a sample of a few - they are always happy to oblige here!
The gelato is stored in traditional gelato cylinders - or pozzetti - which cover the gelato to keep in the freshness by limiting exposure to the air during the day. Its a little strange at first not being able to see the gelato - but the beautiful flavours are worth it!
We tried so many flavours that were all so good - it was sheer bliss. Our first flavour was the Fior di panna - a creamy vanilla flavour described on the menu as a white cream "pure" gelato with a touch of Madagascar's aromatic Bourbon vanilla. So nice. Then it was Nocciola Piemonte - "Tonde Gentili Trilobate" hazelnuts from Piedmont - smooth but not overpowering hazelnut flavour. Again delicious. Next was Pistacchio Bronte - intense pistachio from Bronte Italy that was smooth, creamy and lovely. Then it was Cioccolato - creamy chocolate from Piedmont that was also great. We then moved on to try Cioccolato extra fondente - described as extra dark with Valrhona Manjari single origin red cocoa - you can really taste the fondente - yum!
Alice was next - marscapone, premium Marsala "Vergine Soleras" and lashings of gianduja sauce - gorgeous - this one is also a must try flavour. Then the popular New York - New York with organic Canadian maple syrup and caramelised pecans crossed our taste buds. Delish! Sweet Alabama was a lovely blend of creamy chocolate from Piedmont with peanut butter - or really crushed peanuts - a good combination that some may hesitate with but it's also a definite must try!
Next was Contessa - Sicilian almonds and Piedmont hazelnuts with crushed amaretti and caramelised almonds - a very good mixture of nutty tastes. We then tried Coffee - not actually available that day - that had a really good coffee hit offset with slivers of chocolate. Great blend. Bacio is very Ferrero Rocher like with chocolate and hazelnut and whole toasted hazelnut. This will be popular. We then tried the yoghurt flavour - and boy it tasted like the old fashioned traditional yoghurt you used to be able to get. Mango Heera was our first fruity gelato - comprising premium Indian Alfonso mango with yoghurt - with the blend combining perfectly so that the yoghurt did not overpower the mango.
I finished with a gelato in a cone. This time I chose Alice - already described above as marscapone, premium Marsala "Vergine Soleras" and lashings of gianduja sauce.
They started with a lovely crisp cone and drizzled gianduja sauce inside it. Always a good start!
Then came the addition of the gelato - a huge scoop of Alice.
Finally another drizzle on top of more gianduja sauce. This was so great. Chocolate and gelato are a marriage made in heaven!
We ended our visit by tasting the two versions of Granita on the menu. If you haven't had this before - try it. Its a blend of fruit water and sugar that is chilled to create a thick icy drink. We started with pink grapefruit - healthy and flavoursome with barely a hint of bitterness. The watermelon was milder again - with clear flavours pushing through.
Rivareno has amazingly delicious gelato. Its so fresh, creamy and flavoursome - and healthy as well. They also use all natural ingredients - and you can taste it. Its a party for your taste buds!
Sir and Mlady were guests of Rivareno. Many thanks to Alex Taylor of Maria Farmer Public Relations for arranging this.
