Best pistachio gelato in Singapore
Nutty, sweet, earthy, and savoury—pistachio remains one of the most popular gelato flavours out there. Given how ubiquitous it is, however, it has also become harder to sift out places that actually do the flavour justice.
And so, we set out to find the best pistachio gelato in Singapore. To make things fair, we ordered a single scoop of pistachio gelato from each cafe we visited, and nothing else. We made sure to only visit cafes that served gelato, and not ice cream. As much as possible, we also tried to shortlist cafes known for their pistachio flavour specifically.
By the way, gelato can be discerned by its denser and smoother texture, thanks to the fact that it’s churned slowly, so less air is incorporated. Essentially, gelato has more “bite” to it, whereas ice cream dissolves almost immediately on the tongue.
For this article, we’ve narrowed down three categories of evaluation: taste, texture, and price.
10. Venchi
While local cafes populate much of this list, we also wanted to include some premium international brands in the list. And Venchi, an award-winning Italian chain that has been around since the 1870s, seemed to be the best contender. We visited the outlet at ION Orchard, but they also have outlets at Raffles City, Parkway Parade, and Marina Bay Sands.
Priced at a not-so-wallet-friendly $11 for the mini size, their Bronte Pistachio gelato was cloyingly sweet. So much that I needed to chug water after each bite. The nuttiness was also too subtle for my liking, but perhaps those new to the flavour might appreciate this more.
We also found ourselves crunching on icy shards throughout the ice cream. Although it was relatively creamy, it did not have that dense texture that’s characteristic of a gelato.
Taste: 3/5
Texture: 2.5/5
Price: 2/5
Total: 50%
Website | Full list of locations
Venchi is not a halal-certified eatery.
9. Birds of Paradise
Birds of Paradise has not only amassed a cult following but is also the only local gelato spot to be featured on the Michelin Guide. The brand has several outlets across the island, but we visited the one in Katong. Though the brand primarily focuses on botanical flavours, we wanted to put their Pistachio gelato to the test.
We got a scoop of pistachio in their Signature Thyme Cone, which amounted to $7.80. Unfortunately, the nuttiness took a backseat, so it tasted more like vanilla than anything else. But at least the sweetness was just right here, as compared to Venchi’s.
As expected, they scored good points in the texture department, boasting the characteristic dense, smooth, and creamy texture of a gelato. If only it were a little bit more stretchy, the texture would have been perfect.
Taste: 2.5/5
Texture: 3.5/5
Price: 2.5/5
Total: 56.67%
Website | Full list of locations
Birds of Paradise is not a halal-certified eatery.
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8. Momolato
I had high hopes for Momolato, a homegrown gelato joint run by Asia’s Gelato Champion. They have an outlet in Haji Lane and another in North Bridge Road, we visited the latter.
What really set Momolato’s gelato apart from the rest was the significant amount of pistachio nuts sprinkled across the gelato. I did wish it were toasted and sprinkled on top later on, instead of being mixed into the gelato, as it would have added a nice crunch.
The Sea Salt Pistachio ($6.30) gelato was quite creamy, nevertheless, but it lacked that much-needed ‘bite’ to it. Texture aside, I enjoyed the subtle saltiness, which gave the gelato an added savoury touch. But the aftertaste was oddly bitter-tasting, and the nuts ended up having a stale and artificial flavour that I disliked.
Taste: 3/5
Texture: 3/5
Price: 3.5/5
Total: 63.3%
North Bridge outlet
Address: 723 North Bridge Road, Singapore 198691
Opening hours: Sun-Thurs 11am to 11pm, Fri-Sat 11am to 1am
Tel: 9679 7268
Haji Lane outlet
Address: 34 Haji Lane, Singapore 189227
Opening hours: Mon-Thurs 2pm to 11pm, Fri-Sat 11am to 1am, Sun 11am to 11pm
Tel: 8883 7968
Website
Momolato is a halal-certified eatery.
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7. Celine’s
Celine’s Gelato in Novena has taken staying true to authenticity to the next level—the space has a fancy gelato cart furnished with pozetti AKA traditional gelato storage containers. The flavours on offer switch up each month, but Pistachio ($6.70) is one of the cafe’s mainstays.
Celine’s managed to achieve the most near-perfect gelato texture thus far. This was especially because it was notably stretchy, a textural component I did not find in the previous gelatos ranked below this one. But it was almost too dense, leaning towards the jelak side.
It was delightfully nutty, but somehow tasted more like peanut than pistachio, which left me feeling conflicted. My peanut butter-loving colleague enjoyed the flavour nonetheless, so I would say it was not a total loss after all.
Taste: 3.5/5
Texture: 3.5/5
Price: 3/5
Total: 66.7%
Address: 275 Thomson Road, Novena Regency, Singapore 307645
Opening hours: Mon-Thurs 11am to 9pm, Fri-Sat 11am to 9:30pm, Sun 12pm to 9pm
Tel: 9067 1353
Website
Celine’s Gelato is not a halal-certified eatery.
6. Hundred Acre Creamery
A slightly more underrated pick in this selection is Hundred Acre Creamery. OGs might know them from their very first outlet in Sunset Way, but they also have outlets in Bedok, Sembawang, and Tampines, which is the one we visited.
Their Roasted Pistachio is their ultimate best-seller, so we had high expectations for this pint. While their Classic flavours start at a pretty affordable $4.50, this was a Gourmet flavour, so it set us back by $6.
This frozen treat had a pretty well-balanced flavour profile, it was sweet, savoury, and nutty, and laced with a slight toastiness. Buttery was also another distinctive undertone I picked up here, making the gelato quite decadent. Once again, the texture was pretty subpar, lacking density and creaminess.
Taste: 3/5
Texture: 3/5
Price: 4/5
Total: 66.7%
Website | Full list of outlets
Hundred Acre Creamery is not a halal-certified eatery.
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5. Freshio Gelato
As a former NAFA student, Freshio Gelato, located in Bencoole,n holds a special place in my heart. The humble cafe is run by an adorable elderly couple, and has more than a thousand reviews and a 4.9-star rating on Google.
They have more than 30 flavours to pick from, but we came for one thing, and one thing only: their Sicilian Pistachio ($6.50).
To my pleasant surprise, the gelato was smooth, ultra-stretchy, and struck the perfect balance between soft and dense. But flavourwise, it was pretty one-dimensional and a little too sweet.
Taste: 3/5
Texture: 3.5/5
Price: 3.5/5
Total: 70%
Address: 91 Bencoolen Street, #01-60, Sunshine Plaza, Singapore 189652
Opening hours: Thurs-Tue 12pm to 10pm
Tel: 6970 0358
Website
Freshio Gelato is not a halal-certified eatery.
4. Tom’s Palette
Tom’s Palette has been a Singaporean cult-favourite and for good reason; they’ve been around for more than two decades, and they boast more than 120 flavours, including a few Asian-inspired ones. We visited their Bugis outlet, but they also have another in Kovan.
A scoop of Sicilian Pistachio is priced at just $5.80, making it one of the more affordable contenders on the list.
Tom’s Palette definitely knew what they were doing with this one. It ticked all the right boxes: nutty, salty, savoury, and sweet. Unfortunately, they did not really nail the texture. It was nicely creamy but also soft like ice cream, and melted quickly.
Taste: 3.5/5
Texture: 3/5
Price: 4.5/5
Total: 73.3%
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3. Burnt Cones
Burnt Cones may take special pride in the quality of their handmade cones, but what makes them so great is how well they’ve perfected their gelato. FYI, we visited their outlet in Novena for this article, but they also have outlets at Sunset Way, NUS, and NEWest.
Upon first mouthful, I liked how I really had to bite my gelato because of how dense it was. Amazingly, at the same time, it also boasted an amazing smooth and creamy texture. But I guess I can let the picture above do the talking.
This gelato also boasted the most well-rounded flavour profile, equal parts nutty, savoury, salty, and sweet. With practically zero flaws, Burnt Cones is a win in my books! It was just a little pricey, totalling $8 when paired with a cone.
Taste: 4.5/5
Texture: 4.5/5
Price: 2.5/5
Total: 76.7%
Website | Full list of outlets
Burnt Cones is not a halal-certified eatery.
2. Denzy Gelato
I was a loyal patron to Denzy Gelato back in their Bishan days, and now that they’ve moved to Hougang, it’s become a bit out of the way for me. That said, I went back for this ranking, and I can gladly say that the quality has remained pretty consistent over the years. FYI, they were given the title of Singapore’s Best Gelato in 2019!
The texture was lacking that stretch, but it was still creamy and had that bite I was looking for. What truly won me over though was the flavour profile: rich, buttery, savoury, and super nutty.
They also nailed the sweetness, and it even had a roasted-like smokiness that gave the overall flavour profile an extra leg up. To round it all off, a scoop is priced at $5.40, which also happens to be the most affordable on this list!
Taste: 4.5/5
Texture: 4.5/5
Price: 4/5
Total: 86.7%
Address: 684 Hougang Avenue 8, #01-953, Singapore 530684
Opening hours: Sun-Thurs 12:30pm to 10:30pm, Fri-Sat 12:30pm to 11:30pm
Tel: 8876 492
Website
Denzy Gelato is not a halal-certified eatery.
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1. Dopa
With two outlets in Tanjong Pagar and Chinatown, Dopa probably has the most renowned pistachio gelato on the list. Just like in Celine’s, Dopa stores their gelato in the traditional pozetti, which maintains the temperature and consistency at the perfect level.
Their niche is their nut-based selection, so lots of people come here specifically for the pistachio flavour. A scoop here is priced at $6.50, which is a little steep, but you’ll come to realise it’s totally worth it.
We found that the texture was the most on point at Dopa. Each spoon we took from the scoop stretched amazingly, and it was also super smooth. They roast their nuts from scratch, so we had no qualms about the level of nuttiness as well. It had a lovely toasty flavour, and was also deliciously savoury.
Taste: 5/5
Texture: 5/5
Price: 3.5/5
Total: 90%
South Bridge Road
Address: 29 South Bridge Road, #01-01, Singapore 058665
Opening hours: Sun-Thurs 12pm to 10pm, Fri-Sat 12pm to 10:30pm
Tanjong Pagar
Address: 7 Tanjong Pagar Plaza, #01-107, Singapore 081007
Opening hours: Sun-Thurs 12pm to 10pm, Fri-Sat 12pm to 10:30pm
Honourable mentions for pistachio gelato in Singapore
Gelato Messina
Famous Aussie family-owned chain Gelato Messina recently opened up an outlet in Singapore, which of course warranted a visit from us. The brand sources its ingredients straight from its own farm, and churns out over 40 different flavours of gelato from scratch.
One scoop is priced at $7.50, but we recommend getting three scoops for $12 and sharing, which works out to just $4 per scoop! Our team really enjoyed their super creamy and nutty Pistachio Praline flavour, and we think it’s a worthy addition to this list.
Address: 1 Club Street, Singapore 069400
Opening hours: Tue-Thurs 2pm to 10pm, Fri-Sun 12pm to 10pm
Website
Gelato Messina is not a halal-certified eatery.
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Gelato Garden
Gelato Garden has taken things one step further by installing a machine that constantly churns their gelato, so you are guaranteed to get the creamiest and smoothest pint each time. They are located along Haji Lane.
Their Gold Pistachio ($7) which is painted a striking pastel green, is wonderfully silky, rich and also very nutty. It also leans a little on the sweet side, which those with sweet tooths would particularly like.
Address: 65 Haji Lane, Singapore 189258
Opening hours: Sun-Thurs 11am to 10pm, Fri-Sat 11am to 11pm
Tel: 8877 2596
Website
Gelato Garden is not a halal-certified eatery.
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Best cafes for pistachio gelato in Singapore
If pistachio is your go-to gelato flavour, we hope our ranking helps you determine where you should have your next pistachio gelato!
For more dessert recommendations, check out our list of the best traditional dessert stalls for chendol, shaved ice, cheng tng, and more. Else, if you’re big on shio pan lately, read our shio pan ranking to see where you can get the best ones!
Photos taken by Marcus Neo.
This was an independent article by Eatbook.sg.
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