This month, I popped down to Camden to visit Amorino’s newest branch. The first authentic Italian gelateria on Camden High Street, Amorino’s offers a range of 28 flavours of gelato and sorbet cones, along with an unrivalled selection of Italian sweet treats and drinks and ice cream roses.
When I arrived, the queue was out the door and didn’t subside the entire time I was there – proving the popularity of the new ice cream roses even on a chilly autumnal day.
The first thing I tasted on the menu was the sorbet drink – a dairy-free take on a milkshake made with two different types of sorbets and water. I went for passion fruit and mango, which blended made a sweet and refreshing drink. The texture was a bit like melted sorbet but I would have one again, as I imagine it is especially good on a warm day.
I also tried a selection of the gelato macarons that Amorino offer, which apparently are particularly popular in the winter. Available in 10 different flavours, they are a take on the traditional French macaron made with a standard shell and filled with different flavours of delicious gelato.
The raspberry macaron was tangy and sharp, the passion fruit sweet and delicious and the chocolate rich and tasty. All of them melted in the mouth in a very satisfying way.
Then, onto the star of the show – the ice cream rose. After tasting every flavour of ice cream and sorbet Amorino had to offer (it’s a tough job, but someone has got to do it…) I went for pistachio, chocolate and vanilla ice cream for my rose.
Watching it being made was a fascinating process. They used a small, flat-looking ice cream spoon to scoop tiny pieces of ice cream which were layered on top of each other, gradually building up to create a beautiful flower creation. It was almost too beautiful to eat but, somehow I managed and it tasted delicious too.
What’s more, until 15th November you can try the spooky Halloween limited edition gelato ice cream rose, served in a truly striking black cone with two miniature cones on top – one filled with a sweet Chantilly cream and the other with a hazelnut, dark chocolate or smooth salted butter caramel. Although I didn’t try this one myself, I saw several being made and it did look truly decadent.
Although you may think this is a bit of a seasonal visit, with 10 different flavours of hot chocolate, nine varieties of tea, and crepes and waffles adorning the menu alongside the ice creams and sorbets, this is a great little place to pop in for a treat all year long. And the rose ice cream is not to be missed.