Overview
Just in time for the season of balmy temperatures and frozen treats, comes Pidapipo's new Fitzroy flagship and gelato destination. Launched this month on Brunswick Street, Pidapipo Laboratorio marks the gelateria's fourth outpost — a huge site where the brand will be both crafting and selling its much-loved dessert creations.
Known for its equal commitment to tradition and innovation, Pidapipo has blossomed exponentially since first launching as a Carlton pop-up in 2013. But this next phase of life marks its biggest leap yet.
An onsite production lab is the crown jewel of the new site, nodding to the classic Italian concept of the kitchen being the heart of the home, while also spotlighting the brand's penchant for experimentation. It's here that you'll be able to see co-founder and chef Lisa Valmorbida developing and honing all those new, limited-release concoctions. Out front, Laboratorio's rotating gelato menu will run to just eight exclusive flavours, but with a vast array of add-ons available.
The space itself is the work of renowned designer Dion Hall (Music Room, Supernormal, Rare Hare) — a light-filled vision of stainless steel and crisp white with a futuristic industrial edge, where there are minimal barriers between the kitchen's theatrics and the diners or passersby.
The brand's first artisanal chocolate range will also make its debut here in Fitzroy, crafted onsite in a special state-of-the-art, temperature-controlled room. You'll find everything from single-origin bars, to truffles and pralines; most of which will feature on the gelato menu, incorporated into current and future flavours. And don't forget about the house-made chocolate sauces, served on tap to drizzle over your scoops or line your gelato cone.
Also on offer is a lineup of pasticceria-style goodies — think, bomboloni stuffed with that famed signature gianduja filling and brioche cooked to order — as well as the brand's newly expanded line of gelato cakes.
There are grand plans for the site's rooftop, too, including beehives set to produce hyper-local honey for the menu, a micro-garden growing native ingredients, and an alfresco space to host cooking demos and masterclasses.
Find Pidapipo Laboratorio at 429–431 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy. It's open daily from 12–11pm.
Images: Pete Dillon