A firm neighbourhood favourite across town, Piccolina has stores in Hawthorn, Richmond, Collingwood, Chadstone, St Kilda and the CBD. All stores sport a Hecker Guthrie-designed fit-out that makes playful nods to the 1950s in southern Italy.

Kenny Lover is the nostalgia-fuelled project from Tom Peasnell (Peaches, Dexter, Cheek), and Henry Sugar's Mike Baker and Daniel Mason, with styling and design by Maria Angelico.

It was with open arms that Melbourne welcomed the much-hyped Sydney gelateria onto Fitzroy's Smith Street back in 2013. Now, Gelato Messina has stores in Windsor, Richmond, Malvern and Brunswick East too. 

All along the Italian side of Lygon Street, we're used to seeing the bright colours of gelato overflowing the many stores' containers in glass-covered fridges. At Pidapipo, you will not see any gelato until it is sitting in front of you. 

Once you've tried a Turkish-style ice cream sandwich, you may never go back to a "regular" one. Using stretchy Maras ice cream, Northcote cafe Cuppa Turca serves the icy treat between two slices of hand-rolled baklava. 

Fitzroy stalwart Vegie Bar has been a plant-based go-to for over three decades. But you don't have to dine-in to enjoy the eatery's vegan sweet treats. Grab 'em straight from the source at Girls & Boys, a 100-percent vegan dessert bar.

Sitting quietly on the Parliament end of the city inside Spring Street Grocer, Gelateria Primavera has held down a reputation as one of the best artisanal gelaterias in Melbourne for some time now.

How Billy Van Creamy managed to churn out some of Melbourne's best ice cream from a truck is a mystery. But you no longer need to go looking for its wheels. As of 2018, BVC opened a permanent bricks-and-mortar shop in Fitzroy North. 

Because conquering the pizza world isn't enough, 400 Gradi also has its own gelateria — which is set inside the restaurant's Lygon Street digs. Zero Gradi is home to traditional Neapolitan-style gelato, available from noon until 11pm daily.