Disappointing Experience from a Long-Awaited Visit As a longtime fan of the British show Escape to the Country, I was excited to see an episode featuring a family returning to the UK after starting a gelato business in Wilmington, NC. Despite living over 1,300 miles away in Texas, we have family nearby and made a mental note to visit their shop the next time we were in town. That opportunity finally came yesterday. We headed to the Riverwalk with high hopes and found the gelato shop easily. The area was bustling, thanks to a nearby conference, and there were a few customers inside. When we walked in, no one was immediately visible behind the counter--until a young woman popped up from behind it with a rather odd, suspicious laugh and asked how she could help. We told her we were looking at the menu board and needed a moment. As we browsed, she pulled out a sample spoon--not to offer us a taste, but to stick her head into the cooler, dig around in a container of gelato with the spoon (as if picking something out), and then eat from it. No gloves. No hand washing. All of this happened right in front of us. Perhaps this is their normal routine, but it was a major red flag for us. It raised concerns not just about what we could see, but especially about what we couldn't--like their broader hygiene and food safety practices. We made a polite excuse, left without ordering, and ended up at another nearby shop on the boardwalk. There, the first thing the employee did was put on disposable gloves before handling our order--exactly the level of care we expect from a food establishment. To say we were disappointed is an understatement. I really wanted to love this place. But after what we witnessed, we simply couldn't bring ourselves to take the risk. read more

Walked in on a Monday and the lady at the counter welcomed us and offered to help. We got a passion fruit (vegan) option and the hazelnut. $13 for three scoops total which is pretty pricy but this seems to be the average for gelatos. The ambiance of the shop was trendy and clean and it's right on the boardwalk so easy to eat your gelato right one the water. read more

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Wonderful place to stop for a treat while you're walking the water front. Several dairy free flavors (like dark chocolate, my favorite) and everything was delicious. Inside is quirky and clean. Staff were helpful and kind. read more

My fam and I were on vacation walking around downtown Wilmington and we had a nice lil' walk around the river walk. I was craving something sweet and wanted to check out Gelarto. It's a nice, cute shop and while it was busy inside the lines were moving fast. I got 2 double cups: - dark chocolate and coffee - strawberry and mango I must say they were all great and not too sweet, just perfect! We enjoyed every bite. read more

Gelarto - Left: dark chocolate/coffee | Right: strawberry/mango - Gelato Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

This gelato was smooth and flavored well. The honeycomb flavor was pretty sweet and had small bits of honeycomb in the scoop. The coconut scoop had flakes of coconut in it which were nice. Overall this place was a nice stop and is recommended if you are looking for a sweet treat on the Riverwalk. The interior was cute and had nice touches of Italian decor. The paintings all had nice gelato accents as well. read more

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We saw so many people with Gelato in their hands and wanted to try this place out. This place was amazing especially in a hot day! We got the honeycomb and hazelnut gelato; both of which were so smooth and tasted delicious! I would definitely recommend this to anyone because hands down I would come to this place again! read more

Gelarto - Honeycomb and Hazelnut Gelato - Gelato Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

Gelarto is located along Downtown Wilmington's Riverwalk. We enjoyed our gelato while watching the sunset on the river. We ordered the Sicilian Pistachio, Strawberries & Cream, and Sea Salt Caramel. All of the flavors were delicious. The pistachio had a strong flavor that wasn't artificial. The strawberries & cream was a nice mix of sweet and tart, and the sea salt caramel was rich and buttery. Overall, we were very impressed with Gelarto's flavor offerings and quality, and we'll definitely be back! read more

Gelarto - Sicilian Pistachio, Strawberries & Cream, and Sea Salt Caramel - Gelato Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

Gelarto in Wilmington is delish!! They have two locations: one downtown on the river and one on the way to Wrightsville Beach. They are both excellent! Offering a wide variety of flavors and a cute interior with upcycled Vespas and cute seating. The staff if very friendly and you can get a stamp card to earn free scoops! read more

Gelarto - Mango Gelato - Gelato Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

You're only allowed one flavor for their smallest cup option, which was already very large. That's unexpected and uncommon for a gelato place so be prepared to really like the one flavor you get. Eating it was like racing the clock because it melts way faster than other gelato, and was extremely messy in the approximately 120 seconds we had to eat before it melted. I honestly don't remember the flavor because the rest was so chaotic. read more

A must try . The strawberries and cream. Dessert with a view. I can't wait to try the other flavors read more

Gelarto - Strawberry and cream at sunset - Gelato Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

Decided to take a last-minute impromptu weekend getaway trip to Wilmington. After having dinner, my girlfriend and I wanted some ice cream. After walking around, we stumbled upon this place down on the riverfront after seeing the long line at the other well-known ice cream place. JACKPOT!!! Whoa!!! My girlfriend would say, Gelarto is a super cute shop with scooters that you can sit on and also a little Fiat to sit in. I can add that they have super friendly staff that let you sample various flavours before you decide. I tried the strawberries and mango flavours. They were scrumptious! This gelato is actually made in Italy and imported to the US. It is fantastic, and I'm super excited to have stumbled upon Gelarto. For me, It had been several years since I had gelato and almost forgotten how delicious it truly is. Anyone and everyone who knows me ... will also know I am a sucker for ice cream, and this is very close to it, with less fat and a creamier consistency. FOOD: Medium cup (2 delicious scoops) - 1 strawberries and 1 mango. The scoops are adequate in size, and each one was packed full of flavour. With gelato having much less fat content than ice cream, this was a perfect dessert after we finished our dinner. Both strawberries and mango tasted organic with all-natural flavours. Loved it! For a guy whose kryptonite is ice cream ... this may be another weakness I have succumbed to. Delicious flavours, creamy, soft consistency, and nice scoops made this visit a very nice cap to the end of our day. SERVICE: There was no one in line ahead of us when we approached the counter, and we were greeted promptly. The staff asked and offered up samples since we had never visited before and made us feel very welcome, without any pressure of being rushed. Her service was on point, and the overall establishment was very clean and tidy. I have no recommendations, nor did I witness any opportunities for improvement. Impressive. OVERALL: After several years, I may be hooked after tasting well-prepared gelato from Gelarto. The flavours and the service are very much there, and if you haven't visited here yet, make it a point to try them out. The atmosphere and décor inside is splendid, too! read more

Gelarto - Handcrafted Gelato - Mango & Strawberry flavours - Gelato Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

Free parking for scooters. Triple scoop cup $7 right on the Riverwalk. AC was cold as ice Grazie!

Friendly staff, fantastic sunset views. Whole family had treats for $30 even. I had an affogato with the honeycomb gelato (their recommendation) it was absolutely delicious. 10/10 read more

Super cool place! I loved the car seats. The service was good, and the gelato was very refreshing. read more

Gelarto - Mango and lime gelato. - Gelato Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

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Such a cute place on the pier. Super friendly staff and quick service. The hazelnut gelato was amazing. Creamy perfect gelato consistency. My kids liked their shakes as well. Definitely a place to try! read more

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I don't know how this place eluded me until now; it must be on the newer side. It's a gelato place from a company that seems Italian and British (they have "flavours" instead of flavors), which apparently is a big company with no U.S. presence until they did a pop up in New York before establishing their first U.S. location in...Wilmington, North Carolina. Unconventional choice, but they've maximized it, having opened a beautiful old brick space on the riverside boardwalk. Their gelato display is aesthetically appealing and the store was immaculate. I was offered, nay pushed, the chance to sample as many flavors as I wanted. I had to restrain myself, sampling only one and ordering three others, but I could have gone for almost any of them. I do like to see what's non-dairy and on offer, and their vegan chocolate, apparently based on rice milk, is appealing. Perceptibly non-dairy, but the rice added just a bit of smoothness and the chocolate was strong and bitter. Their mint chip is a subtle mint with an aftertaste, and I went for pistachio which had ample nut fragments. I rather regretted not getting anything fruity. There's a dialogue to be had about the value of imported versus local. I suspect that the dairy gelato here comes from cows that live a far better life than the farm animals I occasionally see being driven in disturbing cage trucks on the roads that lead to Wilmington. North Carolina is notorious for its appalling agricultural practices. Conversely, freezing gelato and taking it around the world from Italy isn't exactly efficient, and it didn't taste quite as fresh as some gelato I've had. There's good local ice cream in the area and I don't take a strong position on the issue, but to say that as European imports go, this place is doing well. read more

Gelarto - Gelato Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

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Stumbled upon this play while walking around Downtown Wilmington. We were walking our dog and were happy to see that it was pet friendly. We asked if they had "pup cups" for dogs but were given and (a paid for) and large scoop of vanilla gelato. That was a bit odd, but definitely our fault for not clarifying the size and pricing. Otherwise, the honeycomb gelato was delicious and rich and creamy! read more

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Super YUM! Love the name- they put the "art" in gelato. So clever. :) The person we met was very friendly & patient, and happily allowed us to try a couple of flavors before we ordered. They let dogs inside, which was great. The decor was cute- their Vespa seats as bar stools are extra clever and unique. Our daughter loved sitting on one and looking out at the Riverwalk. Her lemon gelato was fantastic- just perfect lemon flavor! My coffee gelato was delicious along with the chocolate hazelnut gelato! My husband loved his Forest berry and mango combo. The only down side was you can only get two different flavors if you get two scoops, but the scoops are a good size (not tiny and not giant). Plus the pricing was awesome! We got our 5 scoops for about $18. They also have some very clever drinks! Gelattés- lattes flavored with gelato! And gelato floats too! We'll definitely go back! read more

Great location, customer service, and flavor options! We had the honeycomb, salted caramel, lemon, mint chip, and an affogato. Everything was delicious, and my son begged to go back the next day. read more

Really good gelato, perfect for a hot day when you want to walk around with a treat, try the chocolate.

Such a cute little gelato place! The gelato was absolutely fantastic. Creamy and packed full of flavor. We got small cups and they were so flavorful the size didn't matter! They were so huge in flavor it felt like a pint of goodness. I highly recommend this place and will definitely be back to try as many flavors as I can when we're in Wilmington! This place is added to the flavor train rotation! read more

Gelarto - Coconut gelato - Gelato Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

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Good place to stop for Gelarto. Their delicious and it's cute inside. Child loves it and portions are perfect. read more

Gelarto - Inside the shop. - Gelato Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

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What sets GelaRto apart from other gelato places is that their gelato is made in Turin, Italy as well as their cones. The gelato takes weeks to be delivered and are deep-freezed to survive the trip. GelaRto is already sold as a product throughout the UK and in some stores in the U.S., but they just started opening gelateria store locations in the UK and in the U.S., with Wilmington being the 2nd location behind NYC. GelaRto is located in downtown Wilmington on the riverfront. They have two entrances, one from the Riverwalk and the other one on the opposite side. There are some small tables for seating inside. Besides gelato, they offer sorbet, baked treats (brownies, lemon bars, chocolate caramel bars), European candies, and gelarto bars. The menu also listed gelato cakes and sundaes but these are not available for the next 2 weeks or so. Gelato cakes can be made with 2-3 gelato flavors and can be customized. There are vegan options, including most of the sorbets, as well as sea salt caramel and dark chocolate. There's also this nifty poster that shows allergen information in their products. Beverages include tea (hot and cold), juice, gelato shakes, sorbet smoothies, and coffee. The coffee is from local Vigilant Hope Roasting. Gelato shakes can be mixed with either cow's milk (2% or whole), soy, almond, or oat milk. There are plans to apply for a NC liquor license to add liquor options to the gelato and sorbet. They have a card where you can get a stamp for each purchase. After achieving nine stamps you get a free milkshake, gelato, or coffee. The manager was generous in allowing me to try multiple samples (don't judge, I'm picky). I tried rum and raisin, coffee, hazelnut, strawberries and cream, cherries and cream, sea salt caramel, and raspberry. Apparently, Oreo is a popular flavor and it is made with real Oreos from Italy. Unfortunately, Oreo was not available during my visit. Other options that I did not try, that were available were: vanilla, chocolate, dark chocolate, banana, lemon, mango, fruits of the forest, honeycomb, chocolate chip, Sicilian pistachio, passion fruit, coconut, and creme caramel. Sorbet and gelato can be served in either cups or cones (for additional cost) and portion sizes are either single ($3.5), double ($4.5), or triple ($5). Cone options are plain or sugar bead candy-coated or a Cocoa flavored sugar bead candy-coated. All of the samples I tried were tasty. I finally decided on a single scoop of cherries and cream gelato in a Cocoa sugar bead candy-coated cone (total cost with tax: $4.28). The gelato was so rich and creamy. I loved the Amarena cherries in the gelato. A single scoop was a perfect portion for a dessert. The Cocoa cone is a definite must for whoever likes chocolate. It was fresh, crunchy. Comparing GelaRto to the only other gelato place in town that I know of, Latella Gelato in Carolina Beach, GelaRto wins, hands down. Of course, Latella Gelato can't compare. Sure, Latella Gelato makes their own gelato in-house, but it ain't from Italy. You can immediately taste the difference between the two and it is a no brainer. Latella's gelato is just not as flavorful or as creamy, it just doesn't have that wonderful mouthfeel GelaRto has. This is a must-visit dessert place. Dog friendly! read more

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This cute shop gets five stars for service alone. My son and I walked in and were immediately offered samples of their homemade gelato. There were no limits as to how many we could try, which made it extremely difficult to choose. All were incredible. I wound up with a scoop of creme caramel and my son got a double of salted caramel and Oreo. This gelato is incredibly smooth and custardy. It beats any gelato in town and is quite frankly some of the best I've ever had. They have seating, and small scooter stools that overlook the river walk for enjoying your dessert. This is a great addition to the Wilmington food scene. Yum! read more

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Excellent gelato! Great pit stop for anyone walking the boardwalk or shopping the stores! Gotta try them all!!

I made two stops to Gelarto while in Wilmington. Once with the food tour and again after my sunset boat cruise. This place is hopping and the staff is very patient and friendly. You can sample as many flavors as you'd like too. I had chocolate hazelnut the first time and strawberry cream the second. It is very hard to choose but both times was a nice treat. The staff is what makes this place shine! read more

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This shop is in the perfect place in downtown Wilmington. Right on the river walk and great to get some gelato. I had the vanilla with a biscof cookie. It was a perfect pairing. Looking for a sweet treat this is the place to go. read more

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Stopped by here on a whim because the weather was beautiful. It's a cute place inside the building with River Room. I sampled the hazelnut and was sold. Tastes just like Nutella. The best! So creamy and decadent. Will definitely be back! read more

Gelarto - Hazelnut gelato with cone and chocolate topping - Gelato Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

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Amazing staff recommended the Afogato which was very good! I chose the Sicilian Pistachio which complimented the very good espresso at this Gerlato! It was so remarkable and I could not forget it. I only wished I had more days in Wilmington or i'd be coming back for more. I love coffee but this place took it further than I thought coffee concoctions could go. It is bar none, the best tasting treat I had while visiting Wilmington/Wrightsville Beach! read more

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Small gelato place right on the River Walk in downtown. The guy behind the counter told me they actually get their gelato from Italy. Yes, they ship it from Italy. Highlights - Decent selection of flavors - Gelato is very good - Prices are okay - They take Apple Pay which I really like - Very limited seating read more

It had been years and years since I,ve tasted gelato and almost forgotten how good it truly is. Anyone and everyone that knows me...will also know I am a sucker for ice cream and this is very close to it, with less fat and a creamier consistency. So, for the first time, my wife, son and I visited Gelarto while we were spending our Sunday in downtown Wilmington. FOOD: Medium cup (2 scoops) - 1 peanut butter and 1 Oreo cookies. The scoops are adequate in size and each one was packed full of flavor. With gelato having much less fat content than ice cream, this was a perfect dessert after we finished our lunch. The peanut butter tasted organic with all-natural ingredients. The PB flavor was nice and balanced; not too strong and the Oreo cookies gelato? Oh yeah. Loved it! For a guy whose kryptonite is ice cream...this may be another weakness I have succumbed to. Awesome flavors, creamy / soft consistency and nice scoops made this visit a very nice cap to the end of our day. SCORE: 5 STARS!! SERVICE: There was no one in line ahead of me when I approached the counter and was greeted promptly by Caroline. Caroline asked and offered up samples since we had never visited before and made me feel very welcome, without any pressure of being rushed. Her service was on point and the overall establishment was very clean and tidy. I have no recommendations nor did I witness any opportunities for improvement. Impressive. SCORE: 5 STARS!! OVERALL SCORE: Almost 15 years later, I may be hooked after tasting well-prepared gelato from Gelarto. The flavors and service are very much there and if you haven't visited here yet...make it a point to try them out. The atmosphere and decor inside is badass too. 5 STARS!! read more

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Great espresso drinks right on the Riverwalk. Check out the super cool seating options. Service was great! Ciao, read more

Gelarto - Bar seating overlooking the river. - Gelato Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

A very cute gelato shop right on the boardwalk of Wilmington. The indoor decor is unique with cars and motorcycles as seats or tables. I was excited to try some vegan gelato and it did not disappoint. The base of the vegan gelato is either water or rice milk (if I remember correctly). The 2 scoops were more than enough to satisfy my sweet tooth. Highly recommend giving this place a try! read more

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Wow, this place was just flat out amazing. The girls were wonderful there and so kind and helpful. I tried the dairy free flavor and liked it but ordered a different one and she helped guide me that they might not taste similar even though they were both chocolate and she was right! So glad she helped me because I wouldn't have enjoyed otherwise. They were patient too. I got the dairy free chocolate and the strawberry sorbet. So tasty. My partner got the regular ones of tiramisu and something else. Can't wait to come back to Wilmington just to eat this read more

Gelarto - Dairy free chocolate and strawberry sorbet - Gelato Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

Cute gelato and coffee shop along the river walk in downtown Wilmington. They have adorable seating and decor. The gelato was creamy and they have so many flavors! read more

Gelarto - Inside - Gelato Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

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Super yummy with many vegan options and dog friendly right on the Riverwalk. What more could you want? read more

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Best gelato in the Wilmington area. Great selection of flavors. Have everything from mango, coconut, pistachio, strawberry, dark chocolate, honeycomb and more. I'll drive 40 min to grab some rather than go to my local gelato place. Reasonable prices, fun Vespa stools, and Italian car booth. Great vibe! read more

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This is the cutest little shop downtown for some gelato! They are open for call ahead and walk-ups during COVID, which is amazing because I think we all still need a little happiness in our lives. There's a limited menu, I think but some of the good flavors are there! The inside (when you can finally see it), is the cutest brick with adorable seating. Tons of space for seating and lots of flavors to try. They let you sample as many as you need to pick out "the one." I love love love the honeycomb and dark chocolate! SO SO GOOD. My only downfall for gelato is that it melts faster than normal ice cream (to me at least) so it's a little messier. I prefer the cup to the cone. My hubs ordered the salted caramel, I don't think this is a must have but I've never been a huge fan of this flavor. So sample before you order it! Overall, this is definitely a go to spot. Right on the water and you can bring your pup by. It's perfect. read more

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Amazing flavors, great view right outside, reasonable prices, and extremely good service. I got the blood orange and it was impeccable!

Great gelato! My favorite flavor is the mango. I also have had the raspberry and chocolate before and they are also delicious. They have great vegan options as well. Will definitely be back. read more

Gelarto - Raspberry and Mango Gelato on a cone - Gelato Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina