Upon arrival in Nice on my first-ever visit to the Riviera, I just happened to get off the tram right near this shop and decided to take a look. Good call!
It's nestled into a narrow storefront and features a case with about 20 flavors, which looked to be kept carefully at the best temperature for the gelato to be refreshingly cold yet creamy enough for instant enjoyment.
The wonderful man behind the counter was offering tastes to a small girl (she was probably 3 or 4). When she chose her (pink) flavor, Gelato Man gave her the cone for free above protests from her father, arguing that it's her first one and thus on the house. Next it was my turn, and I asked what the house specialty was. Pistache: the king of gelato! came the answer.
I'm not sure what that green crap sold in the USA with the label "pistachio" actually is, but now that I have swooned over true pistachio gelato, I can assure any Americans that they probably have never had good pistachio ice cream. The flavor is a nut butter (duh...) - closer to peanut butter than... well, vague green flavor. It's DELICIOUS and you must try it if you enjoy nuts at all. After that, we ran through the flavor parade - salted caramel, white chocolate coconut, some flavors involving speculoos, melon, and I forgot what else. Every single flavor was fantastically fresh and vibrant and apparently created with carefully sourced ingredients. On my second visit, I tasted the watermelon gelato - not my favorite, but by golly it t clearly included actual watermelon and would be terrific on a hot day.
He let me put 2 flavors in the one-boule size cup ("it's your gelato, get what you like") so I went for the pistachio and salted caramel. Two days later, I picked rocher (similar to chocolate hazelnut spread) and white chocolate coconut. Haven't decided what to get today yet for my third visit in four days. Yes, it's just that good.
Sidenote: I decided to get pistachio at another shop to see if the flavor is just better in Nice, or if this shop makes a particularly good pistache. The competitor (which happened to be in Monaco, where nothing is cheap) used tiny cups with a high floor that enables stingy portions. The server was cordial but merely a scoop slinger evidently trained by a miserly proprietor; she stated and enforced a one-taste-only rule (never mind that it was late and the whole area of town was pretty empty), and leveled the serving across the top (???), so for 3 euros I got something like a half-scoop with a sour attitude. This pistachio was still better than anything I've found in the USA, but was far less flavorful than the one from Gelato d'Amore. Verdict: Gelato d'Amore DOES make a superior pistache!
I won't waste calories on mediocre gelato and I saw the lines at some of the institutions in the Old Town, but I am thrilled that I found Gelato d'Amore - a VERY appropriate name, as the gelato here is clearly made and served with love!! read more