Edinburgh has welcomed a brand new gelato shop that is set to be a popular addition to its bustling city centre. With the city bathing in warm temperatures and clear skies in recent days, the arrival of Amorino on North Bridge could not have come at a better time.
Amorino's First Scottish Outlet
Amorino is a multinational chain of gelato shops found all over the world, from Egypt to New Caledonia in the southwest Pacific Ocean. Its latest venue in Edinburgh marks the company's first venture into Scotland, with gelato lovers across the capital and beyond eagerly awaiting its arrival.
The Edinburgh shop officially opened its doors on July 17. Scotland Now's Alexander Smail headed there over the weekend to check it out and see if it lived up to the hype. He ordered one of Amorino's famous signature items and was left gobsmacked by the price.
The Order and the Price
Smail, a self-confessed sweet tooth, was very excited to visit Edinburgh's newest gelato spot. He had never been to an Amorino shop before but had high expectations. With the sun shining, he couldn't have picked a better day.
Typically, Smail forgoes the cone for a tub, but with Amorino known for serving its gelato in the shape of a flower, he knew he had to mix things up. To get the full Amorino experience, he ordered its signature Macaron al Gelato, which consists of an ice cream cone topped with a specially made gelato macaron.
There was a huge selection of flavours to choose from, including fruit sorbets. Smail settled on stracciatella (similar to chocolate chip), vanilla, and dulce de leche. As for the macaron, he went for pistachio since it's one of his favourite flavours and he thought the green would give a nice contrast to the gelato.
Self-Service Kiosks
Gone are the days of chatting with the scooper and telling them what flavours you want. Smail was told politely by the server that orders are actually placed at self-serve kiosks. He has used these at supermarkets and McDonald's, but it felt weird at a gelato shop.
Smail has very mixed thoughts about the self-serve screens, but one thing he did really like is that it shows you a live 3D model of what your ice cream will look like. He imagines children especially finding some fun in this, playing around to find the whackiest colour combination while they count down the seconds until their treat.
The Cost
When it came time to pay for his cone, Smail's jaw hit the floor. In total, his Macaron Classico with the three flavours and the pistachio macaron was priced at £9.80. This is definitely the most he has ever spent on a single cone at a gelato or ice cream shop, and it needed to be absolutely incredible to justify the price tag.
The Presentation and Taste
After he was handed his cone, Smail took a proper look at the gelato. While it was admittedly very beautiful and unlike any ice cream he has ever had, the flower wasn't quite as pronounced as he was expecting. To be fair, that could be because of the flavours he chose or the hot weather that made it melt very quickly.
In terms of the taste, Smail has no complaints. The stracciatella formed the outer part of the 'flower' and was a great place to start. The sweetness of the milk was indulgent, while the dark chocolate chips provided a perfect crunchy contrast.
The vanilla, which is made with Bourbon vanilla pods from Madagascar, was next and it was delicious but admittedly didn't stand out much from the stracciatella. Finally, the dulce de leche was a superb capper thanks to its very sweet (but not too sweet) caramelised milk jam.
Smail also really liked the macaron on top of the cone, and he wasn't expecting it to melt into the gelato as well as it did. The cone itself was an unexpected delight too, especially as someone who usually prefers a tub, with the top layer of chocolate and nuts being a particular highlight.
Overall Verdict
Overall, Smail enjoyed his gelato from Amorino and doesn't regret trying it out. However, he doesn't think it was better than many other similar shops he has visited over the years. The unique shape of the ice cream and the macaron were nice, but in his opinion the £9.80 price tag was not justified.
More information can be found on the Amorino website.
