ICE CREAM REVIEW: Gelatieri Gentile

My search for the best ice cream in New York continues ….

As we were heading to the West Village location of Gelatieri Gentile, my son Sam noticed an ice cream truck selling a Spider-Man branded ice pop. I insisted that where we were headed was better.

The poor kid was disappointed for a minute but after receiving his impressive cone of gelato at my choice, I can only hope he forgot all about Spider-Man.

I haven’t felt so fully transported to Italy by a New York gelato shop since stepping foot in Amorino. Outside Gentile, I even overheard two women speaking Italian and I instinctively said “Grazie” when she picked something up I had dropped.

The West Village location is their third after a spot near the waterfront in Williamsburg and their original location in Bari, Italy that opened a few years prior. In 1880.

At this tiny nook on Eighth Avenue, they offer not only gelato and sorbetti but also granita which was tempting on a hot day.

I was also pleased to see they are allowing samples which is something some ice cream shops did a way with during the pandemic.

Just like the old days, I sampled two flavors and chose two different flavors. You know to expand my gelato knowledge.

The Chinotto was not exactly what I was expecting – hoping for a dark red bitter digestif similar to the Italian soda. This focused more on the fruit and so citrus was a bit more present.

The Banana Passionfruit with coconut also sounded surprising at an Italian shop but my small taste offered a subtle tropical note to the banana-forward gelato.

My final choice was a weird combo (I’m a werid guy). I got gianduja with pear sorbetto on top.

The pear was refreshing and rich with a nice sweetness that was not overwhelmong. The classic Italian gianduja (choc nutella) combination was utter perfection with a sweet nuttiness rounding out the chocolate.

All the samples were creamy and smooth and tasted as good as any gelato I’ve tried in Italy. And I’m hoping in gelato’s home country they don’t have Spider-Man ice cream trucks lining the street. But I could be wrong. Sam would love Italy one way or the other.

Is Gelatieri Gentile the best ice cream in NY? It’s as good as gelato gets on these shores. I think Sam would agree that the refined flavors and the creamy texture earns them a 9 out of 10.