Location Review1001 West Cordova Street
Vancouver, British Columbia
Just under a month ago, I took a trip to the west coast and hit up Vancouver and Seattle with my Family. Let me start by saying that it was an AMAZING time! I loved the weather (despite there being a Vancouver "heatwave" which translate to just a regular Toronto summer day), the mountain view, and most importantly the food! So on the first day there, my cousins and I decided to take a walk downtown. Seeing as the London Olympics just started, we felt it was appropriate to visit the 2010 Olympic Cauldron. Little would I know, that Bella Gelateria(@bellagelateria) was just a short walk away, and would have the best gelato I've ever tasted.
James Coleridge takes pride in having the best handcrafted gelato!
Just at the corner of Burard and West Cordova Street, Bella Gelateria sits as a relatively tiny establishment. But owner James Coleridge made sure it was a small shop not to be ignored. Plastered proudly around the establishment are signs and news articles on many of their awards. The most praise worthy being their 1st place win at the 2012 Gelato Festival in Florence Italy, in both "Technical Jury" and "People's Choice" categories. Gelato that can win the hearts of Italians themselves? I don't see any scenario where I wouldn't give this a try!
Line ups out the door
So your experience at Bella Gleateria starts outside, where a line up will most likely have formed. Disclaimer: you'll have the scorching sun on your back, making your appetite for gelato exponentially higher.
Long long LONG line up out the door
Make sure you have more than a couple minutes to spare, it'll be a while even when you do make it through the doors!
Behind the scenes where the magic happens
While in line you'll have ample time to see them making the ice cream through the viewing window. Lots of fresh ingredients being prepared and massive silver grey machines churning.
Getting noticed everywhere!
Social Media
The first thing I noticed when I actually got close enough to the counter, was that they are big propogators of social media. Active on Facebook, Twitter, Trip Advisor, and Yelp, there's no reason you won't be kept up to date with all their newest flavours and products!
! flavour: $4.91 in a cup, $5.85 in a cone
2 flavour: $5.98 in a cup, $6.92 in a cone
3 flavours $6.96 in a cup, $7.90in a cone
Scoop, scoop, scoop!
Earl Grey and Salted Hazelnut Gelato ($5.98)
I opted to have more flavours instead of the cone (even though you do get more in a cone), and tried the Earl Grey and Salted Hazelnut I love the smell of Earl Grey tea, and the fragrance definitely comes through in the creamy scoop. If you look closely, you can actually see flakes of tea leaves! The Salted Hazelnut on the other hand ended up being a little too much for me. It's very salty, but also very sweet. Definitely not one for the sensitive palette.
Organic Thai Coconut Milk ($5.85)
My cousin Lisa ordered this flavour, and I was able to sneak a spoon of it. A rich gelato that was almost like drinking coconut milk straight: smooth and velvety!
Amerena Cherry ($5.85)
My cousin Vincent ordered this flavour and had this to say: "I don't even like cherries, but this is very very good". Why he chose the flavour in the first place baffles me, but it is definitely a testiment to how good the gelato is!
All smiles!
