I scream, you scream, it seems we all scream for gelato these days. The Italian dessert has found a home on our shores with several gelaterias having set up shop here. With around a third of the fat of ice cream, there was no need to ration ourselves as we hit the streets to bring you our assessment of our city’s gelato. Bellissimo!

Gelatissimo

#01-01 Shaw House, 350 Orchard Rd., 6736-1618.
$4.20 for one flavor, $5.60 for two, $6.90 for three, $16.80 for 0.5L, $24.90 for 1L.

Flavors: 32 flavors. Bestsellers include mango, classic chocolate, forest berries and Veronese chocolate. Check out the new green apple and rum ’n’ raisin.

Taste: All recipes originate from the headquarters in Sydney, and gelato “kits” are assembled fresh daily. No cream is used in any flavor. The passionfruit and lychee are refreshing with bits of fruit, and the chocolate is quite creamy without being too heavy.

Seating: There are four tables, but being right in front of Shaw House, it can get quite crowded.

Overall: This outlet is halal and in a good location for a post-movie treat. The gelato is quite tasty and flavors are plentiful, but it’s a little on the expensive side.

Ricciotti

#B1-49/50 Riverwalk, 20 Upper Circular Rd., 6533-9060.
$3 per scoop, $10 for 0.5L, $15 for 0.75L, $25 for 1.25L.

Flavors:16 flavors plus two newbies every month—look out for extra virgin olive oil (you read that correctly) and tarragon for May. Signature must-tries include chocolate chip cream, vanilla, and gianduja chocolate.

Taste: Executive Pastry Chef Stefano Deiuri makes the gelato fresh every day for Ricciotti as well as for sister restaurants Garibaldi and Menotti. Each gelato has an individual recipe rather than the same base.

Seating: The café seats 35 with alfresco seating facing the Singapore River.

Overall: With new flavors inspired by fine Italian dining and never skimping on ingredients, Ricciotti is one of the better places to go for authentic Italian gelato.

Frutta La Viva

34 Wattan Rise, 6463-8986.
$2.90 for regular size, $3.90 for large, $9 for small takeaway box, $17.20 for large box.

Flavors: 16-20 flavors at any given time. Signature flavors include mango, strawberry and hazelnut.

Taste: With recipes for about 45 flavors, these are rotated often. It’s made fresh daily and no cream is used. The watermelon and banana flavors taste natural and light, and the strawberry is just tart enough with bits of fruit.

Seating: There is indoor seating for about 15 people.

Overall: Go for the fruit flavors—light and refreshing, they really hit the spot on a hot day.

Fresco

#B1-31 Century Square, 2 Tampines Central 5, 6789-2321.
$3 for small size, $4 for medium, $5 for large, $10 for small takeaway box, $18 for large box.

Flavors: 16 flavors, with different flavors rotating every week. Bestsellers include forest berries and caramel chocolate fudge. Also locally inspired flavors like dragonfruit, honey chrysanthemum and black sesame.

Taste: Owner Lisa Lim takes traditional Italian recipes and gives them a little tweak. Her rum ’n’ raisin really knocks you back, and the dragonfruit is light and refreshing. Flavors are strong and distinct in the tiramisu and Donatella rock—inspired by the Ferrero Rocher chocolates. Waffle cones and bowls are also homemade.

Seating: There is no seating available.

Overall: Health-conscious customers will be pleased to know this gelato is made with low-fat milk and less sugar. Students can look out for discounts on Tuesdays.

Venezia Gelato

Guthrie House, 1 Fifth Ave., 6468-3656.
$2.80 for one flavor, $3.90 for two flavors, $4.90 for three flavors, $8 for 500ml, $11.80 for 750ml, $14.50 for 1L, $21.50 for 1.5L.

Flavors: Each outlet has between 20-22 flavors at any time but Asian flavors such as young coconut, durian and black sesame sit alongside more European flavors such as yogurt.

Taste: Gelato here is made fresh daily using traditional recipes and high quality ingredients. To suit local palates, the flavors are less sweet than a standard ice cream, the texture smooth and the flavors subtle rather than overpowering.

Seating: Because Venezia Gelato is also a cafeteria, there’s plenty of seating available.

Overall: This institution has been around for over six years and has spawned nine outlets. Get there early as most of the gelato is sold out by the end of the day.

Estivo Gelateria

26 Greenwood Ave., 6469-6763.
$3.20 for small size, $4.30 for large, $11 for 650ml.

Flavors: 19 flavors at any given time. Bestsellers include dark chocolate and mango. Coffee, mint chocolate chip and hazelnut are also very popular.

Taste: Using only fresh milk and a little cream in the recipes, the gelato is quite creamy without being too heavy. The fruit flavors are a little uneven, as some use fresh fruit and juice while others use candied and pureed fruit.

Seating: Can seat 24 comfortably and there is also an outdoor seating area for 12-14 people.

Overall: A good place to sit and relax if you’re in the neighborhood, especially if you’re hankering for harder-to-find flavors like butterscotch, Horlicks, kiwi and grapefruit.

Bravissimo

#B1-K5 The Paragon, 290 Orchard Rd., 6747-9200.
$3.20 for one flavor, $4.30 for two flavors, $5.40 for three flavors, $9.40 for 650ml, $17.60 for 1.3L.

Flavors: From over 30 flavors, 28 are available at any given time. There are plenty of Italian favorites like tiramisu, caramel, pistachio and hazelnut. There are also three sugar-free flavors for diabetics.

Taste: Using less sugar than the traditional Italian recipes, the flavors of the gelato are nevertheless very fullsome and authentic. Only fresh fruit is used for the fruit flavors, so some are seasonal such as strawberry, durian and raspberry.

Seating: All five outlets are takeaway counters only. Seating is in the pipeline.

Overall: With outlets in convenient town locations, this is a good place to go for a yummy treat in between all the shopping.