Miinot Gelato

«…WELL THERE’S NOTHING MINOR ABOUT THIS LITTLE LOCAL HUB — EXCEPT THERE ARE NO SMILES — FROM THE ‘PROPRIETAIRES’ — THAT’S RIGHT. NOT A SINGLE ONE…»
We travel from the East to the North-​West, and back again constantly…
I have so always been in awe of this tiny little black and white minimalist ice-​creamery — MIINOT on Melville Road, Pascoe Vale.
It’s sitting out there, all alone, in amongst your regular suburban houses and yet every time we pass it’s just buzzin’ — crowds are in and out; hands full of cones and cups, tongues licking and slapping, mouths full and jaws crunchin’…
My reaction, always. is to ponder. — «What in the hell do they do in there???‘
Today, I dropped in to work it out. and to be honest. this damned humid weather is kinda conducive to ice-​cream eating!!!
Here are my findings:
1. Real good taste classy minimalist digs with just the perfect touch of ‘Francaise’ shabby — I love the different tones of ‘white’ on ‘white’…
2. Totally uncluttered — Just the cabinet fridge, a mirror, cones, cups, containers, serviettes, 3 hanging lamps and a long stool — Pricing is stencilled onto the wall…
3. The gelato looks good — flavours, and colours, carefully designed to please both adults and kids — BUT, it does look like PRE-​MIX to me, and I’m almost certain it is — It’s possibly the Italian import — It’s a decent one — Ah well, it tasted very nice and it refreshed my palate.
4. They’re generous with it, consequently it’s great value for money — I saw some MIGHTY HEFTY servings in those cones, so I might even go so far as to call it a ‘cheap eat’… Dare I!!!
5. I will say. they do use a really good quality Waffle Cone — They’re double rolled — You can taste the difference, and the crunch is serious!!!
People are not flocking to this place for the owners’ personalities or customer service, I can attest to that — I mean I stood there watching faces for half an hour — It’s all about them getting a buzz from being able to have ‘the gelato experience’ daily, if they want to. and for a very good price. I’m sure their kids ‘v got something to do with it, also. I’d hazard a good guess that MOST of their clientele are returning locals — you can see the Lorna Jean’s, prams, pushers, scooters and dog leads strolling out of every nearby nook and cranny. This tiny place is akin to a full dam in the dry Mallee on a hot day…
1 bought 4 x Double Scoop Waffle Cones — We tried 8 different flavours — $ 6 each cone — Now if you could’v seen the size of them. Seriously massive!!!
Yes, certainly, will go again, but honestly their ice-​cream, gelato, sorbet — call it what you will — is no different to, and no better than anyone else’s… it’s just that it’s coming out of a real little beauty of a shop, and scooped up so much higher…
Hey, very smooth operators… Un grand bravo!!!
Visited on Saturday 23 Jan 2016 for Ice-​cream.

Little gelato gem.
Flavours changes daily, if you follow them in Instagram you can take a sneak peek on the flavours on offer that day. Some are great, and most of them are amazing. Creative and unique flavour combo with real taste. Some of my favourite include Old Salty, sour cherry and coconut, pumpkin pie and their fruit gelati. They also have vegan options.
It’s a small place with no seating, grab gelato for your walk home or get a take home pack.
My only complaint is that service can be a bit indifferent. Not a lot of smile or chat and if you ask too much about the flavours the young lady may look at you like you are illiterate.
Not that they need to impress as locals already love the gelato and there’s always a good line here, but I still think a bit of extra friendliness is not a bad thing.

A super cute store seemingly in the middle of nowhere, but on the sunny day we visited there was quite a number of people lining up here for their gelati fix. Build it and they will come!
Flavours span the classics (coconut, strawberry) to the unusual (backlava anyone?) and they’re all rather good. The texture of the gelati here isn’t as creamy as others you will find about Melbourne, but for a local option that’s not owned by a massive chain, I think it’s great!

This gelato shop is my local, and it’s a welcome addition to the neighbourhood. There’s around 10 – 12 flavours available daily, but the flavours change from day to day. The gelato is excellent, some of the best I’ve ever eaten (the mango is proper amazing).
There’s also a good range of vegan flavours; there’s been at least 2 – 3 vegan flavours every time I’ve visited. There are signs stuck in all the flavours, so it’s easy to identify which flavours are dairy free etc.
Be prepared to queue on weekends, particularly if it’s gelato weather. The wait is worth it, but seeing kids run around a busy bend in Melville Road is somewhat nervewracking.

Teeny tiny store, packing huge flavoursome gelati! Win-​win I say.
Located on an awkward corner, near a tram stop, it’s hard to decipher why the owners have chosen this location. As it’s within a 5min drive of my house I’m happy. The space is really teeny tiny. Some well placed interior work makes the room feel a lot larger then it is.
There’s approx 12 flavours on offer from your basic vanilla bean to more exotic concoctions combining burnt fruits and nuts and deliciousness. The staff are well presented and well behaved. Perfectly red lipped smiles for all and a petite politeness. This place is all about the service and experience. It’s no beach side ice creamery.
Prices are average for Melbourne hand made iced treats. Around $ 5 per scoop, $ 15 for take home.
The only thing letting this place down is the total and complete lack of seating. There’s space for seats, benches something. It almost feels as if they want you take take your gelati and run away.