RivaReno Gelato

So during a Sunday jaunt around Sydney I was craving gelato… bad. I’d done a bit of research prior to coming into town, and it appeared as though there were two reasonable options in relatively close proximity to one another. I think you might know where this is going…
Obviously I went to both one right after another, which means that I get to do one of these heads up comparison reviews that I love way more than I should. Let’s meet the contenders:
RivaReno Gelato —
Messina —
Star 1: How were the service and atmosphere?
So right from the get go we had a tale of two styles, and on top of that a tale of two experiences.
RivaReno, the Italian gelato chain (akin to Grom if you’re familiar) brought over from Italy has adopted the very traditional metallic and clean cut feel of what you might find in Europe or the States. However, while I appreciated the clean atmosphere, the service was lacking. After walking in to find no one behind the counter I stood for a good five minutes before another customer walked behind into the back area to inform the staff that someone was there. Not very impressive, but shortly after I had my gelato.
Messina was essentially the exactly opposite in every way. Close quartered and with a line out the door, Messina is an Australian chain that brings about a very hometown and cozy vibe. The staff are enjoying themselves while tending to anxious customers in a fast and friendly way, and the overwhelming selection of flavors has children cramming in between customers in line just to catch a glimpse of what they may want to order. Even with that being the case, I was in and out in only a few minutes, and that was partially the fault of my own indecisiveness.
RivaReno — No Star Granted (0)
Messina — Star Granted (1)
Star 2: How were the portions relative to the cost?
Both RivaReno and Messia charge just shy of $ 5.00 for a single scoop of gelato in a cup ($ 4.90 and $ 4.80 respectively), but of note here is that Messina has at least twice the selection that RivaReno does. While RivaReno sticks to the classics with renditions of chocolate and vanilla primarily, Messina mixes it up with yogurt flavors, fruity mixtures, and routinely rotating specials. From a price point, however, these two are essentially identical.
RivaReno — Star Granted (1)
Messina — Star Granted (2)
Stars 3 and 4: How was the food?
Depending on which review you’re reading here the picture at the bottom will change, but if you were to look at both you’ll quickly be able to figure out how this went.
My RivaReno Salted Caramel was mostly melted even as it was dished into the cup, and the picture below was honestly taken not seconds after I got it. The flavor was mediocre at best, but little bits of something or another threw it off and the fact that it was melted was a huge turn off.
In contrast, my salted caramel yogurt and chocolate peanut butter fudge flavors at Messina were excellent, with great flavor and consistency all around. It wasn’t the best gelato I’ve ever had, but it was certainly in the top 10.
RivaReno — No Stars Granted (1)
Messina — Single Star Granted (3)
Star 5: Would you eat here every day if you could?
It’s an easy one here folks. Messina has better service, a better selection, ever so slightly better prices, and a better product. I very rarely give one star reviews, but RivaReno was absolutely blown out of the water here and there’s no reason you should go with Messina so close.
RivaReno — No Star Granted (1)
Messina — Single Star Granted (4)

There’s a reason why everyone says this is the best gelato in Sydney! Its incredibly creamy & flavourful, and always the perfect consistency. Every flavour we tried was delicious!

Sweet freaks, Italianophiles, connoisseurs, Messina diehards and people with taste buds: Get here pronto. RivaReno make THE BEST gelato in Sydney. Believe me!
Devour a serving of Nutella-​like Bacio, or savour the milky and unadulterated Fior Di Latte. Salted Caramel is a crowd pleaser and Pistachio will satisfy the purists. If it’s on the list of specials, you must try the Chocolate Fondante, and wait for a hyper-​hit of oral pleasure.

Gelato… Ice cream, but with milk instead of the cream (fun fact for the day). Rivareno Gelato is full of great flavours and great people. I try very hard to get through the menu, but the pistachio and ricotta are too good to pass up. If in the neighborhood and looking to satisfy a sweet tooth — this place is the perfect destination.

Probably the creamiest gelato I’ve ever had! This place is a bit hidden, being just off Oxford street. I had the salted caramel gelato.
As for the the inevitable Messina comparison: I have to say I prefer Messina’s, but it’s really a personal choice at this point — if you like creamier gelatos, then you might like this one better. Prices are a little higher here.
Definitely worth stopping by if you’re in the area. Friendly service.

Gelato marketed as the most authentic in Australia and they ought to be since it is a RivaReno franchise imported from Italy. Most people comment on their lack of creativity, it is probably because they have to abide to franchise decisions.
PRICE $ 32/​Kg
NEW YORK — NEW YORK
Organic Canadian maple syrup and caramelised pecan nuts
Somewhat a little too sweet, maple with the pecan made it too sweet. Flavour was one-​dimensional.
BACIO
Chocolate and hazenuts with whole toasted hazelnuts
The base flavour was intense! and a little too bitter, the hazelnuts were whole as promised. It kind of lacked something to make it memorable.
SALTED CARAMEL
This flavour was the most disappointing, it just tasted so salty. It was very unbalanced and lacked the bitterness expected from the caramel. The shards of crispy caramel would have been a nice touch had the base been less sweet and more bitter as it should be.
Conclusion
Flavours are somewhat intense however, it is not addictive as I was expecting despite the overwhelming positive reviews. Being «authentic» is a good quality, however the benchmark of gelato in Sydney is beyond just being authentic, RivaReno falls behind the lot. Their gelato lacks that moreish quality any good dessert should have. It is also unbalanced flavour-​wise, the flavours above were either too sweet or too salty. Without using fresh ingredients and local inspiration, RivaReno will remain irrelevant for most people. You will not find creative flavours like from Messina nor smooth well-​balanced gelato like Cow and the Moon, what you do get is ample seating inside to make up for it. Price is also an issue, it is the most expensive gelato in Sydney but rated the lowest for me.
@thesydneynoob

I was originally turned off firstly due to the stark décor and also because I couldn’t see the gelato flavours as they are hidden from sight in metal vats. But I decided to give it a try anyway and I can tell you the quality and consistency is up there! I tried bacio and found it incredibly smooth, creamy, rich and most importantly chocolatey. They have a nice range of traditional flavours as well as some experiments so there’s always something to try. Definitely give it a go once!

This Italian gelato brand is totally underrated — and unique.
Decided to give it a go after almost a year of walking past (the lack of gelato on display made me wrongly assume that it involved liquid nitrogen, something I am not comfortable with) and I am SO glad I gave it a chance.
The ice cream is stored in very traditional canisters in the bench top, for a ridiculously creamy and amazing gelato. The staff are more than happy for you to sample a few flavours to make sure that you walk away happy.
The fruit sorbets are limited to fruit availability, and some of the more popular flavours sell out fast — on my first visit, they were down to only two flavours. The gelato is separated into two menus — the complicated flavours vs the more traditional ones; and both those menus rotate regularly.
And the comparison to Messina? I find them to be very different desserts. Messina specialises in sweet and interesting — often crazy! — flavours that are decadent and mind-​blowing; RivaReno feels very traditional, and their flavours aren’t as sweet. That’s not to say they don’t have an amazing flavour — they just let the flavour stand as it is.
I can highly recommend the almond-​based ‘Contessa’ flavour (complete with whole almonds throughout!) and the Pistachio (not as sweet as most takes on the flavour, but amazing and incredible). The shop also boasts an amazing selection of chocolate-​coated gelato-​on-​a-​stick, like a Magnum, in a variety of different moulds and flavours. When I can pry myself away from the by-​the-​scoop flavours, I’ll let you know how good these are! They also offer a selection of take-​home dessert cakes that look amazing.
A different and welcome addition to the Oxford Street end of Crown St, and another wonderful choice for dessert selection!

A new gelato spot opened up on Crown Street (directly across from MadMex). What’s the verdict? It’s gelato. It’s smooth & creamy. It’s probably pretty authentic as far as Italian gelato goes. It’s fine. Some pretty standard flavours. I enjoyed the CoCo (Coconut) and McKay liked his Bacio (Chocolate) one. BUT… it’s not Gelato Messina. And… it’s just as pricey (maybe even pricier — $ 10 for 1 scoop each). It could be a good alternative for nights when the Gelato Messina line is out of control and you have a hankering for gelato, but don’t want to wait. Of if you’re not a fan of the more inventive flavours at Messina (weirdo.)