Stellina

Closed! What a bummer, I hauled myself to the LES only to find the gates shuttered. Wish their website warned me.

You might miss the location if you don’t pay attention. It’s sitting between Chinatown and lower east side, right of delancy. I love their cheesecake and the plum sorbet!

This is the best gelato I’ve ever had. The Chunky Sorella is exploding with salty chocolate covered pretzel goodness. There is nothing else like it.

Feels a little cruel to give 2 stars to a gelato place but the fact that my Salted Caramel with Chocolate Pretzel gelato came to me pretty much half-melted…Epic disappointment.

ideal wintertide sugar fix: a hot bicerin and several blondies (aka pb n toffee brownie).

Had the «Falling Into Pie» and Chunky Sorella” together. It was a good amount of gelato for the price, but those two flavors in particular didn’t mix well together when alternating between one and the other. I preferred the «Falling Into Pie» flavor.
This place is dine out only — no places to sit down or bathrooms, but they recommended we use the bathroom of the restaurant next door (I think they have the same owners).

The shop is just a little booth/​window. There is no indoor area or seating, but great little dessert snack when the weather is nice out. The staff are super friendly, sweet and happily provide you with flavor samples. Also, their sister store Sorella (right next door) will happily allow to use their restroom if needed.
Despite that the price for a double on the menu was 5.44, I was only charged $ 5 even for a double :) pretty fair price for the quantity. Definitely less expensive than any other Gelato shop in the city that I can think of.
I sampled the Peaches n Cream and Bananimal.
Peaches & Cream was more creamy than peachy. This gelato was a little to simple for my tastes, but maybe a good alternative for people that usually like to stick to simpler flavors like vanilla.
Bananimal was similar to banana cream pie or banana pudding Instead of having the typical vanilla wafers mixed in, Bananimal has animal crackers. This was REALLY good! A tasty trip down memory lane and fills you with warm fuzzies of childhood. Definitely will be ordering this the next time I go.
I ended up ordering half Falling into Pie /​half Chunky Sorella.
Falling into Pie — Creamy, very light flavor but really tasty.
Chunky Sorella — This had chocolate syrup/​fudge, caramel swirls, chocolate covered pretzels and nuts. The ingredients were all really good and tasty together but it was a little overpowering and salty. The mix in to gelato ratio was a little too high. I would say if you are going to get this flavor get get it paired with just a simple chocolate or vanilla to tone down the saltiness and intensity of all the fillings.
This isn’t your traditional gelato and it can get pretty messy and can start drip all over quickly. Be prepared to lick the sides of your cup and grab a few napkins! Thankfully the guy at the stand warned us in advance.
They serve coffee, espresso and teas as well. :)

They didn’t particularly have any flavours that I like — sorry I am not into heavy and rich flavours, and I feel this is all they had here.
S loves rich flavours and so S got the Raspberry Cheesecake.
That decision seriously took 30 minutes of my life — it is just gelato, you’re not buying a car!
I ended up getting plain vanilla, since there were no other options here for me.
The vanilla was okay.
Sigh — I thought this place would change my life.
I still like Amorino’s the best.

Giving two stars only because I feel cruel as a pastry cook giving one.
Went to Stellina on 9/​26, I know this because I had a debit card charge from them on ¹¹⁄₁₈. Called my bank and was like what’s up with this, I went to this place in early fall, how come they’re billing me in November? Apparently vendors have a YEAR to submit charges, but most don’t wait that long… Is this a reflection of the institution as a whole? Probably.
The main thing that got my feathers ruffled was the STANK service. The woman who took my order wouldn’t even make eye contact when describing the dessert/​talking to me in general. I ordered some kettle corn bombolini and when the dessert came out the only signs of kettle corn were LITERALLY CRUMBS of crumbs of kernels. On top of that the dough was not fried all the way through so it was squishy, raw dough. I asked what was up with the kettle corn and her and her coworker who was not on the shift but just chilling at the bar looked at each other and decided «that’s just how it is.» Right… the pastry cook/​chef/​person that actually gave a fck about the food wanted the doughnut to be raw and be garnished with kettle corn dregs…
The woman nonchalantly answered my questions with BS responses and didn’t bother to even glance my way (can i get the check please?, etc.)
crappy service+poorly executed desserts=here.

5 stars is for gelato in firenze. all else fails. but with a less critical eye, this place is goood.
gelato. amazing flavors. must. go. back. they’re great and the service is great. i just wish it was closer to me. no wait. i don’t. then i’d be there daily and wouldn’t be able to fit into any of my clothes that are already bursting at the seams.

The summer brings out an opportunistic side of me that treats gelaterias offering samples like complimentary tapas joints.
Considering that it stands in stark contrast to its grittier, older Asian neighbors, I figured Stellina would be contrived and pretentious. (It kinda is, but…) There’s a pretty sleek, clean feel to the shoppe, which is situated next to Sorella, its seester restaurant predecessor. I requested samples from the friendly gal behind the case: Bee Named Elvis, Fior di Latte, & Chunky Stellina — all were solid but not phenomenal. (Why the 5, then?) I ended up with a small brown sugar strawberry, the only remaining non-​chocolate flavor they offered that day. The damage was («only») $ 3.27 (no CC minimum for Visa/​MC) for a small (1 flavor only), a bit of a misnomer, as it’s often a regular elsewhere and can run upwards of $ 4.50. More importantly, the flavor itself was slamming, a welcome new marriage of tastes and a luxurious texture.

After two long, double shifts at work and dinner plans that fell through, I met up with my sister for a quick dinner. We didn’t stay long, as we were both tired and the restaurant was closing soon…
Since we didn’t get dessert, I was thinking of what we had at home to satisfy my craving for a little something sweet. Luckily, I remembered that we were going to pass by Stellina on our way home! Yay!
We got the La Strada and Brown Sugar Strawberry flavors.
I’m picky when it comes to Strawberry ice cream. I don’t like artificial tasting strawberry. This tasted like perfectly ripe strawberries — a great balance of sweetness and tartness.
The La Strada, chocolate gelato with marshmallows, brownie bits and almonds, was also really good. The marshmallows were fluffy, the brownie bits weren’t too big and the almonds added a nice crunch.
So glad Stellina is open late! My sweet tooth is satisfied…

This place is so cute! Stopped in after dinner across the street.
I don’t remember the name of the gelato we tried but it was raspberry with chunks of white chocolate and waffle cone bits. Yes, it was as delicious as it sounds.
A nice after dinner dessert stop. Wish there was more sitting space though!

I was rooting for a local superstar, recently annointed by Time Out NY as the best sandwich in the city. Stellina delivered in part.
The space is small and cute and the turkey sandwich on biscuit bread ($ 12) is tasty and large enough for two. The sweet morsels of bacon were like candy on a sandwich– the whole thing was savory and sweet all at once, with real slices of breast of turkey pressed in a warm panini style sandwich.
It was a bit of a gut bomb, though, for lunch. Plan a nap afterward if you are going to eat the whole thing yourself.
The «gelato» was a disappointment and not worth the price or calories. The flavors sound so good– salty caramel with pretzels and chocolate, etc., but really are just overloaded with chunky ingredients that overpower any independent flavor of the gelato itself. The result is more Baskin & Robbins than «Italian» gelato. We sampled 5 flavors and bought 3, but I much prefer simpler approaches that do not try so hard, such as L’Arte del Gelato.

This tiny little storefront tucked away on an unassuming stretch of Allen street has found its way into my heart. Yes it is rather pink and shiny, not my normal asthetic but somehow Stellina makes it work.
The service is so genuinely friendly and calm that no matter how frazziled I walk in here I always leave feeling less stressed.
There are no boring flavors here so if you’re a plain vanilla person you’ll have to look elsewhere for your cold creamy pleasure, but for those who enjoy a bit of innovation mixed with classic Americana (Peanut butter and honey) Stellina is well worth the trip.
The best flavor is the coconut. Its not too sweet like most other coconut gelatos I’ve had that taste like coconut tanning oil smells, but rather its nutty and creamy with these wafer thin shards of dark chocolate strewn throughout. I also enjoy their version of an oatmeal cookie filled with hazelnuts and chocolate chunks, crisp on the outside and chewy in the middle.

A lovely gelato and treat shop. I shared a small Chunky Sorella, which is a salted caramel gelato with chunks of chocolate and bits of pretzel. It was amazing! A wonderfully smooth texture and the saltiness and sweetness played against each other perfectly.
We also tried the coconut macaroon sandwich, which was filled with a sort of chocolate ganache. It was also very nice, but nowhere near as good as the gelato.
The counterperson was extremely helpful and gave us little samples of most of the flavors until we settled on the one we wanted. She also chatted with us and told us about the restaurant next-​door Sorella, which has the same owner.
The whole place is done in a lovely white marble with some sanded tiles and a clean minimalist feel. I highly recommend stopping in on a hot day and cooling off with delicious gelato in a relaxing setting.

This place has easily become one of my absolute favorite gelato places in the city. It was just officially opened in March by the owners of Sorella next door so it is still pristine. I mean, check out the beautiful barstools!
They don’t have the largest selection of gelato in the world but the quality of each more than makes up for that. Only the sorbets are single flavors; all the gelato flavors are the most heavenly concoctions of a mad genius.
On my first visit I had the chunky Sorella, which was a caramel gelato with bits of chocolate-​covered pretzel. SO YUMMY. I love the alternating salty-​sweetness of it. Have also had the brown sugar strawberry and giandujotto. The brown sugar strawberry is what all strawberry gelato/​ice cream should taste like– not too sweet, not too tart, just well-​balanced pure strawberry. The giandujotto is a hazelnut gelato with fudge and real bits of hazelnut. Perfect for someone obsessed with hazelnut aka perfect for me.
Some may find it pricey considering the size of a small cup but I am all for paying more if the quality delivers, which it does at Stellina.
Also, I may go and steal a barstool some day.
Woohoo! As good as it gets! (To quote Unilocal.)

Blissful and heavenly! We slipped in here on a lazy Friday night for some coffee and gelato and ended up staying for quite some time. Our server (I forgot your name, I’m so sorry! I remember your seafoam colored bandana) was such a sweetheart, and even treated us to a scoop of ice cream (our 4^th one).
The mango sorbert was absolutely divine. Think of the best mango you ever had, and then imagine it in sorbert form. The cherry sorbert was a little strong, but only because this place stays true to the flavor it promises.
Chunky sorella is fantastic. If you’re sharing it with a friend, make sure you snag the chocolate covered pretzel bits before they do. You won’t regret it.
Brown sugar strawberry was by far our favorite. I’ve never been a fan of strawberry ice cream, as it typically tastes way too artificial and sweet. The strawberry taste is light and is wonderfully enhanced with the brown sugar. Once we tasted it, our conversation dumbed down to a series of rapturous grunts and one-​worded questions and answers.

Little Stella café… owned by the Sorella people next store is a pinky, girly café with some slammin’ gelato.
It is a café so there are sandwiches and salads starting at $ 10– I did not eat here but stopped by after downing my fave chicken biscuit at Cheekys.
A single gelato is $ 3.5 pricey, but ooooooooooh so worth it– it is love a first look when you see the incredible gelato right in your face when you walk in.
I had the salted caramel, and gianduja in a homemade waffle cone– $ 6.53. Mama mia. The salted caramel has chocolate bits in it and the gianduja is a chocolate caramely concoction and the cone is perfect. Others flavors include peanut butter, cookies and cream all with Italian names like La Strada, Colazione etc. and they are LUScious!

Stellina is one of my nicknames, so I had high expectations from the start. I read about this gelateria and café in the NYTimes and had to come. It’s sister store is next door – Sorella. While I’ve never been there, Stellina proved to be just as great as the name. It’s located in Chinatown, so I don’t know how many people they are going to get to come in just by foot traffic, unless people know it’s good. They opened in October supposedly, but my friend and I seemed to be the 1^st two in there all day (the gelato looked untouched), and it was the afternoon. Hopefully, they’ll do well when the weather gets warmer. They had a small selection of gelato and two sorbet flavors. I want to try the pink grapefruit next. They also have a flavor of the month! I honestly wanted them all. I’m pretty sure anyone could choose one or two flavors and enjoy them. I got the «chunky Stellina»…because I am going to get chunky if I eat too much of it. Boy was it good. Buttermilk and raspberry gelato with white chocolate crunchy chunks. I also got a home-​made waffle cone. YUM. Everything is made there, but the waffle cone was a real treat because most places don’t make their own. The guy working was nice. He took my photo in front of the store window. There is a counter to sit or stand at (very cute indoors), and they serve sandwiches, cake, cookies, and Counter Culture Coffee/​Espresso, which is one of my favorites, too.
I’ll definitely be back to try the others. I hope people hear about it more now that I’ve added it to Unilocal!
**Edit: This is americanized gelato. The real stuff is at Grom where they use actual carapinas for the gelato and the staff softens the ice cream against the side of the carapina right in front of you. Stellina is still good for crazy flavors, though.