Gelato Di Riso Takeaway. Disappointing gelato. After a fun dinner and taking in the postmodernism of The Hill, I had hoped for better. Very clean restaurant with helpful staff. Good energy for 9 p.m. on a Saturday. I would rather have had a pint of Ben and Jerry's.
Table Of Contents: Experience | Food | Atmosphere | Receipt
| Day | Hours |
|---|---|
| Monday | Closed |
| Tuesday | 10 AM–9 PM |
| Wednesday | 10 AM–9 PM |
| Thursday | 10 AM–9 PM |
| Friday | 10 AM–9:30 PM |
| Saturday | 9:30 AM–9:30 PM |
| Sunday | 9:30 AM–9 PM |
Gelato de Rizzo was disappointing.
We had an excellent dinner at Sado and then went for a twenty-minute walk around The Hill. After looking on Yelp, Gelato Di Riso was the highest-rated dessert place that was open, so we decided to give it a shot.
There wasn't a line on Saturday at 9 p.m., so we got in and got our gelato immediately. I got the espresso chip- my go-to standard gelato or ice cream - whatever version of coffee they serve. My wife got her go-to mint chocolate chip.
We agreed that we'd rather have our own Ben & Jerry's pint for the same price - $12.12 for two smalls.
I will use Ben & Jerry's ice cream as the default for this comparison since anyone can grab it at their local grocery store. I know it's not gelato, but it's a close substitute.
If you're going to have a restaurant specializing in one item, you should be able to beat the store brand. Unfortunately, in my opinion, this did not cross that bar.
The espresso chip had little flavor, and the texture felt icy.
If you compare it to something local like Jenny's Ice Cream or Clementine's, both in the Central West End, there's no comparison - Gelato di Riso isn't even in the same ballpark.
Jenny's is my favorite over Clementine's as a point of reference for my taste.
At the end of the day, I wouldn't recommend Gelato di Riso unless you're really in the mood for something sweet and have nowhere else to go.
Gelato Di Riso itself was warm and inviting, with a good atmosphere. The servers behind the bar were super helpful and let my wife taste several flavors.
A group of students who were having a good time came in after us, and several families were eating outside at the tables.
The Piazza Imo's is around the corner, so you can grab the gelato and sit there if you'd like.
Parking in The Hill can be difficult. Expect to spend a couple of minutes finding a place to park and then a bit of a walk, let's say three to five minutes.
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