La Dolce Vita: Pavè Gelati e Granite Milano

On a hot summer’s Sunday, we strolled off the beaten track of Milan, sick to death of the Piazza di Duomo and the endless designer shops and discovered Pavè Gelati e Granite in the Tribunale/Porta Vittoria district. Pavè is a small artisanal ‘laboratory’ of homemade gelati and granite (a frozen Sicilian slushy) and the sister shop to its original pasticceria, which is located near to the Milan Centrale train station.

Upon entering the shop, you are struck by its minimalistic and clean décor – white brick and duck-egg blue walls as well as the marble tabletop which houses their delicious icecreams – almost as if it was made for taking Instagram-worthy photos. Their multitude of flavours (which change regularly) are printed on a grey slate hung in the middle, taking centre stage.

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At the shop you can try their brioche with
gelato inside, although
we were too full!

I opted for coffee & cardamom and apricot, whilst my brother went for chocolate sorbet, panna (cream) and melon & chili (which was a strange combination but really good!). My dad decided on sbrisolona – which Marco, the guy working at Pavè, explained was a typical Italian cake they took and blended with a vanilla gelato, leaving chunks of the cake in the gelato: yum!, - and pineapple, rocket & lime, again rather unique but really refreshing on such a hot day.

We decided to sit inside to beat the hot sun and so our gelati didn’t melt, but there are also some benches provided outside -

Whilst eating our ice-creams we asked Marco what his favourite thing to have was: he replied that it was the melon granite, as it was “refreshing” and he would often have a cup after a long day at work. Tempted by his recommendation and the free sample we tried, we decided to be greedy and have some granite for the way back… And they did not disappoint! The melon granite was surprisingly light and refreshing, with bits of melon inside it, so delicious that I would go back to Milan in a heartbeat to get it again! I chose the blueberry granite (with free cream!) which was also really good but not as mind-blowing as the melon one. Thanks Marco!