Our favourite gelateria Pidapipo really does deserve the label “cult”. Melbourne’s most creative gelato hub has proven its brilliance at blending traditional and innovative techniques and flavours time and again since opening in 2013.
In December last year they achieved yet another first, launching their biggest and most ambitious project to date, Pidapipo Laboratorio on Fitzroy’s iconic Brunswick Street.
In what is truly a world-first retail and experimentation space, Pidapipo Laboratorio was unveiled as a Willy Wonka-esque space where high-tech meets giddy imagination. Created by revered hospitality designer Dion Hall (Supernormal, Matilda, Music Room, HER Bar), it’s a space where glass-walled, temperature-controlled labs allow customers to witness products being created while they’re waiting (and eating), where digital menu boards mean the day’s flavours can be uploaded in the blink of an eye and an incredible overhead light installation changes colour to reflect certain flavours and themes – or even to mirror the rosy beauty of an Italian sunset. You’d hardly believe it used to a boring old bank building.
The core offering remains gelato, of course, but an expanded repertoire now includes experimental and limited addition flavours (the white chocolate with pink peppercorns has blown our collective minds here at KDPO) alongside an expanded collection of their already captivatingly gorgeous gelato cakes and pasticceria desserts (like bomboloni filled with the chocolate and hazelnut paste gianduja). A new range of incredible small-batch artisanal chocolate bars, slabs, truffles and pralines also includes on-tap house made chocolate sauces, including gianduja, milk chocolate, dark chocolate, and white chocolate, used as toppings for gelato and to fill cones.
KDPO was thrilled to help get the word out about Laboratorio’s opening and also to work closely with the Pidapipó team to create a series of special events including a media and influencer event, a Broadsheet Access event and an exclusive, hugely enjoyable launch party. The media attention was amazing with the news of the opening – and the opening night offer of free gelato – appearing in Good Food, Broadsheet, Urban List, Concrete Playground, Time Out and Gourmet Traveller, among many more.
