After a long day that included going up the Eiffel Tower, Dimple and I wanted something sweet. We walked into Amorino in Paris with a clear plan: crêpes.
Paris had other plans.
The crêpes that got away
We ordered a caramel crêpe, and then the crêpe machine broke. Before we could even look disappointed, the lady at the counter refunded us, kindly and without any fuss. It’s not the dessert we came for, but it’s the kind of service you remember.
So we did what any reasonable couple would do with a refund in an ice cream shop. We spent it on gelato.
The gelato: a rose you can eat
Amorino’s signature is the gelato rose. Instead of scooping, the staff shape the gelato with a spatula into a flower, petal by petal. In Amorino’s words, “everyone can create their own gelato rose by choosing as many flavors as petals.” At this shop, the board priced cones and cups by size, not by the number of flavours.
Ours was a chocolate rose, with a gelato macaron on top. Amorino makes these macarons by hand, filled with its own gelato and sorbets. Putting a small French dessert on top of an Italian one is a very Paris solution.
And the gelato was good. Properly good. Rich and smooth, and pretty enough that we took photos before taking a bite, which in our family is the highest compliment.
A bit about Amorino
Amorino started in Paris in 2002, on the Île Saint-Louis. It was founded by two childhood friends from Italy, Cristiano Sereni and Paolo Benassi, who wanted “to introduce Parisians to the true taste of Italian ice cream.” It opened its first franchise in 2006, went international with Barcelona in 2008 and reached New York in 2011. The wall in the shop now lists cities like Paris, London, New York, Seoul and Dubai.
Amorino says it makes its gelato “as naturally as possible with no artificial colours or flavourings.” The sticker in the shop is a little more careful. It says the ingredients are mainly of natural origin, gluten-free, with no preservatives and no artificial colours or flavours. We appreciated the honesty of “mainly.”
Prices at the Amorino we visited
These are from the menu board in the shop when we visited. Prices may differ between branches and change over time.
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Cone: Bambino / Piccolo / Classico / Grande | €3.80 / €4.80 / €5.80 / €6.90 |
| Cup: Piccolo / Classico / Grande / Grandissimo | €4.50 / €5.50 / €6.80 / €8.90 |
| Gelato macaron (extra) | €1.90 |
| Chocolate cone (extra) | €1.00 |
| Crêpes and waffles | €3.50 to €9.90 |
| Hot chocolate (200 ml) | €6.00 |
| Espresso / Cappuccino | €2.50 / €5.50 |
| Milkshake | €7.90 |
| Take-home gelato box: 550 ml / 1,100 ml | €16.50 / €28.00 |
Flavours on the board included vanilla, chocolate, pistachio, hazelnut, tiramisu, stracciatella and dulce de leche, plus sorbets like mango, strawberry, passion fruit and lime-basil.
Pros and cons
Pros
- The rose cone looks as good as it tastes.
- Cones and cups were priced by size, so you can mix flavours.
- The gelato macaron on top is worth the extra €1.90.
- The staff were kind when things went wrong.
Cons
- Our caramel crêpe never happened because the machine broke.
- It costs more than a regular scoop.
Our rating: 4/5
The gelato earned its place, and the refund earned the staff a lot of goodwill. We’d go back, and next time we’ll try the crêpes, if the machine is feeling better.
Know before you go
- Website: amorino.com
- Store locator: find an Amorino near you
- Shops: Amorino has many shops across Paris, including the original on Île Saint-Louis. Hours vary by shop, so check the store locator.
- Prices: from the menu board, and they may vary by shop: cones from €3.80, cups from €4.50, and a macaron on top for €1.90.
- Gluten-free: gluten-free macarons are available.
FAQ
Its gelato rose. The staff shape the gelato into a flower with a spatula, and you can choose several flavours as petals.
At the shop we visited, cones started at €3.80 for the Bambino and went up to €6.90 for the Grande. Cups ran from €4.50 to €8.90.
Both, sort of. It’s Italian-style gelato, made by two Italian founders, but the first shop opened in Paris in 2002.
Amorino says it makes its gelato “as naturally as possible.” The shop’s sticker says the ingredients are mainly of natural origin, with no artificial colours, flavours or preservatives.
The in-store sticker says the gelato is gluten-free, and Amorino says all its gelato macaron recipes are too. Ask the staff if you have an allergy.