About

Since setting up shop in 1999, Gelato Paradiso has been on a mission to produce some of the finest gelatos and sorbettos in the world. Building on authentic Sicilian recipes passed down through generations, the company sources the finest chocolates, extracts, and nuts from Italy, as well as fresh local fruits, to create their hand-crafted treats. Their products are made daily at their shops in Laguna Beach and Newport Beach. Gelato and sorbetto seekers can find directions and a complete menu at www.gelatoparadiso.net.

You call yourselves “authentic Italian?”

It’s a fair question, and we hear it a lot. Who wouldn’t be skeptical of a southern Californian gelato shop with the audacity to call itself Italian?  It’s not that we like to throw words around – though words like affogato are hard to resist – there’s a philosophy at work behind the lingo. Here’s a bit about our approach to gelato…

Authentic

Authentic is an ideal we strive for in all aspects of our company.  To us, it means a passionate and genuine approach to making, presenting, and serving gelato. From our secret Sicilian recipes to our Italian imported decor, we do our very best to bring the authenticity of the Italian gelateria to each of our stores in southern California.

Gelato Paradiso is committed to sourcing the finest ingredients for our gelato and sorbetto. Our approach incorporates an ongoing search for the best authentic Italian imported extracts, chocolates and nuts, along with an array of fresh, local produce.

The authentic ideal extends to our employees as well. Whether it means studying up on the latest innovations in artisanal gelato or flying across the Atlantic to see how they do things at the oldest gelateria in Italy, our people are serious about gelato. When you visit our shops, please brace yourselves for the fact that there may or may not be some pseudo-operatic singing going on inside…It’s a benevolent byproduct of passion run amok.

Italian

This is our muse. Found on most every Italian street corner, the gelateria (gelato shop) is a place to gather, relax, and unwind. It’s a place to connect with family and friends and savor a bit of the sweet life. In 1999, after sampling a broad (and I mean broad) range of gelato on offer in various alcoves tucked inside the Boot, Gelato Paradiso began with the simple desire to bring the quintessential experience of the Italian gelateria to our friends and family in California. Next came what can only be described as an importing frenzy. In setting up shop, our recipes, our ingredients, our methods, our training, our marble counters and tile work, our artwork, our cups and spoons, our display cases – EVERYTHING came from Italy. Thus, the ideal of the authentic Italian gelateria made its way to the West Coast.

Artisan(al)

This is both the person and the method behind our gelato.  The artisan is the one waking up in the wee hours of the morning to execute every aspect of the gelato making process, from prepping fresh ingredients to shaping an artful presentation. Our artisans, who received their training from master Sicilian gelatoias, possess tremendous passion and expertise evolving out of years and years of dedication to their craft. Each morning you can see them at work in the production room mixing gelato and placing the finishing touches on each pan before it is served. Not surprisingly, synonyms for artisan include architect, master, and virtuoso.

Our artisanal gelato is hand-made in small batches every morning, right in the shop where you come to eat it.  Each flavor is rendered using old world recipes and traditions that have been passed down and improved upon through generations of master artisans. When we say “artisanal,” what we’re really trying to convey is hundreds of years of gelato history, knowledge, and expertise behind each bite.

No artificial powders or syrups. Just some of the finest gelatos and sorbettos in the world…

Unapologetically rich. Unabashedly smooth. That’s how we do gelato. The characteristic boldness of our flavors is a transparent expression of the artisanal cocoas and extracts, fruits and nuts folded into each silky pan. The ingredients for our gelatos are sourced from among the finest in Italy, representing various growing regions and producers throughout the country.

As a dairy-free alternative to ice cream, our sorbettos combine only ripe, seasonal fruit with pure water and a touch of sweetness. Because of our commitment to using fresh, local ingredients for our sorbettos, each small pan expresses the natural variations of produce picked in season.