The Il Gelato at the Galle Fort is a tiny place on Peddler's St, smack in the middle of the tourist superhighway. It manages to look extremely nondescript whilst simultaneously refusing to be ignored.
Food
They serve sandwiches, quiches and cakes, but I wanted a pizza. Mini pizzas cost Rs 500, quiches are the same. Sandwiches are a little cheaper.
Enter the devil prawn pizza. It has a thin, crunchy crust, complemented by the capsicums. I wished there were a few more prawns on my prawn pizza though. For 500 bucks, however, it is a very decent meal for one person.
Gelato
For me, the golden standard for gelato is Isle of Gelato so we don't want to judge Il Gelato too harshly. But the texture could have been smoother, and the flavors had a slight aftertaste indicating the use of essences.
The pistachio wasn't mindblowing, but the dark chocolate was quite nice. It wasn't too sweet, and had a brownie/fudgy type flavor with a nice solid feel. Rs 380 per scoop.
Drinks
The Banana Milkshake (Rs. 330) was nice and creamy, and not too sweet. Really good.
Ambience
This place is very nondescript on the outside… and it's pretty much the same on the inside. Then you realize that maybe this is what it’s trying to look like. It’s an old Galle Fort house and the decay becomes charming when you remember this. You can feel the coolness from the thick brick walls protecting you from the humidity outside. The natural light play is great for photos.
Service
Fast and friendly.
Conclusion
A great place for gelato, though better options now exist. Still, the food and drink at this place is definitely decent, with more than decent pricing.
