Morelli’s

Morelli’s has been causing a buzz in the industry, as the independent family-run business is fast expanding, opening branches in Abu Dhabi, Kuwait, Dubai, and Monte Carlo, adding to their (rather overpriced) Harrods outlet. Broadstairs is home to the original seafront parlour, which opened in 1932.

As soon as you step over the threshold, overlooking the picturesque harbour, you are hit by a kitsch 50s sensory overload: the jukebox playing Del Shannon and Billy Fury, formica tabletops, pink leather booths and gloriously tacky Italian wall friezes. The day we visited they were selling just 6 flavours, not the 20 they promise on their website, though given that they make their ice cream daily on site, and the seaside village had a rather desolate air, you can understand why they wouldn’t bother. True to Italian tradition, the gelato are milk-based rather than cream-based, making it much easier to overindulge.

I had been craving the famed lemon sorbet (which Sheila Dillon recently waxed lyrical about on Radio 4′s Food Programme – listen again by clicking here), but we weren’t in luck. Instead, we shared mint choc chip, chocolate, biscuit, and strawberry, and they were all equally impressive. Smooth, just sweet enough, with bright, fresh and intense flavours. Not a hint of the synthetic aftertaste you find with anything from the supermarket freezer chests.