Messina's Gelato Is Finally in Singapore, Here’s What to Expect (And What To Try First)

The Australian cult favourite Messina has finally landed in Singapore. For the uninitiated: Messina is one of the best gelato stores from down under (according to the many friends who have tried and tested it on their trips to Australia). After its first overseas expansion to Hong Kong, Messina has further ventured into Asia with a Singapore outpost, nestled between the Telok Ayer and Chinatown MRTs, on 1 Club Street.

A month after the store's official opening, here's everything you need to know from prices, to vibes, to what flavours to try first.

It boasts an impressive cabinet of 40 flavours, each made in-house with quality ingredients from their farms in Australia (they even have their own beehives for honey). Of their 40 flavours, five are on a weekly rotation, so new flavours are brought in every week. To commemorate the store's first Singaporean outpost, Messina has presented five localised flavours: Singapore, How You Durian? (a coconut gelato with durian jam and cake), Tau Huay (a tofu gelato), Kaya Toast (a kaya gelato with dehydrated toast and kaya jam chunks), Teh Tarik (a milk tea gelato), and Yolk's On You (a salted egg yolk gelato with gula melaka caramel).

A single scoop is $7.50, a double scoop is $10, and a triple is $12. Extra points to Messina because there are no price differentiations between flavours; whether you're getting a classic vanilla or a rich panna cotta with fig sauce and amaretti, they're all priced equally. And with unlimited tasting, you're basically guaranteed to love your scoop. I know I did.

Find Messina on 1 Club Street, open from 12pm-10pm from Sunday to Thursday and 12pm-10.30pm on Friday and Saturday.

The Flavours I Tried, So You Don’t Have To (But You’ll Want To Anyway)

If your first question is: "gelato, sorbet, ice cream- what's the difference?" here's a quick crash course: sorbet is dairy-free and uses fruit puree, water and sugar. Gelato uses more milk, and less cream and air than ice cream. So compared to ice cream, sorbet is lighter and more refreshing, while gelato is denser with a stronger punch of flavour. Of the 40 flavours, here are 11 flavours I'd recommend trying.

Pistachio and Pistachio Praline

Die-hard Messina fans have sworn up and down about how amazing Messina's pistachio flavours are (there are two: pistachio and pistachio praline), and they did not disappoint. While pistachio isn't a flavour I usually reach for, both pistachio gelatos were delicious. For pistachio purists: Messina's pistachio flavour was a straight punch of the salty-sweet pistachio flavour that you'd love (made with Sicilian pistachios from Bronte, Italy). Meanwhile, pistachio praline is like its sweeter, slightly more chocolate-y twin sister, for those who want an extra sweet treat.

Kaya Toast

As a kaya toast enthusiast, this was heaven. It tasted exactly like kaya toast (in gelato form, of course), with a great chewy texture thanks to the chunks of dehydrated bread and kaya jam. It was a kopitiam breakfast in a delightful scoop of gelato; flavour, texture and all.

Singapore, How You Durian?

Personally, I'm not a fan of durian because it's too pungent for me. However, this flavour surprised me, as this durian gelato was flavourful without the lingering odour that tends to turn people off.

Panna Cotta with Fig Jam & Amaretti

Probably my favourite flavour from the ones that I tried. It's really rich and decadent. If you like fig, one scoop of this will satisfy your cravings. The panna cotta gelato really complimented the sugary sweet and floral notes from the fig jam. Meanwhile, the chewiness of the amaretti (an Italian almond cookie) gave it an unbelievable texture and sweetness. Trust me, just get a sample of this flavour (and you get unlimited samples at Messina)- you might be pleasantly surprised.

Tau Huay

One word: soy. That's it, that's the whole review. If you want a soy-flavoured ice cream that really packs a flavour-filled punch, this is the scoop you should be getting. The soy taste was so strong and pronounced, that the only thing I can say is: go experience this yourself.

Coffee

As a coffee addict, I loved this. It had a strong bitter espresso taste that immediately cut through, and was probably the creamiest coffee gelato I've ever tried. I enjoyed it so much that I even made a little yuan yang cup by getting a double scoop of coffee and teh tarik.

Teh Tarik

Speaking of, this flavour on its own would be more than enough to quench your teh craving, especially as a post-lunch treat. It was thick and creamy and did not skimp on the flavour. Although, this is a flavour for sweet tooths like me.

Salted Coconut & Mango Salsa

I have to admit, I was pretty sceptical about this flavour combination. When I tried it, this became a contender for my top flavour. It was light and tropical with a subtle herbiness thanks to the mango salsa, and balanced the sweetness and spiciness beautifully.

Strawberries & Cream

It's exactly what you'd expect: sweet strawberries and light cream in a scoop. I love anything strawberry (in ice cream, in matcha, on it's own), and this was just. So. Good.

Amarreto Sour

A special flavour only available until it's all gone, it's a zabaglione gelato (an Italian dessert made with egg yolk, sugar and wine), amaretto (a sweet Italian liqueur) jam, cherry jam, and crushed amaretti biscuits. It's a special flavour created in honour of Valentino's event held at Messina. After all, a Cherryfic collection deserves a special cherry treat.

It had the tartness and tanginess of ripe cherries and was complimented by the sweetness of the almond biscuit crumbs. Thanks to the cherry liqueur, it also had a bitter and warm aftertaste, which I really loved. Even our June 2025 cover boy, Jeff Satur, got a taste during his visit, and I hear that he enjoyed this flavour too.

Let Them Eat Gelato/Semifreddo Cakes

For die-hard Messina fans, here's a slice of great news: their gelato cakes have officially landed in Singapore. High-quality and flavourful gelato, with chocolate, and sponge cake- dessert heaven. Each of their eight cakes are also made in-house, and with ingredients from the farms- so like their gelato, you're guaranteed a sweet gastronomical experience.

Messina favourites like the Dr Evil's Magic Mushroom ($180), a flourless chocolate paradise, How Now ($90), Messina's take on a tres leches cake, the Bombe Alaska ($90), are now available in-store or for pre-order 48 hours in advance. By now, the gelateria's flavour innovation should be quite clear. Somehow, they manage to bring their dessert innovation to the next level with their semifreddo cakes.

It's essentially a gelato cake, except made to better withstand Singapore's heat during transportation. The Boysenberry Cheesecake ($90), the Tiramisu Tart ($80) and The Slab ($90) have a mousse-like texture. And unlike the gelato cakes (which need to be popped into a freezer within 35 minutes), these cakes can travel for up to three hours. Genius.

The How Now Cake

Of the eight house-made creations, I tried a Messina mainstay: the How Now cake. It's the gelateria's take on a tres leches cake, which is a sponge cake that uses three kinds of milk: evaporated, condensed and whole milk. For a gelato cake that's meant to taste like milk, each slice was simultaneously rich, light and creamy.

Visually, it was also adorable. As an homage to their Jersey cows in Australia, this cake has a cute cow print that I could not stop fawning over. Basically, this cake had me by the horns, and I will be ordering this for my next birthday party.

The Final Scoop: Is Messina Worth The Hype?

Put simply: there's a reason why Messina has such a dedicated following. Each flavour has its own unique recipe, and after tasting almost the entire cabinet, anyone with functioning tastebuds can taste the attention to detail. Each flavour is so distinct from each other, so it's worth getting multiple flavours. Although, some flavours (like teh tarik and kaya toast) might be too sweet for those who prefer lighter flavours. If this is you, flavours like pistachio and tau huay might suit your fancy better.

In terms of the crowd: when I arrived on a weekday afternoon, it was relatively full. However, as the post-lunch crowd began to stroll in at around 3pm, a long line formed and started trailing out the door. So I'd recommend visiting in the afternoon while the lunch crowd is still dining.