The Best Gelato is on the Upper East Side

Anyone else notice that there are about a zillion options for ice cream on 2nd Avenue? You can find a handful of frozen yogurt shops and even vegan ice cream. But my all-time favorite is Anita La Mamma del Gelato at 1561 2nd Ave and 81st Street.

This boutique shop was started in 2002 as a small Tel Aviv storefront by Nir and Adi Avital, and their mother, Anita. Fast forward about 20 years, and Anita has become a small chain with locations everywhere from Australia to the Upper East Side.

Not only is the store super pretty (great for a date night), but the gelato is handmade and tastes so rich and decadent. It does feel a bit overwhelming due to the mind-boggling amount of flavor options, like mascarpone ricotta, tiramisu, pavlova, and the cookieman (made with hazelnut, meringue, caramel, mascarpone, and Campari), but the staff is patient and happy to let you sample whatever you’d like.

I love the dairy-free dark chocolate and pistachio—even better ordered together. Be warned: In warmer weather months, there’s almost always a line snaking down the block, but don’t be discouraged—it moves quickly.