Pagoto Gelato and Waffle House - Marrickville, Sydney

Baklava as gelato?  The ever present water melon in increasingly seen in Australian trendy use, as part of an offered flavour.  Pavlova as an Aussie touch.  Low rise seats to attract children, sitting to watch a side street.  An impressive variety of choices.  Open in the evenings.   A touch of Mediterranean shared with Italians - mascarpone, nutella.  Truly Greek wonders like Ouzo, Galaktoboureko  and Karoumbiedies.   And oh yes,  more Aussie favourites - salted caramel, mocha, white chocolate and peanut butter!  Thirty-six flavour choices in all.

Presentation, colour and taste.

Katerina Magoulias and Chris Felemegas are the business partners behind this exciting entry to the gelato field.   I understand the challenge they faced was not another similar store.  Gelatos are the speciality of Europe, despite the early involvement of Asian backed chains.  The coffee trade is maturing and yet its market and consumer spending is growing.  How does one lift up the gelato game in this part of the world?

On my very first visit to Pagoto's, I chose the pavlova with the almond based Kourambiedies.   Traditional to contrast with Greek and the exotic.   There was a balance.  I savoured the deep flavours that each gelato represented.  Marrickville is going steady as a food hub and so this post meal treat has come in very handy for diners and a night out.

The Pagoto woman

In Marrickville, Pagoto is beside a lane leading to Mitre 10 - from outside the place may be unassuming but once you get inside the gelato and waffle place, there are many wonders to explore.

Greek styled gelato  to me tastes lighter and more flavourful when compared to other varieties.  It is not over the top sweet, but what I appreciated was the texture and use of clever ingredients.

The heaviest flavour I reckon is the chocolate ice cream with crushed peanuts, chocolate sauce and chocolate flakes.  The sweetest to me is the lemon and icing sugar gelato.   In between is the combination of banana, crushed macadamia nuts and caramel sauce.  I am attracted by the garnishings that Pagoto thinks up to serve with the primary flavour.

Waffles come with a good array of accompaniments - avocado, berries and ricotta.  I particularly have a soft spot for the option with walnuts, honey, cinnamon and ricotta on my waffle.

I noticed that there are flavours at Pagoto not found anywhere else in Australia.   This may be its advantageous differentiating factor.  When dropping by in the late afternoon, there were many small kids, families and adults having an enjoyable time.  I enjoyed the customer engagement evident at the Marrickville outlet.  The place is not overly spacious but maybe just right.   Having waffles as another choice is an interesting idea, it makes kids want to sit down and soak in their experience.  Then there is also frozen yogurt and traditional ice cream.

Oh ya, you can have your Freddocino and iced coffee as well....next I must try the ginger and caramelised fig gelato!


Pagoto Sydney is located at 301 Victoria Road, Marrickville NSW.
Telephone:  61401 724  686
Opening hours;  From 12 noon every day, till 1030pm from Mondays to Thursdays and closes later from Fridays to Sundays.
In Sydney, you can also check the Pagoto pop up carts at Circular Quay and Bondi Beach Walkway.


Pagoto Melbourne is located at Oakleigh.
There are pop up carts in five distinct areas - Swanston Street; Etihad Stadium  Boardwalk at 750 Bourke Street; Royal Exhibition Building at Nicholson Street, Carlton;  Melbourne Showgrounds at Epsom Road, Flemington; and in Port Melbourne, at the Beaconsfield Parade Beach Walkway.

Pagoto Brisbane is located at Mount Gravatt.