A Latta Gelata

I was really looking forward to trying this place and have to say I was disappointed. The flavors lack authenticity and some of the flavors are downright revolting such as the soya. The amarena was ok as was the cheesecake. A much better choice in Waikiki is Mondo Gelato– the taste is so much better. I would also pick Yogurtland over this place. No ice cream aficionado will be impressed by this joint (unless you’re used to Dreyer’s or Klondike).

We got (pictures):
Amarena
Guava
Fragole
1 — 3.99
2 scoop — 5.75
3 scoop — 6.99
Man oh man, this place seriously, in the center of the center of the center of Waikiki. Holy Cow! It’s On Queen Emma which is the street off Kalakaua, the left turn right before/​near the police station. We parked at Kapiolani park because we didn’t want to deal with the parking or trying to find the place. It’s in King’s Village (I know I was like wtf where?) You’ll see a sign when you go down that street.
I would give them a 3 but the 4^th star is totally for the the man behind the counter; he was abso-f’n-lutely adorable, and unlike the Mundo Gelato place he was totally okay with us trying pretty much all his flavors! The portion was just right, not to small but just enough to fill your craving. The little cups are plastic which is cute, so I wanted to keep mine (cute container for my work desk) but didn’t want to stick the bowl in my bag so G went into get us another cup. The guy gave it to us for free, he even washed AND dried my cup. *tear*
They close at 10:30 PM.

Parking sucks here — so don’t even think about stopping for Gelato unless you already happen to be on foot.
That being said, the flavors are excellent. First place I’ve found Amarena (cherry) since Italy. And would you believe it? It’s pretty darn good!
Perhaps the best Gelato on the island.

I will have to agree, the thing that stands out about this place is the texture of the gelato. The only way I can describe it is that it’s «Silky».
I went here this past weekend with a friend since we were in the mood for gelato and read the great reviews here on Unilocal.After sampling a few flavors, I decided on Cheesecake and my friend got the Mocha. Both were great. We also sampled the Chocolate, Pistacio, Bacio, and Mango sorbetto.
The biggest downer about this place is that unless you want to pay the high parking rates for King’s Village, you need to find street parking. We couldnt find any near the place so we ended up parking at the zoo and walking. (we needed the exercise after eating the gelato anyway). Later the owner told us sometimes the parking guy will let you run in for the gelato if it’s gonna be short. — or — someone can run out an order to the curb if you call in advance. I think she said it would have to be a pint of gelato tho.
The other reason I gave this place a 4 instead of a 5 is that even though the texture is exquisite, the flavor of the gelato isnt as intense as places like Ciao Bella or even locally at La Gelateria. The chocolate was a bit bland we both thought. The other flavors we sampled also didnt have that punch… good but not intense –and– if you get a single scoop, you’re not able to split it between 2 flavors like other places like Bubbies does. The single scoop is big enough to do a half scoop of each, so why not?
I still recommend this place though, the texture of the gelato is better than anything here in the islands, that’s for sure.
edit 9−13−08:
They now have a counter in the new Whole Foods store in Kahala Mall. The flavor choices are limited (8 – 10 flavors) but the prices are cheaper. The single scoop at Whole Foods is $ 2.99 compared to $ 3.99 at the King’s Village location. Along with this, the one at Whole Foods lets you split the flavors for a single and the serving was bigger than the Waikiki one!
I went back yesterday to the King’s Village shop after lunch and verified that they still dont split the flavors for a small, something I still can’t understand why since you’re getting the same amount of gelato. The guy there also said they wholesale the gelato to Whole Foods so they can set their own prices and rules. which is why they can charge a cheaper price and the have a different amount they serve.
I’ll probably only go to the Kahala store from now on since I wont have to battle for parking and also to avoid the spoon nazi (inside joke)

I never would have thought to find the island’s BEST GELATO in King’s Village, but what do I know…
The moment Olivia D. proclaimed this place «a gem», I knew I had to check it out (
).
This past Sunday, after finishing up a gig at the Hawaii Yacht Club, I had a craving for something cold and sweet. Thankfully I remembered that I still needed to check this place out.
While directory assistance couldn’t help me find the number for this place, they at least let me know King’s Village had an underground parking lot. The thought of paying $ 7 wasn’t especially appealing, but I was determined to try this place. Over the years I’ve found «grace period» to be two of the English languages most beautiful words. After promising I’d be back in less than 15 – 20 min. the attendant allowed me to park temporarily in a reserved stall. :)
Now with the clock running I needed to find this place. All I knew was that it was somewhere in King’s Village (and for anyone who’s been there you know that’s not real helpful). Well the shop’s not too hard to find (especially if you’re literate), but wandering to it reminded me a lot of discovering places in Vernazza (
). You take a turn, pass through an arch, and suddenly are rewarded with Gelato! To me finding a place is part of the fun, but for those less adventurous (
).
A Latta Gelata is a bright, clean, pleasant shop. The customer service is friendly and informative. When I stumbled in, Tim — the cool dude behind the counter — was patiently explaining the difference between gelato and ice cream to the customer ahead of me. Gelato has less fat (about 1/​5^th, seriously) since it’s made with whole milk instead of heavy cream and it has more flavor and a creamier texture since less air is whipped into it.
Less fat. More flavor. Better texture. What’s not to love?
With such outstanding reviews is hard not to walk in here with sky high expectations. But this place easily met or even surpassed them.
Here the gelato is presented more simply (no mountains topped with decorations). I didn’t mind though since the flavor and texture were outstanding. After taking advantage of the offer for free samples. i settled on a two scoop bowl of half Hazelnut Chocolate, half Strawberry (extremely creamy) and brought to my mom’s a fresh packed pint each of Guava (soo much flavor) and Chocolate.
Hmmm, the joys of Gelato induced bliss.
In case you were wondering (like you really care), I made it back to the parking lot within my promised time frame and since I was getting free parking I gave the surprised and happy attendant a cup of Strawberry. It only cost half of what I would have paid for parking and hey when the gelato’s this good you can’t help but want to share it.

Delicious!
My Aunty told us about Christine, the owner embarking on this new venture. After hearing such wonderful things we had to stop by and check it out. Christine’s commitment to quality and authenticity made me even more curious since this is one of my top three favorite desserts. All of the gelatarias I’ve tried in the states have been just too sweet and has compromised on taste/​flavor as a result. BUT…
This compares to the gelato we ate in Torino, Italy. I was pleasantly surprised at one difference however. The selection of inventive flavors goes beyond what you’ll find in Italy (guava, coconut/​pineapple, green tea, etc). I had to sample the unique flavors along with my favorites. It was so difficult to choose only three! In the end I chose the sorbetto over the creamier gelato (equally as yummy) only because I was so full from dinner. True to the sorbetto/​gelato we ate in Italy, the flavor was robust and is set apart from the sugary competition I’ve tasted in the U.S. I wish we found A Latta Gelata earlier on our trip. We would have been back every night!
Go Chris! We’re waiting for your next location to open on the mainland…

THE BEST GELATO!
Christine-​the owner-​is my cousin. She’s smart (was an attourney) and decided to embark on a little gelato adventure-​obviously succeeding! :D
To family parties she brings little pints of a variety of gelatos and they remain the stars of the dessert scene.
When you order they come in cute little hard plastic colored cups with neon shovel-​scoops! Always loading the gelato over the edge so you get your moneys worth… unlike mondo gelato who gave a tiny, airy swirl of a scoop of PB gelato to my mom.
So, if in Waikiki, i highly recommend a latta gelata! *Plus the employees wear cute little French outfits with a beret and everything!

This place is a gem! I can’t believe I hadn’t heard of it until now. The owner, Chris, is so friendly and personable, you just want to buy gelato from her, no matter how full you are. She gets everything from Milan, including real Italian milk, which the Italians are proud to proclaim is the best milk in the world.
I agree with the last reviewer that her gelato is better than La Gelateria, which is too sweet, or Mondo Gelato, which has bad texture and flavor. The gelato at A Latta Gelata is more balanced and the flavors are pure, yet subtle. Good texture, great prices ($ 3.75 for a scoop and $ 5.50 for a double), and extremely generous portions, all served with a friendly smile.
Try the pistacio and the bacio (tastes like Nutella!) My friend loved the peanut butter also. If you have a few minutes, stay and chat with Chris. She is well-​traveled, intelligent, sweet, and very interesting to converse with.
If you don’t want to deal with the hassle of parking in Waikiki, they are more than happy to work with you. You can even call your order in ahead, and they will meet you at the curb with your gelato!