Da Vinci Gelato and Caffe

I was brought here on a date and had heard great things about how amazing each flavor was, so I was eager to try it. Walking in, you’re immediately welcomed into a chill, quiet atmosphere with art on the walls and a total feel of «Italy.» The woman behind the counter let us sample nearly every flavor but I decided on the coconut, mango, and tiramisu flavors. And each one did not disappoint! I highly recommend this place.

I really, really like this place. The variety of gelato to the crepes and other selections to choose from makes every visit something to look forward to. Although pricey, the service and gelato does make it worth while.
What makes the rating a 4 instead of a 5, is due to ordering a pint of gelato to go. I ordered a pint and the container they provided wasn’t deep enough to hold the gelato.
I feel that the container should be deep enough so that the gelato won’t spill over; especially with the price you’re paying.

There is only 1 other place which can rival Da Vinci in terms of gelato but this joint takes the cake in my book for one reason… their RICE gelato is pure elation for my taste buds. Sounds odd, sure, but if you’re a rice pudding nut like me, you will LOVE it!
For you non-​adventurous types, they also do offer gelato staples such as Caramel, Chocolate, Cookies & Cream as well as Spumoni. Service here has always been solid too.
There is a certain ‘je né sais quoi’ about this place that keeps me coming back. I don’t know if its the soft lighting with exception to the bright beams showcasing their creamy creations, or the fluffy mountains of sweet goodness so delicately staged, calling my name. Whatever it is, it has me hooked.
This place never disappoints so stop by and get a pint to go.

This place has been around for a few years and I have never been disappointed. The service has always been great. They are happy to provide samples and suggestions.
I typically go with a cup of Segafredo Zanetti italian coffee to start, panini with chips, and some gelato for dessert. I really enjoy the paninis, and suggest anyone try them, although they typically take a while to make (which is why I start off with the coffee). The chips are your typical bagged chips, nothing special. The only downside here is the price. It can be pretty expensive but I feel the price is justified by the quality.
If you’re looking for something especially delicious, try the Affogato Al Caffee. Delicious expresso over 2 scoops of your choice of gelato. Yummy!

Meh. I’ve given this place 3 tries in 3 years and it’s always been the same… mediocre gelato, mediocre service, stingy portions. Even though I prefer gelato, I’ll usually just walk on by and hit Orange Leaf for froyo down the road, or if I NEED gelato, I’ll just trek over to Pacuigo.
I’ll give em another try next year if i lose a bet and end up at sushi zushi…

Italian gelato is hard to mimic, but Da Vinci’s is still delicious! I found the prices a bit steep for the amount of gelato they’re scooping into their grande. Next time, I’ll consider their crepes menu!

YES YES YES! Give me more gelato, please!
First off, very nice interior décor. It made me think I was back in Harvard Square in Cambridge.
But the real deal is the delicious gelato. They switch up the flavors so there is always a surprise in there. Like some others have said, the servings seem «small-​ish», however, this is usually how gelato is traditionally served. I really enjoyed the rice pudding gelato.
Also, Da Vinci’s espresso drinks are also very tasty. The staff do a great job and they are very expedient.
I recommend this to anyone who loves frozen dairy treats!

I’m not a big gelato fan, but occasionally I’ll want to stop by Da Vinci’s for a change in our fro-​yo routine.
Da Vinci’s is definitely expensive considering the very small servings. About $ 4 for a medio (1 – 2 servings in a very small cup). I like the large selection of flavors and the atmosphere. It’s also nice that you can take some home (1 pint for $ 8.99).
The staff is always friendly and the service has always been quick even on busy nights.

Very nice place, helpful ladies. Mouth watering gelato flavors. Great selection. We decide to go because from Unilocal I linked to their site and show different kinds of gelatos, frozen yogurt, crepes? The frozen yogurt is there but plain. Not flavors like site describes. I didn’t see any crepes in their store. Very disappointed from site to store. My gelato was good.

All of the flavors are fabulous! My neighbor, who is from Italy, says it’s the real deal!

Omg! I’m in love this was our first time here and we felt so welcomed by the 2 ladies at the counter. The place itself has a great modern/​comfy feel to it.
We ordered the prosciutto pannini and it was very good, not overwhelming the bread was grilled perfectly and the cheese and prosciutto balanced out perfectly, even the bagged chips where yummy! I couldn’t resist and ordered a crêpe: nutella, strawberry, berries, dulce de leche and whip cream on the side… this was an explosion of great flavor in my mouth!
The hype about the gelato is well deserved we ordered a variety and sampled a couple more and well I wanted a scoop of every single one!

Decent gelato. A bit expensive. Nice atmosphere.
Hubby and I stopped in when we needed something sweet while on this side of town.
Pros: Gelato is good. Atmosphere is very conducive to meeting a friend for a catch up session.
Cons: Expensive. Only 1 – 2 flavors in small and medium size cups. If you want 3 flavors it’s at least $ 5! Lots of rules (only two samples, don’t touch glass, etc). Plastic cups are cold when you hold them.
Service was good enough.

Yum. We heart Da Vinci Gelato. Luckily for us, they’ve included a BOGO free item (up to $ 5) in the SA Entertainment Book the past few years. We redeemed our coupon today for an afternoon treat. Although the prices increased since our last visit, $ 2.79 for Piccolo (one-​scoop), it was as tasty as we remembered.
+Creamy and delicious (twss)
+Numerous flavors to choose from
–Sample up to two before you decide!

I stopped here along my quest for the prefect cup of espresso. Although the espresso tasted more American than Italian, I was not disappointed. By American I mean the bitter, charred taste that comes from over-​roasting.
They also have an impressive menu of Italian style panini made with authentic Italian meats and cheeses. But I’ve never tried any of then because I’m unable to pass on the dozens of gelato choices.
Along with the outstanding selection of gelato is the Crepes with Nutella. It’s pretty good.
If you’re in the mood for authentic gelato and a nice cup of espresso, this is your place.

Gelato: Italy’s regional variant of ice cream. Gelato differs from ice cream in that it has a lower butterfat content. Gelato generally has slightly lower sugar content. Non-​fat milk is added as a solid. The sugar content in gelato is precisely balanced with the water content to act as an anti-​freeze, that is, to prevent the gelato from freezing solid.
{phew, thanks Wikipedia}
This is the only thing you need to know about gelato: its fucking delicious.
Not only is it fucking delicious, its pretty to look at because it comes in all different colors. Gelato is the perfect antidote to the melt-​your-​face-​off-​why-​does-​anyone-​live-​here (?) Texas heat.
Da Vinci offers you various sizes and options for eating your gelato. You can have it in a cone or a cup (smallest, small, medium, and large). If you get the small size and up you can populate your treat with more than one flavor. My boyfriend decided to mix four flavors together in a gelato chemistry experiment that he hoped would glean results akin to something you would find at Jose Andres’ Mini Bar. Because I’m exceptionally boring and obviously not inclined to gelato flavor science, I got the small size with two different kinds of chocolate.
Which then brings me back to my main point about gelato: its fucking delicious. ‘Nuff said.

Woot woot!
I loved this placed even before I saw the consecutive Unilocal stickers posted on its window. The gelato here takes me back to Florence, where my love affair with these frozen goodness first began. First off, just eying the multicolored velvety ribbons of gelato, I had an inkling that this may just be the real deal. Sure enough these taste buds don’t lie.
Although, the gelato is probably the star here, the menu is not limited to just these frozen deliciousness. I tried their fro-​yo and it was OMG, delicious as well. Really bold yogurt flavors and you can pick from a selection of fresh topping too. Da Vinci, very soon, we shall be on first name terms with each other.

Happy taste buds have I.
The Italian ice cream served up in this place is smooth and creamy and cool and full of flavor. From the moment I opened the door, my mouth was watering and my taste buds were dancing with delight from just the luscious smells of sweets all around me. The only problem I had was choosing a flavor.
Da Vinci’s menu is very full; offering a collection of milk-​based flavors (such as Spicy Chocolate, which I highly recommend, or Panna Cotta or Tiramisu or Crème Caramel) all 70% less fat than ice cream, or water based fruit flavors (Strawberry, Lemon, Mango, etc), or the «double zero» flavors which are totally fat– and sugar-​free. All of these ingredients can be used to make up specialty concoctions like the fruit topped Coppe or smooth blended Frappé. Most recently, I joined two girlfriends who had just finished 12 mile runs and we absolutely devoured our orders.
I had an Italian Affogato with one scoop of Spicy Chocolate Gelato (an amazing blend of chocolate and chili powder — a sure delight to the typical Texan tummy) and one scoop of Panna Cotta Gelato (a very smooth and creamy caramel) with two shots of espresso. Feel free to choose other flavors if those don’t sound best to you and ask lots of questions because the girls behind the counter were incredibly helpful in my coming to that decision. Y’all have to take my word on this and go for the Affogato though. It basically holds everything that is right about anything in the world in one little mug and tops it with whipped cream and a chocolate drizzle. Yeah, I know. I’m bouncing with excitement just remembering it!
There are plenty of other options on this menu if the coffee doesn’t suit your style. The little café is absolutely adorable in décor with lots of Italian accents all around. It’s a nice to place to sit outside if you love that like I do. And best of all, the service was topnotch! Prices are a bit high compared to other ice cream shops but considering the great service and the fact that Da Vinci is locally and family owned, I didn’t mind a bit higher price.
Do yourself a favor and head to the north side of town and check out this amazing Italian Gelato spot — your happy taste buds will thank you!

YUM!
Nothing else really is required beyond that. But, simply to indulge my fellow Unilocalers, I will elaborate. My husband and I went to Italy a few months ago and have been craving gelato ever since, staring at the frozen ice cream in Wal-​Mart numbly, longing for the creamy, natural flavor of gelato. Until…
Hello Da Vinci! We enter. The lady behind the counter hears us reminiscing about Italy and tells us that she lived in Florence for 5 years and got all the recipes for her gelato there. So, friends, this is legitimate Italian ice cream, straight from the same city Michelangelo grew up in. She makes it fresh from soy milk every morning with no artificial flavors, so you can feel better about eating this than, say, Blue Bell. Healthy, creamy ice cream? Uh, yeah, I’m in.
They also have crepes, which looked fantastic, pannini, bruschetta (another one of our favorites), desserts and coffee and cocoa. I’d love to come back for lunch.
Our large cup, which had a nutella chocolate flavor and a vanilla heath one, cost about $ 7, which is pricey. But a trip to Italy is more expensive. Needless to say, I’ll be back. Hopefully to Italy, but definitely to Da Vinci.

Da Vinci has a nice set up with a contemporary Italian design interior, pretty lighting, and free wi-​fi. There is some nice outdoor seating, but it faces the 1604 loop which has a lot of road noise. The girl behind the counter is friendly and sweet. There is a sign above the counter that specifies two samples max, but I remember sampling about 3 – 5 flavors each time.
Da Vinci’s gelato is nice and creamy, but the servings are rather small for the premium prices. I guess they could use some sauna-​like gelato competition to slim down the hefty profit margins. My guess is that they’re trying to break-​even at a breakneck speed. I recognize the urgency small business owner face, but Da Vinci appears to be pricing itself out of the market. I cannot fathom a reasonable loan officer approving of such a business plan given the actual product prices were listed.

Da Vinci’s caprese panini hit the spot. The bread was grilled to perfection, the garlic in the pesto was not over powering– as it seems to be the case in many occasions, the tomatoes were fresh, and the mozzarella cheese was nice and gooey. The double caffe latte was just as satisfying.
For dessert, I tried the crêpe filled with strawberry and raspberry drizzled with forest berries sauce and topped with whipped cream. The crêpe itself was thick, it was almost as if I was eating a thin pancake. Although the taste was good, I prefer to eat the traditional paper thin crêpe that absorbs all of the surrounding flavors in the dish. The sweetness of the berries was just right, as well as the sweetness of the sauce. I would not get the crepes again just because it felt more like breakfast than dessert. Next time, I will stick with the gelato; that’s always winner.