Gran Gelato

Italian-style gelato, with Nutella first

Nutella is the flavour people come back for, and it is the right place to start. Gran Gelato is an artisan gelateria in the Cidade Nobre district of Ipatinga with a café and a burger counter attached, and the frozen side is the reason it exists: artisanal gelato and lighter sorbets, with the emphasis falling on variety and ingredients rather than a fixed flavour list, so what is in the case changes. Beyond the scoops the dessert case runs to torta de pistache and tiramisù, and there is a kids’ combo for families. Coffee and cappuccino sit alongside as the natural pairing, and espresso is on the list for anyone who wants a short one after dessert.

A clean family room with an outdoor area

The room is modern, clean and well organised, an informal neighbourhood dessert stop rather than a dining room, and it is built for lingering over something cold. Families are clearly the core audience, and the outdoor area is where they end up, giving children room while the adults finish a coffee. Cleanliness is the thing regulars mention first, which counts for more at a dessert counter than at most places. The wider identity is broader than gelato: the same counter works as an ice cream shop, a coffee stop and a hamburger restaurant, with artisanal burgers made from fresh ingredients as the savoury half. That mix is the point. A group can come for scoops and cappuccino, for dessert after burgers, or for a family stop that covers all of it.

Order the Nutella, then decide how far to take it

Start with the Nutella gelato, the flavour singled out most consistently. Add a coffee or a cappuccino if the visit is more café than dessert. Sorbets widen the frozen list beyond the dairy side and suit a hot afternoon, while torta de pistache and tiramisù push the order toward plated dessert. The kids’ combo covers the family end, and the burgers are there if the visit needs a savoury course first. Espresso appears on the popular list too, so the coffee side is not an afterthought when the gelato is the main event. It works in either direction: dessert as the destination, or dessert as the second half of a casual dinner. Whichever way round, the gelato is what the place is judged on.