n the space that was previously a flower shop, the newly opened Solferino’s Gelateria is a blossom all of its own, luring diet-busting mommies and their well-heeled tykes to a trendy, bright orange setting and a colourful selection of silky-smooth gelatos.

Gelato - an Italian word meaning ice - according to historians was first created by Bernardo Buontalenti for the court of Francesco de' Medici in 1565. Made with milk, as opposed to cream, it has a lower fat content than regular ice cream and escapes cream’s tendency to mask flavours. Served warmer than ice-cream, when gelato hits your tongue it should feel less cold and much creamier than conventional ice cream and release flavours that are far more intense.

On that front, Solferino’s doesn’t disappoint. Headed up by Ana Maria Ortiz, who boasts a Masters in Food Science and 15 years of experience running 5 gelateria in Bogota, Columbia, the gelato here is creamy enough to be luscious and flavourful enough to herald a taste bud awakening. Solferino’s does not offer a large selection of gelatos, but each gelato is hand made by Ana Maria from scratch, without reliance on a pre-manufactured base.

Of the flavours on offer, try the Belgian Chocolate (Solferino’s most requested gelato) or the Chocolate Date, but don’t let all the chocolate distract you. Solferino’s also offers a broad assortment of fruit flavours, including the unusual Lulo and Guanabana flavours, imports from Ana Maria’s native Columbia. Lulo is a bright orange, round, tropical Columbian fruit with a translucent, slightly acid pulp that sports a delicious flavour.

Guanabana is heart shaped with a white flesh and a flavour suggestive of pineapples and mangos. Both great choices. The flavour I would enthusiastically recommend, however, is the passion fruit, rich in aroma and flavour with a cool and fruity taste that will make even Toronto’s hottest summer’s days seem bearable. Gelato servings are priced at $3.25 for a single scoop, $3,95 for a double scoop or $4,95 for a triple scoop –expensive, but reflective of the high standards of quality and freshness employed (with the whole process visible through a glass wall panel at the back).