Back by popular demand, is our 1966 Magazine Travel Notes. Where we feature interesting jet-setter locales, attractions and restaurants that will make your trip even more exciting and unforgettable! This week we are highlighting the delicious BVLGARI Hotels II Gelato by Forbes Top 25 Chef Niko Romito.
First of all, a little history. Gelato did not travel to Italy, it was invented there! According to the International Food and Wine Society,
“Gelato literally means “frozen” in Italian, and the term applies to a wide range of sweet frozen treats. The term includes dairy-based gelato made with milk rather than the cream which is used in the American “ice cream,” as well as fruit-based “sorbetto” which contains no dairy. Gelato can be in “semifreddo” form (a piled-high semi-frozen, mousse-like confection), or as granita (a granular, loosely-textured, non-dairy treat), and even as frozen yoghurt. Often, all of these will be offered side by side in a Roman “gelateria.”
As early as 3000 BC, Asian peoples consumed crushed ice with flavorings. Centuries later we have documentation that Egyptian pharaohs and Roman emperors enjoyed cups of ice sweetened with fruit juice. Sicily and southern Italy have a long tradition of blending crushed fruit and freezing it using ice and snow stored in underground caverns, while the Dolomite regions of Italy used stored snow from the nearby Alps to make confections with combinations of milk, cream, sugar, eggs, and natural flavorings. The Florentine Medici Family served frozen desserts during banquets. They introduced a sorbet-like dessert to France when Caterina de Medici had it prepared for her wedding in 1533 to the future King of France. That same Medici family employed Bernardo Buontalenti in the late 1500s to prepare a specialdessert for the visiting King of Spain. He produced the creamy, frozen dessert very close to the dairy-based gelato we enjoy today. Buontalenti is considered the father of modern gelato.
It was Francesco Procopio dei Coltelli, a famous restaurateur from Palermo, Sicily, who made gelato famous. In 1694 he opened a café in Paris that offered the well-heeled the food novelties of the day: coffee, chocolate, and a frozen dessert served in porcelain cups. It is said that he developed the first ice cream machine. Nevertheless, the new frozen treat was an instant hit and rapidly spread throughout Europe. The Café’ Procope is still in existence as the oldest Paris restaurant in continuous operation and still serves gelato (“glace”).”
Pretty interesting right? Well, when you travel to Europe you get to enjoy this tantalizing treat. Just as it was originally intended.
BVLGARI Hotels offers guests and travelers a tasty delight via the II Gelato. Each waffle cone and every flavor is made from scratch. And includes the iconic BVLGARI aesthetics.
The luxury brand has once again tapped chef Niko Romito to set their gelato apart from anything you have ever experienced. Romito has received many accolades over the years. Most recently, he received the highest score from the prestigious Restaurant Guide d’Italia 2026, a 97/100. And was named among Forbes Top 25 chefs ranking number two overall.
BVLGARI Hotels II Gelato by Forbes Top 25 Chef Niko Romito—Travel Notes
Regarding landing on Forbes exclusive list, Romito says “I am increasingly convinced that cooking is an act of responsibility – towards society, the environment, the culture of a place, and the future that lies ahead.” As one can see, Niko takes his work seriously which allows patrons to enjoy any and all of his dishes.
When it comes to their II Gelato, BVLGARI states,
The colors of L’Estate Italiana find a new expression in II Gelato by Chef Niko Romito. An explosion of color and flavour inspired by one of Italy’s most beloved rituals, where exceptional ingredients and craftsmanship elevate simplicity into a signature Bvlgari experience.”
Il Gelato is available in Paris, Rome and Dubai. Coming soon in Milan, Shanghai, Beijing and Bali.
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