When Christmas arrives in Venice, the city slowly changes its rhythm. The streets are lit up, the glow of the fairy lights in the balconies is reflected on the canals, the air becomes colder and from the lagoon arrives a salty scent that will accompany every winter stroll. Keeping all of this in mind, Gelato Fantasy also gets ready for Christmas providing a cozy atmosphere, some novelties designed specially for this season and paying particular attention to children.
We dress our gelato stores up with simple but neat decorations, intended to immediately give a Christmassy feeling, without being excessive. Little details, warm colors and a quiet atmosphere that will accompany each person that enters to grab a cup, a cone or a typical seasonal dessert.
During the weeks leading to the holidays, our gelato artisans work on new flavors and offers, made specially for this time of year. Our Christmas menu consists of returning flavors, seasonal flavors and flavors to which our artisans have put their own twist. We are always looking for solutions that are consistent with tradition but that are, at the same time, suited to artisan production.
Christmas becomes a chance to update our menu offering warmer and softer flavors, as well as, adding spices and in-season ingredients. We will also be handing out other small surprises for kids.
Christmas ornaments: a simple way to make our stores cozier
Christmas decorations are very important to us. Every Gelato Fantasy store transforms itself gradually, creating an atmosphere that evokes Christmas.
Our goal is not to amaze, but to create a pleasant environment in which our clients can take a break from the cold or from strolling around stores and alleys.
There will also be something for the kids, such as sweet bread figurines, small colorful motifs, and some decor elements depicting some Christmas characters.
Surprises for the little ones: sweet bread and small Christmas gifts
Christmas is, by definition, aimed at children. During this period, Gelato Fantasy wants to pay extra attention to them.
Among our various offers, we will prepare colorful sweet bread, symbolic little gifts that will be served alongside our gelato and that will add a playful touch to the winter days. There will be a limited stock and they will be handed out during Christmastime, until sold out.
There could also be other small surprises: Christmassy stickers, mini painted cards or ornamental sugar figurines, carefully chosen. Our goal is to transform an afternoon snack or a stroll into a lovely memory, especially for families that will be visiting Venice during those weeks.
Gelato flavors for Christmas
Like every year, the arrival of winter brings a selection of flavors created specifically for this season. These flavors evoke aromas, ingredients and traditions of the Italian Christmas: raisins, candied peels, warm spices, cream, chocolate and meringue.
Panettone: a holiday classic turned into gelato
Panettone gelato has become a staple flavor during the Christmas season at Gelato Fantasy.
The recipe uses a creamy base enriched with soft raisins.
Our reinterpretation of panettone is not overly sweet: it stays true to the flavors of the traditional one, but adjusted to the structure of a gelato. It’s a great option for those looking for a typical seasonal flavor, but prefer something lighter than a traditional sweet.
Spiced flavors: cinnamon and warm notes for the colder days
December calls, obviously, for spices. Among those, cinnamon is the star of Christmas, as it reminds us of warm drinks, biscuits and winter dishes.
At Gelato Fantasy, we prepare a creamy base scented with cinnamon, perfectly balanced. It’s a flavor designed for those looking for something that can “warm them up” without being too intense. It can be paired with flavors such as cream, whipped cream or dark chocolate to create a stronger contrast.
Alongside this gelato, we might offer other spiced flavors, depending on the availability of ingredients and the tests that our gelato makers will carry out. Our goal is to offer a selection that is consistent with the season, but is also well-balanced and pleasant even during the coldest days of the year.
Winter mousses: merengue, zabaione and chocolate
Our gelato mousse range has been one of the most popular additions over the past few years. At Christmas, we bring them back in three versions created specially for this season:
Meringue mousse
A light, fluffy cream, with a delicate flavor and a velvety texture.
The base is inspired by traditional meringue, without being heavy. Kids really like this gelato, which pairs nicely with berries, vanilla or a little whipped cream.
Zabaione mousse
Zabaione is one of the most characteristic Christmas flavors. Our mousse version uses a soft and lightly scented base, in which the zabaione can be tasted without being overpowering.
It’s perfect for people who love traditional flavors that can be found in many Christmassy Italian desserts.
Chocolate mousse
A gelato created for those who love chocolate in a softer version. Mousse is not heavy at all: it has a fluffy texture and a prominent but perfectly well-balanced touch of cocoa. During the holidays, it’s one of our most sought-after flavors, and pairs nicely with light creams or with our seasonal spiced gelato.
A different Christmas for people that enjoy a gelato even in winter
Many think that gelato is only a summer food. But in reality, more and more customers discover that in winter gelato can be an appealing dessert, perfect also when temperatures drop.
The softer texture of winter flavors, the use of spices , the lighter creams and the habit of savoring it in a warm environment or during quiet strolls, make gelato the perfect treat even in December.
During the holidays, Gelato Fantasy welcomes Venetians, workers, students and tourists that walk along San Marco, Rialto or Castello. The slower pace of the city makes it possible to choose calmly, to try new flavors and to rediscover flavors that in summer would not be so sought-after.
The holidays and the Venetian everyday life
Our gelato stores continue to be a reference point also for people who are in the city every day.
During Christmas, among markets, fairy lights and strolls, more and more people choose a cup, a mousse or a spiced flavor as an afternoon treat or as a small after-dinner dessert.
The surprises that we have in store for the children turn family visits into a more pleasant time, and transform even a quick stop into a convivial moment.
Thus, our stores become a place in which Christmas is lived genuinely: through a small detail, a scent, a flavor that is inspired by the holidays, without going overboard.
A simple request: to come by for a flavor, a taste or a novelty
Gelato Fantasy will keep offering new ideas, especially during the days leading to Christmas and until the end of the holidays. The ornaments, the special flavors, the mousses and the surprises for the kids will keep us company during the whole season, creating a pleasant atmosphere in our stores.
We do not need formulas or promises. Christmas speaks for itself, and the flavors created especially for this season are loud enough on their own.
People passing near our gelato stores will find a quiet atmosphere, a well-thought-out winter selection and some flavors inspired by this magical time of year: the lightness of the merengue, the warm note of cinnamon, the scent of zabaione, the traditional panettone and the roundness of chocolate.
