Originally published on Broadsheet.

The Windsor end of Chapel Street keeps getting better.

The south-side Messina drought has broken. On Tuesday night, the gelato institution opened its new Windsor store.

Wherever Messina goes, it is received warmly. It’s happened for all 11 stores, and the crowds were as reliable as ever for this week’s opening. But even so, the brand’s success still astounds owner Declan Lee.

“It still spins us out,” Lee says. “We’re always scared new stores are going to die.”

This new site was a lucky win for the Messina clan. The space between Journeyman and Borsch, Vodka and Tears was ready to be sold to someone else. Fortunately for Lee and his team, the deal fell through.

“We love the site,” Lee says. “It has a back dining room where we hope to hold degustation events.” The Windsor store plans to replicate the degustation classes at Messina’s Sydney headquarters in Rosebery.

All of Messina’s gelatarias are designed in-house by co-founder Nick Palumbo. The Windsor site is the smallest of all the stores, but what it lacks in size it makes up for in character. With tomato-red tiled borders and dark-timber-panelled walls, its old-school vibe reminds you where gelato is really from – Italia.

Consistent with its other stores, Gelato Messina Windsor will feature 35 permanent flavours and release five specials each week.

Gelato Messina’s other stores are in Fitzroy, Richmond, Sydney, the Gold Coast and Las Vegas.

Gelato Messina Windsor
171 Chapel Street, Windsor

Hours
Sun to Thu 12pm–11pm
Fri to Sat 12pm–11.30pm

Image credit: Brodie Chan