Portobello Promenade
Portobello High Street
From a lads dream to Top gelato in UK
Story of Oscar's Gelato
Since he was a child, Oscar always loved Italian gelato. He was completely obsessed with it, always asking us to take him for another one again and again. He could always tell the difference between authentic Italian gelato and ordinary ice cream, he simply would not settle for anything less. This amazing, creamy dessert quickly made all of us fall in love with gelato too.
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Because of our deep love for Portobello Beach, the place we proudly call home, and the wonderful Porty community that surrounds us, we began to dream. We asked ourselves a simple question: why not bring this incredible treat home? Our neighbors, our friends and our children in Portobello deserved to have a high-quality, wholesome gelato experience right on their doorstep.​
​That dream soon became a journey. For more than five years, we immersed ourselves in the authentic Italian artisan gelato tradition, learning, training, and perfecting the craft. We studied the ingredients, the science, the balance of flavour, and the passion that makes true gelato so special.
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In 2020, that journey became reality. Oscar’s Gelato was born.
From the very beginning, our mission has been simple: to create fresh, handmade gelato every day using traditional Italian techniques and carefully selected ingredients, bringing a taste of authentic gelato culture to Edinburgh’s seaside. What started as a family dream has grown into a destination loved by locals and visitors alike.
Today, Oscar's Gelato is proud to be recognised as the Scotland’s finest and the best gelato in the UK. We are honoured to have received multiple awards and to have been crowned National Champion at the Golden Scoop Awards 2026.
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Yet our heart remains exactly where it all began in Portobello, serving our community, welcoming families, and creating moments of joy one scoop at a time. We believe the one thing that keeps our dream alive and allows us to serve our people in the best possible way is always choosing the quality over the quantity.
With over 30 flavours, from Pistachio to Honeycomb, we make all of our gelatos from scratch, using real ingredients. We even locally source them where possible!
So, why gelato and not just ice-cream like everyone else? Gelato isn't just a fancy-sounding name, it's a different and superior product.
Because there is less fat and air in gelato, the flavours are richer than ice-cream. Despite its reduced fat content, gelato has a wonderful creamy texture that melts in the mouth. Ice-cream, on the other hand, has an icier and frozen-mouth feel to it.
Commercial ice-creams often contain artificial flavours, colours and other additives. Oscar's Gelato Perfecto, by comparison, is made in small batches freshly each day. Our whole milk and double cream comes from Bonaly Dairy Farms and we use fresh fruit and the best quality ingredients throughout the process. We don't cut corners, our aim is to make the best gelato possible.
As you might guess, gelato is much more expensive to produce. However, we absorb those extra costs because we want our gelato to be affordable to everyone.
If you like a bit of modified starch, vegetable oil, stabilisers, emulsifiers and E numbers in your ice cream then there is plenty out there to choose from.
If it's the real deal you want, stick to artisan gelato.
Oscar's Gelato Perfecto. Not ice cream.
In a nutshell why gelato?
1
The texture...
Gelato is healthy and has a smoother, silkier & creamier texture than ice-cream.
2
The fat levels...
Gelato contains only 5-10% fat, whereas ice-cream contains up to 25%.
3
The taste...
Ice-cream must be served at a much colder temperature, leaving an icier, more frozen taste that stops the flavour coming through.
