We chanced upon Lik Lik Lik Gelato after dinner at a nearby eatery at Nobby Beach. We had already had dessert, but couldn’t help but be tempted by the A-frame board outside announcing that they had been voted the best ice cream shop on the Gold Coast in 2019/2020, and the cluster of patrons lined up past the entrance.
The store decor used plenty of bright colours, in keeping with the simple joy and fun of a dessert treat. The awning at the front of the store had “gelato” against a backdrop of alternating strips of cheerful colours. The walls behind the service area were lined with tiles in bright primary colours, like Lego bricks. There were a few small cafe tables and polymer chairs in tropical hues inside the shop space and outside in the walkway in case customers wanted to loiter with their treats.
There were forty (yes, forty) flavours of gelati and sorbet on offer, divided between two cabinets, with two rows of ten options in each. The gelati come from Maleny Food Co. Their website indicates that they make many, many more flavours, and Lik Lik Lik rotate the flavours available at the shop.
With the flavours spanning indulgently chocolatey to lighter fruity, you are sure to find something that will please your palate. They also had some unusual combinations that you are less likely to come across at other geletarias, for instance the Watermelon and Mint sorbet, or the White chocolate and Butterscotch gelato. They do let you do a taste test of flavours before you decide on your scoops (though they limit it to four tastes).
A small serve is effectively one scoop, although you can get two flavours in that. We had medium serves, which were two scoops. It felt like the Goldilocks amount, not too little and not too much. The gelati was creamy and smooth, and so good that we returned to the store the next day.
Between our two visits, we had the Mars Bar, Hazelnut Roche, Coffee Crunch, Turkish Delight, and Lychee, Ginger, and Chocolate gelati (some deserved repeat performances).
The Mar Bar gelato was a bit on the sweet side, but given the components of a Mars Bar, that was not surprising.
The Hazelnut Roche gelato was a the nutty, chocolatey blend you seek in a Roche (leaving the Ferrero out of the name probably means they can avoid licensing issues, but still sets up the flavour expectation).
The Coffee Crunch gelato had a pleasant coffee flavour, not too strong, mixed with chocolate, but again was a bit sweet for our palate.
The Turkish Delight gelato had a delicate rose aroma, without being too strongly floral. This was one that was better matched with a gelato that is not too richly chocolatey, or you might lose the rose flavour and only have the sweetness.
The Lychee, Ginger and Chocolate gelato was a good blend, with distinct lychee flavour in the gelato, and candied ginger pieces that had a faint heat. This was definitely a favourite, one that could be paired with other gelato, even richer ones, and not be drowned out. If anything, it worked well as a lighter contrast against those.
Lik Lik Lik Gelato is definitely worth a stop if you are on the Gold Coast. It was easy to see why it was popular with the locals, the owners frequently striking up conversation with patrons they evidently knew well. The flavours we mentioned might be rotated out when you visit, but no doubt you will find other flavours to tempt your tastebuds.
Scores:
Food: 3.5/4
Setting: 1.5/2
Service: 1.5/2
Total: 6.5/8
Price point: Small serve (single scoop) $5.50. Medium serve (double scoop) $7.50.
Value: About the standard price for gelati, but we did appreciate that they were good sized scoops, rather than stingy ones.
Details:
Address: Shop 2/2221 Gold Coast Highway, Mermaid Beach
Phone: TBA
Website: Lik Lik Lik Gelato
