I tried the new viral Dubai chocolate ice cream served at a top London attraction – it was a huge disappointment
NEARLY every food brand has hopped on the Dubai chocolate trend - and I tried out the most recent one that has gone viral online.
Made up of a concoction of pistachio cream mixed with shredded filo pastry, all coated in a silky chocolate case - it's no surprise this choccie bar has taken the world by storm.
4
Chocaholics across the globe are so enamoured by it that Dubai's Duty Free sold an eye-watering $22million (£16million) of the bars in just the first three months of 2025.
And now, the viral creation has landed in London's Borough Market, served in ice cream form.
After clocking the gelato treat on social media - several chocolate-y scoops dripping in lashings of pistachio sauce and served in a pistachio-rimmed cone - I couldn't resist giving it a try.
Afterall, we are in the midst of a heatwave and what better way to cool off?
The treat hails from a small cafe, Gelateria 3Bis, at the edge of the market, which also sells flakey pastries and baked goods.
I was pleasantly surprised to find no queue on a Tuesday lunchtime in 25C sunshine, but perhaps I should have taken that as a sign of things to come.
Behind the counter were neat slices of apple and almond tart, slathered in a shiny glaze (£3.50); wedges of a crumbly looking walnut tart (also £3.50); and stacks of cannolis with thick ricotta filling oozing out of each case (£2).
They certainly got my stomach gurgling.
'One Dubai chocolate please,' I say.
I practically drooled as the lady leaned into the metal tub to scoop the chocolate-y mixture into my cone, waiting for the pistachio magic to happen.
Foodies race to buy new Dubai chocolate Easter egg in popular supermarket - the 'filling is crazy' and it's selling FAST
4
But then, nothing. That was it - and a rather naked-looking gelato was handed over to me.
Where was my pistachio sauce? Where were the sprinkles I'd seen decadently splashed over the top?
And, more importantly, where was the pistachio and filo filling that makes Dubai chocolate what it is?
After shelling out a staggering £6.50, I walked away realising that this was a classic case of Insta vs reality trickery.
Perhaps I had misordered, I thought. But it couldn't be that. I'd even mentioned that I'd seen it advertised on the cafe's Instagram.
Unlike the sensation I'd seen on social media, my two-scoop treat was lacking in decadence.
4
4
I'd been asked if I wanted a 'special cone', not realising that the pistachio cone I'd seen wasn't part of this category – it had apparently been placed in a league of its own.
The special cones cost an additional £1.50 and are essentially just a traditional waffle cone dipped in chocolate and then covered in some form of topping like hazelnut or sprinkles.
I'm not sure why the pistachio hadn't been offered to me, but when I saw the price - over £2 - I was a little relieved.
In terms of flavour, it hit the mark for a decent chocolate gelato: creamy, smooth and indulgent, but not too sweet.
And after tucking in, I did notice the odd fleck of green accompanied by a few pastry shards, but these were minimal and the pistachio flavour did not come through at all.
I didn't have time to ponder over how little filling was in there, though, as my scoops were melting rapidly.
This is the sign of a well-made gelato, I am told, but this seemed a bit extreme.
Barely a minute had passed and I was already frantically wiping the melt from my hands and arm.
As for the cone, the chocolate rim added a little extra zing to the overall flavour. But I wouldn't be willing to shell out an additional £1.50 again.
Perhaps I can't blame it all on the ice cream itself. Maybe the sauce costs extra and the sprinkles do too.
But i couldn't see it advertised on the boards and the fact that staff didn't point it out to me when I ordered seems an oversight, not least to say, financially-daft.
I reckon if I'd have had the full shebang I would have ended up forking out close to a tenner.
So, Dubai chocolate ice cream? Let's not spoil something good.
Especially not for prices like this.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Sun
29 minutes ago
- The Sun
Shock moment Harry tries to break up Love Island couple telling girl ‘you're The One'
Mollie Quirk, Senior Showbiz Reporter Published: Invalid Date, A VILLA hunk tried to break up a Love Island couple telling the girl 'you're The One' in a shocking moment. During Friday night's episode, Harry seemingly made a move on an old flame after smooching Yasmin last night. 4 4 4 At the start of the series, Harry had his sights set on Shakira before he snuck out of the bedroom and had a steamy night with Helena. Things then ended between Harry and Shakira, though he did tell her he thought they would have "unfinished business". After coupling up with Helena, things seemed to be going well before his head got turned by new girl Yasmin. This week, Harry had some steamy chats with Yasmin, with the pair even sneaking off to the hideaway during the day for a snog. But now Harry is keen for his old flame, Shakira, who he seems to have "unfinished business" with - as he previously predicted. In tonight's episode, Harry made a move for Shakira again and even told her she's "The One". Pulling Shakira for a chat, Harry asks how she's feeling. "Initially, you were number one for me," Harry said in a candid way to the stunning brunette. He then said that he doesn't think he would do the things he does if they were together, because she "wouldn't stand for it". "It was you," Shakira confessed, "And still is you. But it's your behaviour for me that I can't tolerate." Love Island first look: Are Harry and Shakira back on the cards? Harry then admitted that he wanted to spend some more time with her and rekindle what they had at the start. "If that could possibly be arranged?" he pleaded. Shakira then said: "It could be arranged." Love Island 2025 full lineup Harry Cooksley: A 30-year-old footballer with charm to spare. Shakira Khan: A 22-year-old Manchester-based model, ready to turn heads. Megan Moore: A payroll specialist from Southampton, looking for someone tall and stylish. Alima Gagigo: International business graduate with brains and ambition. Tommy Bradley: A gym enthusiast with a big heart. Helena Ford: A Londoner with celebrity connections, aiming to find someone funny or Northern. Ben Holbrough: A model ready to make waves. Megan Clarke: An Irish actress already drawing comparisons to Maura Higgins. Dejon Noel-Williams: A personal trainer and semi-pro footballer, following in his footballer father's footsteps. Aaron Buckett: A towering 6'5' personal trainer. Conor Phillips: A 25-year-old Irish rugby pro. Antonia Laites: Love Island's first bombshell revealed as sexy Las Vegas pool party waitress. Yasmin Pettet: The 24-year-old bombshell hails from London and works as a commercial banking executive. Malisha Jordan: A teaching assistant from Broxbourne, Hertfordshire, who entered Love Island 2025 as a bombshell. Emily Moran: Bombshell Welsh brunette from the same town as Love Island 2024 alumni Nicole Samuel. Shea Mannings: Works as a scaffolder day-to-day and plays semi-pro football on the side. Remell Mullins: Boasts over 18million likes and 500k followers on TikTok thanks to his sizzling body transformation videos. Harrison Solomon: Pro footballer and model entering Love Island 2025 as a bombshell. Departures: Kyle Ashman: Axed after an arrest over a machete attack emerged. He was released with no further action taken and denies any wrongdoing. Sophie Lee: A model and motivational speaker who has overcome adversity after suffering life-changing burns in an accident. Blu Chegini: A boxer with striking model looks, seeking love in the villa. "Shakira and Ben were my favourites. Even Shakiras mum said she doesn't like Harry." A second added: "I've said all along half of Harry's behaviour is because he doesn't want to be with Helena he wants Shakira." While a third penned: "Harry is such a player. I would not trust him a thing he says." The brunette beauty is currently coupled up with Ben, though things between the pair haven't been great of late. Ben has made some comments to Shakira that have proved to be problematic. At the beginning of the series, he chose another girl and said it "humbled" Shakira when he did so.
The Sun
29 minutes ago
- The Sun
Claudia Winkleman looks totally different as she goes bare-faced after eye op and reveals BAN on trademark eyeliner
NEW TRAIT The 53-year-old celebrated a successful procedure to correct her vision problems Amanda Devlin Published: 21:36, Updated: 21:36, CLAUDIA Winkleman has posted a make-up free snap after undergoing an eye operation. The Traitors host, 53, gushed about her doctor who looks after her sight following a successful procedure. 1 However, Claudia revealed she will be forced to go without her trademark eyeliner for weeks as she recovers. Although she didn't go into detail about what she had done, it's thought to be laser eye surgery, which is used to correct vision problems. Posting a snap of her cuddled up to her eye doctor Julian, Claudia wrote on social media: "This amazing human makes me see. "He's operated on my eyes before and he did it again today. "No eyeliner for weeks and I sleep in googles (no words) but I'm eternally grateful. "Do NOT zoom in on my left eye - it's wonky. "Thank you Julian. I paid for the treatment, this isn't an ad. "I just love him. It's very possible I'm still a bit sedated. Night night."
BBC News
31 minutes ago
- BBC News
British LGBT Awards: Steps' Ian ‘H' Watkins honoured
Steps star Ian 'H' Watkins has been honoured at the British LGBT known for his time in the 90s pop band, the singer was recognised for his work organising pride events and his advocacy for same-sex parents. Watkins is the founder of Cowbridge Pride in Glamorgan, Wales and puts on the annual event to raise funds for local causes related to the LGBTQ+ community. He told the BBC receiving the honour was an "emotional" moment. He said: "Tonight is a really important night, all nights like this, because it's a celebration and there's lots of heart. There's real people, there are real stories."I think people have to remember that when everybody goes home and they take their glam rags off, that's when the real work starts."Actor Billy Porter, best known for his role as Pray Tell in Pose, also received a special award on the night, in recognition of his work on stage and screen and for raising awareness of HIV in 2021, when Porter confirmed he was living with HIV, he said he had kept it a secret for 14 years but that speaking about it helped him stop feeling ashamed of his diagnosis. He made his name on Broadway, winning a Tony Award for his role in the musical Kinky Boots in British LGBT awards are considered one of the most significant events for the LGBTQ+ community and have been held annually since of celebrities, campaigners and LGBTQ+ allies attended this year's presenter Scott Mills, who won the LGBT+ advocacy award at last year's ceremony, was a co-host of the night. He told BBC News it was important the event also reflected the work of business leaders and companies promoting said: "It's about creating a more inclusive society where people are respected and they feel empowered at work and valued."It's not all about which celebrity is here, it's about everyday places making change for the better."Sarah Garrett MBE, founder of the awards, said they were about "celebrating our community and those who uplift it".Previous winners include: Adele Roberts, for her work promoting awareness of bowel cancer; Tom Daley, who won the sports personality of the year category, and Doctor Who actor David Tennant.
