We make gelato in Labrador, so we’re hardly neutral on the subject.
But if you’re looking for ice cream or gelato on the Gold Coast and trying to work out what separates one cabinet from another, there are a few things worth looking for — whether you end up at Wonderland or somewhere else.
Gelato or ice cream?
Gelato and ice cream are both frozen desserts, and there’s plenty of overlap between them. Recipes, ingredient balance, churning and serving conditions can differ, which is why gelato often feels denser and softer on the spoon.
For us, the interesting part isn’t winning a definition argument. It’s what happens in the cabinet: flavour, texture and how much you want another spoonful. The longer version →
And sorbet?
Sorbet is the fruit side of a good cabinet, not an afterthought on the end of the tray. Ours use real fruit and are made here in the same small batches as the gelato, and our sorbets medalled at the 2026 Royal Queensland Awards. Sorbet on the Gold Coast →
Does the colour make sense?
Extremely vivid colour can sometimes be a sign of added colouring. Pistachio doesn’t need to be fluorescent green; banana doesn’t need to look like a highlighter. Bright isn’t automatically bad — but it’s worth a second look when a colour seems louder than the fruit or nut it’s named after.
We don’t add colour simply to make a flavour look brighter. Sometimes that means the gelato looks quieter than you expect — until you taste it.
Don’t judge a gelato by the mountain
You’ll hear that flat gelato under a lid is the “proper” way and that heaped, open trays are a warning sign. That’s not a rule that holds up here.
In Queensland, artisan gelato is commonly displayed in open stainless-steel trays, and it’s often shaped or heaped above the rim — ours included. Height alone tells you very little.
One clue, not proof: gelato made in-store is often presented in stainless-steel trays, while some shops selling in frozen product bought from elsewhere display it flat in grey or white plastic supplier tubs. There are exceptions both ways, so don’t treat it as a test.
The better question is simply: do you make it here? We do — our gelato is made here in Labrador.
Taste before you commit
A flavour name can only tell you so much. At Wonderland, if something catches your eye, ask us for a taste. We’d rather help you find something you enjoy than watch you pick the safe option and wonder about the others.
Look for a reason to be curious
Classics matter, and they should be done well. But an interesting cabinet also gives you something you didn’t plan to choose — the flavour you’d normally walk past.
That idea is more or less where Wonderland came from. Our story →
Try more than one
We serve mini scoops. A Piccolo is three, a Medio six, a Grande nine — different flavours, or the same one more than once. It’s an easy way to explore a rotating cabinet without committing everything to a single choice. Menu & prices → · Build My Serve →
A meaningful plant-based range
A cabinet that regularly carries both fruit sorbets and creamy plant-based gelato — not just one option on the end of the tray — is usually one that’s being developed with some thought. Vegan gelato → · Dairy-free gelato →
Awards are one kind of feedback
Awards aren’t proof that a shop is right for you, but they are independent feedback. In 2026 our Pear & Ginger won gold in Class 6 at the Royal Queensland Awards Ice Cream, Gelato & Sorbet Competition and was named Champion Flavoured Ice Cream or Gelato of Show, with gold too for chocolate (Class 2), French vanilla bean (Class 1) and strawberry (Class 3). See our awards →
The best test is still standing in front of one
Come curious. Ask for a taste. Pick a favourite. Try something you weren’t planning to order. That’s more or less how Wonderland started. If you’d rather know what to look for first, here’s how to tell good gelato from the rest.
You’ll find ours at the Aqua Complex in Labrador, on the Broadwater.
See what's scooping Visit us by the Broadwater
Make a day of it
Gelato works best as one part of an outing. From us, the Labrador foreshore and its parks run along Marine Parade, the pelicans gather near Charis Seafoods at the northern end, and Dessert by the Broadwater puts dinner, a walk and gelato together. Coming from further afield? Visiting the Gold Coast is written for you.
Coming from nearby
More
What to look for in a gelato shop · Vegan gelato on the Gold Coast · Dairy-free gelato · Sorbet on the Gold Coast · Gelato with kids · Dessert by the Broadwater · Our awards