Mastika

Very friendly staff, pleasant atmosphere and most importantly, great drinks and deserts at an affordable price! Staying true to its Greek name, it has very good frappes (very similar to ones ive had in Greece) and at a much cheaper price than any other shops. We got a freddo cappuccino and churros for two which came with a choice of 2 sauces and with a scoop of snickers ice cream. They came relatively quickly and tasted very fresh and tasty. Overall had a pleasant experience, this is great place to visit with your family or mates!

To fuel up for your Belmore shopping adventure, head to the vividly pink Mastika. This loudly decorated shopfront lured me in with signboards advertising Künefe ($12.50). Here the cheese pastry topped with crisp kadayif (angel hair) is served with your pick of gelato from their brightly coloured display. Choose from contemporary flavours like crunchy doughnut, black Hawaii (charcoal enriched coconut) or classics like pistachio and chocolate. Wanting to taste my cheese, I opted for a simple vanilla that was adequate without being exceptional - with the name, I was surprised not to be eating stretchy Turkish ice cream. The kunefe here was super-sweet and hard to finish. More exciting was the drinks fridge, where a beverage with a similar name to the shop, Mastik ($4.50) turned out to actually be made with the mastic tree’s resin. It drinks fresh, like being in a pine forest, and is a nice counterbalance to all the sweet. We also tried Koozo ($4) an adult cola flavoured with star anise – be sure to give the bottle a roll before opening, the spice tends to sit towards the bottom.

Mastika has become a favourite. The ice cream place is small and inviting. The special flavours are absolutely delightful. I tried 'Crunchy Donut' recently and it could easily be named 'Nostalgia'. It tastes like carnivals, the Easter show and Luna Park. Who could have thought?? I kinda don't want the flavour to be gone. (It also reminds me of the book 'The Night Circus' by Erin Morgenstern - you'll understand if you've read it). And mango is also wonderful! It's so creamy and thick. Better than Home icecream's mango. I can't wait to try the gelato churro sandwich.

I love this place! Cozy interior, warm and friendly staff, and cakes and gelatos galore! If you got a sweet tooth, this is the place for you. We ordered the Red Velvet Ferraro Rocher gelato cake, which was divine! And a mix of gelato flavours, the pistachio flavour was my personal favourite. Will definitely be back to try more of everything!