I tried gelato at a shop in the basement of Shinjuku Takashimaya. I didn't go to the popular stores on the same floor, but opted for gelato here. I had a combination of Bacio di Dama and Pistachio in a Piccolo cone with Nougatine for 1,100 yen, which was a bit pricey. The bittersweet gelato was to my liking. It's nice to try something like this once in a while.

I had been curious about this shop for a while. It was my first time using it and I didn't know you could take gelato to go. I chose the Legolare (M) where you can pick up to 3 flavors. Although the flavors weren't exactly to my liking, they were rich and elegant. Perhaps the chocolate flavors are the ones to recommend here.

The gelato at Shinjuku Takashimaya is the best among the three stores. It feels like the real deal. It may be slightly more expensive than the other two stores for a small size, but if you want to have authentic gelato at Takashimaya, this is the only choice. All flavors are rich and intense. The pistachio flavor is especially delightful, with a strong pistachio taste that spreads throughout your mouth and makes you feel happy. The chocolate flavor is also rich and delicious. Highly recommended for treating yourself or as a gift.

Regular Lego gelato for ¥1210 with gourmet cone for ¥220. From the bottom up: Raspberry, 75% dark chocolate chunks, Cremino. Soft and creamy gelato with a creamier texture. The raspberry flavor is tangy and intense, with vibrant color. The dark chocolate chunks are rich with a hint of sweetness, perfect for those who prefer a refreshing chocolate ice cream. The Cremino is sweet with a strong hazelnut flavor, but not overly sweet like the raspberry or chocolate. It has just the right amount of sweetness for an ice cream.

I had Piccolo put chocolate sauce on my ice cream, and I also had pistachio and high-cacao chocolate toppings recommended by the staff. With just one bite, this place became my favorite ice cream shop!! I want to visit both the Ginza and Osaka locations and try everything on the menu!! ✨(ღ✪ｖ✪)

A basic chocolate shop. However, my personal image is more of a gelato shop. So, although choosing chocolate items is a must, unless I'm really in the mood for it, I tend to choose something different. From the top: custard, raspberry, cappuccino. It was early evening in the middle of winter, just before dinner time (when I go home and have dinner), so we shared this between two people. It's not like we were being stingy and sharing, we just wanted a little bit of ice cream. I tend to get tired of it quickly, you know. There's a bench in front of the escalator here, so it's convenient. It's half outdoors, though. Well, it's expensive, but each flavor was rich and flavorful. The raspberry was probably similar to what you can find at other shops, but the creamy custard and cappuccino were delicious. The waffle cone also had a nice fragrance. I wonder what it is. It's almost 1,000 yen, so if it wasn't tasty, I'd be quite upset, but it was decent. I heard that they add extra decorations to the waffle cone for an additional cost. Next time, I want to try pistachio, the one that got rejected today. Oh, just to be clear, we weren't being stingy and sharing.

I chose mascarpone caramel with raspberry. I paid extra to have the raspberry on a cone. The top chocolate was bitter. They dipped the cone in melted chocolate and then added raspberry on top. The raspberry turned out to be quite sour. You can also have the raspberry on the cup, but the taste of the chocolate coating was quite strong, so I recommend having it on the cone. However, if you have it on the cone, you won't be able to eat the part with the raspberry until you finish the ice cream. The ice cream was milkier than expected, not the usual refreshing fruit ice cream, but a heavier impression. The mascarpone was quite soft, more dominant than the caramel. I was happy to find large nuts inside. The Shinjuku store was much less crowded than the Nihonbashi store, which was nice.

August 5, 2022. This was my first visit. I had always wanted to go but somehow missed the chance to eat there... Finally, I made it! The visit was around 7:00 PM on a weekday, and there weren't many people at Takashimaya. This restaurant stood out with a sense of luxury. When I looked at the menu, I saw that they make shakes with gelato, which sounded nice. However, I decided to start with just gelato. You can choose 2 flavors for 715 yen for the smallest size. My husband and I each chose a flavor. You can choose between a cup or a cone, and my husband doesn't like cones much, so we went with cups. The staff also offered toppings for an additional 216 yen, such as black cookie, dried raspberries, and nuts. We declined the toppings as we weren't looking for an Instagram-worthy treat. The cup design was so cute that I wanted to take it home! I realized that the menu had different prices for eat-in and takeout, but I wondered where we could eat in. It turned out there was a standing space in a corner of the shop for eating in. It's a unique type of eat-in space, and it seemed like only a few people could use it at once, so most people would probably opt for takeout on busy weekends. I tried the Tiramisu gelato, a classic Italian dessert! The combination of gelato and Tiramisu was pure Italian! The coffee aftertaste was surprisingly real, as if I had just eaten coffee beans! The Venky Cream gelato had a custard flavor. Custard-flavored gelato seems surprisingly rare...? It had a rich egg flavor, and it tasted like real custard. Both gelatos were smooth and delicious, but for the price, I'm not sure if it's worth it for us... Maybe it's too luxurious for us, so we might not go back... Oh, but I want to try the shake, so I'll go back for that! Thank you for the meal!

This is a specialty store for chocolate and gelato located on the B1F of Shinjuku Takashimaya! I was more interested in shakes than gelato, so I decided to try it out. It seems that you can make shakes with as many flavors as there are gelatos, with over 20 options available. I was surprised to find that there were no basic flavors like vanilla or milk available. Everyone seemed to be some kind of flavored shakes. So, I played it safe and chose strawberry. Looking back, I probably should have chosen a chocolate-based shake since it's a chocolate and gelato shop. After a short wait, I received my shake and went outside to taste it. As for the taste... It seemed like a mixture of gelato and milk, but it felt like they diluted the rich flavor that you would expect from gelato quite a bit. I felt a strong milk taste. Since it's a chocolate and gelato shop, I should have just gone for a chocolate gelato shake to cool off. That's how I felt.

As of June 2022, I visited Venchi at Takashimaya to cool off from the heat and purchased a set of 3.20 Lego Rarre (3 types) for 864 yen. There was only one eat-in space available. I chose the Quorl Decacao (dark chocolate), Bronte green pistachio, and mascarpone orange flavors. As expected from a chocolate specialty shop, the chocolate flavors were overwhelmingly delicious with a rich and deep taste. The pistachio was also tasty, but the fruity flavors were not as impressive. If they expand their range of flavors, this place could become even more interesting, especially during the summer.

When I went to Takashimaya in Shinjuku after a long time, I found a new chocolate and gelato shop called Venchi! It was glamorous! I ordered a "Piccolo" for 702 yen (including 8% tax), where you can choose up to two flavors. I chose "Banana Split" and "Cremino (Hazelnut & Chocolate)". They also gave me a piece of chocolate tablet as a service. It was rich, sweet, and delicious!

Gelato Leggero 880 yen Gourmet Cone with Raspberry Topping 220 yen I learned about this famous gelato shop from a review by a teacher and decided to check it out. It is located on the first basement floor of Shinjuku Takashimaya. It is said to always have a line, but on this day, there was only one group ahead of me. The seating area is by the stairs, so you can sit there to eat. However, it's not a very relaxing atmosphere. I ordered the Leggero (medium size with up to 3 flavors) and the gourmet cone with raspberry topping. The staff added the raspberry topping to a cup... wait, wasn't I supposed to get it in a cone? The staff kindly offered to remake it in a cone without any complaints. The flavors I chose were Venky Cream, Mascarpone, and Azteco. As I hurried to the seating area, I realized the chocolate at the bottom was melting because I held it too close to my hand. I quickly tried the cream, which was rich and delicious, and then the mascarpone with fig, which had a hint of acidity. Finally, I tried the chocolate, which was excellent with a perfect balance of bitterness and sweetness. The raspberry chips were also tasty. The cone itself had a light and crispy texture. Overall, despite not being able to eat it leisurely, I would rate it 3.8 out of 5. I learned that when eating gelato in a cone, I should hold the bottom part of the cone. I enjoyed the experience, but I'm afraid of causing another tragedy in the future.

Nostalgic! Ice cream I encountered in Germany in 2021.06.22. When I traveled to Germany in 2017, I happened to stop by EATALY, an Italian market in Munich. The chocolate gelato from VENCHI that I had here was very delicious! At that time, EATALY and Venchi were available in Japan, but gelato was not (or so I thought). Furthermore, during my trip to the United States in 2019, the hotel I stayed at in Las Vegas had an EATALY, but they had Venchi without gelato. And now, in Japan, you can enjoy Venchi's gelato. There are several stores, but the one I visited was at Shinjuku Takashimaya B1F. The flavors include a total of 16 varieties, such as melon, strawberry, and pistachio, but since it's a chocolate specialty store, there are many chocolate flavors such as Cuor di Cacao, Brutto Ma Buono, Azteco, and Cremino. You can choose from three sizes: Piccolo (S size) for 702 yen (choose 2 flavors), Regolare (M size) for 864 yen (choose 3 flavors), and Grande (L size) for 1,080 yen (choose 4 flavors). You can choose between a cone or a cup, and also add toppings if you like. There is a seating area in front of the elevator where you can sit and enjoy your gelato. It might have melted a bit, but the simple chocolate flavors of Cuor di Cacao (dark chocolate) and Cremino (hazelnut chocolate) were quite close to what I remember from Germany. They were delicious. The price is a bit high, but it was a tasty treat. Thank you for the meal!

I just ate not too long ago, but I happened to see it at Shinjuku Takashimaya and it was so hot that I couldn't resist! This time it was Roasted Pistachio Limone something! There was a chocolate included in the campaign? The pistachio was delicious as expected, but this Limone was incredibly delicious! It was a lemon gelato with finely chopped sweet lemon peel, and it was so delicious that I could have eaten two servings. Note for future reference.

"Venchi" opened at Shinjuku Takashimaya on December 16 last year. Sometimes I pass by the front of the shop, but I always just keep going. I guess cold treats are best enjoyed on hot days. So, I remembered it on a hot day and decided to go. I had the following: - Piccolo (S) 702 yen - Regolare (M) 864 yen - Grande (L) 1080 yen * Prices include takeout fees and tax I had them on the chairs in front of the elevator, but they said it's only for takeout customers. I chose Cremino and, of course, mango for the Piccolo size. The texture is smooth and shiny, with a delicate feel. I walked all the way to the elevator... it felt so far away (^-^; I was nervous it might fall apart on the way. The Cremino has hazelnuts with chocolate inside, which is wonderfully fragrant. The mango is delicious as well. It's sticky and lingers on the tongue. Everything I tried was amazing, so there are no disappointments here.

I want to eat something really delicious, but I don't feel like searching for a restaurant and I don't want to walk that far. So, I remembered that there is an Italian chocolate gelato shop in Ginza. They have a variety of chocolate flavors, especially at the main store. This time I got a medium-sized cup. There is seating available to eat in, but there are benches near the exit of Takashimaya where you can sit. I tried Cremino, Tiramisu, and Venchi Cream flavors. The Cremino has a hazelnut base with chocolate sauce on top, it's rich and delicious. The Tiramisu flavor has a strong coffee taste, with a hint of sweetness and crunchy chocolate chips. The Venchi Cream is mainly custard cream with a good level of sweetness. Overall, the gelato was very smooth and tasty. I was satisfied and enjoyed it.

Visited around 6:30 pm on the weekend. No customers at first. I used to see it crowded every time, but since it was empty this time, I was drawn to it. It seems that it usually gets busy from early afternoon, but this time around dinner time is a good time to visit. Venchi is also available at Rome airport. As soon as you arrive, you can enjoy gelato before passing through immigration. If you inject gelato 3 minutes after getting off the plane, you will usually be pushed back by your companions saying, "Sorry for making you wait, hehe," but in reality, I'm thinking, "What did you come all the way to Italy for?" Well well, Venchi, which is so popular that it is available at airports in Italy, can now be enjoyed in the basement of a department store in Shinjuku. The staff who served us were kind, cheerful, and skillful at serving, which made me even more excited. ★ Regular (medium size) 864 yen You can choose 3 types of gelato. I added raspberry topping (+216 yen) to the cone! They make it by drizzling chocolate right in front of you. It's a must for those who are greedy. Even after finishing the gelato, you can enjoy a raspberry chip and thickly spread chocolate cookie, making it worth paying the extra 216 yen for a second delicious treat. Total: 1,080 yen. It's a bit expensive, but the satisfaction level is high, so it's worth it. I chose these 3 gelato flavors. ☆ "Gianduiotto Venezuela" Chocolate and hazelnut paste ☆ "Venchi Cream" White custard ☆ "Pistachio" They mixed in air multiple times when scooping, so it has a fluffy and nice texture! Even for someone like me who is a fan of dairy fat, this gelato is satisfying with its rich flavor. Venchi's chocolate flavor is truly amazing. The pistachio is just average, not that intense. Next time, I might go all out with chocolate flavors. But then I'll start craving coffee, so it's a dilemma... There are chairs lined up in the space in front of the elevator behind "PECK" on the same floor, so you can sit there and eat, but it's not a relaxing atmosphere, so plan your strategy when ordering and choosing flavors.

There is a colorful chocolate section where you can buy chocolates by weight (1g=17.3 yen) and also a gelato space. I wanted to try the gelato, but it was too much to carry and the place was not very relaxing, so I gave up. I ended up choosing the recommended egg-shaped pistachio chocolate and a few other items from the weigh-and-pay section, totaling around 1700 yen for 8 pieces. - Cremino Pistachio (square green chocolate): A pistachio with a hint of salt and gianduja chocolate. It has a soft texture and I really liked it. - Cremino Extra Dark (square black chocolate): A bitter chocolate with almond paste and gianduja filling. The texture is a bit hard and the gianduja aroma is subtle. - Mini egg-shaped pistachio chocolate: A pistachio paste with lemon-scented chocolate. The pistachio flavor is prominent at first, but then a refreshing lemon scent comes through. The flavor change and aftertaste were very good. - Chocolate Bia Crema Pistachio (large square chocolate with nuts): A pistachio gianduja cream with salted nuts, coated in dark chocolate and sprinkled with toffee and hazelnut grains. This was the most delicious one! There were other varieties of Chocolate Bia available, so I regret not getting more. It's like a small cake with various textures and flavors. Since Venchi started in Piedmont, Italy, I think you can't go wrong with pistachio or gianduja chocolates.

After enjoying a day drinking in Shinjuku, my friend said she wanted something cold to eat, so we headed to Takashimaya. She mentioned wanting to try some rich ice cream, so we decided to check out this Italian gelato shop. The staff were skillfully scooping gelato into shiny silver containers, creating a luxurious atmosphere. I ordered hazelnut, matcha, white chocolate, and lemon gelato. It looked delicious! However, when we tried to find a place to sit and enjoy our treats, we couldn't find any seating. After asking around, we were directed to a small space between the gelato shop and the neighboring store, where a trash bin was placed. It was quite funny, and we all laughed as we indulged in our gelato. The matcha with lemon and white chocolate was surprisingly tasty, while the hazelnut was just average. My friends ordered some rich flavors, like chocolate, which I also tried and found delicious. Perhaps it's best to buy gelato here and enjoy it on a bench outside during the spring. Thank you for the meal!

Shinjuku's four major department stores: Isetan, Takashimaya, Odakyu, Keio. The top one is definitely Isetan. Coming in second is... personally, I think it's Takashimaya. In terms of the tenants in the basement, recently it seems like Odakyu and Keio have more unique shops, but still, Takashimaya has the space and luxury feel that sets it apart. The new shop at Shinjuku Takashimaya is Venchi, specializing in gelato and chocolate. It's a rare addition to the area, with a prime location next to the cake select shop Patisseria. The gelato is available in sizes ranging from a selection of two flavors to four flavors. The flavors lean towards chocolate, with options like Azteco (extra dark chocolate), Venchi Cream (custard gelato), Cremino Matcha (matcha and white chocolate with pistachio and lemon), and Stracciatella (strawberry and chocolate chips). I tried the gelato in a grand size with a mix of flavors, topped with Chocaviar. The dark and rich Azteco was delicious, while the Cremino Matcha was surprisingly refreshing. The Chocaviar topping added a nice touch. The chocolate truffles and pralines were also top-notch, with flavors like pistachio, lemon peel, and almond. Overall, the gelato was a delightful treat, and the chocolate offerings were equally satisfying. The eating space may be a bit hard to find, but the experience was definitely worth it.