Glaster

The Parisian skyline stretches along the Buttes-Chaumont. And like a sun that has descended straight from the sky, Glaster boasts a lemon-yellow facade that makes you stop in your tracks. It is at 66 Rue de la Villette that this small gelateria has come to fill a void that Paris’s 19th arrondissement could no longer tolerate. Behind the counter are Marc Glaster—a former entrepreneur who spent time in Australia and trained at the Gelato University in Bologna—and his daughter. The menu isn’t endless, but the flavors are updated weekly based on the seasons, the ingredients, and the duo’s mood. Yuzu and thyme, mint-chocolate, a far cry from anything artificial, raspberry-speculoos cheesecake, orange blossom and pine nuts, chocolate, lemon sorbet, or watermelon… Careful sourcing: the organic milk comes from the Beaulieu estate, an hour from Paris; the hazelnuts from Salva Italia in Peyruis; the organic Sicilian lemons; and the hibiscus and rose water from the Épicerie du Caire in Belleville. But the sensory delight begins even before the first bite: the cones are prepared fresh right in front of the customer. They’re only open on weekends, starting Friday, because supplies are limited and production is strictly artisanal. The line quickly stretches out onto the sidewalk, proof that sometimes all it takes is a few well-chosen flavors to spark a new neighborhood tradition.