I tried Canterbury’s newest ice cream shop in an old bank with loads of flavours

Amorino has launched its first ever Kent store on Canterbury High Street
-Credit: (Image: Deanna-Leigh Stuart)


Summer certainly left in a hurry this year, which meant the prime ice cream-eating weather was cut off far too early for my liking. Thankfully, an exciting new arrival in Canterbury city centre gave me the perfect excuse to satisfy my craving for a cold sweet treat from the comfort of indoors.

International chain Amorino has moved into the historic high street, having taken over the former TSB branch on the corner of The Parade and Butchery Lane. After announcing plans to open their first Kent store last month, it seemed as though a Formula 1 pit crew had been hired to create Amorino’s new shop, with its doors open just a few short weeks later.

Standing empty in the city centre since February 2021, the former TSB branch has now been completely transformed into a trendy dessert parlour. Large windows on each side give passers-by a glimpse at the cosy, sleek interior as well as the colourful plethora of cold treats available.

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Ahead of the opening, bosses announced the shop would boast 36 ice cream flavours to pick from, alongside waffles, crepes and more. Colour me intrigued, I just had to give this a spot a go for myself and leapt at the first chance to grab a scoop once the doors had opened. Here’s how I got on.

A taste of London

The international ice cream chain has replaced the former TSB branch on the corner of The Parade and Butchery Lane
The international ice cream chain has replaced the former TSB branch on the corner of The Parade and Butchery Lane -Credit:KentLive

This latest addition to Canterbury’s bustling high street is certainly hard to miss, thanks to its prominent corner location and inviting appearance. Walking in, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I’d stepped out of Kent’s only city and into the heart of the capital.

This is a trend that seems to be on the rise lately - the London-isation of Canterbury. The arrival of other boujee, up-market spots in recent years such as Cosy Club, Socialite and the soon to open Ivy Brasserie are all starting to give the area an atmosphere that’s more and more akin to London Town.

Whether or not this is a good thing is a debate for another day, but Amorino has certainly helped contribute to it. Once at the main counter, I was pleased to see they really were not lying about the abundance of flavours.

With other 30 flavours on offer, as well as crepes, waffles and other sweet treats, I spent a good bit of time getting to know the menu on the self-serve tablets
With other 30 flavours on offer, as well as crepes, waffles and other sweet treats, I spent a good bit of time getting to know the menu on the self-serve tablets -Credit:KentLive

Hazelnut chocolate, coffee, coconut, lemon, lime and basil, banana, classic chocolate, salted caramel, countless varieties of sorbet; the list goes on and on. It took me a while to make up my mind but settled on a tub with three flavours: Tiramisu (the king of all desserts), caramel with salted butter and vanilla, because sometimes simple is best.

I ordered from one of the self-serve tablets and opted for the signature cup, meaning it came topped with a macaron and once more there were plenty of flavours to choose from. Deciding again on the tiramisu flavour, my tub came to a slightly eye-watering total of £8.76. If the atmosphere hadn't made me think of London, the price tag certainly did.

Worth the cash?

For £8.76, I had very high hopes for my ice cream
For £8.76, I had very high hopes for my ice cream -Credit:KentLive

Costing about four times more than your bog-standard McFlurry, I was hoping this would mean my dessert would be quadruple the quality. It didn’t take long for my order to be completed and I grabbed a seat indoors to tuck straight in.

Beginning with the tiramisu flavour, it truly was love at first bite. Gorgeously silky and bringing together all the tastes of the classic dessert in every spoonful, I was very impressed.

Next, it was on to the salted caramel, which again was a winner, perfectly balancing the sweet with the salty, it was possibly the most addictive of the three. Finally, the vanilla, the benchmark flavour of any good ice cream parlour.

While obviously a little less exciting than the other two scoops, it was still incredibly tasty and very clearly high in quality, leaving me very satisfied with my choices overall. The tiramisu macaron was a great little extra and certainly made for an ice cream tub unlike any other I’ve had before.

Verdict

Is Amorino going to replace my occasional McFlurry from here on out? For the sake of one day hopefully being able to afford a mortgage - no.

I can’t deny that this was a brilliant dessert, and a step up in quality above most other ice creams I’ve ever eaten. That said, it’s definitely going to have to be a once in a while treat for me with those prices, even if I am already itching to try out the other flavours.

If you’re in the city and have a little cash to splash, then this is a spot I would recommend. On the other hand, if you’re keeping a close eye on the bank account before payday finally hits, the McFlurry might be your better option.

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