Australia's Gelato Messina opens Softville, an art-filled soft-serve shop, on the Lower East Side

Gelato Messina, the Australian gelato brand Eater NY calls popular and prolific, has opened its first shop in North America, and it isn't a Messina store. Softville, at 137 Orchard St. on the Lower East Side, opened Oct. 1 with its own look and its own menu built around soft serve.

The shop is a partnership with Studio Jeremyville, the art and design studio behind the mural characters that have decorated Messina stores since 2006. Messina calls Softville "as much an art space as a dessert one," and Eater NY described it as an art-led concept store with Studio Jeremyville sculptures and other art on display.

What to order

Messina says the soft serve is made properly from scratch, with no pre-made mixes, and that the sauces, crunches, baked bits and toppings are all made on site. Eater NY reported that the soft serve is made with dairy from Ronnybrook Farm in the Hudson Valley.

The menu has five permanent desserts and sundaes plus rotating specials, along with vegan options and a create-your-own setup. Two from the opening menu:

• Pavlova Sundae: a mango and yogurt soft-serve swirl with baked meringue, raspberry and passionfruit gels, vanilla pudding and macerated strawberries.
• Dulce con Churros: dulce de leche soft serve with dulce flan, milk crumb, warm chocolate sauce, hot cinnamon churros and sea salt.

Eater NY also flagged a birthday cake sundae with fior di latte soft serve, butter cake, strawberry pudding, "birthday crumble," strawberry and white chocolate sauces, cream cheese chantilly cream and sprinkles.

Know before you go

• Address: 137 Orchard St., between Rivington and Delancey streets, Lower East Side, Manhattan.
• Opened: Thursday, Oct. 1.
• Website: softville.com.