Although the weather is still cold and miserable, there’s nothing to say you can't indulge in yourself a bit of spirit-lifting ice cream. The Parlour Company is a quirky cafe situated on Holdenhurst Road in Bournemouth, which specialises in homemade Italian gelato (ice cream). The homely yet chic interior lures you inside - especially when the weather has been as dreary as the last few weeks – creating the perfect ambiance to sit back and relax.

With 40 different gelato varieties that come served in a wafer cone or tub or as a sundae or shake; there is definitely something to suit everyone. While still offering traditional flavours, there are also a handful of unusual options, which if you are feeling adventurous are definitely worth a try.

Claudio La Tosa, who works at the Parlour, said: “The most popular flavours are chocolate, tiramisu and the cheesecake varieties.” I sampled the passion fruit cheesecake first. The sharp yet sweet taste of the passion fruit is soothed by the creaminess of gelato and relieved by the small chunks of crunchy biscuit, truly making me understand why it is such a common choice. I also tried the bannoffee pie, a creamy combination of toffee and banana; the peanut butter, which was my personal favourite; and the lemon sorbet, a perfect way to cleanse my palette after the rich tastes of the other three.

You would imagine that ice cream is only popular when customers are in need of refreshing treat during the warmer seasons, but Joanna Bone, another employee at The Parlour, said: “We get orders for our ice cream everyday”, adding: “We even sold five ice creams the other day when it was raining.”

Located underneath Lyme Regis Halls of Residence, home to Bournemouth University students, the Parlour gets many of its customers from there. However, Claudio La Tosa said: “At lunch time it’s full of office workers”, who also purchase gelato, perhaps due to the exotic range on offer.

Gelato itself is a variety of ice cream traditionally made in Italy, which interestingly is quite different to the ice cream many of us are used to. This is mainly because it usually contains fewer than 10 per cent butterfat, compared to the normal variety that typically contains between 18-26 per cent. This has added benefits for the dessert as it means that it does not solidly freeze and is able to be served at a slightly warmer temperature, giving it that delicious melt-in-your-mouth sensation.

But if ice cream doesn’t quite set your taste buds tingling, then The Parlour Company offer lots of other tasty treats that might. This includes a selection of waffles, crepes, smoothies, salads, panini’s, sandwiches, baguettes, pizza baguettes and a selection of freshly baked options. They also have a new event called ThaiTime, which runs Monday to Saturday, 5.30pm until Midnight, from Monday 17th February.