I'll be taking the Venice Florence Rome in 10 Days tour in May. My silly-yet-serious goal is to eat at a different gelato spot each day (3 for Venice, 3 for Florence, 3 for Rome) so I'm looking for recs from any old hands of Italian gelato tourism.
I already know two must-haves are Suso in Venice and Fatamorgana in Rome.
Any other must-have recommendations?
When we spent a month in Venice a few years back, we rented an apartment on Campo San Lio, just up the street from Suso. It became a near-daily habit. But we also liked Gelateria di Nico on the Zattere, a nice place to walk.
Alexandra, well you have described me pretty well. I can count the number of days of each trip to Italy by the number of colored gelato spoons. I actually keep them and make a finale photo with them in a shape.
This site will get you started in Venice: https://www.2foodtrippers.com/best-gelato-in-venice/
Do you know what to look for in a gelato shop? If the gelato is in plastic containers instead of metal, keep walking. Some of the best may be in metal round bins with covered lids. Look at the pistachio gelato color. If it isn’t a dull subtle green color but instead is a bright green or unnatural color or others have Skittle-bright colors, keep walking. If the gelato looks like it’s been whipped up or piled high (especially saw this in Florence), keep walking. Now after all of that extra walking, be sure to order a double scoop!
Thanks for posting Jean. This is the exact information I received from a Italian tour guide in Milan.
In Florence we liked Gelateria Carabe near the Accademia. It was about a block from our hotel so very convenient to stop in sometimes more than once a day.
You're really going to only one place a day? Our record is 3 in one day. Even though it's trite, I still love Vivoli in Florence-we were there in Oct 2019. They have an actual lab in their store!
In Rome, I can recommend some.
First, there are dozens of great places, but since we stayed in the Trastevere; that is where we had gelato. While it certainly can be a mid-day treat, the best is one while wandering in the evening, we preferred after dinner.
Gelateria alla Scala, just off the Piazza of the same name, does an excellent job, including some less common flavors.
Another really interesting one is Otaleg, not far from Piazza Santa Maria. Good flavors, plus many Vegan options.
My standard is Pistachio Gelato, if they can do that right, then the other flavors are usually solid. Both places did an exceptional job...though I have to say in Sicily I found some better...but Sicily and Pistachios...that would make sense.
For Florence, try the Gelateria De' Medici on Piazza Beccaria --- it's our favorite gelato in Florence after a total of six weeks of almost daily gelato testing. It seems like it's out of the way, however, it's at one end of the circular route that the little electric buses take through the city center many times a day. Fairly near the Sant' Ambrogio market. Also, do not be put off by the "elegant" decor --- it's not a fancy place, but a friendly, family-run place.
In Rome we liked Gelateria I Caruso.
Venice: Bacaro del Gelato in Cannaregio
Florence: Gelateria dei Neri (probably the best gelato I had in Italy last summer)
Rome: Cremeria Romana, Gelateria Angeletto (near Fatamorgana)
Besides the ones already mentioned...
Venice: Gelateria Gallonetta, 5727 Salizada San Lio, easy to miss.
Florence: Gelato di Filo, at the base of the hill below Piazzale Michelangelo
Rome: Come il Latte (thanks to Laurel, who recommended this several years ago!) A bit out of the way, but very much worth it.
Oooo…in Rome…Old Bridge Gelateria. Two locations, one near the Vatican and one in Trastevere. Yum! We first had Profumi di Sicilia gelato there, and it’s spoiled me for life!
another vote for Gelateria di Nico in Zattere in Venice. Not the best gelato, definitely the best view.
actually the best one wherever you are is the one where you are if it isn't neon
Venice - Gelateria il Doge - in San Toma (luckily right near our B&B) and I think they have another one or two locales.
- La Mela Verde - behind San Marco somewhere https://www.yelp.ca/biz/la-mela-verde-venezia#:~:text=Going%20one%20step%20further%20than%20even%20the%20best,in%20cubs%2C%20bowls%2C%20cones%20and%20freshly%20made%20crepes.
Rome - went twice to gelateria da Costanza (again - a few doors away from our airbnb). Wish I'd discovered sooner - would have gone every day. The amareno was amazing. By the Colosseum on via S Giovanni in Laterno - on the first block. And you can admire the Colosseum!
In Rome - L'Arena del Gelato
Via di Porta Castello, 8, Borgo Pio, 1, 00193
AT the end of the Borgo Pio - next to the LUMSA university - students love it!
Our regular stop most evenings - last visit Giussepi - the owner presented us with gelato he made from fresh mandarins his grandfather had brought into town from his farm. All the flavours are amazing
In Florence: Gelateria La Carraia, just off the Ponte de la Carraia on the Oltrarno side of the river.
When I'm in Italy I try and have a different flavour every time I eat gelato.
Some of them are quite surprising, but all delicious!
I second looking out for authentic gelato; not the highly coloured, or overly whipped up and decorated displays.
Although.......there was one place in Florence that made mojito flavoured "gelato"...I had to try it, it was a lurid green but it was tasty!
Jean- Your description of Gelato is exactly what I learned years ago from Rick Steves. So true- look at the color for the authentic Gelato.“If not, keep walking or better yet RUN and stop for a double scoop elsewhere!” LOL. I recall the best Chocolate Gelato I ever had was at a little restaurant about a 10 min. walk following our Colosseum Tour, heading toward the Jewish Ghetto. Darn if I can remember the name of the place.
Our favorites in each of these cities:
Venice: Suso
Florence: Vivoli
Rome: Old Bridge
Not that we didn't try many others, our research was very thorough. :)
Gotta love a forum that gives suggestions for good gelato! One of the great joys of visiting Italy!
I'm with cala. In May there is absolutely no reason you can't eat gelato at least twice a day.
Gelateria del Teatro in Rome was the last stop on an excellent foodie walking tour.
And the advice others have give you - the prettier (and the more colorful) it looks, the more it should be avoided.
Thanks everyone! This is really helpful and exciting!
To those asking why don't I do more than 1 a day...well....there's an idea haha. I'm a little worried about completely destroying my diet work though.
In Rome, I like Gelateria la Romana (they have a few locations) and, not far from Piazza Navona, La Gelateria Frigidarium. At La Romana, they offer liquid chocolate in the cone and at Frigidarium, they will cover the entire cone in chocolate.
I second (or third?) Old Bridge in Rome!
Don't forget to try the tartufo from Tre Scalini in Rome, Piazza Navona (I'm fairly certain this is the one recommended by Rick - had one and it was lovely.)
Relative to 3 gelatos a day destroying your diet, I usually lose 5 pounds on a trip to Europe because of all the walking I do. Space your gelaterias far apart and you can minimize the damage!
just 3? I mean - there's the after breakfast one, the before lunch one, the lunch dessert, the mid afternoon one, the dinner dessert, the optional it's hot and I need one one, the evening stroll one. Of course many of those are scientific testing, and ensuring that a particular place has a broad (yes broad) variety of sufficiently excellent ones - scientific I say...
I've never gained weight in Italy and I have visited there frequently. Less fat and sugar in gelato than factory made commercial ice cream you know...
Another vote in Venice for Nico on the Zattere.
What to do while I’m waiting a couple of hours for Delta airlines customer service to answer? Map all of these gelato shops! : )
Unfortunately I have become lactose-intolerant since our last visit to Venice. I guess I will have to stick to sorbet. Or maybe the Cocco flavor is made with coconut milk instead of cow milk? That is my usual choice anyway.
Lola, my daughter has over-the-counter pills that she takes if she is going to have something once in awhile with dairy in it. In case that might work for you as an alternative to sorbet all of the time.
In Florence, I enjoyed the Gelateria Santa Trinita, at the south end of the Santa Trinita bridge.
In Florence, La Strega Nocciola Gelateria Artigianale. Just north of the Duomo.
There's at least one Venchi in all those cities, and a few in Rome. One's right next to the Pantheon. 5 stars.
My B&B hosts in Venice said Nico isn't as good any more, since Nico sold it a year or two ago. Venetians I met say Suso is the best.
Suso has good gelato, certainly. Creative too, one flavour is called Manet.
Nico’s location on the Zattere is pretty stunning though.
Paolo Sarpi, Venetian philosopher (he discovered the contraction of the iris amongst other things) said, “I never tell a lie. But the truth, not to everyone”.
When exploring Venice, one might do well to keep that in mind.
We just returned yesterday. We ate gelato EVERY SINGLE DAY. Here is what you look for: avoid big mounds—-gelato should be flat in the containers. Even better, look for the metal “wells” with metal lids on the gelato. Also, look for fewer flavors—this means it is more specialized, and fresher because lots of flavors will not be consumed as quickly as fewer.
Perche no! in Florence was the best gelato I ever had! I still remember it even though I haven't been to Florence since 2004! I know that's a long time ago, so it may not be the best anymore.
Another vote for Gelateria La Carraia in Florence, although I have heard from friends who went last month that Strega Nocciola was also good.
We'll be in Italy this summer and my 5 year old has a bet with my husband that he can try at least 25 different gelato flavors (we'll be there for two months). So in addition to eating a lot of gelato, we'll be searching out all the unique flavors we can find :) It's a tough job, but someone has to do it!
Have a great trip!
Now I want gelato!
Florence- another vote for Vivoli.
Rome- Gelateria del Teatro was excellent. I had a refreshing pineapple mint flavor there. I also though the Giolitti in Testaccio was even better than the Navona location. My other favorite was a place called Punto Gelato, which I believe is now called Gunther Gelato. They had a ricotta di bufalo with balsamic and strawberry flavor that was incredible. They also had a huge selection of chocolate flavors.
Well! I have returned from Italy and wanted to give my report. Thank you to everyone who recommended places, I mapped them all and got to visit several on my trip. Some were good, some were okay, but here is my best of the best, for me at least:
Venice: Suso
Florence: Mancuso
Rome: Come il Latte
Runner up is Old Bridge Gelateria in Rome as well. Come il Latte is the only place I ended up going back to a second time (although ideally I would have liked to visit all the winners over again.)
Hopefully this is helpful info for anyone else going on the Venice Florence Rome tour and wants to get in on the gelato scene!
We've certainly tried a few gelaterias but I bow my head to the experts on here!
Indeed, we had really excellent ice cream at Fatamorgana Trastevere (Rome).
I’m here in Venice, and my only agenda today besides just exploring getting lost for fun & taking photographs is to look for the Rialto direction signs. That’s “secret code” for heading to Suso’s! ; )
I happened to eat a wonderful meal yesterday of tagliatelle with crab and a mixed salad at Ristorante Gianni and realized afterwards that it was almost next door to Nico’s. So if Nico’s gelato isn’t as good anymore, this restaurant gives the same view over the water to enjoy.
Oohhhh, Suso in Venice! Thank you everyone who recommended it! I had their Manet & Tarta de Queso this morning. Wow, they were both divine!! …..and I’m here tomorrow, too. ; )
@Jean- Ooohhhh… Gelato! What a find-Pistachio,
Chocolate & a version of Cheese? Sounds Divine! I am living vicariously. ;) I’ve added Suso to my list! Carry on…
Love Frigidarium in Rome near Piazza Navona.
Jean…YUM!!!!!
In case you’re also headed to Perugia, some of the gelato shops will add the Perugina (their famous chocolate candy) topping to the gelato, similar to a delicious hot fudge melted topping with ground hazelnuts. Another reason to “keep on traveling”!
Without having read the entire thread, I will say, dont go to Nico or Suso in Venice. I make gelato. Ive spent a lot of time studying how to make it and tasting it, and I spit out Nico and threw it away. Suso was slightly better but still average tourist fare. Jean is right, you can tell a lot by how they look (I judge by vanilla, which should not be yellow, but faintly beige with tiny specks of vanilla bean), how they are stored (in silver buckets with lids is ideal), and whether they use a paddle or scoop (should use a paddle)
There is so much good gelato in Italy! I had good luck just searching on google maps for gelato and then choosing the highest rated shop within a reasonable walking distance from where I was. If the places people recommend don't end up working out, you could try this method :)
Gelateria de' Medici in Florence
Alexandra D, we’re in Florence now, and I remembered that I liked a gelato shop on the south side across the river from the Vecchio bridge. We found it. Mancuso is fantastic! Then I looked this up and see that’s the one you liked, also. : )
We also had one during our city bike tour. I will update this with the name of that place, which was also excellent!
Rome- Gelateria del Teatro, via de Coronari
Venice- Nico’s on the Zattere
The location of the gelato shop during the bike tour is Gelateria della Passera. It had a long line tonight. The ricotta with fragole was excellent!
Jean, thanks for the Gelato report. The Ricotta with Strawberry (Fragole) sounds divine! I also recall Mancuso from our previous trip to Florence. Looking forward to more recommendations!
We have PHDs in this area.
Rome: Galatone in Monti. Better than the nearby and much-hyped Fatamorgana.
*For best in Italy though, one must travel to Sicily. The town Noto has the luckiest residents on the planet, coz they have a gelateria that slays its nearby, Bourdain-endorsed competitor.
I am done. The end.
To the person who mentioned Perche' no, it's still wonderful. I was in Florence last October and we went twice in one day. It's my favorite in Florence.
Another vote for Perchè No in Florence.
@gregglamarsh- (PhD) thanks for chiming in! Dang we missed the Gelateria in Noto! We must have eaten our Chocolate calories in Modica- ;) How’s Zebec? Anything new on Fodors?
Janis, last time that I spoke with 'zebec' (zee-bek), he was still incarcerated within the Guy LaFleur Anger Management facility in downtown Shnrelb. Seems he still hasn't been able to overcome the emotional shock of reduced travel due to covid. But some good news. Rumour has it that a) his England TR (London & the Cotswolds) is soon come on Fodors plus here and b) he and Mrs Z just booked a trip to her hometown of Montreal, plus Mt. Tremblant.
They haven't been there in like, 40-plus years.
Mon dieu! Tabernac, chalice et comme ca...
I am done. the scoop
Gregglamarsh- Sounds like Montreal + Mt. Tremblant is just what the Dr. ordered for Zebec & Mrs. Z. À votre santé! Over and Out.
Alexandra, dunno whether Venice's 'Il Doge' gelato is still in biz. If memory serves, its located near that 'vegetable boat' @Campo S. Barnaba and also the small 'Punta' grocery shop. Just checked one of our trip journals. Our notes indicate that the Il Doge house specialty was a candied fruit/peel mélange called 'Crema di Doge.'
That flavour was so good, that when Mrs Z later went to do some shopping elsewhere, I made some excuse and circled back to Il Doge for seconds!
"Yeah look hun'...uh...I w-wanna sketch that vegetable boat thing by the canal...and like um, that...yeah so...ya know, you can just go on yer way while I..."
MrsZ: "But you have no sketching materials."
I was done. the end.
Gelateria Carabe in Florence. I had gelato there on 9/3, 9/4, twice on 9/5 and on 9/6/22. I arrived in Italy on 9/3/22 and I enjoyed gelato #32 (one for every day - plus a couple of extras “just because”) earlier this afternoon in Orta San Giulio.
Took lots of notes! Can’t wait to try some of these! Thanks everyone for the ideas
Gelateria Il Doge is still in operation, and Crema del Doge is still yummy. There are two locations; I think I went to the one in Dorsoduro, but I walked around a lot and am not certain. I see from a recent review that they have almond granita (at least sometimes). I must return and have that.
My teenage sons and I visited Italy in June and the title of my trip blog is: "And then we had gelato." It was a once to twice-a-day treat and a brilliant way to get them to go for long walks (oh, I read about this great gelato place here.) They became fairly serious gelato snobs by the end of our 3 weeks
In Rome, our favorites:
Gelato al Teatro
Fantamorgana
Gunther
