coffee, gelato

For gelato in Florence, I was able to try some from Gelato Carabe, Festival and Vivoli during my trip a couple weeks ago. Loved the pear from Carabe (pair it with a chocolate), pineapple from Festival and was very pleasantly surprised at the rice flavor from Vivoli.

Grom, near the duomo, is great. They make their gelato "come una volta," the way it was once made. I like the nut flavors and also the berry flavors. Gelateria dei Neri (now owned by Vivoli) is also good and a bit less expensive. It's difficult not to get a good coffee in Florence. The bar near the front entrance to the central market is good and it's inexpensive.

My favorite is Vivoli, but the ones recommended by RS were very good. The one was off of Via Calzolaio near the Duomo.

On the corner of Via Nazionale and Via Faenza there is both a gelatoria and a cafe, which are both good.

It is difficult to find bad gelato or espresso.

Buon viaggio,

RB

GROM is the new gold standard - just got back and never found anything quite like it. Many good ones - just learn to identify the better ones if you dont have Grom (Mine was in Pauda but they are many locations - even NY now!).
1. Look for Artisinal (Artiginale sp?)
2. Less-air is better so no fluffy ones.
3. Colder is better - dont buy from huge mounded piled up vendors - too exposed to air and gets melty. stick to those with trays underfilled and colder.

These are what the locals told us.

I second the opinion about GROM in Florence. It is the authentic kind and delicious! I don't think you'd be sorry for making a stop there once or more times if you are so inclined. A good sandwich shop, popular with the kids studying abroad in Florence is the Oil Shoppe. Small place, but fun to go in and the sandwiches are delicious. Enjoy the city, food, wine and gelato!!!!

We were in Florence last summer for 5 days and frequented GROM. It was open very late and don't let the long line out the door scare you away. It goes very quickly and is worth the wait!

I have found that the more "colorful" gelato is of lesser quality and geared to attract the tourist crowd. I have also found that anywhere you see LOCAL people lined up is where you will find the best food, gelato, baked goods, coffee, etc... If you see a line forming, get into it. I did that in Bologna, not knowing exactly what I was waiting in line for, and was pleasantly surprised with some great gelato (I believe it was GROM).

Honestly, I was unimpressed by Vivoli. Good, yes. Mind-blowing? That wasn't my experience, so I didn't go back, especially after I discovered Perche No, which is very close to the Orsanmichelle church, and I just found it to be a lot better. I especially love the "mousse" varieties because it's so unique. I also had stunningly delicious gelato at the Gelateria Carraia (I think that is the name, if not, it is close) which is on the Oltrarno side of the Ponte alla Carraia, but that's a bit out of the way so I never got the chance to go back.

As for coffee, I've had it in bars all over Florence and they were all pretty much equally delicious (I am a cappuccino at breakfast type of girl so I can't help if you're seeking straight espresso). I always went into random little places off the beaten track, though.

Grom is good, but it's a chain throughout Italy (and beyond), so when I'm in Florence I try to go to the amazing independent places and save Grom for cities where the other gelato isn't quite as good.

I buy gelato at conveniently located shops that are busy and have lots of flavors. I like the fruit flavors, but have tried many others and find them all good. The only gelato I don't like is gelato with ice crystals--probably meaning it's been around for a while or it hasn't been held at the right temp. I will not walk for ten or twenty minutes to go to the "best" gelato shop.

Coffee/cappuccino in Italy is a pretty standard product. I haven't seen a difference from one shop to the next. At B&Bs, quality may vary and sometimes it is served luke-warm. For breakfast, I like to go into a bakery or bar in Italy and buy a cappuccino with a "brioche."

Hi Patti,

I second the recommendation for Grom (near the duomo). It was the BEST Gelato we had in Italy. The directions to find it are in the RS Italy book. Definitely seek this place out. We went there all 3 nights we stayed in Florence. It was funny because they remembered us and even remembered what my husband ordered each time.

Have a great trip and enjoy!