Gelato!
 

We discuss this subject here constantly, I know. But we need a thread titled *Gelato*, the definitive listing. (The one on the US thread is about San Diego!)

I am traveling in October with a first-time Italy visitor. I think gelato is his top reason to make the trip. We need a great list. He will visit only Florence and Rome, but let's make this a comprehensive discussion of ALL gelato in Italy. Please list all the usual suspects, but also your less-well-known favorites.
So. . .

Where did you find the best gelato in Italy?

This is from one of my trip reports posted on the Slow Travel website:

San Crispino Via della Panetteria 42. Near the Trevi Fountain, (there is also a location on Via Acaia, outside the walls). Closed Tuesday. Some, including my husband, think this is the finest gelateria in Rome. Yes, it is wonderful, with intense flavors. No cones, only cups. Try the special San Crispino flavor which is full of fruits, nuts and Marsala wine.

Giolitti Via Uffici dei Vicario 40. Near the Pantheon. Excellent gelato but the place is always crowded, especially at night. Nice ice-cream parlor you can sit at and savor your gelato but be prepared to pay double. I like the rich and creamy gianduja flavor.

Fragola e Limone Via Via Giustiniari between the Pantheon and Piazza Navona. The specialties (see name) are outstanding and go well together. Friendly place with generous portions.

Ciampini Viale Trinita dei Monti, at the top of the Spanish Steps (also in the Piazza of San Lorenzo in Lucina off the Corso). Charming place almost hidden in a vine-covered (blooming wisteria!)patio/ garden. Lovely view, especially at sunset. Specializes in elaborate fountain type creations. Also serves food and snacks. Rich and creamy chocolate gelato.

Old Bridge Via Bastioni di Michelangelo 5. Very close to the entrance to the Vatican Museums. Huge portions. Very creamy gelato but I found the pistachio not very intensely flavored. My husband ordered Nutella gelato and it was like eating a cold and melting Milky Way.

Tre Scalini Piazza Navona. The old location on the corner is undergoing renovation and so Tre Scalini is now in the restaurant next door. No more take out. After a long day of sightseeing, it was nice to sit outside at one of the tables and enjoy the famous ?tartufo?-rich dark chocolate gelato covering a cherry and covered with whipped cream.

Gelateria en Piazza Piazza San Cosimato. Trastevere. Huge selection of gelato, but it is famous for its chocolate throughout Rome. It is exceptional and the strawberry (fragola) is heavenly too.

Da Quinto Via Tore Millina. Steps from the Piazza Navona. Hole in the wall gelateria with crowds non-stop. Extensive selection of flavors but the fruit flavors are outstanding. Immense portions. Annamaria loved the ?After Eight? chocolate/mint flavor.

Alberto Pica Via della Seggiola 12. Between the Ghetto and Campo dei Fiori. Closed Sunday. Signor Albeto Pica is a fixture of the Italian gelato industry and his many awards and citations are proudly displayed on the walls of the gelateria. Unusual flavors like rice.

Cremeria Monteforte Via della Rotonda 22. Closed Monday. Across the street from the Pantheon, this is my new favorite gelateria. Tiny and take out only, the owners are very friendly and the pistachio gelato is creamy, intensely flavored and delicious. Since it is just steps from our hotel, we came here often and no flavor was bad.

Blue Ice. A chain with many outlets, one near the Trevi Fountain. Surprisingly good gelato although it is usually very busy and service suffers.

Fiocco di Neve. Via Del Pantheon 51. Try their specialty, Zabaione Semifreddo which is a scoop of zabaione gelato dumped into a cup of espresso. Delicious.

Gelateria GeGe. Next to the Del Senato Hotel on the Piazza Rotunda. Good selection of unusual flavors.

Here's a beginning. . .

ROME

Giolitti
Via Uffici del Vicario, 4
Too many flavors to choose from, for cones and cups to go, or sit in a real ice cream parlor room in back for mountainous sundaes.

Il Gelato di San Crispino
Via della Panetteria, 42
Interesting, refined flavors, perhaps the best.

FLORENCE
Vivoli
Via dell' Isola delle Stinche, 7R
Lots of great flavors and you can strol in front of S. Croce while you eat.

VENICE
Nico
Zattere al Gesuati
I get the gianduiotto con panna every time.

Grinisa, You beat me to it. What a great list! More please!

Lipari: Gelateria Subba. Try the "Eolie" flavor which is a combination of cherry and nuts or the "Lipari" a rich and full flavored pistachio.

Venice: Paolin
Florence: Perche No

Vivoli in Florence is the best! Justine

Surprised no one has mentioned Della Palme at Via della Maddalena 20, very near the Pantheon. Their marron glace was wonderful.

Maybe I am a gelato philistine, but there was not a single gelato we had anywhere in Italy that was less than superb!! So I would say that while some may be celestial, any and all are an experience to remember and that you cannot go wrong no matter where you get it.

Socialworker
I agree I had gelato evry day during our 21 day trip throughout Italy and found that some were better than others but they all were good. No such thing as bad gelato in Italy. We tried to have a different flavor each day.
Does anyone know of a gelato shop in York or Edinburgh? We depart for York on Wednesday and hope to find a shop in somewhere in England/Scotland.

We just got back from Italy, and I'll have to say that in Rome, San Crispino is the ultimate! (Try the zabaione-- kind of like eggnog, or the licorice)

Grinisa, Tre Scalini is open for carry-out business as usual now.

I love Zabaglione..delicious.

Grinisia, I must say that I am Impressed with your knowledge of the Roman Gelateria..

Hi all,

Best we found in Italy was at a tiny little shop in Bologna:

Gelateria Moline, Via delle Moline 13

In Paris, look for Amorino. As good as any in Italy.

Another vote for San Crispino in Rome - IMO the finest gelateria in *the world* ! My favourite is also the Zabaglione. I was very impressed with my husband's 'malt whisky' flavour - not only could you tell it really was malt whisky - you could tell it was an Islay !!

In Edinburgh there is Luca's in Morningside & Musselburgh but I wouldn't make a special trip. (They are called ice cream parlours here.) Centotre caffe-bar in George Street does quite nice ice cream sundaes. There are a few Scottish companies making quite nice ice cream which you can buy in grocery shops - Mackies springs to mind - but none of it has anything on Roman ice cream.

We just got back from Rome a week ago and our favorties were Della Palma and Giolitti. So many flavors! Giolitti was the only place that I found rice gelato while we were there. We also liked Blue Ice and Old Bridge (Very good portions-I got the medium both times we went there and couldn't eat it all either time)

We went to San Crispino once because I wanted to try the honey. It was very good, but almost something that you can't eat too much of.

The tartufo at Tre Scalini was excellent. My husband was skeptical because he tried the tartufo at Della Palma a couple of times before we went there and didn't think that it could be any better at Tre Scalini, but it was. I guess you just can't beat the original.

I can speak to the tartufo at Tre Scalini, heavenly.

In Florence, I was a frequent flier at Perche No, Gelateria dei Neri, Festa del Gelato and Vivoli. For fruity flavors, I liked Vivoli best. For sheer selection and ooey gooey flavors, Festa del Gelato won hands down.

I'm a firm believer that you haven't lived until you've had mascarpone gelato. Or white chocolate with cherry gelato. Or creme caramel. or.... ;)

In Rome; Look for the small shop located in the square in front of the Pantheon.

Excuse me for differing ...but I don't believe in a gelato list.

My philosopy is.....

If I see a gelato shop that looks good....I buy some. If later in the day I see another shop that looks good, I buy gelato there. If at night I see another gelato shop that looks good...well you get the idea.

Before you ask...we only had "smalls" at each shop.

I second Dick's philosophy!

I like the Cremeria Monteforte because one can buy a sample size cone for 50cents and try new flavors .
we tried the rose flavor and rice flavor there
Actually , had anyone ever had BAD gelato?!

>I second Dick's philosophy!<

That might be true for the casual visitor, but the true afficianado will spend many hours and much money searching out "the" gelateria -- and be disappointed.

Calvin Trilling has a series of lovely stories about how he would introduce his wife as "la Principessa" at restaurants.

She would the order the vanilla gelato and rate it.

Eventually, La Principessa became the world's authority on gelato.

Restaurants would offer him money to bring her to declare their gelato first rate.