Where to find the best gelato in Florence

(original post in 2015, updated annually with additions. Last update July 2026)

Where oh where does one find the best gelato in Florence? Anywhere, right? It’s Italy! It’s Florence- the birthplace of gelato! You can’t go wrong! No- WRONG!

Finding quality gelato in Florence is more difficult than you think. Italy has a plethora of quality raw ingredients- yet establishments in touristic cities like Florence continue to favor business/profit margins over preserving gelato’s integrity.

Finding a worthy cone in the historical center is tough but not impossible. Florence has a particular fondness of gelato because it is said to be its the birthplace.

On my gelato tours in Florence, or gelato making classes not only do we taste some of the city’s best scoops- we chat about the key figures of gelato’s beginnings: Cosimo Ruggieri, Bernardo Buontalenti and Francesco Procopio (Francesco was actually from Sicily and this is where the gelato origin wars start to ensue).

As one of my guests once said  “basically we’ve learned that Florence invented everything.” Exactly. I mean, how can you not boast a city that gave the world the (standard) Italian language, gelato and the negroni? Partly because Florence is literally flooded with more tourists than the floods of 1966, there are some disgraceful gelato cases full of scary mystery mounds perched on the cobblestone streets. Fear no more! The curious appetite, food blogging gelatoholic, is here to help! Read up on my tips for spotting genuine gelato below and also here on Eat Sip Trip (USA Today).

NB: Some have suggested to put posts like these behind a paywall. I believe sharing is caring and would rather ask people to ideally support my work than install a paywall or ads (which slow down loading/user experience). I’d like the think the best gelato in Florence would be enjoyed by the best people who show appreciation.

In return for this labor of love, the best way to contribute while also tasting the best gelato in Florence is by booking a food tour. Our Artisan Gelato Stroll in Florence is perfect for families for the most memorable family vacation activity when in Florence. When my sister and nephews came to visit, I happily took them on this tour and we still recall it fondly!

becoming a paid subscriber to my Substack newsletter, or offering me a gelato in my tip jar. 

What do I determine as unworthy gelato? Simply, a gelato that is made using pre-made mixes which arrive to a chain’s shop pre-made (ahem, Grom), with a long list of ingredients, poor balance of sugar/raw ingredient/ratio, tourist mound tragic traps, “why are you in my shop you’re lucky I’m here” service and anything artificial.

While this may sound a bit guru-esque, I do want to preface my strong opinions sincerely come from a good place (and backed by expertise). I have spent time on gelato judging juries for Europe’s best gelato and the world’s best gelato!

But ultimately I care that people eat well, and from makers who are dedicated to upholding tradition and quality with pride. The world of blogging and my sort of work is a conundrum. Humility is important, perfection is impossible but tooting your own horn is a necessary evil. How else will anyone hear you?

Once you read up, a top(ish) list ensues on where I think you should be stuffing your face with gelato in Florence every damn hot day. Or warm day. Oh, hell- any day. 

Quick tips for spotting quality and trashy gelato in Italy (especially Florence)

1.  NO: Big neon-colored mounds. Please avoid the big mounds!
2. Crusty cannoli sitting in the same window as sad ice crystal gelato tragedies 
3. NO: Bright colors. There are not bright colors where bright colors do not exist in nature.
4. YES: stainless steel tins with covers cradling them, keeping them cool. Also, open-faced tin pans with flat ribboned gelato suites just as well, too. If it is a mountain, it’s not the one you want to climb.
5. Usually, a wholly artisanal quality-driven gelato is typically not found in a major historical site square, along the Arno river/along the bridges– as they usually serve industrial gelato of mediocre quality and questionable raw ingredients. Let’s say they don’t have total trash ingredients, but all you taste is sugar. Read the ingredient lists- it may taste good but is it truly artisanal? On artisanal, that word gets thrown around a lot. In gelato’s case- it simply means made in small batches (on-site) with high quality ingredients using intentional skill. It does not mean someone churning a hand-cranked wooden tub from hand-milked cows, using only organic ingredients (which is at times arbitrary marketing- it’s gelato, not salad!)
6. Edible gelato is not at a “self-service” cafeteria. Italy isn’t a convenient one stop shop like in the US. Therefore a decent gelateria will unlikely ever sell gelato and pizza, or any other food for that matter, side by side. The exception being Ara’ the Sicilian street food joint near the Accademia who sells mega tasty arancine saffrony rice & ragu spheres.
7. Look for “Produzione Propria/ Gelato Artigianale.” In theory, this should mean gelato made in-house, in the from-scratch fashion. But this tagline does not always guarantee utmost quality, by the way. They could still be using pre-made mixes for their “house-made” gelato…it’s still technically made in house.
8. If everything is in English and not a lick of Italian, usually not a good sign.

Scrupulous discernment shouldn’t be conflated with promoting food snobbery perfectionism. I do I believe food should be made intentionally well doing the best they can while making an honest living.

We have to give people a break and stop expecting them to deliver perfection. Once you try to make gelato for yourself (like with one of these gelato making cooking classes) you’ll see why you need dextrose, for example!

Moving on…. a good q to ask: how much sugar are they using as filler? Or even butter in lieu of panna? I’m sure many are extremely content with a gelato shop whose location is along the river, for *that* instagram shot gelato with the Ponte Vecchio as your background. But are we eating for the ‘gram or because we give a damn?

I eat gelato almost everyday. Whenever people ask me those “what would you eat for the rest of your life if it could only be 3 things” kinda trivia, the answer is always gelato.

If you think about it, that means 150 gelato a year. I do this for my readers, you know. I sacrifice my insulin sensitivity and insulin pancreas machine…for you. So you know where the best gelato in Florence is at. And for the people on my gelato food tours in Florence 😉

Don’t see one of your favorites listed? Instead of spiraling into a stage 4 fit of rage, let me know which one you think I missed in the comments section.

My picks are based on the holy trinity of: service, quality and convenient location. If they have mind-blowing gelato but give bad service- no. Quality- obvious. Location: there are great gelaterie outside the Florence city walls (like Badiani), but if you are visiting or live in the center, trekking there (and in the heat) may not be fun. This is not to say a bike ride is not merited to reach such sweet bliss! In any case- enjoy!

Enjoying this post? Support my work by booking one of my food tours in Florence.

Perche’ No- Mind you this list isn’t ordered by best, but Perche’ No is probably the #1 best gelateria in the smack dab of the historical center.

They’ve been opened since 1939 so they must be doing something right! I’m constantly amazed by the quality, creativity and the genial service offered from this tiny gelato hole in the wall, now plowed by tourists hours on end daily.

Even if you have to wade through the tourists, it’s worth it if you can get your hands on their Tuscan rose, Sicilian Pistachio, Sesame & Honey and their watermelon granita in the summer. Address: Via dei Tavolini, 19R

La Sorbettiera- I’ve avoided listing this spot, mainly because it’s a bit “fuori mano” out of the way in Piazza Tasso. But we should be hanging out more in Tasso- it’s full of edible gems like La Sorbettiera.

Very much worth the trek, a family passed down enterprise which started in 1934 in Verona and with a shop by Antonio’s brother also in Germany (Koblenz). Here you have the classic flavors made with fresh local milk and top shelf ingredients like single-origin Peruvian cacao.

The fruit flavors change with the season (i.e. figs in the summer, pears in the fall) with gourmet options like greek yogurt with pistachio and local acacia honey and off-beat curveballs like turmeric and almond. It’s a little hole in the wall and a few benches on the sidewalk, and locals-revered. Gelato chef owner Antonio has grown his gelato brand to multiple locations, but I prefer the original. 

Address: Piazza Torquato Tasso, 11 (now with multiple locations!)

VANNUCCI- Destination-worthy in Piazza Oberdan: Gelato, Gabriele Vannucci is top notch. I am currently obsessed with this place and its worth clawing my way through the tramvia construction to get to. It’s like the chef took a look at pantry ingredients and decided to prove they could make distinct gelato creations like vanilla bean, coffee and pepper or strawberry mascarpone and then tests the waters by going in the opposite direction by taking niche ingredients like kumquat and matcha rolled up together.

The fruit flavors are immense, and it seems chef is selective with quality and careful about peak ripeness as to avoid excessive sugar. The mulberry (gelso) sorbet stole my heart and I’ll never be the same. They also put the good brand of gianduja (chocolate hazelnut sauce) in the bottom of crunchy waffle cones on request. I suggest you do. Address: Via Antonio Scialoja, 27r, 50136 Firenze FI, Italy

Sbrino Gelatificio Contadino- Opened since 2018 but every single time I’ve been, the service sweet, flavors are consistently tasty and I dig their whole ethos. They source their milk from an organic dairy farm in Tuscany’s Volterra, which happens to belong to the mother of one of the owners. So farm-to-gelato! They have also grown to several locations, but I appreciate their dedication to intentionally sourced niche & heritage ingredients.

I recommend their pistachio cremino which is mostly their fior di latte (like sweet dairy cream) and a drizzle of naturally made pistachio “nutella”, I also recommend their fruit flavors and sorbets, like their cacao intense Modica dark chocolate and citrusy Bergamot.

All of the nuts and raw ingredients (like almonds, pistachios, sea salt and hazelnuts) come from heritage varieties of lesser sung gastronomic hotspots of Italy like Trapani (salt), Hazelnuts (usually touted from Piedmont) from Nebrodi (usually known from sheep’s milk) and Pistachios from Stigliano (Tuscany- not Bronte;) Address: Via dei Serragli, 32r (now with multiple locations, like in this video!)

 

A post shared by Coral Sisk, Curious Appetite (@curiousappetite) on May 17, 2017 at 12:46am PDT

Cantina del Gelato- There are a couple locations (Borgo La Croce in Sant’Ambrogio but also on Via De’ Bardi near Ponte Vecchio) and what I like about them is that they play with international flavors like passion fruit, turmeric & fig, black rice, acai berry, mango and avocado. I prefer the Borgo La Croce location. 

Gelateria De’ Neri- Since 1989 this gelateria has been satisfying sweet tooths of locals and travelers world over. I like Gelateria De’ Neri for several reasons: They are consistent. They offer interesting flavors. They are open late. And the staff never looses their cool amidst the mound of crowds lining up to stuff their face with their goods. My picks are matcha green tea, salted caramel as well as rose gelato and grezzo di modica (Sicilian chocolate which is a cold processed, gritty chocolate with centuries of history.)

I’m pretty sure Gelateria dei Neri uses some artificial flavors and I question the quality of their raw materials, but they have a decent ratio of other acceptable flavors. Plus, dei Neri is the only place in town that does matcha and (delicious) salted caramel, and pistachio ricotta cremino (essentially pistachio nutella) so I will give them a pass for the sake of the taste-favoring glutton in all of us who could care less about “all-natural/organic.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Coral Sisk (@curiousappetite) on Oct 29, 2017 at 3:39pm PDT

My Sugar- This gelateria is located (on Via Ginori 49R) in the San Lorenzo district.

Led by younger foodpreneurs, this shop prides themselves in seasonal flavors, sourcing fruit from the nearby historical San Lorenzo Market and even has mastery certification from a local gelato maker’s guild if I am not mistaken. They also showcase high quality specialty ingredients like matcha, black sesame, rose and salted caramel. Possibly my favorite for pistachio. 

Vivoli- Nearly 100 years of gelato making is not an easy feat, Vivoli is legendary (since 1930!) and I’m certain you all have heard of them. There is currently 4 generations churning out this love in gelato form. 

Vivoli is busy and popular, but I couldn’t make a gelato list and leave out one of the most notable purveyors and crucial figures in Florence’s gelato history. Here you may not find fringe inventions, but you’ll find classic, old fashioned gelato made from hand-cracked eggs and seasonal fruit, my favorite is their persimmon when around. It tastes like pie.

Sidebar rant on the affogato craze: I think there is nothing special about this affogato to merit so much viral attention. In fact, it’s irritating at this point. Any gelato shop with an espresso machine can make an affogato and it blows my mind how Florence has been distilled into a short must-do bucket list involving literally vanilla ice cream.

What’s more interesting is their century-old gelato recipes that the social media sheep completely gloss over. If I see you waiting in line for this affogato, I may baaaaah baaaaaah at you to get out of my way! 😉 These lines are an eye sore and a traffic jam nuisance for us locals and I wish people would start thinking for themselves again. Apparently Britney Spears went so now the lines are going to get more insane. However I do love Britney, she’s the only person I won’t judge for lining up to try it and making it go even more viral. Otherwise…

Il Procopio- Most Florentine gelato is primarily milk-based with little cream. I fancy Procopio because they are quite good at churning their gelati with creamy texture and they certainly do not lack creativity. As a result, their creations are chock full of flavor and slightly creamier than most classic Florentine gelato parlors. 

A great example being their award-winning toasted almond, fig, orange peel and pistachio paste “La Follia” (translation: madness). Apart from their dairy-based gelati, they have a serious milk-free sorbetti game.

Memorable examples include thick dark chocolate and hazelnut sorbet, seasonal fruit & nut granite (coffee & almond are divine), a splendid selection of fruit sorbetti (like the cherry, forest berries, melon) which are too good to seem milk-free.

Family-run and full of passion by the mom & pop ownership. Their pistachio is fabulous and ties with Perche’ No’s pistachio. Address: Via Pietrapiana, 60/R

Gelateria de’ Medici- This classic Florentine gelato institution, has been around for years and they have a myriad of classic gourmet combinations in a 80’s style chandelier grand salon style setting. They are popular for their fig and ricotta, and chocolate rum flavors. Everything is made truly from scratch and 100% whole natural raw ingredients.

They follow the same secret family recipes the gelateria opened with. The good news is if you can’t make it over to the Statuto zone where the original location lies, you can stuff your face in Piazza Beccaria which is close to Sant’Ambrogio/Santa Croce area. My go-to is their mint chip to remind me of my childhood scoops or their pistachio cremino for decadence sake. 

Locations: Via dello Statuto 3/5r (near the Horticulture Garden- worth a visit!) Tel (+39) 055 475156 Piazza Beccaria 7r Tel (+39) 055 3860008

Ara’- For Sicilian-style gelati and street-food snacks, Ara’ is a must-taste (like my gelato crawl🙂 I simply adore their sheep milk ricotta, pistachio (in case you haven’t noticed- this is both my benchmark and favorite flavor) and Modica (cold-processed) chocolate.

They have done fragoline (little strawberries) and it blew my mind, as I’m normally not a huge fan of fragoline. If you’re interested in a carb-load, start with their cannoli and dessert with a big scoop of pistachio and fragoline. Address: Via degli Alfani, 127 (near Accademia)

Carabe’- Another Sicilian gelato shop with lots of fresh granite (love the almond and Sicilian spirit/citrus blend) and lots of milk-based and fruit-based sorbets. Their Bronte Pistachio is granular and naturally humble in distinctness, punctuated sheep ricotta and chocolate a winner, and the fruit sorbets potent, like their passionfruit, citrus, nespole and fig. I suggest a base of their almond granite, a dollop of Bronte Pistachio gelato and a scoop of fig sorbet- yum. Address: Via Ricasoli, 60/R (near Accademia)

Vestri- NB!!! Vestri closes in the summer to protect the delicate chocolates. This is a chocolate shop that sources its cacao directly (and fairly) from farms they have long-standing relationships with in the Dominican Republic- and their chocolate gelati are what chocoholic dreams are made of. They also make their own hazelnut and pistachio spreads they fold into their gelato. Hot tip: try the cioccolato freddo (which is essentially a cacao slushy. Trust me.) Address: Borgo degli Albizi, 11R (Piazza Salvemini)

Gelateria della Passera- If you manage to get here without a massive line, you are one lucky SOB. The flavors here are delicate, fresh and utilizing super fresh milk, spices, dried peels, herbs, nuts and seasonal fruits. Hot tip: Get an affogato from the cafe/bar at the corner and the gelato will be from this gem of a gelateria.

I will note I have mixed feelings. The quality is superb but the prices keep going up, the service always in decline (last few times I went the staff were bickering with each other slowing down the line) and the size of gelato is laughable, nearly insulting. I would go as far to say I don’t recommend them anymore, but I do have a soft spot for the owner and know she’s a victim of her own success while trying to uphold her founding approach towards gelato. 

For comparison- this was my 3eu scoop of gelato in 2026

Address: Piazza della Passera (Oltrarno)

Honorable mentions/additions:

Antica Gelateria Fiorentina in the San Lorenzo district where they have Persian-style gelato with saffron, rose water and pistachios.

Urzi in Via Gioberti is a specialty chocolate shop and they also make gelato including strong chocolate flavors for serious chocolate lovers.

I enjoy Rivareno as well when in a bind (especially their pistachio sorbetto or Fabbri amarene soaked in syrup and doused over fior di latte) but bear in mind it’s a chain from Bologna and now has a shop in NYC.

For gelaterie in the outskirts:

Donamalina in Le Cure is memorable, emphasis on specialty chocolate 

I’ve seen Gelateria Caminia pop up on my radar in Viale Giannotti but haven’t had a chance. 

Open to more notable gelaterie in the “pereferie” quarters outside the city center- please DM your suggestions! 

Cortese Cafè is fabulous for raw/vegan gelato that is quite convincing (essentially doing hazelnut sorbets so you taste the base ingredient quite brilliantly!) and Badiani but the OG location in the Campo de’ Marte district

There you have it! If there is a listing not present, it’s either because they have declined in quality, I simply forgot (lol) or may not have had a chance to get a sugar fix there! Send me a message if you got a hot (or cool;) gelato tip!

I hope this will be of good use to you in your travels in Florence.

Hungry yet to try them all (or 5) on a gelato tour in Florence? Curious? Book here! 

In your gelatoholism, The Curious Appetite

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