I’m a man of consistency, and therefore once I find somewhere I really like, I’m bound to return. I stray away from the not-so-great chain Very Goo (there may or may not be a “d” on the end, but it’s been spray-painted over on every sign I’ve seen), and I only went to Grom once, and it was so-so, plus they have it in New York. Nonetheless, I have managed to find some great spots. In fact, two of my most recent finds have been so completely reliable and excellent that I’ve been back to each sometimes two or three days in a row in the past few weeks. There are tons of great gelato places in Florence, but here are the five that I’ve returned to deliberately on multiple occasions, in descending order.
Gelateria dei Neri
Roommate and peer advisor Dan Cavagnaro actually took me and my other roommate, David Zandi, to this place after our trip to one of my favorite restaurants in Florence (you’ll find out about that in a couple of days). It’s a really nice-looking place, and I like the very friendly manner in which the employees greet and serve customers. The tiramisu gelato there looks incredible, and the chocolate flavors, especially the chocolate mousse, are very tasty. They even put a little waffle crisp in the cup. This was one of my first gelato experiences in Florence, and I’ve since found some places with a more diverse collection of flavors, but I’ll still remember this one as my introduction to gelato in Italy, and a place that I got lost trying to find and coming back from at least four times.
Vivoli
This is listed in guidebooks as the best gelateria in Florence, if not Italy. It’s actually located about ten blocks down the street from me, and the first time I went was actually a Borgo Pinti (my residence) official event. The sole attendees were me and Zandi, and so we accompanied Dan, residence hall manager Daniele, and housing administrator Antonello for our free trip to gelato. Since there were so few of us, they allowed me to get a super-sized 5 euro cup with several flavors, including cinnamon (which I don’t think they have anymore) and banana. It wasn’t quite the splendid insane goodness it was made out to be, but it was still a cool experience. If ever you’re going – make sure you go early, since it’s been closed nine out of ten times I’ve tried to go.
Le Parigine
This gelataria, located on Via dei Servi, is an interesting case for several reasons. First off, it’s the only one I’ve been to where you actually can’t see the gelato because it’s contained under the surface of the table. It’s also currently the only gelato place in Florence that reliably has cinnamon gelato, and it’s really good. The big attraction, which I tried but didn’t quite get the full experience of, is some sort of hot chocolate with gelato mixed in. I tried ordering it once, but I think they misunderstood and just gave me hot chocolate minus the ice cream. Regardless, the excitement of the cinnamon is pretty much worth the trip, and it’s located only seconds away from the Duomo, therefore easily accessible wherever you’re headed.
Festival del Gelato
There’s no place I’ve been to quite as “decked out” as Festival del Gelato, located right next to Piazza della Reppublica.. As you can see from the above photo, its sign is quite colorful and the lights inside are pretty bright. It’s always really crowded, and I actually have one friend who left once without getting anything because no one catered to her because the place was so abuzz with customers. I’ve always had positive experiences there, and another friend has successfully tried several flavors, a practice prohibited at many gelaterias. The flavors this place has, however, are the real delight. Green apple, rose, peach, kiwi, and my favorite macedonia are the real highlights. If ever you go there, sample something, and then get one flavor you know you’ll like and another you just want to try. It’s well worth it.
Corona’s Café
The name makes it sound sort of shady or sleazy, but it’s absolutely not. It’s an open area that looks right out towards Piazza della Reppublica, and it’s actually just around the corner from Festival del Gelato. Those with more sensitive wallets fear because the cheapest size costs a hefty €2,80 but it’s an enormous amount of gelato for your money. I’ve been there literally three or four out of the past five days, because it’s just so delicious. Try the blueberry if you want, because it looks delicious, but I’d recommend instead the mousse di yogurt con arancia e pesca (yogurt mousse with orange and peach). Strange, I know, but interesting and tasty. I’ve fallen for the dark chocolate-banana combo, and ordered that every time I’ve been there this week. This is the place to have banana gelato.
In the spirit of food, I’ll probably have to look at my favorite restaurants in Italy next!
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