Brunelleschi Hotel Magazine: Florence Travel Blog

If you are looking for the best ice cream in Florence, follow the advice of our Chiavi D’Oro concierge Raffaele Biagiotti. No one better than a hotel concierge can give advice on the best addresses in town for any type of research or any type of experience. It seems that ice cream was born in Florence, by Bernardo Buontalenti, architect, engineer, sculptor and set designer. On the occasion of an institutional visit, he was commissioned by the Medici to organize a splendid reception. Thus, it was born a dessert made with milk, egg yolk, honey, wine and a machine was used to cool it.

We suggest you different addresses where to eat an ice cream in Florence made in an artisanal way by real professionals in the sector, always choosing between cone or cup.

Perchè no?

It is a small artisan ice cream parlor located in via dei Tavolini, 19/r (in a side street of Via de’ Calzaiuoli, a few steps away from Palazzo Vecchio) and which has been making artisan ice creams with natural ingredients since 1939. Among the flavours proposed there are some really original ones such as ginger, green tea or persimmon sorbet. Every day you will find the “special taste of the day” and you will never be disappointed. It is known for its fruit flavours with only season fruit: try mango or white mint.

A surplus are the waffles for celiacs.

Edoardo

It is located in a very small place in Piazza del Duomo 45/R and offers an organic ice cream. In fact, the ice cream parlours has obtained organic certification from the QCertifications Institute. The entire supply chain of their products is registered and controlled, in order to always guarantee customers the quality of the organic.

It prefers the use of original ingredients with organic and vegan flavours and offers also ice creams for celiacs.

For the sorbets, they use only fresh and seasonal fruit and even the peel of the fruit becomes an ingredient in their ice cream, which brings fibre and excellent flavour.

To try: the Gianduia Secondo Edoardo® made with hazelnuts and very tasty and creamy chocolate or pistachio with salt from Trapani or the Zabaione di Nonna Antonietta® with fresh eggs, milk, sugar and passito white wine.

Vivoli

Via Isole delle Stinche 7/r

Ice cream parlours that since 1929 offers artisan ice creams exclusively in cups with simple and genuine flavours to be savoured in an elegant retro decor. In addition to the historic shop in Florence, since 2013 Vivoli® has opened two ice cream parlours in the United States in New York and Orlando. It is the oldest ice cream shop in Florence. Born as a dairy, it started producing ice creams in 1932. In addition to ice creams, it offers pastry desserts, semifreddi and the affogato known as “La gran crema al caffè” which contains the contrast between sweet and bitter and hot and the cold.

Gelateria Dei Neri

In Via dei Neri 9/11R (near the Basilica of Santa Croce). It offers an ice cream with fresh and creamy classic flavours. For chocolate lovers, try the “Moretto di via de Neri” flavour, or the ricotta and fig or caramel flavour from via de Neri. It also offers milk-free sorbets and granitas.

Grom, the ice cream as it once was

Via del Campanile, 2

Ice creams, milkshakes and granitas prepared in the old way also with homegrown ingredients. Grom is an innovative chain of ice cream parlours with elegant and modern premises. Few flavours of ice creams are available but all made with high quality fresh milk, eggs from free-range hens, white cane sugar and the best ingredients from Italy and the world. There are also sorbets made with spring water, white cane sugar and fruit harvested when fully ripe. Carob flour alone as a noble thickener requires a slightly longer process by their conists, but their ice creams deserve the wait.

They carefully dose the cream so that the ice cream is low in fat and add a little sugar so that the taste is not cloying.