The Best Ice Cream Parlours in Italy

Cup or cone

An order in an Italian gelateria starts with the size of the cup or cone, and the size sets the number of flavours. The smallest cup usually holds two, as at Buongusto Gelateria in Pienza and Gelateria Verona, and Cremeria Santo Stefano in Bologna asks for at least two. A spoonful of whipped cream, panna, goes on top at Mokambo in Ruvo di Puglia and Ribera in Brescia. Busy counters hand out numbers: customers take a ticket at L'isola del Gusto Gelateria in Volterra and Casa del Gelato in Albenga.

Covered tubs

Some shops keep their gelato out of sight in pozzetti, lidded metal wells in the counter that hold the temperature steady. Casa del Gelato stores it this way and Gelateria Da Brivido in Olbia uses sealed metal containers. Other shops put the work on show. Gelateria Villi in Olbia has machines in the counter that churn all day, and Gelateria Toldo in Lecco scoops straight from the machine.

Granita and brioche

In Sicily gelato is often eaten inside a brioche bun, and granita, a spoonable ice of water, sugar and fruit or almond, is sold beside it. Gelateria Liparoti in Erice serves both, and Dolce Capo in Palermo adds cannoli. In Calabria the local form is the tartufo, a ball of gelato with a soft centre, which Donna Maria Gelateria Artigianale in Tropea makes to order.

Regional flavours

Pistachio is on nearly every board. The other flavours change with the region. Gelateria Villi makes a flavour with mirto, the Sardinian myrtle. Pappus Gelateria Artigianale in Noli uses chinotto, a bitter citrus of the Ligurian coast, and Gelateria Dondoli in San Gimignano uses saffron. The milk varies too, with goat's milk at Timasù Gelateria Artigianale in Baunei and buffalo milk at Gelateria Giò Ice in Nola.