Where to get the best pizza and gelato in Venice and Florence?

[atlgirl]

My husband and I are touring Venice and Florence on our own and would like to find a great place for pizza and for gelato. Any recommendations?

[GSPLover]

My husband and I are touring Venice and Florence on our own and would like to find a great place for pizza and for gelato. Any recommendations?

 

In Florence, cross over the Ponte Vecchio and continue going straight about 3 blocks. The Pitti Palace will be on your left. Just beyond the Palace, on the right, is a wonderful little gellati shop. Prices are about 1/3 what they are on the other side of the river. About a block further down on street, on the left, is a wonderful little trattoria.

 

There are loads of places in Florence for Gelato. Just keep in mind that a couple of suppliers provide it to a majority of the shops. Same stuff, just different hype and marketing techniques.

 

Don't be afraid to get off the main pedestrian traffic areas, down a side street. You will find some wonderful little places to eat, and at prices that are considerably lower.

[hylasgirl]

In Florence, cross over the Ponte Vecchio and continue going straight about 3 blocks. The Pitti Palace will be on your left. Just beyond the Palace, on the right, is a wonderful little gellati shop. Prices are about 1/3 what they are on the other side of the river. About a block further down on street, on the left, is a wonderful little trattoria.

 

There are loads of places in Florence for Gelato. Just keep in mind that a couple of suppliers provide it to a majority of the shops. Same stuff, just different hype and marketing techniques.

 

Don't be afraid to get off the main pedestrian traffic areas, down a side street. You will find some wonderful little places to eat, and at prices that are considerably lower.

 

 

Hi! thanks for that gelato suggestion. I will try it. We will have 6 of us this time, so 1/3 the price sounds very helpful to me. Do you happen to remember the name of it?

[hylasgirl]

Also... Have you ever heard of "Grom" in Florence? I have a friend that lived there for 8 months last year and she said this family owns their own orchard and makes their own gelato with their own fruits... said it is awesome. It appears that it is over on the Accademia side of Florence. I was just wondering if you have tried it?

[GSPLover]

Hi! thanks for that gelato suggestion. I will try it. We will have 6 of us this time, so 1/3 the price sounds very helpful to me. Do you happen to remember the name of it?

 

Do not remember the name. However, if you go to picasaweb.google.com/ftroute/firenze02 and look the the 12th photo. That was taken from up near the front entrance of the Pitti. On the right hand side you will see a red car. Right in front of it you will see a small awning over a shop. That's it.

[Bruin Steve]

Back in 1975, I visited Europe for the first time...as a student...with everything I had in my backpack and mostly wandering aimlessly for the entire Summer between my senior year at UCLA and the beginning of my Law School career...

 

For about the second or third week of my tour, starting in Amsterdam and down through spain and the South of France, I travelled with a friend of mine who had been to Europe before...the entire way, he kept telling me about this Gelato place in Florence that had the best ice cream in the world...We split up in Monte Carlo to head in different directions...He was heading north, I was going to tour Italy...

 

I made friends in Rome with some guys from California who were taking a summer class abroad in Florence through Stanford University...Then they headed back to school aftter their weekend and I stayed down South having met a girl from Cornell...and I decided to travel with her for awhile in Rome and Pompeii and she wanted to go down to Greece...

When we split up, I headed back north, finally to Florence...

 

I found my buddies from the Stanford class...and they said, "Hey, let's go get some Gelato"...and they dragged me to the same place my friend from home kept raving about:

 

http://www.vivoli.it/vivoli-en.html

 

Dang, it was FANTASTIC...Definitely lived up to all that hype...

 

Three summers ago, the summer before my father passed away, we sent my parents, my uncle and aunt and their close friends (really related for all intent and purpose) on a trip through Europe by private jet with stops in Rome, Florence, Venice, Brussels and London--for my Mother's 80th Birthday...My brother supplied the jet, my contribution was to arrange for tour guides, schedule the itinerary, find the hotels, etc. One stop I made sure was on the schedule was at Vivoli in Florence...

 

When my parents came home, in talking about the trip, they didn't remember some of the restaurants they ate at...but they sure remembered the Gelato...at Vivoli...

[ab0si]

Also... Have you ever heard of "Grom" in Florence? I have a friend that lived there for 8 months last year and she said this family owns their own orchard and makes their own gelato with their own fruits... said it is awesome. It appears that it is over on the Accademia side of Florence. I was just wondering if you have tried it?

 

 

Florence:

Grom is better the other mass produced gelato manufacturers. They are the gelato equivalent of Starbucks basically.

 

Vivoli is "the" traditional place and is still excellent but very expensive and les than friendly service. (a tourist trap except the product is still good).

 

Carabe by the Academia (towards the Arno) is one of the best.

 

 

Venice:

I have one clear favorite: La Boutique del Gelato over by ampo Santa Maria Formosa.

 

Gelato in general and Florentine gelato in particular has been discussed extensively here. I suggest using the search feature and reviewing some of the threads.

 

Pizza: depends on the style you like.

 

General comment on gelato: bad gelato is good .. good gelato is wonderful. the best gelato is proof of the existence of god.

[kwk1955]

Back in 1975, I visited Europe for the first time...as a student...with everything I had in my backpack and mostly wandering aimlessly for the entire Summer between my senior year at UCLA and the beginning of my Law School career...

 

For about the second or third week of my tour, starting in Amsterdam and down through spain and the South of France, I travelled with a friend of mine who had been to Europe before...the entire way, he kept telling me about this Gelato place in Florence that had the best ice cream in the world...We split up in Monte Carlo to head in different directions...He was heading north, I was going to tour Italy...

 

I made friends in Rome with some guys from California who were taking a summer class abroad in Florence through Stanford University...Then they headed back to school aftter their weekend and I stayed down South having met a girl from Cornell...and I decided to travel with her for awhile in Rome and Pompeii and she wanted to go down to Greece...

When we split up, I headed back north, finally to Florence...

 

I found my buddies from the Stanford class...and they said, "Hey, let's go get some Gelato"...and they dragged me to the same place my friend from home kept raving about:

 

http://www.vivoli.it/vivoli-en.html

 

Dang, it was FANTASTIC...Definitely lived up to all that hype...

 

Three summers ago, the summer before my father passed away, we sent my parents, my uncle and aunt and their close friends (really related for all intent and purpose) on a trip through Europe by private jet with stops in Rome, Florence, Venice, Brussels and London--for my Mother's 80th Birthday...My brother supplied the jet, my contribution was to arrange for tour guides, schedule the itinerary, find the hotels, etc. One stop I made sure was on the schedule was at Vivoli in Florence...

 

When my parents came home, in talking about the trip, they didn't remember some of the restaurants they ate at...but they sure remembered the Gelato...at Vivoli...

 

 

 

What a sweet story ! And what a nice thing to do for your parents ! :)

[Friscorays]

Florence gelato breakdown by flavor with store locations:

 

http://www.thefoodsection.com/foodsection/2004/06/firenze_summer_.html

[hylasgirl]

Florence gelato breakdown by flavor with store locations:

 

http://www.thefoodsection.com/foodsection/2004/06/firenze_summer_.html

 

 

Very nice. Thanks for the link. The one place even had a coupon. Thanks!

 

The Trip Advisor rates GROM #3 in all restaurants in Florence. Anyone else have any experience there?

[Conelectric]

Also... Have you ever heard of "Grom" in Florence? I have a friend that lived there for 8 months last year and she said this family owns their own orchard and makes their own gelato with their own fruits... said it is awesome. It appears that it is over on the Accademia side of Florence. I was just wondering if you have tried it?

Isn't it always the case?

They opened up one of these in New York, of course its delicious but so is the price!

Lenny

[nhtraveler313]

I second the recommendation for La Boutique del Gelato in Venice. It was incredible.

 

The shop wasn't that far from St. Mark's Square, but we did have to wind through several streets to find it. My DH was pointing at other gelato shops along the way, saying "Why don't we just stop here." I persisted, and we were both glad I did. He still talks about going back to Venice to try that gelato again. :)

 

On the remainder of our fall trip, we also sampled gelato in Rome, Sorrento and Barcelona, and no other gelato came close.

[BurBunny]

 

http://www.vivoli.it/vivoli-en.html

 

Dang, it was FANTASTIC...Definitely lived up to all that hype...

 

Three summers ago, the summer before my father passed away, we sent my parents, my uncle and aunt and their close friends (really related for all intent and purpose) on a trip through Europe by private jet with stops in Rome, Florence, Venice, Brussels and London--for my Mother's 80th Birthday...My brother supplied the jet, my contribution was to arrange for tour guides, schedule the itinerary, find the hotels, etc. One stop I made sure was on the schedule was at Vivoli in Florence...

 

When my parents came home, in talking about the trip, they didn't remember some of the restaurants they ate at...but they sure remembered the Gelato...at Vivoli...

 

I have SUCH fond memories of Vivoli. To date, it's my gold standard for gelatto. I even like the bustling atmosphere in there, but they've never seemed unfriendly - just busy. I'm hoping to visit again in August, but I understand they take the month off :( I'll be keeping my fingers crossed!

 

I second the recommendation for La Boutique del Gelato in Venice. It was incredible.

 

The shop wasn't that far from St. Mark's Square, but we did have to wind through several streets to find it. My DH was pointing at other gelato shops along the way, saying "Why don't we just stop here." I persisted, and we were both glad I did. He still talks about going back to Venice to try that gelato again. :)

 

On the remainder of our fall trip, we also sampled gelato in Rome, Sorrento and Barcelona, and no other gelato came close.

 

Okay, now I have a new mission for Venice. Find La Boutique del Gelato. Which direction off the square do I need to take?

[dumbth]

Venice has a lot of mediocre pizza and gelato places, I guess because of relatively few local residents there to demand their usual standard of excellance. One approach to avoid the worst of tourist traps is follow the local college kids around Campo Santa Margharita.

 

There is a reasonable gelato shop there (esp their granita), but for the life of me I don't see why those kids line up by the dozens at a particular pizza shop based on my taste test (maybe a college discount?). A few alleys away is a pretty poor pizza shop in terms of ready made stuff, but if you order something they have to make... it can be absolutely heavenly.