It's simple logic. The best ice cream on earth is the gelato of Italy. The best gelato in Italy is in Florence. The best gelato in Florence is at Vivoli.
In other words, Vivoli makes the best ice cream on the planet.
The city's most renowned temple of this cool, creamy snack has been serving up (arguably) the best gelato in Florence since 1930.
Like the best chefs, Piero Vivoli is up at dawn to haunt the local market stalls, visiting his favorite three or four trusted greengrocers and spice stalls for the ingredients he will take back and turn into flavors for his gelato.
He can prove how famous his family enterprise is with a yellowing postcard taped to the wall. It was addressed simply "Vivoli, Europa"—and the European postal systems knew exactly where to send it.
Vivoli is closed Mondays, but otherwise stays open until 11pm in winter, midnight or later in summer, and is always crowded—even though it is a bit hard to find, hidden in the twist of alleys west of Santa Croce, just north of Via Ghibellina.
(Actually, notice how this street curves? That's because it follows the arc of the outer wall of the ancient Roman amphitheater buried in the buildings' basements. Oh, and that tiny stone arch at knee level in the exterior wall to the right of the store? That was a "wine window" from back when families would sell their homemade hooch to the passing public. The plaque up above identifies this palazzo as housing the first humble studio of Giovanni Dupré, who would go on to become one of Italy's premier Neoclassical sculptors. Yes, in Florence even the ice cream comes with historical sightseeing facts.)
Gelateria Vivoli ★★★
Via Isole delle Stinche 7r
tel. +39-055-292-334
Vivoli.it
Tues-Sun 7am-8pm
€
Bus: 23, C1, C2
Hop-on/hop-off: Teatro Verdi (A)
At Florentine gelaterie, just like at bars and cafes, don't just saunter up to the bar and order two scoops of cioccolato or an espresso. Go first to the cashier, order what you want, pay for it, and take the receipt to the counter where you can order your cappuccino or your coppa (cup) or cono (cone) of gelato, putting the receipt down with a small coin as a tip.
You pay by the size of the coppa (cup) or cono (cone), not by the scoop. That means you can—indeed, are encouraged to—squeeze two or even three flavors into even the smallest cup. Italians taught me that even unusual pairs go great together; a personal favorite: cioccolato e limone (chocolate gelato and lemon sorbetto). No, really; try it. Also most Italians order by the cup; the cone is a fun—if messy—American addition to the options, but not too popular.
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English (Inglese) | Italian (Italiano) | Pro-nun-cee-YAY-shun |
Good day | Buon giorno | bwohn JOUR-noh |
Good evening | Buona sera | BWOH-nah SAIR-rah |
Good night | Buona notte | BWOH-nah NOTE-tay |
Goodbye | Arrivederci | ah-ree-vah-DAIR-chee |
Excuse me (to get attention) | Scusi | SKOO-zee |
thank you | grazie | GRAT-tzee-yay |
please | per favore | pair fa-VOHR-ray |
yes | si | see |
no | no | no |
Do you speak English? | Parla Inglese? | PAR-la een-GLAY-zay |
I don't understand | Non capisco | non ka-PEESK-koh |
I'm sorry | Mi dispiace | mee dees-pee-YAT-chay |
Where is? | Dov'é | doh-VAY |
...a restaurant | un ristorante | oon rees toh-RAHN-tay |
...a casual restaurant | una trattoria un'osteria |
oo-nah trah-toar-RHEE-yah oon ohst-air-EE-yah |
I would like to reserve... | Vorrei prenotare... | voar-RAY pray-note-ARE-eh |
a table for two | una tavola per due | oo-nah TAH-voal-lah pair DOO-way |
...for 7pm | per le sette | pair lay SET-tay |
...for 7:30pm | per le sette e mezzo | pair lay SET-tay eh MET-tzoh |
...for 8pm | per le otto | pair lay OH-toh |
I would like | Vorrei... | voar-RAY |
...some (of) | un pó (di) | oon POH (dee) |
...this | questo | KWAY-sto |
...that | quello | KWEL-loh |
chicken | pollo | POL-loh |
steak | bistecca | bee-STEAK-ah |
veal | vitello | vee-TEL-oh |
fish | pesce | PEH-shay |
meat | carne | KAR-neh |
I am vegetarian | sono vegetariano | SO-no veg-eh-tair-ee-YAH-no |
side dish [veggies always come seperately] | cotorno | kon-TOR-no |
dessert | dolce | DOAL-chay |
and | e | ay |
...a glass of | un bicchiere di | oon bee-key-YAIR-eh dee |
...a bottle of | una bottiglia di | oo-na boh-TEEL-ya dee |
...a half-liter of | mezzo litro di | MET-tzoh LEE-tro dee |
...fizzy water | acqua gassata | AH-kwah gah-SAHT-tah |
...still water | acqua non gassata | AH-kwah noan gah-SAHT-tah |
...red wine | vino rosso | VEE-noh ROH-so |
...white wine | vino bianco | VEE-noh bee-YAHN-koh |
...beer | birra | BEER-a |
Check, please | Il conto, per favore | eel COAN-toh pair fah-VOAR-eh |
Is service included? | É incluso il servizio? | ay een-CLOU-so eel sair-VEET-zee-yo |
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Gelateria Vivoli ★★★
Via Isole delle Stinche 7r
tel. +39-055-292-334
Vivoli.it
Tues-Sun 7am-8pm
€
Bus: 23, C1, C2
Hop-on/hop-off: Teatro Verdi (A)
Walks & Seminars
Wine tastings
Cooking classes
Special meals
Vineyard excursions
» Chianti
» Other Tuscan wine regions