Italy confirms itself as the undisputed homeland of artisanal ice cream. According to the latest ranking published by TasteAtlas, an international platform dedicated to traditional gastronomic specialities, the top 44 ice cream shops in the world are all Italian. Only from the 45th position do signs of other countries begin to appear.
The podium
Leading the ranking is a head-to-head between Rome and Florence, two cities that have been points of reference for ice cream enthusiasts for years.
On the top step of the podium stands Gelateria Fatamorgana from Rome, awarded for the creativity of its flavors and for the attention to the quality of the raw materials. It was also won over by the famous American pastry chef and author David Lebovitz, who praised unusual combinations such as pear and gorgonzola, pineapple and fresh ginger and apple, almond and cinnamon sorbet.
In second place goes Gelateria dei Gracchi, also in the capital, also made famous by the appreciation of the chef and popularizer Anthony Bourdain, who defined it as “probably the best of the best”. Pistachio remains one of the symbolic flavors of the restaurant.
Completing the podium is the historic Gelateria Vivoli of Florence, one of the most iconic establishments in the city, considered by many travelers an obligatory stop to taste the traditional Florentine cream.
Rome and Florence dominate the top ten
The top ten positions tell of a real duel between Rome and Florence. Alongside the first three there are other historic ice cream shops such as Gelateria dei Neri, La Carraia and Why No in the Tuscan capital, while Rome responds with Gelateria Torcè, Gelateria I Caruso and other companies that have made experimentation their trademark.
The only exception is Suso Gelatoteca in Venice, which takes tenth place and brings the Lagoon into the top ten thanks to its creative tastes and numerous international reviews.
Northern Italy enters the second part of the ranking
From eleventh position onwards the ranking expands to the large cities of the North, while maintaining the dominance of Rome and Florence. Among the awarded establishments include La Sorbetteria Castiglione from Bologna, also appreciated by chef Mario Batali for the quality of its fruit sorbets, Il Massimo del Gelato from Milan, recommended by the Michelin Guide for its research into innovative flavours, the Venetian Gelateria Alaska and Alberto Marchetti from Turin. Rome also remains well represented, with Frigidarium, Otaleg, Come il Latte and Gelateria del Teatro, and Florence with Gelateria Santa Trinita and Gelateria Della Passera.
TasteAtlas top 20
According to the official TasteAtlas ranking, the top twenty ice cream shops in the world are the following:
- Fatamorgana ice cream parlor (Rome)
- Gelateria dei Gracchi (Rome)
- Gelateria Vivoli (Florence)
- Gelateria dei Neri (Florence)
- Torcè ice cream shop (Rome)
- Gelateria La Carraia (Florence)
- Gelateria I Caruso (Rome)
- Why Not Ice Cream Parlor (Florence)
- Grom (Florence)
- Suso Gelatoteca (Venice)
- Frigidarium ice cream parlor (Rome)
- The Sorbetteria Castiglione (Bologna)
- Otaleg ice cream shop (Rome)
- Ice cream shop Come il Latte (Rome)
- Santa Trinita ice cream shop (Florence)
- Gelateria Della Passera (Florence)
- Il Massimo del Gelato (Milan)
- Alaska ice cream shop (Venice)
- Alberto Marchetti (Turin)
- Gelateria del Teatro (Rome)
