The best 11 gelaterias in Bologna according to Gambero Rosso

Creamy and enveloping, ice cream in Bologna is mostly like this, and it surprises every time thanks to the creativity of the ice cream makers who experiment with new flavours and combinations, without forgetting the great classics. Here are the best ice cream parlours in the city according to our guide Gelaterie d'Italia 2023.

The best gelaterias in Bologna

Cremeria La Vecchia Stalla

After the premises in Via Toscana and the one in Zola Predosa from which the adventure started in 2005, in 2018 Andrea Mazzanti and Monica Minghetti landed in Via Santo Stefano. They conquer for their particularly creamy ice cream with an enveloping flavour that represents the typical Bolognese style. Excellent, it goes without saying, all the creams, starting with the exceptional ice cream cream with its delicate milk flavour, and moving on to the egg creams, the real highlight of the production. It continues with less usual flavours such as Divino with pistachio with Cervia salt and dark chocolate with sour cherries in syrup. There is a wide choice of ice-cream biscuits, single portions of creams and cakes served from the refrigerated area.

via Santo Stefano, 14a – 051 6569569 - vecchiastalla.it

Maritozzi e Gelato di Barbara e Renato (ex Cremeria San Francesco)

One of Bologna's movida squares is also home to an excellent gelateria, an expression of craftsmanship and imagination. Here you can find excellent creams, in particular stracciatella with apricot and Toffee with salted caramel, toffee sauce and praline almonds. The real strong point of the production, however, are the dairy and egg-free flavours that win you over with their fullness of flavour and creaminess, starting with the superlative chocolate with sour cherries (in season), the spicy tangerine zenzerello and Barbarella a sorbet that fully restores the pleasure of fresh hazelnuts. Don't miss the maritozzi of authentic Roman tradition produced in their own workshop.

piazza San Francesco, 1b - 051 233230

Cremeria Santo Stefano

A delightful ice-cream shop, starting with the wooden furnishings reminiscent of a 1930s establishment and the retro floors with large square tiles. Everything is taken care of down to the last detail, starting, of course, with the ice cream. The soft, creamy, richly flavoured creams of various types cannot be missed: the timeless 'Seven Churches' egg cream, or the equally classic lemon peel-scented cream, the citrusy Lebanese cream enriched with almonds and pistachios, and the persuasive 'Zitelle' cream with mascarpone and pine nuts, a real treat for lovers of the genre. Less usual flavours are also interesting, such as Speculoos, which echoes the spicy aromas of the famous Belgian cinnamon-scented biscuits. Classic flavours such as the hazelnut from Cravanzana (IGP Piedmont), fiordilatte with its intense flavour due to the use of hay milk, and Cioccolato del Sant' are also excellent, confirming the ice-cream-making excellence of this address. Also worth mentioning are the counter preparations that reveal a great confectioner's hand, from the delicious chocolate pralines with various flavours such as pear caramel, salted butter or even chai latte; as well as different types of macarons and the splendid artisan jellies that make you fully appreciate the taste of fresh fruit.

via Santo Stefano, 70 - 051 227045

Cremeria Scirocco

One of the best ice-cream parlours in Italy, where the wisdom of classic ice-cream is combined with the search for new and unusual combinations. This is the case of the almond and gorgonzola, a true signature flavour that continues to amaze for the balance of flavours and the sharpness of the blue-veined aromas that give way to the sweetness of the almond on the finish. The classic creams with their perfect consistency and roundness of taste are excellent, especially the different types of chocolate, from the Hazelnut jivara with notes of caramel with vanilla, malt and the addition of hazelnut, to the Tanariva coffee with its delicate coffee flavour and the contrast of salted chocolate-covered peanuts, to rum chocolate with Caribbean notes in which the blend of cocoa and the distinct aroma of the distillate is appreciated, not forgetting white chocolate and mandarin, and the classic chocolate, also in an egg and milk-free version. All to be tasted, finally, are the less canonical and even more interesting autumn flavours, such as the delicate chestnut reminiscent of a montblanc or the very refined pumpkin ice cream sweetened with maple syrup, with its unexpected softness. Single portions, cakes, sticks and the delicious rocks complete the offer.

via Barelli, 1c - 051 6010051 - cremeriascirocco.it

Galliera 49

The small bottega is a regular meeting point for the Bolognese, who find here ice cream made with carefully selected raw materials and in a wide variety of flavours. Starting with chocolate, available in three versions: classic, almond and milk-free with only cocoa mass sweetened with palm flower sugar and caramelised cocoa beans, with a full, dry flavour. Unusual combinations such as peach and ginger and more sophisticated flavours, including the autumnal pomegranate, are a feature of this interesting ice-cream parlour, which also offers excellent brioches from the workshop of pastry chef Gino Fabbri. Galliera 49's specialities also include jars of cream: the legendary Busona with hazelnuts and cocoa with caramelised bean grains, or the Marena made with sour cherries in syrup, which can be enjoyed comfortably at home.

via Galliera, 49b - 051 246736 - galliera49.it

Gelatauro

Giovanni Figliomeni, with a past as a building contractor, began making ice cream out of passion, then in 1998 he opened Gelatauro, introducing his own interpretation of ice cream to the Bolognese scene; in 2022 the Financial Times included the place among the 25 best ice cream parlours in the world. Beyond the international recognition, Figliomeni's ice cream is of high quality and is strongly anchored to the ice-cream maker's southern roots, specifically from Calabria, which influence its marked fresh and lively flavours. The two most representative flavours, the ones you absolutely must try, are the Principe di Calabria with its heady scent of jasmine and the sharp note of bergamot, and the Regno delle Due Sicilie made with Bronte pistachio. Also not to be missed is the chocolate made with Peruvian cacao and Venezuelan Chuao, an ancient variety of Criollo cacao.

via San Vitale, 98b - 051 230049 - gelatauro.com

L'Emporio del Gelato

L'Emporio del Gelato offers two product lines, the first more classic, with the great must-haves that cannot be lacking in any self-respecting gelato parlour, and the second with novelties that are almost never taken for granted and always excellently executed. This is the case, for example, with the Sicilian Pesto, a pistachio flavour with a good dose of salt that pleasantly lifts its savouriness, or, another salty flavour, the American Temptation with chocolate, peanut paste and salted peanuts that surprises with its balance. Not to be underestimated are the single-serve cups, the ice creams covered on a stick, the popsicles and the many semi-frozen cakes to take home, all excellent and richly decorated.

via degli Orti, 12a - 051 441723 - emporiodelgelato.it

Sablé Gelato

Alessandro Cesari is not new in the business but has recently opened his own small and cosy place. In the carapine 12 flavours that rotate with the seasons, especially the fruit flavours. They range from Emilian strawberries to moretta di Vignola and apricot and rosemary, with the first warmth, then move on to persimmon (with a nice twist given by vanilla) in autumn and Calabrian clementines with the cold season. Scrupulous research of raw materials also for the basic milk flavours, such as the Catalan cream with Igp lemons, Ceylon cinnamon and Tahiti vanilla, the variegated ricotta with blueberries from the Upper Apennines or the cappuccino with specialty coffees from the nearby Forno Brisa. Alessandro loves to experiment, especially with alcoholic ice creams and with extractions of various flowers, from cherry blossom to dandelion and wisteria flowers. Among his latest creations: Genmaicha & Kinako ice cream, a green tea of Japanese origin and roasted soya flour. For those who do not like to dare, there are also the classics, Sicilian pistachio in primis. Not only ice cream, excellent parfaits, biscuits, brioche to fill with ice cream, spreadable creams also available in the online shop.

via dei Mille, 3a - sablegelato.com

Schiavon Gelato

A small ice cream parlour founded in 2018 by Giacomo Schiavon, former owner of Sorbetteria Castiglione, and Denise Bacci. There are no secrets in this gelateria where the artisan workshop is one with the counter and sees the master gelato makers busy creating the product on the spot. The soft creams touch one of the peaks of the Bolognese style that wants ice cream to be a caress for the palate, with a round and enveloping flavour. The chocolate, particularly the dark one, has a strong aroma, with persistent and warm notes, undoubtedly one of the best interpretations you can find in the city. Not to be outdone are the other flavours such as the superb salted caramel, pistachio and the wonderful hazelnut. Don't miss the egg cream with lemon peel and the many sorbets made with fresh fruit, also suitable for vegans and lactose intolerant people.

via A.Murri, 8c - 051 6237499 - schiavongelato.it

Sorbetteria Castiglione

It opened its doors in 1994 by Giacomo Schiavon and Marina Marchiori, who for ten years had 'cut their teeth' in what was once the legendary Pino ice-cream parlour. The inimitable Bolognese style makes this ice-cream parlour one of the best-loved places for locals and tourists who come every day to taste the fantastic creams with their soft and persuasive texture. Formidable are the timeless chocolate, lemon and pistachio creams, but equally good are other less usual flavours, such as persimmon. One also comes to enjoy the tasty sorbets (water-based), ice cream cakes and Moretto, ice cream on a stick, as well as a line of chocolates in which chocolates, spreadable creams and pralines in imaginative flavours, all perfectly executed, stand out. Another location in Via Saragozza.

via Castiglione, 44d - 051 0391207 - lasorbetteria.it

Stefino

Stefano Roccamo confirms himself as a passionate author of ice cream that stands out for its distinct personality, innovative approach and strenuous search for superb raw materials. The master ice-cream maker plays on the purity and linearity of his style made up of a few select ingredients that stand out clearly on the palate. He is unsurpassed in his sorbets, soft and persuasive without renouncing taste, but at the same time light, such as the Yucatan, a Criollo cocoa and chilli chocolate sweetened by sugar extracted from coconut flowers, or the lashings of orange, lemon and ginger. Not to be outdone on the raw milk creams, which express their character with precise, clean-cut flavours, without indulging in the rounder notes, but maintaining an enviable velvety texture. The rude chocolate with Valsamoggia goat's milk and a pinch of salt to give that almost imperceptible savoury touch to the taste is exceptional. Then there is the fior di panna where the scent of fresh milk slightly flavoured with vanilla stands out, or the unusual walnut flavour, rustic and elegant at the same time. The excellent Sicilian granitas in the winter period are replaced by a selection of homemade chocolates that echo the fun and unusual flavours of ice cream, from matcha tea to chilli.

via L.Serra, 3 - 051 0216961 - stefino.it