Undoubtedly one of the most historic and well-known gelaterias in the city, have you even visited Florence if you didn't go to Vivoli?. The venue’s origins date back to 1926, making it a survivor of the war and the great Arno flood of 1966. The neon sign and old-school interiors (where, yes, there are seats) are still mainstays, as is the dedication to making the gelato daily, along with a selection of fresh pastries and semifreddo desserts.

Eating gelatos while sprawled out on the grass is one of the many reasons anyone would come to Italy. If you need some convincing then this gelateria, founded in 1930s by Rafaello Vivoli, will definitely change your mind. The recipe has been handed down the family and the biggest reason for their cult following is the freshness of the ingredients.

Vivoli, which dates back to 1929, is Florence’s oldest gelateria. The shop is delightfully old-fashioned, with wood and tiled walls and handmade—well, everything. There are no cones here—only cups—and the only ingredients that are purchased externally are pistachios and hazelnuts.

Pallabazzar recommends Vivoli or Antica Gelateria Fiorentina in Via Faenza, “where you can still taste Buontalenti, a flavor invented for the Medici.

VivoliA circa-1929 fixture in the leather-making epicenter of Santa Croce, Vivoli is considered Florence’s oldest gelateria, and to many locals this notable enterprise launched by brothers Serafino and Raffaello remains the finest. Giovanni Cosmai, head chef of Irene at Hotel Savoy—a Rocco Forte hotel where, it is worth pointing out, from-scratch mint gelato is the ideal way to follow tomato-stuffed ravioli on the terrace—is one of those who believes the old-fashioned joint charmingly outfitted with wood and tiles lives up to the hype. “It’s completely homemade, respecting the artisan gelato-making traditions by using organic eggs and fresh cream and milk,” he says.

One of the most famous gelaterie in Florence, Vivoli also makes its gelato fresh, and they won’t sell you anything that they haven’t made that same day. The flavors, which change often, include pear with caramel and chocolate with orange. Just don’t be surprised by some of Vivoli’s quirks: Given its fame (and pride), it’s some of the more-expensive gelato in Florence, the portions aren’t huge, and, like many other artisanal gelaterie, they’ll refuse to give you anything but a cup (cones distract from the gelato flavor).

In 1929,in the working-class Santa Croce neighborhood, Serafino Vivoli opened the Latteria Vivoli, which soon became a pleasant meeting place for Florentines, who came here for a cup of coffee and to buy whipped cream on Sundays. With their brother Raffaello, in 1932 the Vivoli brothers decided to try their hand at making ice-cream. Natural ice came from the Saltino, above Vallombrosa, where it was produced in winter and stored in iceboxes until summer; transport to the city took place at night to avoid melting.

Vivoli is a must for any tour of Florence’s gelato joints – it holds the title of oldest gelateria in the city. Opened in 1929, VIvoli is an institution and with a location right in the city center (close to Santa Croce) surrounded by leather shops, it’s easy to find. They aren’t known for their innovations like some of the newer gelato shops in town, but they provide what they always have for coming up on a century: good old-fashioned, classic gelato from a family with generations of experience.

The oldest ice-cream shop in Florence: Serafino Vivoli created this milk bar in 1929, and it immediately became a meeting point for a coffee together. Some years later he and his brother started to produce ice-cream: the natural ice was brought from Saltino, above Vallombrosa, where it was made and stored in ice-chests, to the town during the night. The family still works there with passion in the ice-cream shop, which has, nowadays, also an artisan manufacturing laboratory for pastry products.

Caffè Italiano Pizzeria: The pizza at Caffè Italiano's tiny pizzeria (next door to the Caffè Italiano Osteria and in the same street as Vivoli Gelato) serves true Naples-style pizza with a perfect crust. There are only three kinds sold here: the classic Margherita, the Napoli with capers and anchovies, and the cheese-free Marinara. It is very small and very popular, so try to go early to get a table, or you can always order one to-go (da portare via).

Another historic gelato parlor in Florence, in business for over a century, which has made many generations of Florentines happy. The shop in via Isola delle Stinche has one of the ancient, little wine doors (learn more about traditional wine doors of Florence here!) through which cones and cups are served today. Vivoli overlooks a characteristic square with a couple of benches where you can sit and enjoy your gelato.

Opened in 1930, Vivoli is the grand old dame of gelato shops in Florence making it a bonafide Florentine institution. Located in the heart of Florence, near Santa Croce, Vivoli has been frequented by generations of Florentines and visitors, given its long-standing history and commitment to quality. A large selection of flavors and fresh, high-quality gelato make Vivoli an essential stop on your Florence gelato route.

Founded in 1930, Vivoli is the oldest gelateria in Florence, and has been run by the same family for three generations. The offering changes according to what is available each day at the market. Silvana – one of the co-founders – doesn’t believe in limiting the business to only using local ingredients, so Vivoli makes gelato using ingredients from all over the world, following meticulous research and tasting.

Latteria Vivoli was open in 1929 , and after a few years it started making gelato, a time when fridges weren’t a thing and they had to buy (and bring back) ice from the Apennines. Vivoli is even mentioned in a popular Florentine folk song by local minstrel Riccardo Marasco. Along with your gelato, you’ll be tasting a piece of Florentine history (address: Via Isola delle Stinche 7/red, Santa Croce area).

In 1929, Serafino Vivoli founded Vivoli that soon became a popular meeting place to have coffee and whipped cream on Sundays. In 1932 the Vivoli brothers decided to try their hand at producing ice cream and thanks to their passion and dedication, particularly in the 1960s and 1970s, the gelateria became a landmark for both Florentines and visitors to the city, even appearing in tourist guidebooks.

Written up in all the guidebooks for decades and a short walk from Piazza Santa Croce, Vivoli is the classic Florentine gelato shop. You’ll pay before you step up to the counter to order, and you’ll want to know what you want before giving your ticket to the staff. I love their bacio, and if you’re lucky, the bench across the street will be open and you can sit and enjoy gelato on a nice day.

Famous in Florence and serving gelato to Florentines since 1929, Vivoli serves up an excellent scoop. Don’t ask for a cone (they say it detracts from the flavor of the gelato), and don’t expect a lot of ‘bang for your buck.’ Still, the quality is high, and the classic flavors of gelato are worth a visit. If you love coffee, this is the place to try an affogato – a coffee with ice cream.

Gelateria Vivoli – Many proud Florentines would say you haven’t tried Florentine gelato until you’ve had Vivoli; one of Florence’s oldest, this family-owned gelateria has been open since 1930. Here, the answer to that cone/cup question has been made for you: Vivoli doesn’t offer cones, but you can add a cialdino or sigarino cookie on top if you’d like. We also recommend their affogato.

Vivoli had made the best ice cream on the planet 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.

In case you’ve somehow managed to miss the many (many) photos and videos of this now Insta-famous cafe doing the rounds on social media, let us fill you in. Vivoli is Florence’s oldest gelateria, serving tourists and locals alike everything from gelato and cookies to traditional Florentine desserts. But for most, there’s only one thing that has them queuing across the road… affogato.

Vivoli- Nearly 100 years of gelato making is not an easy feat, Vivoli is legendary (since 1930!) and I’m certain you all have heard of them. There is currently 4 generations churning out this love in gelato form. They are busy, they are popular, but I couldn’t make a gelato list and leave out one of the most iconic purveyors and crucial figures in Florence’s gelato history.

Vivoli dates back to 1929, making it the oldest gelateria in Florence, so no trip to the city would be complete without checking this place out!. Everything, aside from the pistachios and hazelnuts, is grown by the family who owns the shop. However, Don’t expect your gelato to be served on a cone from this old-fashioned shop, as they only offer cups!

This Florence gelateria can be found a couple of blocks north-west of Piazza Santa Croce. Joyce from our Italy Travel Planning Facebook Group heartily recommends the dark chocolate gelato; “It was like eating the fudge filling of a chocolate cake, but creamy, cold and rich. I have had a lot of chocolate ice cream and gelato, but never like this!

When reading guide books about Florence, most of them indicate that the best gelato in Florence is to be found at Bar Vivoli. While it is said to be the oldest gelato shop in Florence (founded in 1929), it was first known as a cafe and meeting place for locals and then became famous for ice cream. Via Isole delle Stinche, 7r – near Santa Croce.

Ice cream parlours that since 1929 offers artisan ice creams exclusively in cups with simple and genuine flavours to be savoured in an elegant retro decor. In addition to the historic shop in Florence, since 2013 Vivoli® has opened two ice cream parlours in the United States in New York and Orlando. It is the oldest ice cream shop in Florence.

If you ask a resident of Florence about the best gelato parlor in the city, they will for sure name Vivioli. This ice cream shop has been the favorite of the locals for many decades, with its lovely flavors and sweets. Being in the ice cream business since 1926, this shop gives the old-school nostalgic feels and serves all the classic flavors.

Florence’s oldest gelateria is one of my absolute favorites, and they are also known for their other delicious desserts as well as ice cream. When it comes to gelato in Florence, there is a lot of competition, but few are made from all natural ingredients and without preservatives. For those searching for a cone, Vivoli should be skipped.

Vivoli is the oldest ice cream shop in Florence, founded in 1929, a few steps from the church of Santa Croce. In the past, the owners used to bring ice from the mountains to make their famous ice cream. Now they don’t just make ice cream (the most delicious in the city, in our opinion) but also offer delicious pastries and good coffee.

Vivoli is a really famous, family-owned gelateria operating in Florence since the 1930’s. They make homemade ice-creams with the highest quality of ingredients, like 100% Italian whole milk and pasteurized fresh cream and fresh seasonal fruit. They do not use any type of additives, preservatives, emulsifiers or dyes in their gelato.

Vivoli Gelateria (Via dell’Isola delle Stinche, 7/r, 50122 Firenze, Italy): Vivoli Gelateria is a third generation business that’s been around since 1930, dedicated to making their gelato fresh every day. Their most popular flavor is crema, made with eggs, cream and sugar. We loved the crema, chocolate-chocolate chip, and hazelnut.

Gelato: The places that I think serve the best gelato in Florence are (in order with my favorite first): Gelateria dei Neri, Vivoli, Gelateria la Carraia, La Strega Nocciola, and Cono Gelato. All of these places serve up creamy, rich gelato in small batches. They know what they are doing and their flavors explode.

Gelato was invented in Florence, so we had to mention one of the oldest gelateria in our list!. Family-owned for four generations, Vivoli has been serving cold and creamy gelato to hot and hungry patrons since 1930. Try all the classic Italian flavors like fior di latte, stracciatella, chocolate, and pistachio.

Why to go: Vivoli produces a true classic Italian gelato in Florence!. It is one of the oldest artisanal gelaterias in the city, having started its production in 1930. Since then, four generations of the same family have taken care of the business, producing the gelato, always with the highest quality.

Vivoli is highly recommended by Joe Palisi, an Italy traveler who has contributed photos to this site. He says it's his favorite gelateria and he's been there several times. Vivoli gelato is made fresh daily with natural ingredients and costs a little more than average.

Description: One of the oldest gelaterias in Florence, Vivoli has been serving artisanal gelato since 1930. Known for its high-quality ingredients and traditional recipes, it’s a must-visit for any gelato aficionado. Must-Try Flavors: Rice, crema (cream), and hazelnut.

A visit to a typical Italian ice cream parlour, such as the historic "Gelateria Vivoli," is a special treat. Ice cream was created in Florence by the artist Bernardo Buontalenti in honour of Caterina de Medici in 1565 and therefore enjoys a long tradition in the city.

Heralded as a historic gelateria and one of the most famous in Florence, Vivoli delivers delicious gelato and a cute locale. However, because of their fame they tend to have lines and are on the expensive side, not to mention no cones. Price: Starting at 2.00 for cup

Some of the best rated gelato shops in Florence include Vivoli, Gelateria dei Neri, and Gelateria La Carraia. I’m sure there are other ones and you really can’t go wrong with gelato in Italy. But if you do have time, check out one of the three places above.

One of the primary questions you’ll get asked when people visit Florence is, “Where’s the best gelateria?. ” Now, I try to not live in a world of bests and firsts and better-thans—but the best gelateria in Florence is Vivoli. It is also one of the oldest.

I have an ongoing love story with Vivoli because they catered my wedding with a gelato cart and made my wedding cake. To this day, I eat gelato here as much as possible. Around since 1929, Vivoli is one of Florence’s most famous gelaterias among locals.

Vivoli is a classic in Florence—historical, old-fashioned, and timeless,” said Tour Director Sabra. “It’s tucked away in the Santa Croce neighborhood, but it’s extremely well-known and has been raved about by visitors from all over the world.

You cannot book an Italian vacation without expecting to eat your fair share of gelato. One of the best (and oldest) gelaterias in the city is Vivoli Gelato. If you need another recommendation, Gelateria dei Neri has delicious gelato, too.

After unpacking our bags, and settling in for the next couple days in Florence, we walked to Vivoli for gelato. Originally opening in 1929, it was one of the first gelaterias in the city. To me, though, it really wasn’t anything special.

Vivoli is a little more expensive but has an incredible history. It was founded back in 1929 and has mastered the gelato texture you cannot find anywhere else in the world. Their coffee and salted caramel flavors here are extra creamy.

One of my favorites is Vivoli, near the church of Santa Croce. Keep in mind you order at the cash register first and pay, before presenting the receipt to the person who scoops the ice cream. Another is Gelateria Santa Trinita.

You may be staying at Ad Astra in San Frediano we will be sure to pass by sforno as we weave our way toward the historical centre passing local historical butchers and the best raw food in the town if not in the world!.

Established in 1930, is one of Florence's most renowned gelaterias, celebrated for its rich history and high-quality gelato. Try the "Gran Crema Caffè Vivoli. instagram | maps| favourite of Jorane Cuppen, Gastronomist

Last, but not least is Vivoli, one of the most popular gelaterias in Florence. We had heard that some others were even better, so we decided to skip it. However, that doesn’t mean it’s not amazing!

Head to Vivoli in the Santa Croce neighborhood to grab a gelato via a buchetta del vino. This is a great place to bring kids too if they want to experience Florence’s “wine” windows!

Family-owned since 1930, they serve fresh-made scoops of unique flavors (try the rice!). They are particularly known for their affogato – which is gelato drowned in hot espresso.

Vivoli: This is the oldest Gelateria still open in Florence. This is a must, but the line is normally long, so come prepared. Try the wild strawberry flavor!

A few spots to grab some scoops: Vivoli, My Sugar, and Customer Care Team Member Laurie Volkman's favorite, Caffè Mario.