Gelato had always been central to our story, though perhaps none of us quite realised just how deeply until our reunion in Rome in 2023. The title of this little adventure could well be Never Have I Ever, because although there were occasional disagreements along the way — inevitable whenever passionate food lovers gather — there was overwhelming consensus on one thing:

we had never experienced anything remotely like this before.

The reunion brought together the three original dreamers who, back in the monsoon-soaked mid-1990s, had spent endless nights obsessively experimenting with a tiny hand-cranked wooden bucket freezer. One stormy evening, amid thunder and lightning, we finally produced what we believed was genuine artisan ice cream inspired by the revolutionary standards of our beloved guru, Steve Herrell, whose influence permanently changed the way we understood ice cream.

Twenty-three years later, it was time to go to Italy itself and learn from the masters.

The mission was simple:
absorb knowledge,
ask endless questions,
study techniques,
understand ingredients,
discuss freezing times,
machines,
milk,
cream,
eggs,
sorbets,
vegan alternatives,
sugars,
textures,
and above all the philosophy behind true gelato.

This journey was about more than food. It was about embracing a culture where gelato is treated not as a sugary snack but as an art form, a craft, and a deeply respected profession woven into daily life.

Over the last quarter century, Italy has elevated gelato into a cuisine of the highest order. As with all truly great food, it ultimately comes down to:

• purity of ingredients,
• excellence of technique,
• mastery of tools,
• relentless experimentation,
• and above all,
  love and passion.

The true masters continue learning constantly, refining standards, correcting mistakes, pushing boundaries, and striving for perfection. We were fortunate enough to meet many artists willing to generously share their knowledge and answer our endless stream of questions.

After nearly twenty-five years of making ice cream ourselves, we could at least speak the same language.

This updated list reflects our experiences during the summers of 2023 and 2025, particularly across Rome, Florence, and especially Bologna — the true spiritual heartland of gelato.

The experience became something far beyond a culinary expedition.

It became joy.

The sort of joy only extraordinary food can create.

Most of what we tasted in Italy was excellent.
Some of it was genuinely transcendent.
At times, it honestly felt like food from the gods.

And one thing quickly became undeniable:
only tourists surviving entirely on McDonald’s and Starbucks in Italy would voluntarily choose a supermarket Cornetto over freshly churned artisan gelato.

Only them.

NEVER HAVE I EVER HAD ICE CREAM OR GELATO THIS GOOD IN MY ENTIRE LIFE

The Hot Spot Gelato Rankings — 2025 Edition

It feels almost unfair trying to separate the very finest because the differences at the top are microscopic. Yet several places achieved something approaching perfection.

A+ — Food From The Gods

• Barrochino
• Perché No!
• Gelateria Cavour
• Sablé Gelato
• Cremeria La Vecchia Stalla
• Gelateria Galliera 49
• B. Ice

These represented the absolute summit.

Barrochino in particular was extraordinary. We returned there three times in a single day. Their vanilla — judged by our resident vanilla fanatic — was awarded a Spinal Tap-style “11 out of 10,” declared the finest vanilla gelato ever experienced. Their crema was equally astonishing.

Nearby, Perché No? — charmingly run by a mother-and-daughter team — fully justified its legendary reputation with flawless gelato of exceptional elegance and balance.

Then came Bologna.

At Sablé Gelato, Alessandro operates almost like a monk devoted entirely to gelato. He sources ingredients personally, wakes before dawn daily, produces small batches fresh each morning, and frequently sells out before evening. His dedication radiates through every flavour.

These were not merely desserts.

They were works of craftsmanship.

A

• Gelateria Fassi

Historic, elegant, and utterly dependable.
Superb gelato.

A-

• La Sorbetteria Castiglione
• Gelateria Fata Morgana
• Fiocco di Neve
• Gelateria Della Palma
• Lemongrass Gelato
• Otaleg!
• Gunther

Outstanding gelato throughout.

Gunther’s chocolate was almost absurdly good.
Lemongrass, run by an ambitious young brother-and-sister team, showed tremendous passion and originality.
Otaleg! fully deserved its strong cult following.

B+

• Retro Gelato
• iTropici
• Gelateria Aurelia
• Come il Latte
• Giolitti

All excellent.

Giolitti remains an institution, though one suspects its legendary reputation now slightly exceeds the actual gelato itself. Wonderful, certainly — but perhaps more historic than revelatory.

Come il Latte enjoyed immense popularity, though we narrowly resisted asking them to produce a “Meetha Paan” flavour on the spot, which may have caused an international incident.

B

• Venchi
• Gelateria Millennium

Very high-quality chain gelato.

Venchi, in particular, produces extremely polished and delicious product — though one senses the flavours are designed for consistency and scalability rather than artistry.

The word “generic” occasionally comes to mind, though if this is generic, it is still leagues ahead of most of the world.

C

• Gelateria dei Gracchi
• The Gelatist
• Grom

Perfectly pleasant but lacking magic.

Grom, especially, highlighted the vast difference between factory-produced gelato and truly handcrafted fresh daily product. Reliable? Certainly. Delicious? Often. But the soul of fresh artisan gelato simply cannot be mass-produced.

D

• Romeo Gelateria

Tourist-trap territory.

Flashy presentation, inflated prices, and style overwhelmingly triumphing over substance. This was the only gelato during the trip that actually ended up in the bin.

A tragic waste of valuable stomach space.

F

• Magnum
• Cornetto

Perfectly respectable supermarket products.
But eating these in Italy while artisan gelato surrounds you should probably qualify as a minor criminal offence.

A special thank you must go to Tiziano at Gunther, who generously shared invaluable advice and demonstrations regarding gelato-making techniques. We remain enormously grateful.

Likewise, heartfelt thanks to the wonderfully warm team at Gelateria Aurelia for their hospitality and enthusiasm.

By the end of the journey, we unanimously agreed that the A+ tier represented the finest frozen desserts any of us had ever tasted.

The Hot Spot Award for the Finest Gelato on Earth — 2025 goes jointly to:

• Barrochino
• Perché No!
• Gelateria Cavour
• Cremeria Santo Stefano
• Cremeria La Vecchia Stalla

Plans are already underway for Gelato Expedition Round Three next year — ostensibly to see whether these places can defend their titles.

Though, truthfully, it may simply be an excuse to gorge ourselves senseless on magnificent freshly churned gelato all over again.

And honestly, life is far too short not to.