Where to Find the Best Gelato in Venice – My Top Picks

Life is too short for bad gelato. So I’ve done the hard work for you, to tell you where to find the best gelato in Venice. I have visited this wonderful city four times already, and, if you’ve read my other articles about Venice, you know I have a special love affair with it. I keep returning over and over, it keeps calling me and I can’t say no. And that’s a good thing because with each trip I keep discovering more and more hidden corners and wonderful people passionately running their gelato shops, restaurants, or bacari, where I end up with a glass of wine, every evening. And what better way to find where the best gelato in Venice is, than ask the locals?

Venice is full of gelaterias, many selling mass-produced gelato (or shall I call it ice cream?) full of preservatives and in neon-like colours. They attract you with their chocolate dipped cones, with colourful sprinkles, and mountains of gelato stacked on top of each other – gelato melts fast, therefore it has to be inside a metal container. Last year I was writing that I wasn’t impressed with the gelato in Venice. This year I went back, to prove myself different.

I am not going to admit how many gelati I’ve eaten to create this article. But trust me, there were a lot. And I am definitely not complaining, as trying out different gelati has to be the best research I’ve ever done for an article.

I can guarantee that you won’t be disappointed with any of the gelati in Venice I am recommending in this article.

How to Buy Gelato in Venice 

Whilst in other parts of Italy you pay per the size of the gelato, in Venice you pay per flavour. In Rome for example, my first Italian love, a small gelato can have up to two different flavours. Sometimes, it is even topped with a dollop of whipped cream – I’m looking at you, wonderful Giolitti (a must when you are visiting Rome).

In Venice though, gelato is served in “palline”. A “pallina” means a “small ball”, which the seller carefully places in a cup or a cone. However, it is never only one scoop, but more like a scoop and a half for each flavour.

How Much Does Gelato in Venice Cost?  

Gelato is not expensive in Venice. A pallina usually starts at 1,80 euros and goes up to 2,5 or 3 euros for the special flavours, which are made from more expensive ingredients, such as pistachio DOP. The price goes up with the number of flavours you want but doesn’t double.

The closer you are to Piazza San Marco, the more expensive the gelato is going to be. I’ve seen gelatos starting at 4 euros steps away from San Marco and by the look of it, I can bet it wasn’t very good either.

I didn’t pay more than 2,50 euros for a gelato in Venice.

Whilst many places do accept card payments, they prefer cash, especially if the transactions are small, like a few euros.

The Difference Between Gelato and Ice Cream 

There is a massive difference between gelato and ice cream. Whilst I am not really a fan of ice cream, I could eat gelato every day. Whilst both are made with dairy, the other ingredients are different.

Gelato has a much creamier, denser, and softer texture than ice cream. It also melts much faster than ice cream, usually as soon as you touch the cup. There are a few ways to identify good gelato, one of them being the colour of the pistachio. This should never be bright green, as natural pistachio, when crushed into a paste with its skin, has a light brown colour with hues of green. Pistachio is one of the most expensive nuts in the world. The “counterfeit” pistachio gelato is made with a paste made from a mix of pistachio, almonds and food colouring. Unfortunately, most of the pistachio gelato on the market is made like this. The pure pistachio gelato is made with nuts from Iran, which are cheaper. The premium pistachio gelato, which you will see in Venice sold as premium and at a higher price, is made with nuts from Sicily, which are very expensive.

My Testing Criteria 

To find the best gelato in Venice, I judged the produce based on the taste, the creaminess, and, of course, the friendliness of the staff. I always tried to order in Italian and went for one flavour only. I love gelato but there are only so many I can eat in one day.

I tried to vary the flavours, but always went for a gelato, rather than a sorbet.

To reduce the sugar damage, I always ordered the gelato in a cup rather than in a cone and, when I had the option, I didn’t take the extra biscuit on top.

At the end of this post, I included a map with all the gelaterias I mentioned in this article. You can save it to your Google Maps and when you are in Venice, check it to see where there’s a good gelato near you.

The Best Gelato in Venice 

Mela Verde 

Castello | Directions  

Mela Verde is a gelateria located in Castello, nestled between a row of restaurants with questionable ratings. It is so small that I passed by it, before returning after my GPS told me it was behind me.

This was the first gelato I have tried during my last trip to Venice, which has also gained the top position on this list. I chose the pistachio flavour, which was made with nuts from Bronte, in Sicily, which is a volcanic region on the slopes of Etna.

As soon as I tasted the gelato I felt the strong flavour of pistachio and the extremely creamy texture. I liked that the gelato also had chopped pistachio through it, giving it a lovely texture.

Whilst the service wasn’t the best, as I was ignored for a few minutes before I was served, I forgave them because the gelato was outstanding.

Suso Gelatoteca 

Rialto | Directions

My two favourite gelato flavours are pistachio and amarena – black cherry. And I’ve been told before by gelato maestri that they don’t work together. But whenever I find myself in Rome, I still order this same combination over and over.

Well, Suso Gelatoteca has someone read my mind and made a single flavour, combining pistachio and amarena under the name of “Marostica”. I mentioned the judgment I got in the past for ordering this combination to the lady selling the gelato, who laughed. I got the gelato, went outside, tasted it, and then came back inside to tell her how amazing it tasted. Because it did! The gelato was so creamy, with an incredible flavour and full cherries inside. I loved the edible cup and the composable spoon. Suso makes it to the second spot on my top gelato in Venice.  

Gelateria Nico 

Dorsoduro | Directions

Gelateria Nico was another great find. Located right on the waterfront, they have a few tables outdoors if you want to order some of their specialities, such as Gianduiotto (gianduia poached in whipped cream), banana split, cups of gelato topped with chocolate, cherries, whipped cream and so much more.

Even if might seem so, this gelateria has been in business for over 80 years.

I ordered a cup with their rum and biscuits flavour. Whilst the gelato wasn’t the creamiest (I wouldn’t expect it from an alcohol-based one), it had a strong flavour that stayed with me for the entire night. The crunchy biscuit bits gave the gelato a really nice texture.

Gelato di Natura 

Santa Croce | Directions 

Gelato di Natura has several shops around Venice. I tried their branch in Santa Croce and loved the very friendly service. This is a family owned gelateria, which uses high quality seasonal ingredients to make their gelatos traditionally.

I opted for the walnuts and figs flavour, which I eyed the moment I entered the shop. And it was a great choice as the gelato was very creamy and was quite refreshing, on an unusually hot October day in Venice. I loved the little bits of caramelised walnuts and the fig syrup that was drizzled over the top of the gelato. Even so, though, the gelato wasn’t too sweet, which I loved.

Bacaro del Gelato

Cannaregio | Directions

Bacaro del Gelato is a bit out of the way, on a quiet canal in Cannaregio, but trust me, it’s worth getting out of your way to get here. I walked for half an hour on my last evening in Venice to get a gelato here, after being recommended to me by quite a few locals. And they were not wrong. I arrived at Bacaro del Gelato quite late, after 9 pm, and I was happy that it was still open.

It was hard to decide on one flavour only, as there were quite a few that caught my eye. But in the end, I chose their own creation, the Momoeto, as the container was almost empty. That meant it must be good! I asked the owner what was inside it, and he said that it was crème anglaise with pieces of biscuits and chocolate inside.

Whilst the gelato wasn’t as creamy as others, the flavour was so good. I loved that each scoop came with plenty of biscuits and chocolate bits in it. A perfect way to end my gelato journey in Venice.

Gelateria Il Doge 

San Polo | Directions

Gelateria Il Doge has two locations, quite close to each other, in San Polo. One of them is in the popular Piazza Santa Margherita, which has a very vibrant atmosphere at night due to the very cheap bars and the students hanging out here.

The most popular gelato flavour at Gelateria Il Doge is Crema del Doge, typical to Venice. Crema del Doge is the most traditional gelato flavour in Venice. It is made with eggs and cream, with candied oranges and chocolate nibs inside. It is extremely aromatic and has a subtle sweetness that makes it unique. I would definitely have it again.

Gelateria Ca D’Oro

Cannaregio | Directions

I usually stay away from places on the tourist path. But I couldn’t ignore Gelateria Ca D’Oro for two reasons: first, it was recommended by several locals, and two, it had quite the queue in front. Gelateria Ca D’Oro is located on the main street that leads from the train station to Rialto and Piazza San Marco, which is very busy. But this doesn’t mean that the gelato is not good, on the contrary. Gelateria Ca D’Oro has one of the best gelatos in Venice, in my opinion.

I found here the best flavour combination: chocolate and amarena. I arrived here in the afternoon after around 20,000 steps walked around Venice. I needed a boost of energy and this gelato was exactly that. The chocolate was extremely rich and creamy, perfectly balanced by the large sour cherries inside. It was perfection in a cup.

Gelateria Gallonetto 

San Polo | Directions

Gallonetto is another gelateria that, if it didn’t have a queue in front, I would have missed. This gelateria is tiny, and I mean very tiny. It has space for maybe two people only inside. This is a family-run gelato shop, three generations in by now. The gelato is freshly made every morning in their own kitchen next to the shop, with milk and cream from local farms, as well as seasonal fruits from the Venice region. They don’t have many flavours to choose from.

They are keeping their gelato inside covered containers, so you can’t see it. You pick the flavour, and then you get to see the actual gelato being scooped in your cup or on the cone. Here I went for a classic amarena flavour. The taste was very delicate and the gelato was creamy and soft. It also had chopped cherries inside.

Gelateria Millevoglie 

San Polo | Directions 

Millevoglie – one thousand cravings, if translated into English. Whilst they don’t have a thousand flavours of gelato, no matter which one you go for, it’s guaranteed to satisfy your craving. Besides gelato, they serve different pastries, as well as pizza to go made on the spot.

I decided to switch up the flavours a little bit and chose the tiramisu gelato at Gelateria Millevoglie. The lady selling the gelato let me know that there was alcohol in the tiramisu gelato, which I didn’t mind. I was surprised at how creamy this gelato was, due to the alcohol inside it. The flavour was more of rum rather than coffee, but it was still very good. I really liked the piece of the ladyfinger soaked in coffee biscuit decorating the gelato.

Gelateria Rosa Salva 

Castello | Directions

Rosa Salva is one of the oldest still surviving cafes in Venice. It was first opened in 1876 and you can find it in Campo San Giovanni e Paolo. The café has its own small gelateria, with a limited number of flavours.

I discovered Rosa Salva years ago, when I took a tour of the hidden gems in Venice, with a local. She first explained the architecture of the square we were in, with the two united churches one of which serves as the civic hospital of the city, before taking a break for gelato. There is always a good time for gelato!

I returned to Rosa Salva several times after that trip, and the gelato was always creamy, with a strong pistachio flavour.

I know that they have expanded, and have now more than one location in Venice. I however always went to the one in Campo San Giovanni e Paolo.  

Gelateria Leonardo 

San Polo | Directions 

Last but not least gelateria on my list of my favourite gelato in Venice is Leonardo. I arrived here quite early, as soon as they opened, and had a chat with the lovely owner, who was still placing the gelato trays in the fridge.

Their speciality is the waffle gelato, which comes inside a waffle cone and is topped with different syrups and sprinkles. For the purpose of this review though, I went for a cup with a pistachio gelato. It tasted good, but the consistency wasn’t creamy at all, it was more like an ice cream rather than gelato. Still, it made it in this article because it was good.

Map of the Best Gelaterias in Venice

Conclusion

Even if it is one of the most expensive cities in Italy, there is affordable and good gelato in Venice. I hope that my research will be useful for your next trip to Venice. I surely know I enjoyed tasting so many delicious gelatos in Venice, to find which are the best ones.

For more similar articles, check out my recommendations below:

• Traditional Venetian Food
• The Best Street Food in Venice
• Cheap Eats in Venice
• My favourite restaurants in Venice
• Where to stay in Venice

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