Bologna has fast become our favourite city in all of Italy. There’s much to love about this city. Its pastel red hues, breezy lifestyle and magnificent food scene are just some of the highlights. Aside from those hugely gratifying things, you’ll also find the best gelato in Bologna.
We’ve already detailed the best gelato in Italy (to the best extent of our travels anyhow!). So we think it’s time we lay down our views on the best gelato in Bologna, the home of the sweetest dessert we know.
Heading to Bologna? Check out our itinerary for 3 days in Bologna.
Sampling gelato is a tough business, but we’re more than up for the task. All our reviews below have been personally tried and tested. Read on to learn about the gelaterias we deem as serving up the best gelato in Bologna.
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#8 Gelateria Stefino
Gelateria Stefino makes our list for the sheer ingenuity of its menu. I’m sure they break all sorts of rules when it comes to gelato that would tick some traditional Italians right off.
If out there flavours are your thing, head here to try a wasabi gelato or ginger and curry. As a wasabi fan, I gave it a go, but can’t say that gelato and wasabi are an agreeable mix. If you do go for an untraditional flavour, pair it with a traditional one. We can recommend crema, nocciola, crema or Pistachio di Sicilia which were very good.
They lose points for the cardinal sin of ‘presenting the gelato’ however. The precious stuff should be safely stored out of sight inside their tins.
NOTE: Stefino prides themselves on their vegan and gluten free options.
Gelateria Stefino Address: Via S. Vitale, 37, 40125 Bologna BO, Italy
#7 Gelateria Majori
This was the first gelateria we visited on our first trip to Bologna. A stifling hot day, nothing would beat the heat more than a cold sorbet. And they were nothing short of excellent. My picks for the sorbet here were the strawberry and lemon. Eat it under the porticoes to avoid it turning to a slushie under the hot sun.
Similarly to Gelato Stefino, they also present the gelato which loses marks from me.
Gelateria Majori Address: Via Marsala, 16, 40126 Bologna BO, Italy
#6 Cremeria la Vecchia Stalla
In the beating heart of Piazza Santo Stefano, you’ll find Cremeria la Vecchia Stalla. This open space is pure Bolognese and I would argue has one of the best locations to enjoy your gelato. You’ve got a wide open space, rows of porticoes surrounding you and throngs of people taking in aperitivo in the afternoon.
Head to Piazza Santo Stefano for aperitivo. When you’ve finished your aperitivo, head to this cremeria for a delicious selection of gelato. The most decked out gelateria, the gelato here is very, very good.
The mascarpone and Nutella flavours got the thumbs up from us here.
Cremeria La Vecchia Stalla Address: Via Santo Stefano, 14/A, 40125 Bologna BO, Italy
#5 Grom
Shock and horror. A chain store has made our list. This selection will make a few people recoil, particularly with the ranking it receives. But bear with us.
Grom provides the best, consistent gelato that you’ll find throughout Italy. Grom has stores all over Italy, and scattered heavily through the northern regions. We’ve eaten at their stores in Verona, Trento, Turin and here. They genuinely serve a high quality gelato across a suite of flavours. It might not be the overall best, but it gets a vote for reliability and consistency.
It sits firmly in the middle of our recommendations for Bologna. Don’t be a gelato snob because it’s a chain – it really does make the grade.
Grom Address: Via D’Azeglio, 13, 40100 Bologna BO, Italy
#4 La sorbietta castiglione
Tucked away in the backstreets of Bologna, you need to know that La Sorbietta Castiglione exists in the first place. You’d be beyond lucky to simply wander past it.
Its secret is starting to get out however. We had the store to ourselves until a university group walking tour wandered in. It won’t be too long before the secret is out if indeed it is a secret at all.
La Sorbietta Castiglione makes our list for its perfect creamy texture. This ability to make gelato super creamy, is what the very best gelaterias do best. In particular, their pistachio and salted caramel are of the highest quality.
La Sorbietta Castiglione Address: Via Castiglione, 44 d/e, 40124 Bologna BO, Italy
#3 Cremeria Mascarella
Mascarella was unknown to us, but recommended by an Italian friend (who knew his food in Bologna!). Mascarella is in third, but certainly not by a huge distance.
We sampled the traditional flavours of bacio, cioccolato classic and crèma di limone. All were outstanding, but if I had to pick one, I’d vouch for crema di limone (Kristen will probably say the bacio).
Cremeria Mascarella Address: Via Mascarella, 30/B, 40126 Bologna BO, Italy
#2 Cremeria Santo Stefano
I’m writing this article, so I get to determine the positionings. If Kristen were writing it, this might make number 1. Cremeria Santo Stefano was our nearest gelateria on our 2 most recent visits to Bologna. We had thought we fell for it given it was so close by. But as you can see, we’ve sampled widely, and can attest that Santo Stefano is at a near unmatched level of amazing.
Our favourite flavour here was Salted Pistachio. Not to be confused with Pistachio which we have also tried. The Salted Pistachio is Kristen’s single favourite flavour overall. Our last visit saw 2 scoops of this only. She had no time for other flavours. It is a delectably creamy gelato. So creamy it takes a little while to melt even on a hot evening.
Alongside the Salted Pistachio, my favourite was a weekly special. It was on the menu for the 2 weeks of our most recent visit, and I for one wasn’t complaining it hadn’t been substituted out! A torte and lemon cream flavour which contained real chunks of cake. So memorable, I can taste it as I type.
I’ll be returning to Santo Stefano on our next visit to Bologna. It’s only fair we repeatedly sample their flavours to ensure our rankings remain true over time.
Cremina Santo Stefano Address: Via Santo Stefano, 70/c, 40125 Bologna BO, Italy
#1 Cremeria Cavour
Numero Uno on our list of the best gelato in Bologna. For prior visitors, this is unlikely to be a surprise. Cremeria Cavour is no secret in these parts. The store in which it operates was formerly called Cremeria Funivia which has moved further out of Central Bologna.
This started our last trip as our outright favourite gelateria. As you can tell though, Santo Stefano closed the gap.
Cremeria Cavour is the most popular gelateria in Bologna. It is not unusual to have lines well out the door, even at off peak times. A 45 minute wait on a Saturday evening was the longest line we braved.
So how does Cavour reach number 1? They serve up a sensational array of artisanal flavours as well as granita (originating from Sicily). The quality and breadth of their offering is phenomenal. I’ve personally tried some 15+ flavours here and cannot fault any of them. Of course I have my favourites, but to deliver such a high quality across such a wide menu is an astounding effort.
So what flavours to try? Anything ‘cremina’ will have you ascending towards the heavens. Cremina pistachio (noticing a theme here?) and Bacio are outstanding selections. My personal favourite is the house pick of Cavour. A lemon cream gelato with puff pasta pieces. The pasta provides an extra texture other than just gelato and subtle lemon flavours.
To top this all off, get a cone with a choc dip inside. When you’ve finished your delightful gelato, it’s another bonus to finish with some chocolate.
Cremeria Cavour Address: Piazza Camillo Benso Conte di Cavour, 1/d/e, 40124 Bologna BO, Italy
Additional notes for the best gelato in Bologna
Most people can’t get to every gelateria. If you can’t prioritise Cremeria Cavour and Santo Stefano. If you have a chance to visit a third, revisit your favourite of the 2.
Check the opening times
Mondays are the worst days in Bologna. Cremeria Cavour and Cremeria Santo Stefano are closed. Which means you’ll have to visit one of the others on the list.
The Quadrilatero of Bologna is home to great Italian produce, outstanding restaurants and is a wonderful location for aperitivo. Gelato is not its strength. There are two that we know of, and we cannot recommend either of them. You probably have a standard option like these in your home town. They’re in a premium location, charge premium prices and not a premium product. Avoid at all costs.
Don’t get ripped off
You shouldn’t be paying any more than €2.50-3 for 2 scoops of gelato. Any more and you’re likely at a non-authentic gelateria. There are things you should look for to avoid bad gelato and this is one of them. Read on to find out how to avoid the worst gelato in Italy.
Speaking of payment, it’s not unique to Bologna, but there is a system to ordering gelato. You pay first for what you’d like. A cone with 2 scoops for instance. And then you move along to select your flavours and be served. We’ve witnessed a lot of confused people trying to order before they’ve paid though. Just remember that you need to prepay your gelato and you can avoid all sorts of confusion.
Sample smart
If you want to sample as many gelaterias as possible like we did, don’t go nuts on buying huge amounts of gelato. We’d sometimes share one between the two of us. And find another gelateria in the evening and do the same. As we firmed up our favourites there was far less sharing, but it’s an effective strategy to help try as many as you can. If you’re a couple that is. It might be a bit weird between friends, but we’re not one to judge.
Have we hit the nail on the head for the best gelato in Bologna? Or missed the mark completely? If you’ve sampled the many delights of Bologna’s gelato, let us know below.
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