Mrs. MN Pete just said, "Why don't you ask those nice people about gelato? What's the best you've ever had and where from? Worst? Most interesting flavor?"

So I am.

Mine was tartufo at Bar Tre Bis last year. Black chock with chock covered espresso beans -- simply the best chocolate I ever had. This year they don't have it, so after a couple of tries I decided to skip gelato, because once you've had the best, where is there to go?

That's kind of like asking me what's the best sex I've ever had. No way will I try to rate. No such thing as bad gelato anyway, so why not indulge.

Arte del Gelato in Orta san Giulio (Lake Orta)has thirty or so flavours. I made an attempt to try every flavour in the course of a week, and on my final visit, she filled up the largest dish into a mound 6" high and wouldn't accept payment. I think she wants me to appear in her advertisements. I told her she had the best gelato in Italy, so I can't retract now. Her pistachio is without a doubt the best pistachio in Italy (only equalled by the pistachio at a gelateria at Haberfield here in Sydney).

Of course, the gelateria awarded the "best in world" for the last couple of years is in San Gimignano. Gelateria di Piazza on Piazza della Cisterna. We stopped off when driving from Lucca to Montalcino just for a gelato.

For something different, try the tomato gelato in Venice or the orange and carrot gellato which is appearing more and more frequently around the country.

Cheers
gavin

Pete- Try running a search on the Board- you'll see lots of opinions on gelato places. The best I've had so far are from Perche No in Florence, and Il Doge in Venice.

I love the fruit floavors- limone, frutti di bosco, (blackberryand raspberry, I think), fragola, pesca. On the other hand, I also love the nuts- nocciola, coco, pistachio, etc. My husband always orders some variation of chocolate, which I find too heavy for more than a few sneaks.

Oh my. Can I go back now for some taste testing?

Amy in MA

We have a page about Gelato - which I need to update:
http://www.slowtrav.com/italy/food/gelato.htm

And our Gelato place reviews are with the restaurant lists:
http://www.slowtrav.com/italy/restaurant_list/about_rlist.htm

My favorite Gelato is in Rome:

San Crispino, Via della Panetteria, 42. Between Spanish Steps and Trevi Fountain.
Pauline from SlowTrav: Incredible Gelato. It was recommended in some guide book, but I can't remember which one. In June 2000, we paid 4,000 lire ($2.00) for a cup of 2 flavors. We returned in October 2001 and this is my favorite gelato in Rome. It is not as rich and creamy as the Della Palma - I find there is more flavor and less of that overwhelming dairy feeling with the San Crispino gelato.

And I usually want chocolate or hazelnut. Also lemon.

Pauline from Slow Travelers