If you have any type of allergy to dairy and miss ice cream, yogurt, gelato, frozen confection goodness.. This is one place you can't pass up. The dairy free fruit gelatos are out of this world! read more

During a hot summer day walking the streets of St. Augustine's Historic District, we stopped in for a quick late afternoon gelato. Pay first, then bring your receipt to the gelato guys to fill your order. Of course we loved it. Also enjoyed the decor of the room, especially their old-style chairs with leather strap backings. Visited in July 2014 read more

Not Italian level gelato and it will run you $5 for a small but it's not heavy water based either. The interior is nice and on a hot summer day it's a good stop. read more

Rude to say the least. Bought gelatos from them, sent my son up to grab some napkins, he took 2 napkins and the guys ripped them out of his hands and told him "You can't just come up here and take our napkins!" He didn't even ask if we were customers. My son was shaken and I will NEVER go back again. Over 2 napkins. read more

Amazing food and gelato. Its the real deal. Very cute decor as well and a beautiful atmosphere. The only complaint i have is that the young men behind the counter seem distracted and slow. The food took a while, but it was worth it. read more

Good stuff, nice selection. pretty prompt & leisure.

I've been here twice now, and I would for sure go back for either coffee or a quick bite to eat. My mom and I stopped in here for dinner when wandering around looking at the Christmas lights. We both got a panini and they were both sooooo good. I got the caprese because I love mozzarella and basil. OK, and tomato. Mom got the Mediterranean, which to me sounded like it would be weird because it had 2 types of cheese PLUS hummus (hummus and melted cheese just didn't sound right to me) but it ended up being delicious. At $7-8 bucks each, you definitely get a good sized sandwich. We also had some coffee to go. They made us a fresh pot because they were out. It wasn't really the type of coffee I like, but a little milk made it good. Stopped in here again a few weeks later for a Mexican hot chocolate. It was raining and freezing outside, so I requested it extra hot so it wouldn't cool down so fast. It came out luke warm at best, but they were so busy I didn't feel like trying to grab someone to have them fix it. Overall, it's a nice little place to grab a snack and a drink. The gelato looks great, but I have yet to try that. read more

Great place! Really fair pricing. Had the Hidalgo salad. Delicious. They do need to have 2 registers. One for Gelato and another for food. It would be much more efficient that way. That is my only suggestion. Love the ambiance. read more

My sister and I happened upon this place. We were tired from walking around the old town and went to the first acceptable place we came upon. She had the meatball panino and I had a salad with walnuts, cranberries, apples, blue cheese and ginger dressing (don't remember what it was called). We were both extremely happy with our food. Also, the two people working the counter were extremely friendly. I guess I could give five stars, but... well, it was just a little place with an excellent salad and panino. read more

I stopped in with my plastic cup and asked for a glass of water. The owner asked if I was buying anything and I answered no I was not. He promptly said no and said I had to leave. I said it's just water. He stormed around the counter and told me leave now. I walked out and he followed me. When outside I said that no way to run A business in a tourist town. He yelled, IM THE OWNER AND I WANT YOU TO LEAVE. Then he looked at a young family with a baby to get out of his chairs. This man is a real JERK and I would emplore you to not use this business. Try asking for a glass of water if you have time. LOL. read more

We have been eating here every Friday night for at least a year (we are locals). The staff are very friendly, helpful, and attentive. The gelato is the real thing and made here, with a big selection of flavors. They also have tiramisu, but they run out often, but it is also great if you are lucky enough to be there when there is some left. We typically have a panino, a salad, and gelato, and then walk it off for 30-45 minutes. The food has been fantastic 100% of the time. We highly recommend! read more

Try the affogato, it's an espresso over gelato personally I get it with the hazelnut gelato(usually it comes with vanilla) it is simply amazing! read more

Their gelato was soooooo good!! I had a mix of pistachio, almond and banana gelato. The hubby had a mix of their strawberry and also the banana gelato. They get quite busy, but the Polish girl behind the counter was quite patient with me wanting to try different flavors. It's definitely worth it to stop by this place when you have a craving for some cold, creamy and nummy dessert. read more

YUMMY GELATO! Very good, reminds me of gelato I had in Florence :) On a hot day the mango flavor is so refreshing. Also tried strawberry and dulce de leche - Yum! Cute place too. read more

Awesome espressos and espresso drinks! I had a iced espresso (I think it was a Picasso?) and it was good. My husband, after a failed attempt to add his own spin on a italian soda flavor, got an espresso. The espresso was so good I made him go back and get me one. We looked up the type of bean they use to buy at home. The staff was very nice and the prices were reasonable too. read more

Great food!! They've got a nice little menu to choose from, but you can also "build your own" panini, which is what I did. Ingredients were great and fresh. Nice little cafe in the midst of crappy touristy shops and "restaurants". read more

My husband and I got gelato here last night and it did not disappoint! We split a small, which we were a little worried that it might not be enough, but it was packed with gelato! It was easily 2 scoops worth! I absolutely loved the chocolate flavor. It was so smooth and creamy, with almost a mousse like texture. We will probably be back before we leave! read more

Staff was rude; lady gave me a dirty look when I ordered Tiramisu gelato. The gelato was good though.

The food and service was wonderful! They offer a variety of teas . The menu is a bit limited but you will NOT be disappointed... i highly recommend it! read more

Handmade, amazing gelato! Give this place a visit and you won't be disappointed if you want real and delicious gelato! Yum yum yum!

This restaurant has an odd layout and it took way too long to get our panini's. Not a good place to go if you are short on time. Otherwise the food and the gelato are good. read more

Great variety of flavors of gelato! Staff very friendly! The salads are delicious! We have been coming here for a year and never disappoints. Great background music and the decor is funky and great! read more

New ownership. We've been coming here for over a decade, and new ownership ruins the experience we have looked forward to every year. It's no longer authentic billowy gelato, it's merely ice cream. And it's ok, but it can't be billed as authentic if it's not. The coppa to share is much less ice cream than it used to be under previous ownership. The small coppa is fewer scoops as well. (No air conditioning either...) We will not be returning soon. read more

I didn't exactly eat here. I'm giving two stars for wonderful gelato, and zero stars for service. The building is charming. My companion wanted a coffee because it was a cold drizzly morning, I stopped to shop the gelato offerings. Woman behind counter greeted me, but that's all. I was about to move on when my friend saw a sign that offered tastes, so I asked for and was graciously given generous samples. The gelato is very dense and almost too creamy. The coconut was very. very sweet, which is not to my taste, but had good coconut flavor. The mango flavor tasted exactly like fresh ripe mango, fruity and not overly sweet. I planned to try a few other flavors later. It was early and we wanted to explore the area first, so planned to return later for refreshments. However, after 10 minutes, my companion said no one had even tried to take his coffee order - he was third in line, first customer had just been served as he joined line, they had been making second customer's order that entire time! We only had one day in town with our friends, and wanted to do other things too. read more

Definitely do not recommend. Walked in with no host had to to find someone to ask how sitting worked. We get seated with menus by a nice man! However we sat for about 10 mins before he came back - took our drink + food order and never came back.. not even for our drinks for a good 30+ minutes. Another guy (found out it was the owner) then comes to deliver food. Only food that wasn't ours but one of the meals happened to be something we had ordered so he left it. While he was dropping it off I asked about our drinks we were still waiting on and he nicely told me he was sure they were coming soon. After waiting all the time we figured we would leave and just find another place. Figured it wouldn't be a problem since we were never brought food or drinks. The owner who brought the one plate of food stopped us on the way out and demands us to pay for it - it wasn't even ours to begin with not to mention we didn't even eat it.. not one to complain like a Karen but this was very unacceptable service. We then explain our frustration and he claims we were being rude and belligerent and tells us to just stop talking. We won't be back and shouldn't have even been nice and paid for the salad no one touched again that wasn't ours read more

I followed the recommendations from other people and stopped there for lunch with my family. They have the best gelato we've ever tasted. The paninis where wonderful. I had the Mona Lisa Panini and it was fantastic . read more

We were looking for a reasonable place to have lunch & not wait an hour for service. I had a salad made to order and not only tasted great it was beautifully arranged! This is something you expect in a pricey, upscaled restaurant. My husband had a panini which he gave great reviews also. The gelato is a dream! You MUST have the gelato if you ever visit St Augustine. read more

Love this place! I'm a local and this is one of my favorite cafes downtown. My husband and I have have visited multiple times just ourselves and with family and friends and we've never had a bad experience or dish. The gelato is excellent and consistently kept at a cold enough temperature that it isn't slushy when it's dished out. The sandwiches and salads are excellent. Just a really great, inexpensive place all around. read more

Right in the heart of St Augustine's quasi promenade, this cafe sits on the corner and is good considering the price and location. The sandwiches are good and filling. You order at a counter and seat yourself. The indoor area had several tables and loads of Spanish explorer inspired artwork. There is an outdoor area, but the tables and chairs were dirty and run down. Great coffee, which can be taken to go. There is a "gelato" ice cream parlor section. The flavors tasted more like ice cream than gelato though. Very friendly staff and good choice for a quick bite. read more

We ordered two lunch meals and one of them was wrong. The portions are very small. The batista was coughing all over the machine while making coffee, taking order's, and then spit flem into a garage can in front of customers. The whole twenty minutes we were in the store she never once washed her hands after coughing. I really hope we don't get sick!!!! read more

Nice little place, great gelato! Lots of flavors to choose from and the staff is really friendly. You do have to order on the other side and then go back to the gelato counter and pick your flavor though. And a small is plenty! They let you get two flavors in a small and ours were very full. The coco puffs one is so good, but very rich! read more

Cafe del Hidalgo - Gelato Near Me - St. Augustine, Florida

Some friends of mine and I went here today for lunch. I had a turkey panini. It was served with homemade potato chips and a pickle. Everything appeared to be handmade--even the honey mustard sauce on my sandwich and the pickle on the side--and freshly prepared. That was one of the best meals I have ever had! I told my friends to keep this on their list of places to take others who come visit them! It was really superb! read more

Great menu, great atmosphere and great staff! Gelato is the best I have ever had! Paninis and salads are excellent. Great place to eat while touring Old Town! read more

Went this Sunday with my family for a gelato and espresso, a special they had posted in multiple locations throughout the establishment. When I got to the register, I was quoted a different higher price than what was posted. I asked him to correct it to the posted price. "Can't do that" he said. "So you won't honor the posted price you have in 4 different locations?" "No I can't." "Can I speak to your manager?" I am the manager. " Can you at least take the signs down so other people aren't confused?" " can't do that" and his exact words were " most the prices up there are fu*king wrong" So there you have it. Wrong posted prices, they will not honor them, nor will they change the incorrect prices. Jonathan was the "manager" I spoke to. Dark hair young guy. Ask him about it. Sounds like a really dishonest business. Don't go. read more

Best cafe in St. Augustine! I had one of their panini's, it was perfect and my wife had one of their salads. Everything was fresh and very delicious. If you're in the area, I would most definitely recommend. read more

Don't be fooled by the managements fake smile and seemingly interested attitude--it's all a front. I worked there and they only clean surfaces, which means it isn't hard to find years grime behind and under the counters, doors, under the gelato machine, ect. Other than having an incompetent management, they cook their meatballs at home, which violates numerous safety hazards, clean towels at home, make the 'hummus' (the taste and look resembles something completely different) at home, and all that's barely scratching the surface. They only flip containers when they absolutely need to and most of them never get interchanged. They pay their employees under the table in cash and pretend to care for customers. They are some of the nicest employees I've ever met and it's sad that such a lady would take advantage of them in such a way. They have a rat that lives there and barely sanitize dishes. It's great gelato but just know what your getting into before you purchase any of their overpriced offerings. If anything hopefully they will see this and be forced to change their ways. read more

My daughter ordered a 16 oz. speciality drink which was supposed to cost $2.00. I was charged $2.25--the cost of the 20 oz. drink. When I brought this to the cashier's attention, she looked at me like I was crazy and said "I'll let my manager know". She did not offer to upsize the drink or refund my money. I realize that it's just 25 cents but it's the principle of customer service and doing what's right. read more

The gelato was horrible. The flavors were artificial and lacked any subtlety at all. Normally the high price of gelato reflects the quality to some degree but it seems the price here solely reflects the cost of their rent. read more

I love the Gelato here but that's pretty much all I've tried. They allow you to sample the flavors prior to deciding on one (or two), but they're not the best at accommodating customers at times. In fact, service has grown steadily worse with every visit I've made here. The ordering and payment process is also rather non-intuitive. You have to go past the gelato counter into what looks like the coffee counter to first pay for your order (waffle cone or not, how many scoops, etc.). Then you take the receipt to the gelato counter to get what you want. It's a little bizarre to go further into the restaurant first when the gelato is right by the door and so distracting! The gelato's worth all the hassle, though. read more

mmm mmm mmm good. I love Gelato and their summer special (4 flavor) cup was deliciously smooth and creamy. If it wasn't so fattening I would have had 2 cups! read more