(Took Out 08/07/16 SU @ 11:00am): When in Italy, I had to seek out gelato which led me to this cantina!
It was a port day in the beautiful city of Florence while on a cruise with Princess Cruises, when my oldest niece and I came across Cantina Del Gelato as we explored the area around the famed Ponte Vecchio. With a mix of classic along with seasonal and artisanal flavors all made with natural ingredients, this gelateria beckoned any frozen treat fan to have a look. I loved gelato to no end which was sparked by my first visit to Italy nearly 15 years prior. Certainly a must for any visitor to this country was to try the gelato, the wine, and all the cuisine. Whenever I made it back to this part of Florence again, would I carve some time to make another stop here!?
PURCHASE
Coppetta Media - Hazelnut And Pistachio (3 Euro): My niece played it safe with her selection and went for a couple classic flavors... not that there was anything wrong with that! A healthy serving of dense smooth goodness, each flavor was on-point, had tiny flecks of actual nuts, and was downright delectable https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=SCM_SX03bFiNCYZ49c1G0g&userid=8jVT2inwc8GIQ6sH2UG9Vw!
Coppetta Grande - Mango Cumin Fig, Hazelnut & Nutella, Chocolate Crunchy & Rum, With Wafer Crisp (4 Euro): I went large with my selection and splurged on the freshly-made wafer to top off this mountain of mouth-watering mayhem! Again, each flavor had minuscule morsels of their respective namesakes with the mango cumin fig the hands-down winner of the trio because of the way your tastebuds were taken on an exotic ride of sweet, savory, and succulent. And bless you for the actual presence of rum in the chocolate crunchy & rum scoop https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=vzo0MRNfSpUGNjKxu_GPsQ&userid=8jVT2inwc8GIQ6sH2UG9Vw!
SERVICE
Greeted and welcomed by an extremely affable gentleman who apparently was the master gelato maker, he patiently waited for us to make our decisions as he offered tastings and told us about the flavors and the shop. Once we knew what we wanted, he quickly crammed as much as possible in each of our cups and thanked us for coming in. Absolutely no complaints here - ciao!
PARKING (FREE)
Because we were exploring on foot, this wasn't an issue for us. However, I recalled seeing a couple spots in front of the gelateria, but the main mode of transportation around here was walking, so have comfortable kicks on.
ATMOSPHERE, DÉCOR, AMBIENCE
With an easily-visible storefront signage https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=n_XliSo5Z9aDqsA3sXBqTg&userid=8jVT2inwc8GIQ6sH2UG9Vw, the inside reminded me of a bunker with barely enough room for the singular long display case/counter once you entered https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=lM408tSUTUSzAqRXzLBoXw&userid=8jVT2inwc8GIQ6sH2UG9Vw, a sign with the hours on top of the counter https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=FNcKRlrSKkkVUIPc13gTcQ&userid=8jVT2inwc8GIQ6sH2UG9Vw, a legible price menu on the stark white wall https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=8-Cldz0W5tQLnj8srAx1nw&userid=8jVT2inwc8GIQ6sH2UG9Vw, and a couple high tables to the side. A decent amount of natural lighting came through the front glass walls and door while a handful of electric recessed ceiling lights covered the rest. I didn't recall any TVs but low music played in the background.
ATTIRE
Totally casual, so I would normally be in a t-shirt, boardshorts, and flip-flops.
OVERALL
Cantina Del Gelato was an absolutely amazing find and would definitely return if given the chance! I wished they were in the U.S.... namely in my hipster Silver Lake 'hood (Pazzo Gelato had nothing on them!). If gelato wasn't your thing (a blasphemous thought!), they also served fresh juices, milkshakes, and smoothies. The myriad of flavor choices stuffed my eyes just looking at them, the service excellent, and the prices were comparable. I was a happy traveler https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=1oCBRGmWZ5G_clnkT8jWGQ&userid=8jVT2inwc8GIQ6sH2UG9Vw! I found total value based on the prices, service, and experience noted above (TOTAL paid experience was around 7.00 Euro BEFORE any discounts and/or tip). And, although I paid in cash, they accepted my credit card of choice... AMEX! 5.0 STARS read more