This is the best ice cream in Italy! It's worth waiting for even an hour…

Last updated:June 23, 2023

We present to you a pastry shop that serves the best ice cream in Italy. Even if it means waiting in line for a long time, it's worth the wait.

And what is the philosophy behind the best ice cream in Italy? "When you buy ice cream in a store, you buy a product that was made half a year ago. When you enter my ice cream parlor, you buy the ice cream that was made that morning." he says Sergio Dondoli, the owner Confectionery Dondoli in a picturesque town San Gimignano.

The patisserie is located on the Piazza della Cisterna square of this beautiful Tuscan town, which is visited by many tourists every year. This small pastry shop would otherwise be quite easy to miss, if only there were not a long line of people waiting to try the "supposedly" best ice cream in the world.

Sometimes you'll wait about 10 minutes, other times an hour and a half. Don't be surprised by this fact, as the mentioned ice cream is often praised in famous gastronomic TV shows and the most important world guides. In 2011, for example, Lonely Planet listed it Top 10 Foodie Places in the world.

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And why is it the best ice cream in Italy?

The patisserie became famous thanks to the masterful creations of owner Sergi Dondoli, who was fascinated by the preparation of high-quality ice cream from an early age, and found inspiration in local ingredients, incredible smells and tastes. For 18 years, he traveled around Europe and acquired culinary knowledge, and he achieved world fame in 1992, when he opened the now iconic patisserie in San Gimignano, known for combinations of seemingly incompatible ingredients.

Aromatic herbs, Tuscan wine,…

You can immerse yourself in classic flavors such as chocolate, hazelnut or strawberry, but you can also try some more unusual ice cream versions. Let's say Crema di Santa Fina – bourbon vanilla ice cream from Madagascar combined with saffron from San Gimignano and pine nuts from Pisa. There is also a creamy and slightly spiced vanilla custard Dolceamaro with a sprinkling of aromatic herbs, enriched with chocolate dressing made from oranges and espresso coffee, sprinkled with hazelnuts and almonds. Wine lovers must not miss the sorbet Vernaccia from the Tuscan white wine of the same name or Champelmo, which combines pink grapefruit and sparkling wine.

You will pay between 3 and 7 euros for a scoop, depending on the desired size.