The Best Gelato In Venice, Italy
Suso, Venchi, and Da Nico in Venice, Italy.
Gelato in Italy is hands-down better than any version of gelato outside of Italy. As with most Italian cities, there is no shortage of gelaterias. With the help of my local experts (the owners and staff at Al Ponte Antico), I narrowed the “gelato quest” to three. Each is unique even when ordering the same flavor.
Manet gelato from Suso in Venice, Italy.
Suso has a few locations around town, with one dangerously close to my favorite hotel. This location does not have seating and the gelato is meant to be carried with you whether in a cone or cup. The flavor I decided to use as the test flavor for all three locations is the Manet. This is gianduja gelato (a historical and traditional fusion of chocolate and hazelnuts), covered with pistachio cream with sweet Cervia salt. This explosion of flavors will have you coming back for more—sometimes twice in one day!
Mix of hazelnut and pistachio from Venchi in Venice, Italy.
Venchi was an exceptional experience as well! The location I visited on the way to St. Mark’s Square had a long bench along the window where I was able to sit and enjoy my treat. One unique aspect of Venchi is the cups of gelato can be coated in chocolate or other sweets—I chose a liquid chocolate base. I chose a mix of the Hazelnut and Pistachio and it was truly delicious. This location also had a wonderful assortment of chocolate. So, if you’re looking to bring back some wonderful treats, this may be just the spot.
Gianduitto from Gelati Da Nico in Venice, Italy.
Gelati Da Nico seemed truly local. This one is located close to the Academia vaporetto stop but on the back side facing Giudecca. It’s a quaint little café with seating both inside and outside, right on the water. Here, the Gianduiotto is the local favorite and is an absolute must when you are in Venice. The bar-like “slice” of gelato is the traditional chocolate hazelnut flavor, with mounds of whipped cream. Because I am an absolute sucker for pistachio cream, I asked our server if it was possible to get a little bit of pistachio added—well, it’s not. And, it seemed a bit piggish to order two desserts, so I stuck with the Gianduitto and am glad I did. The gelato brick was a little more firm than I prefer, at first, but as I kept working my way through this giant cup it softened to the perfect texture. I suspect it gets there a lot faster in the summer.
The gelato quest was a fun way to explore the city and well worth the expedition. Of the three gelatos I tried, I cannot say there was a favorite based on flavor or quality alone—you simply cannot go wrong! I would suggest starting your quest on the first day of your trip so that you have a good opportunity to revisit each of these—you can never have too much gelato in Italy!
