Cremeria la Vecchia Stalla — Restaurant in Bologna

While visiting Bologna, we stopped at Cremeria La Vecchia Stalla after seeing it recommended by locals — and honestly, it was excellent. It’s tucked away on a quiet street just a short walk from the city center, and feels very authentic and unpretentious. The minute we walked in, we were greeted with warm smiles and an overwhelming selection of beautifully presented gelato.

We tried a few different flavors, and each one was incredible. The crema all’antica was rich, silky, and deeply flavorful — probably the best custard-style gelato I’ve had. Their pistachio was also amazing: smooth, not too sweet, and with a real roasted pistachio depth that most places miss. Even their fruit-based sorbets, like lemon and mango, were intensely fresh and natural, without being overly sugary.

What really stood out was the texture — incredibly creamy and light, without any icy aftertaste — a sign of truly artisanal gelato. Portions were generous, and the prices were more than fair for the quality.

This place easily ranks among the best gelaterias we’ve ever tried, not just in Bologna but anywhere. If you’re in the area, it’s absolutely worth a detour — a real gem for anyone who loves genuine Italian...

The gelati at the Cremeria la Vecchia Stalla was the second gelato tried on my trip to Bologna. I got a cup with 3 flavors. It came with a pretty decorative wafer. For my taste, I thought the gelato was okay. Not great. The gelato was soft and sort of melting. The Carezza Africana (chocolate with marinated cherries) was like chocolate sauce with cherries. The cuiri cuiri pistachio had nice bits of pistachios in it, and the last flavor had crunchy biscuit pieces. This shop has a long list of specialty “composed” combinations of gelati. Then there is also a classics list. I probably should have tried the latter since my trio of flavors were from the specialties list which I am not a fan.

I returned for a second try. Got the pistacchio di bronte, limone and caffé. The pistacchio was true in flavor. I really liked the limone. The caffé was mild not very strong with flecks of chocolate. The thing is: the servers are not very friendly. They seem grim faced taking my order. Maybe because the aren’t sure if I’ll speak or understand Italian (which I do!). That made it a real downer in the experience. Still not recommend...

The gelato & sorbet at this location were outstanding! They had the typical flavors, fruit options and then some odd combinations so we tried a little of all of them. The chocolate chip/stracciatella was the best I've ever tasted. So creamy and chocolate quality was excellent. The zabaglione was also amazing if ur an eggnog fan, although it seemed to have bits of coconut in it, which I don't like. The lemon and other fruit options we bought were also very tasty. All come with a cute branded waffle cone piece on top. One of r favorite gelato spots while in Italy! There was a very long line, but probably not more than 15 min wait. Once u step into the store there r 2 kiosks where u order & pay. A few feet after that u then give ur ticket to the workers behind the counter and ur order is ready immediately. If u prefer more of a pastry type dessert, there r several non-gelato desserts in the case, which all look very pretty. Highly recommend this spot. It's just down the alley from a...