Perché no!... — Restaurant in Florence

Stop two, for us, on our gelato tour of Florence involved a stop at Gelateria Perchè No! Why not! Perchè No! regularly appears on "best" gelato in Florence lists. It's one of the oldest shops in town (founded in 1935) and specifically what brought us here was to try their recreation of Buontalenti, the original gelato flavor. Perchè No! won a contest to recreate chef Buontalenti's 1565 recipe and it's been permanently on their menu ever since. So if you're on a gelato tour, and you want something connected to the actual origin of gelato, this is the exact spot for you.

The gelato was fantastic. It was a whole other level to taste what the original flavor may have tasted like. They've got dairy free (vegan) flavors if you need them, and a whole bunch of really well done classic gelato flavors to try in a cup or cone.

We were super happy to be there and eat this gelato and bummed that the only way to have it again is to travel back to Florence from Los Angeles. (BUT WE'RE WILLING!)

Thank you, Perchè No! for the delicious gelato history...

This is a must-try for Gelato in Florence and more! Prices very reasonable. The 3 euro cone/cup for 2 flavors is big enough for me. The quality of the Gelato is very good. I have tried many different shops, like any other tourist. And this is the best and their quality is consistent. In the summer, you can easily recognize it by the long queue outside. Even then, their service is excellent and they will allow you to try it before buying. Yes you can also sit on a bench and eat your Gelato. I do that sometimes in the winter. Do browse and know what you want and be ready to order when you get to the front. If you want to taste, you can request but don't be offended when they serve others who know what they want first. They have a business to run too. Why should they make a buying customer wait to serve someone who may not buy after they taste? Or who don't even know what they want? Tell whomever is available what you want and get your money/card ready to pay! And you will enjoy good and...

I am not saying that Perche no! is the best gelato in Florence... I am merely CONFIRMING it to be TRUE! In fact, it was the best gelato that I've ever had! The artisanal gelato was absolutely smooth as silk and all of the flavours exploding with deliciousness without being too sweet. All of the flavours that I sampled were absolutely perfectly balanced.

But to top it all off was the INCREDIBLE service and dining experience. Despite how busy the owner was and the fact that he probably served over 1000 gelati already today, he still took the time to to chat with me, answer all my questions and insist on providing me with ample GENEROUS samples! I'm not saying he does this for everybody, but he crammed FOUR giant scoops of gelato into my "small" cup and then still topped it off with whipped cream to the point of dangerously tipping over and charged me €3.50 with a big smile and a grazie! REFERENCE STANDARD gelato artiginale!...