RivaReno Gelato Firenze — Restaurant in Florence

I have learned much in my short time in Firenze, but perhaps no more important or impactful than the following statement: If gelato is presented as visible, turn and SPRINT away like Usain Bolt at the 2012 London Olympics or Tom Cruise in any Mission Impossible movie.

Gelato should be served ONLY in a stainless-steel container that is completely covered, and with a metal spade as opposed to an ice cream scoop. This is exactly how Rivareno does things.

I had tried 4 or 5 other gelato spots in Firenze that were highly recommended and rated, but didn't really connect with any of them.

The beautiful thing about this place is that it is not overrun with tourists yet, the cat is still in the bag. You have the rare opportunity to see a Leonardo that has yet to be attributed. I got the Stracciatella (obviously) and strawberry. An odd combo, I know, but I'm kind of an odd guy.

The strawberry was the best fruit flavored gelato or ice cream I have ever had and the stracciatella was everything I wanted it to be and then some.

Also, they have a cone cup. What an innovation. Sometimes I get so excited over the most random little things, this cone cup is a true feat of Italian engineering.

When you think gelato, you should think Rivareno. THANK...

We wanted to share our successful Gelato Research Project.

We asked around, watched millennial travel vlogs and read reviews. This is what we learned:

Don't eat gelato that you can see under the counter. The worst gelato is brightly colored and piled high in plastic tubs.

The best gelato is stored in flat covered metal tins under the counter.

The best gelato is served with flat metal spades vs. ice cream scoops.

We narrowed the gelato shops to investigate by distance to the Four Seasons Firenze and Google reviews and chose Rivareno. There wasn't a line, so we were a little concerned that out research was wrong. But it wasn't, this gelato was delicious. It was thicker, creamier and tasted pure. That sounds silly, but the flavors were bright and had no artificial enhancements. Sadly, I will never be able to enjoy our US ice cream again without yearning for Rivareno.

I ordered the Zabaione (egg yolk and Marsala wine) and the Stracciatello (Fior di Panna with chocolate chips). Our hero ordered the Café (Arabica Coffee with dark chocolate slivers) and Pistachio (middle eastern pistachios). The Pistachio was our favorite. Imagine the best pistachio you've ever tasted, but slightly sweeter and...

We wanted to go to a nearby gelateria which I’ve heard is the best and oldest in Firenze/Florence, but the queue was very long so we wandered around to find another gelateria. I’m so glad we did because we found RivaReno and it was wonderful (I would be very surprised if the place we originally wanted to go is anywhere near as good as RivaReno). I got the stracciatella and the Cremina RivaReno which is one of their special/signature flavours (white chocolate with nutella, basically) and it was probably the best ice cream I have ever had. My boyfriend got coffee and chocolate, and he was also very impressed. Also the gentleman who served us was so friendly and kind, I love him 🥹 (we visited on Tuesday 15th October at around 4pm - just to help identify which lovely member of staff was...