Gelateria Dondoli — Restaurant in San Gimignano

🍦 Gelateria Dondoli – Award-Winning Gelato in a Stunning Medieval Setting 🇮🇹✨

When you visit San Gimignano, there’s one thing you absolutely must do: stop by Gelateria Dondoli. Famous worldwide and proudly carrying the title of “The World’s Most Famous Gelato 2024,” this charming gelateria truly lives up to its reputation.

🍨 Gelato Quality: The texture is outstanding – creamy, silky, and clearly made with top-quality ingredients. It’s that perfect balance between richness and freshness that sets real gelato apart.

🌿 Flavor Experience: • I tried the saffron flavor, a local Tuscan specialty, and it was incredibly unique – slightly floral, rich, and perfectly balanced. A must-try if you’re looking for something authentic and different. • The fruit-based flavors were light and refreshing, though a bit too tangy for my personal taste – great for those who enjoy sharper, citrusy notes. • One of the most unusual yet interesting flavors I tried was the white wine gelato. It had a delicate acidity, lightly alcoholic notes, and a surprising depth of flavor. It’s definitely not for everyone, but if you’re into adventurous tasting and enjoy wine, you’ll probably find it fascinating.

☀️ Atmosphere: Located right in the heart of the medieval town, the gelateria is tucked into the ancient stone walls of San Gimignano. The view from the hilltop is spectacular – rolling Tuscan hills, vineyards, and sunshine. Eating gelato while overlooking that view is unforgettable.

👨‍🍳 Service: The staff were friendly, energetic, and helpful, despite the large crowds. They recommended flavors, served quickly, and made the experience feel very welcoming.

⏳ Crowd & Wait Time: There’s usually a long line, especially on warm days – but it moves fast, and the wait is worth every second.

💡 Tip: Grab your gelato and find a spot along the town wall. The view plus the gelato is an unbeatable combination, especially in summer.

✅ Overall: Gelateria Dondoli is more than just a place to grab dessert – it’s an experience. From world-class flavors to a magical setting and passionate service, it’s a highlight of any visit to San Gimignano. If you’re into creative flavors or just want to taste some of the best gelato Italy has to offer...

THE WORLD'S MOST FAMOUS GELATO ! My wife and I were totally enjoying our 2 week vacation in Italy. At this point we were staying in Florence for 4 days. On Monday, March 24th our good friend Martin also our brilliant limo tour driver picked us up outside Hotel Berchielli for a road tour of Tuscany. AMAZING SCENERY EVERYWHERE ! After seeing a castle in the distance and telling Martin I had never been near one...Martin replied we will go see it. We arrived outside the massive walls of San Gimignano at around midday. NOTE ! San Gimignano is a small walled medieval hill town in the province of Siena, Tuscany, north-central Italy. We walked along the paved paths marveling at all the unique businesses. Martin showed us Gelateria Dondali which he said many people believe served the best gelato in the world. The huge line of customers outside said it all....this place was great. Let's face it...no one has better gelato than Italy ! After a very delicious lunch at a restaurant nearby that Martin had recommended we decided we should try the gelato here. There was still a long line outside waiting to order when we arrived but it moved along very fast. OUR TURN ! Once inside the tiny shop we could eyeball all the tempting gelato favors on display. We had to have NOCCIOLONE ( nutty hazelnut chocolate ) in chocolate & nut covered waffle cones. We headed out into the square to join the multitude of gelato lovers happily slurping away. SUPER DELICIOUS ! Definitely up there with the very best gelatos we have enjoyed in Italy and believe it or not...at an Italian restaurant in New York. YOU...

Probably one of the worst experiences I’ve ever had at a gelato shop – if that was at all even possible. Super crowded, and herded in to the store by rude staff like cattle with no regard for anyone. We had a pram and were yelled at for not going further into the shop (even though it was full and there was no where for us to go). The people behind us even commented ‘where are we supposed to go?’

We followed the line in the direction that staff told us to and then all the staff just served all the people behind us. When we finally got to the register, we were asked what we wanted and we replied with 2x 2 scoop waffle cones, and the staff member proceeded to be super blunt and rude to us telling us we haven’t decided on a flavour so we need to go away then come back, even though we were trying to order with her. She just completely dismissed us and walked away to serve other people.

We couldn’t even leave the store at this point because it was so packed.

All in all - The customer service was appalling. The flavours are average and nothing special, and the scoop sizes are tiny compared to other gelato places in the same area. Save your money and energy and go...