Gelateria Carabé

The best Sicilian gelato in Florence

Gelateria Carabé
Via Ricasoli 60r
tel. +39-055-289-476
www.gelatocarabe.com

Sights nearby
*** Accademia [museum]
* San Marco [museum & church]
* SS Annunziata [church]
* Palazzo Medici-Riccardi [palace/museum]
*** Duomo group [church & museum]

Other places to eat nearby
La Mescita [light meal]
* Trattoria Da Mario [meal]
* Trattoria Za-Za [meal]
* Da Nerbone [light meal]

Hotels nearby
Palazzo Alfani [moderate]
Hotel dei Macchiaoli [moderate]
Hotel Europa [cheap-premier]
Hotel Casci [moderate]
Residence Hilda [moderate-premier]

Hotel Loggiato dei Serviti [moderate]
» More hotels nearby

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The milk and egg yolk–based gelato of Florence and the milk-based gelato of Sicily—which, it must be said, came first—vie for top honors in the ice cream world (the cream-based custard gelato of northern Italy takes a distant third). Antonio and Loredana Lisciandro of Patti, Sicily, are out to prove to the Florentines that the Sicilians would win that contest.

Tip
Go to their website (www.gelatocarabe.com) and you can print a coupon for a free gelato upgrade to a larger size.Their shop, Gelateria Carabé, gives you the chance to be your own judge, offering genuine Sicilian gelato made by genuine Sicilians right in the middle of rival Florence. (In fact, it's just a bit more than a block south of the Accademia, so leave one person to hold your place in line at the museum and scurry back to pick up some gelato for you all to enjoy while you want to see The David).

It is all homemade, using fresh ingredients direct from Sicily, which means the selection depends on whatever's in season in Sicilia. Their specialty is the traditional granita di limone (ice pureed with fresh Sicilian lemons, the progenitor of all gelato and a distant ancestor of that sad, watery, syrupy concoction Americans call "water ice"), but it is available only from March to mid-October—like I said; they'll only use fresh ingredients, and only in season.

No matter, for their gelati are equally good—especially anything made with nuts. I was long a conformed avoider of all nut-based ice creams... until the folks at Carabé suggested I try the fresh pistacchio and I was initiated into a wonderful new nutty world of deliriously good gelato.

Tips

Gelateria etiquette: At Florentine gelaterie, just like at bars and cafes, don't just saunter up to the bar and order two scoops of cioccolato or an espresso. Go first to the cashier, order what you want, pay for it, and take the receipt to the counter where you can order your cappuccino or your coppa (cup) or cono (cone) of gelato, putting the receipt down with a small coin as a tip.
Prices are pretty standardized: You pay by the size of the coppa (cup) or cono (cone), not by the scoop. That means you can—indeed, are encouraged to—squeeze two or even three flavors into even the smallest cup. Italians taught me that even unusual pairs go great together; a personal favorite: cioccolato e limone (chocolate gelato and lemon sorbetto). No, really; try it. Also most Italians order by the cup; the cone is a fun—if messy—American addition to the options, but not too popular.

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This material was last updated January 2011. All information was accurate at the time.

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Gelateria Carabé

The best Sicilian gelato in Florence

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