Buon gelato at Bellamia, Florence

Enjoy a bel gelato at Bellamia, Florence.

Wandering around the market at San Lorenzo in Florence can be tiring work. Bellamia is an ideal place to stop and chill for a while.

I came across Bellamia during an hour spent eyeing up the bargain bags, belts and scarves at San Lorenzo. With more pretty signage than a family-run gelateria, I was a bit worried that style might beat substance but I was in for pleasant cold surprise.

Opting for fruity today, I got to try some more unusual flavours, something that Florentine gelato craftsmen excel in. On recommendation I went for the zabaione (Italian dessert made with eye yolk and sweet wine) with marscapone and fig. 

I loved both flavours equally. The zabaione was on the right side of boozy and tasted authentic. The fig ice cream was a gorgeous blend of mascarpone and small succulent bits of fruit.

Zabaione was the flavour of the day but there was actually a pleasing small number of really good flavoured gelati on offer. This covered the fruit end of the gelato spectrum to the chocolate end, with some creamy tastes in between.

Bellamia also serves good looking waffles and crepes if you need a more substantial sugar-hit.

Lots of cone and cup choices, also options to take your gelato away in 3 sizes of tubs. 

Impressive, friendly service too, as staff were happy to advise on flavours and sizes. Being asked if you've enjoyed it is always nice too.

Bellamia is a chain, so you will find these places in other Italian towns and cities, and hopefully they won't feel like a chain as this one didn't. Nice website too

The verdict

Bonus points for great service. Liked the signs and that the selection of flavours wasn't overwhelming.
I ordered:
Size: 2 scoops @ a bargainsome 2.00 euros (no extra charge for a cone)
Flavour(s): Mascarpone with fig, and zabaione

Gelato Marco, Trieste - yummmmm

Marco makes a top gelato - Gelato Marco, Trieste, Italy

Gelateria recommendations from locals are always welcome, which is why I was super excited when a client took me to a place in Trieste one Sunday afternoon where there was a veritable scrum of Italian families (not) queuing for their ice cream.

With lots of choice of great and traditional flavours I opted for a favourite and a surprise flavour seeing as my wonderful client was ordering.

And my final gelato? Pistacchio and nutella (and then with an extra gloop of Nutella). Absolutely delicious, a decent scoop of both flavours, at my ideal temperature. Interestingly, the Nutella was a happy accident (I'd asked for coffee).

Adding to the experience is your ability to walk your gelato across to the very special Trieste seafront and gaze out as the sun sets across the Adriatic as you eat.

 
For those of a nervous Nutella disposition look away right now.

The verdict

Tasty, tasty, very very tasty - grazie mille Marco
I ordered:
Size: 2 scoops @ no idea as I didn't pay
Flavour(s): Pistachio and nutella

To find out more Gelato Marco has a website, all in Italian but you'll get the picture.

Gelateria Zampolli, Trieste

Not bad gelato at all Zampolli - but for me you are the second-best in town.

Zampolli is situated on a main street, not far from the train station and close to the start of the main shopping area. The photo below masks the size of the place inside, it's much bigger than your typical gelateria - lots of room to laze about and eat an ice or drink a coffee. However, it was very quiet when I visited on a weekend day.

The people here spoke only a tiny bit of English, but if you don't speak Italian or haven't bothered to learn enough to buy a gelato, the international language of pointing will work.


However, they have a lovely, large selection of flavours. Today was a fruit day so I went straight for one of my new favourite combinations blackcurrant and vanilla. Yes, it was delicious and it hit the spot. So much so that I skipped lunch.

 

Zampolli has no website, so here's the lowdown:

Via Carlo Ghega 10, 34132 Trieste 

Open until 01:00 am 

The verdict

More expensive than your average gelateria and providing good gelato, however, Zampolli was eclipsed by another Trieste gelateria
I ordered:
Size: 2 scoops @ €2.60
Flavour(s): Blackcurrant sorbet and vanila gelato