The Best Gelato In Naples

Gelato is what we crave when we want to cool down after soaking up the Mediterranean sun and we’re not alone. Italians have been eating gelato for more than a century – a short slice of time in the country’s storied history . However, gelato in Naples is different from gelato in most Italian cities.

While the top Naples gelato shops produce and serve an artisan product, many offer a mishmash of flavor combos that approach a level of gimmickry. This is a gelato scene that doesn’t take itself too seriously. But, despite this focus on fun, the best gelato in Naples tastes great.

Discover more of our favorite foods in Naples including coffee, pizza and pastries.

Just like its pizzerias, the best Naples gelato shops are local. Some have just one or two locations while others have multiple shops around the city.

Visiting Naples five times has given us time to eat an assortment of flavors from deep dark chocolate (chocolate fondant) to Sicilian cassata (a take on one of the most classic Italian desserts) at more than a dozen of these gelato shops.

These are our picks for the best gelato shops in Naples:

Gelato churns inside tubs as you walk into Soave’s compact shop in Vomero. The churning process creates a product that’s dense and super creamy with less air than other gelato. This gelato justifies a short metro ride to the tony Naples district where Soave’s one and only shop is located.

Open since 1950, Soave isn’t just a gelato shop. It’s also a creamery that sells cheese and cured meats. However, gelato is the thing to eat here. Soave’s wonderful gelato comes in a range of flavors including some that are sugar-free and vegan. Our favorite, Soave’s signature Biscotto Soave, is made with dried cherries, biscuit bits and cinnamon as well as glorious amounts of both sugar and cream.

Recommended Flavors
Biscotto Soave, Chocolate Fondant and Lemon Sorbet

Gelateria Soave 1950 is located at Via Alessandro Scarlatti, 130, 80127 Napoli NA.

Chalet Ciro’s original bayside Mergellina location is Naples’ version of Mel’s drive-in with crowds of locals, including police officers, pulling up in Vespas and Fiats to enjoy graffe (teardrop-shaped Neapolitan donuts), gelato and hundreds of other sweet treats. Some locals order Cono Graffe – gelato served on graffa cones. As for us, we exhibited a modicum of self control by eating scoops of Amarena and Cassata gelato on cones while while we gazed at Mount Vesuvius in the skyscape.

Eating graffe and gelato at the original Chalet Ciro 1952 is a must. We recommend accomplishing this goal after eating pizza at nearby 50 Kalo. Another option is to pop over after an early trip to the Mergellina’s public market. Timing isn’t an issue – the iconic spot is open from 6:45 in the morning until the wee hours of the night (3am most nights and 4am on Saturdays).

Recommended Gelato
Your Favorite Flavors on a Graffa Cone

Chalet Ciro 1952 has multiple locations including the original chalet located at Via Caracciolo fronte, Via Orazio, 80122 Napoli, Italy.

Operating for more than 50 years, family-run Pasticceria Menella is a local institution with more than a dozen shops in and around Naples. Crowds of locals queuing for cones confirm this status seven days a week regardless of the weather and temperature.

The original Pasticceria Menella, located in the shadow of mighty Vesuvius half-way between Naples and Pompeii in Torre del Grec, remains open and doubles as a gelato lab. The current Menella generation produces ice cream here daily using premium local milk and Italian ingredients sourced from Campania and beyond.

Recommended Flavors
Cassata, Crostata alle Amarene and Stracciatella

Pasticceria Mennella has multiple Naples locations including one at Piazza Dante.

We found Gelateria Valenti the old-fashioned way. We literally bumped into this Naples gelato shop while wandering around Centro Storico. We quickly exchanged our wandering with pondering as we perused tempting flavors like salted caramel and pistachio as well as yogurt with cereal and strawberries.

Though it feels like it’s been operating on Via dei Tribunali for decades, Gelateria Valenti is a relatively new player in the Naples gelato scene. Open since 2018, this gelateria is a shining light with a central location, creative flavors like Kinder Cards made with Kinder bars and, of course, wonderful creamy gelato.

Recommeded Flavors
Chocolate Fondant, Hazelnut, Pistachio, Salted Caramel and Zabaione

Gelateria Valenti is located at Via dei Tribunali, 53, 80138 Napoli, Italy.

An ‘infant’ in name only, Casa Infante is a multi-generational operation that proudly traces its roots back to 1940, the year that Leopold Infante opened his acclaimed Neapolitan bakery. Famous for his tarallo, Infante later added products like sfogliatella, babà and gelato.

Leopold’s progeny, Fabio and Marco, run the family’s sprawling gelato operation with more than a dozen locations including an outpost in Milan. The duo focuses on both style and substance as evidenced by Casa Infante’s upscale decor and artisanal gelato.

Recommended Flavors
Crema di Pistachio, Pastiera and Zuppa Ingles

Casa Infante has multiple locations in Naples including a few on Via Toledo.

Fantasia Gelati lives up to its name. With four locations in Naples, this award-winning gelateria has provided a multi-sensory experience replete with bright colors and even brighter flavors since it opened in 1994. Beyond gelato, Fantasia serves Mexico coffee and a selection of cakes and crepes

Fantasia’s gelato flavors run from simple to sophisticated. While purists stick with fruit flavors like fig, tangerine and Sorrento lemon, kids of all ages go ga-ga for scoops filled with kinder bars, oreo cookies and smarties. As for gourmands, they can choose from elevated flavors made with ingredients like buffalo milk sourced from Battipaglia and herbaceous Strega liqueur produced in Benevento.

Recommended Flavors
Amarena and Benevento

Fantasia Gelati has multiple locations in Naples including one at Piazza Vanvitelli.

Despite its touristic location around the corner from the Duomo di Napoli, Mozzalatto has some surprises up its sleeve. The tiny gelato shop combines Naples ‘mozzarella tradition and the fantasy of ice cream’ in its creamy Mozzelatte gelato made with both creamy buffalo cream and sweet vanilla. It’s a great flavor that pairs well traditional flavors like Pistachio.

Other surprises include Limoncello Spritzes and Tarallo paired with Prosecco. Not surprisingly, Mozzelatto has both vegan and gluten-free gelato options, a practice which has become a Neapolitan standard in recent years.

Recommended Flavors
Mozzelatte and Pistachio

Mozzelato is located at Via San Biagio Dei Librai, 69, 80138 Napoli, Italy.

We couldn’t resist walking in Gelatiere when we randomly passed the Chiaia gelato shop. Between the crowd of locals spilling onto the sidewalk and the colorful gelato baubles in the window, our entrance was practically inevitable.

We also couldn’t resist ordering a cone topped with two flavors – Cioccolato e Arancia (chocolate and orange) and Ricotta e Pear (ricotta and pear). Both flavors were excellent. The chocolate gelato was dense with lots of little pieces of candied orange while the pear gelato was light as a feather and tasted like… wait for it… pear. The pairing provided good contrast of both flavor and texture.

Open since 1985, Il Gelatiere is a local gem that serves dozens of flavors including some that are appropriate for both vegan and gluten-free eaters. Not only did we enjoy our cone, but we also dug the shop’s neighborhood vibe. It would be a gelato shop go-to if were locals ourselves.

Recommended Flavors
Go with your gut based on the season. That’s what we did.

Il Gelatiere is located at Via S. Pasquale, 15, 80121 Napoli, Italy.

Gay-Odin has been a Neapolitan institution since 1894 when Isidoro Odin started producing chocolate in Naples. The company’s gelato history is shorter, dating back to just 2008, but don’t rule Gay-Odin out.

Unlike other gelaterias in Naples, Gay-Odin focuses on the classics instead of offering dozens of flavors. However, not surprisingly, Gay-Odin’s curated range of flavors includes several chocolate options with ingredients like rum and orange peel. Also not a surprise, Gay-Odin’s chocolate gelato flavors are the ones to order.

Recommended Flavors
Anything with Chocolate

Gay-Odin has multiple Naples locations including one next to Galleria Umberto.

ROL earned its spot on the Naples gelato horizon as soon as Roberta Rubino and Olga Nigro opened their bayside Gelateria for an obvious reason. There’s nothing quite like eating a creamy gelato cone while enjoying the dusk with an eastern view of Mount Vesuvius.

Despite its touristic location and that view, ROL’s female owners take the extra step of using hyper-local ingredients in their recipes. Gelato flavors include two of our favorites, Cassata and Amareno, while sorbet flavors range from typical lemon and peach to more exotic cantaloupe and kiwi. However, the signature ROL gelato made with a trio of nuts in the one to try first.

Recommended Flavors
Rol (Almond, Pistachio and Hazelnut) and Whatever Else Tickles Your Fancy

ROL Gelateria is located at Via Partenope, 12/m, 80121 Napoli, Italy.

Check out our guide to eating in Italy as well as our picks for the best Italian foods and the best Italian desserts before your trip.

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