Gelateria Vivoli: best affogato in Florence with review

Gelateria Vivoli is a piece of Florentine history. It’s a historic shop with almost a century of history, run by the same family for over four generations. Their gelato is delicious, creamy, and rich in flavor. Every Florentine has eaten gelato at Vivoli at least once, and has childhood memories of coming here on Sunday afternoons with the whole family.

Vivoli isn’t just a gelateria. It’s also a pastry shop offering excellent cakes and traditional pastries, a café, and a cocktail bar. In recent years, Vivoli has become even more famous for bringing back the affogato, a dessert that used to be very popular in the ’70s and ’80s.

Vivoli is one of my favorite spots for a sweet treat. In fact, I mentioned it among the places with the best gelato in Florence.

Ciao! My name is Claudia, I am a licensed tour guide in Florence with over 10 years of experience. Learn more about me and my private guided tours in Florence.

History of Vivoli Gelateria in Florence

It all began in 1929 when Serafino Vivoli, originally from Pelago, a small village in the Florentine countryside, decided to move to Florence and open a dairy in the Santa Croce neighborhood. The dairy quickly became a meeting place where to meet for a coffee and buy whipped cream on Sunday. In 1932, his brother Raffaello joined the business, and it was thanks to him that Vivoli began making gelato as well.

At the time, refrigerators did not yet exist, so the ice was produced in Saltino, a small village in the Tuscan Apennines. There, large tanks were filled with water in the winter and left to freeze. The blocks of ice were then split into slabs with a pickaxe and stored in large underground rooms until summer. In the summer, the ice was transported to the city at night to prevent it from melting, and then sold.

Vivoli became famous in the 1960s and 1970s, not only among Florentines but also among Italian and foreign travelers. Vivoli’s gelato was so good, thanks to its fresh, high-quality ingredients, that it was a favorite of local tour guides, who then recommended it to tourists. And even today, after so many years, we local tour guides recommend Vivoli to travelers. The only reason is because their gelato is simply fantastic!

Four generations of gelato makers

The same family runs Gelateria Vivoli since 1929, four generations that have carried on the tradition of high-quality local ingredients and a true love for gelato. After Serafino, the shop was passed on to his son Piero. Then to his two daughters, Patrizia who handles sales, and Silvana who manages the workshop. Simone, Patrizia’s husband, also works at Vivoli and creates wonderful wedding cakes.

Now the fourth generation of Vivolis has arrived: Patrizia and Simone’s children, after studying and gaining experience abroad, have joined the family business. Giulia specializes in pastry making and the art of gelato, while her brother Lorenzo is a bartender and barista.

Gelateria Vivoli, Florence. My review and experience

I can’t recommend this gelateria enough! It’s consistently featured in the most important food guides. And its success for nearly a century is the best testament to how delicious their gelato is.

In addition to classic flavors like fruit, chocolate, hazelnut, and pistachio, Vivoli also makes unique gelato flavors, like Marengo (whipped cream, Italian meringue, and chocolate chips), also available with raspberry and black cherry. One of my favorite flavors is zabaione, the Italian version of eggnog: egg yolk, sugar and a sweet liqueur, usually Marsala.

I also love the ambiance. The place has been renovated many times over the years (also due to damage caused by the terrible flood of 1966) but it retains the same old-world charm, with its dark wood counters and furnishings.

Affogato at Vivoli

Affogato al caffè is a dessert made with vanilla ice cream and espresso, combining the contrasts of hot and cold, sweet and bitter. The affogato was very popular in the 1970s and 1980s, but then it fell out of fashion… In 2023, during Florence Fashion Week, Camille Miceli, creative director of local brand Emilio Pucci ordered an affogato from Vivoli, and the show’s videographer created a video that immediately went viral on social medias.

In a very short time, the affogato, which Vivoli calls Gran Crema al Caffè, became popular again. So popular that Vivoli couldn’t meet all the requests, and the line outside the store was incredibly long. In 2025, Vivoli leased the space next to the gelateria and opened a new shop dedicated exclusively to this dessert, called Affogato Bar.

Giulia Vivoli’s tips to enjoy the affogato

I went at Vivoli to enjoy their affogato with my good friend and colleague tour guide Guido, and we had the pleasure to meet Giulia Vivoli, grand-daughter of Piero, the fourth generation of her family to make gelato, a lovely young woman who’s truly devoted to the art of gelato making.

Giulia is especially proud of her cream flavor, that she makes using only eggs, milk and sugar, no other flavors like lemon or vanilla. Just a pure, rich, crema. This simple yet delicious cream is used to make the classic affogato. There are many other versions, including affogato made with pistachio gelato, topped with chopped hazelnuts, or with a shot of liqueurs like Kahlua.

Giulia taught us the best way to enjoy affogato: before eating, stir the gelato so it melts a little and mixes with the coffee, resulting in a creamy, uneven consistency.

Where to eat affogato in Florence (if the line at Vivoli is too long)

Gelateria Badiani. Another historic gelato shop in Florence, which makes the affogato with their own signature flavor, the Buontalenti cream. Badiani also makes a special tiramisù flavored affogato, and even an affogato flavored gelato. They have two shops: the first one is in the Campo di Marte neighborhood, they just opened a new shop in the historic center, and even a third one inside Mercato Centrale.

Gelateria la Carraia. Located at the end of the bridge with the same name, La Carraia is a staple of the Oltrarno neighborhood. Their are famous for their rich creams and they also make a creamy, decadent, yummy affogato. They also have a second shop in via dei Benci, next to piazza Santa Croce.

La Strega Nocciola. Another great gelateria that also makes affogato. They have 4 shops in Florence, and two of them are in the historic center: one in via Ricasoli, the same street of the Accademia Gallery Museum, and another one in via de’ Bardi, very close to Ponte Vecchio.

Vivoli gelateria: address and opening times

Gelateria Vivoli address is via Isola delle Stinche 7/R, a few steps away from the church of Santa Croce and also very close to Piazza della Signoria and Palazzo Vecchio. It’s open every day except for mondays, from 8 am to 9 pm. The Affogato Bar has the same opening days and time. Here is the place located on Google maps!

Have you ever been at Vivoli? Did you found a better affogato in Florence? Leave me a comment and share your experience with me and other travelers!