We all are lucky to be born in the times where our taste buds got blessed with a heavenly dessert called GELATO, courtesy of Italians.
If you like to find out more about gelato, do read our one-stop guide to gelato in Italy too which will let you know more about gelato and also a list of Gelato shops to go around Italy. Find the guide here.
For Milan, our best gelato would be
- Gelato Giusto
- IL Massimo del Gelato
- Gelateria Latte Neve
- La Gelateria della Musica
- Gelateria Paganelli
- Pavé Gelati & Granite
- Artico Gelateria
‘How much authentic my gelato is?’, is one question answered perfectly by the Italians only. There are many places in Italy serving delicious gelato. Florence, Rome, Milan, all these beautiful locations are flooded with gelaterias claiming to be serving ‘just authentic gelato’. But let’s not fall in the trap.
Steering clear of the fake copies, we have got the names of the best gelaterias of Milan, serving only the real thing. And we got a thumbs up on each one of it from none other than the locals themselves.
- Gelato Giusto
Vittoria Bartolazzo runs the most loved gelateria of the city. After her diploma from London’s Le Cordon Bleu and working with world-renowned chocolatiers, put all her heart and soul into every gelato flavor she curated on the list. Highest quality milk and cream, only natural ingredients, local and fresh produce and seasonal fruits are used to make every gelato from scratch daily. You will find all the classic ones like chocolate, hazelnut, almonds, and raspberry along with her signature gelato like ricotta and hazelnut, banana, black sesame, ginger and lime, matcha tea, pumpkin and amaretto, and figs.
Location: Via San Gregorio 17
Top Picks: Tiramisu; Apricot and Amaretti Ricotta
- IL Massimo del Gelato
This gelateria is a heaven for chocolate lovers. With around 40 flavors, all churned out afresh every day, 8 are dedicated only to the ever-loved chocolate. Chocolate cherry, chocolate with cinnamon and chilies, rum chocolate, chocolate with candied stuffed oranges are a few Italians’ favorite. If you aren’t a fan of such dark chocolate, you can have a toned-down chocolate flavors with the gelateria making the flavors with 100 percent or 75 percent concentration. Not a chocolate fan? Try their fresh fruit flavors churned out only with fresh seasonal fruits. Chocolate or no- chocolate, all the gelato are super creamy and of supreme quality. The Porches and Mercedes Benz with Italian number plates parked outside all the time are enough proof of it.
Location: Via Lodovico Castelvetro 18
Top Picks: Ginger; Cantaloupe; Almond and Pine
- Gelateria Latte Neve
An award-winning gelateria, Latte Neve is relatively a newcomer when it comes to Milanese gelato scene. Having opened in 2014, it took no time to become Italians’ favorite place to have delicious gelato with its ‘strictly organic’ ingredients. And to follow this practice, it goes lengths and breadth to procure them all. Sicily’s famed Bronte pistachios, Piedmont’s treasured IGP hazelnuts and Valtellina’s loved yogurt, and Madagascar’s world-renowned chocolate are some of the proofs. Touted as the city's best gelateria, the flavors are bold yet classic. Coffee cardamom, lemon and basil, mascarpone cheese and ginger, cinnamon and chocolate with red peppers are all topped with their most famed dollop of homemade heavenly whipped cream. Vegan and gluten-free options keep everyone’s preferences at par.
Location: Via Vigevano 27
Top picks: Salted peanut with black sesame; Greek yogurt with honey
- La Gelateria della Musica
It’s truly Milan’s very own international gelateria and you’ll know after seeing the crowd here, especially in the summers. And why shouldn’t it be? They have two favorite things of Italians under the same roof: gelato and music. Music is one constant here as you’ll hear it all day long in the background. So much so that they have all their flavors named after only famous singers or songs. And when it comes to flavors, they keep changing their menu. You may not find that one flavor you kept reserved to try the next time you visit here, as it might get replaced with a new and more exciting flavor. Known for their creamiest gelato in the city, they have some quite quirky flavors like lemon and basil, bread-butter and jam, chocolate and pear.
Location: Via Pestalozzi 4
Top picks: Salty Bronte Pistachio; Coconut; Strawberry-Grape
- Gelateria Paganelli
This one’s the most renowned gelateria, not only in Milan but the whole of Italy, courtesy its legacy of flavors preserved since 1930. Francesco, the grandson of the founder Ugo Paganelli,
Skilled in creating exquisite and enviable flavors has taken the gelateria to new heights of fame. Classic mainstreams are curated with twists to make them unforgettable. Few of their star gelato, apart from the classics, are mascarpone cheese with caramelized fig, banana, pistachio with chili pepper, and mascarpone with pistachio.
Location: Via Adda 3
Top pick: Principle ( Venezuelan chocolate with coffee, cardamom and star anise)
- Pavé Gelati & Granite
This award-winning gelateria is known to churn out ‘the most authentic gelato’ as claimed by the locals. With quality par excellence, their gelato flavors are inspired by the famous pastry flavors that once established Pavé as the best patisserie years ago. From classics like hazelnut, vanilla, chocolate and pistachio, to flavors of local desserts and cakes like tea and biscuits, sbrisolona, tonka, coffee and Sicilian citrus, beetroot and lime, rocket and lime, buttered toast with jam, there is an inspiration behind every extra light gelato flavor.
Location: Via Cesare Battisti 21
Top pick: Tarte Tatin
- Artico Gelateria
As the name says, its gelato are pure art. And Maurizio Poloni made sure to showcase his art while being made with a see-through glass partition of the production area from his gelateria. All the produce is sourced afresh daily and is made with zero preservatives, hydrogenated fats, and food coloring. With 30 years of experience, all the flavors carry a legacy of being a favorite of Italians. But that doesn’t mean no new or quirky flavors to please the varied taste buds. Coffee with the rich cardamom and meringue, pureed pumpkin with crumbled amaretto biscuit, pistachio with salt and pepper, and Sicilian pistachio. Chocolate gelato is made with the best cocoa powder in the world and is not-to-miss kind of treat with flavors like tobacco and rum chocolate and chocolate with chili being Italians’ favorite.
Location: Via Porro Lambertenghi
Top Pick: 72% single-origin Araguani chocolate
