Gelateria La Carraia
An Oltrarno institution at the foot of Ponte alla Carraia, open since 1990, with big portions and prices that have somehow stayed low.
- Area
- San Frediano
- Where
- At the south end of Ponte alla Carraia
- Known for
- Low prices for the quality
- Checked
- August 2026
- Price
- €€
- Go for
- A cone at the foot of Ponte alla Carraia that costs less than anything of its quality in the centre, eaten on the bridge.
- Skip if
- You want a quiet counter. There is usually a queue out of the door.
What everybody agrees on
Read across public reviews on Google and TripAdvisor in September 2026, where it is one of the most reviewed gelaterie in the city.
- Nearly all
Price is the first thing people mention. The smallest cone costs very little and reviewers repeatedly call it the best value in Florence.
- Most
There is a queue most of the day and it moves quickly.
- Often
Ricotta and pear, and the chocolate flavours, are what come up most.
- Some
The display is piled rather than flat, which is the opposite of what the purists look for.
What to order
Take it onto Ponte alla Carraia rather than eating at the counter. The view west along the river at that point is the better one.
Before you go
- Getting there
- South end of Ponte alla Carraia, ten minutes west of Ponte Vecchio.
- Best time
- Late evening, when the queue thins.
- Also
- A second branch on the north bank.
Run by women from the start, and the reference point for gelato on this side of the river. The house flavours are the ones to ask for rather than the classics. There is a second counter in Via dei Benci on the Santa Croce side. Cheap enough that the small cone costs about what a bottle of water does near the Duomo.