Marco Ottaviano

Wasn’t sure about this place because NO ONE was here… after touring all day, we were too tired to walk elsewhere. lol. I’m glad we didn’t.
We were greeted kindly and right away. He offered samples with out thinking even thinking about it. I tasted several samples and they were all good!
My guess as the reason he doesn’t appear as busy is because he doesn’t have his gelato on display like the other places. But don’t let that stop you from stopping by… good service, affordable pricing, and great gelato. What else could you ask for? :)

The gelato here is very good. They had really nice flavors. The sorbets were the stand out. We loved them! These were the best we’ve had. However, although the gelato was very good, I think this would be our #2 favorite (#1 tied between Gelateria Via de Neri and Gelateria Carraia).

Definitely worth a visit for their strawberry and prosecco gelato. It was amazing, and I haven’t seen it anywhere else. The prosecco cut the sweetness of the strawberry gelato. We paired it with cheesecake, which was perfect! The woman (owner?) who served us was very warm and inviting.

Meine Freundin und ich haben auf unserer Motorradtour quer durch Italien durchaus das ein oder andere Eis im ein oder anderen Eiscafé gegessen. Aber «Marco Ottaviano» in Florenz war dann schon ein ganz besonderes Erlebnis. Super leckere Eissorten aus hochwertigen Zutaten, teilweise aus der Region, krosse Waffelhörnchen, stimmige Preise und ein super nettes Serviceteam machen den Unterschied. Und wenn man Glück, hat und es sind nicht gerade 100 Busladungen Touristen in den Gassen rund um den netten, kleinen Laden unterwegs, dann dürften auch die Wartezeit kein Problem sein.

Not the touristy stuff. High quality fresh ingredients. Banana w chocolate pieces and white espresso truly outstanding.

I was curious about the 5 star reviews across the board and thus very disappointed with the fact that this is just average gelato. Only one star because there are about 20 gelaterie that i can think of off the top of my head that are better than this one. Not sure what the hype is all about.

Tasty ice cream that provides great value for money.
For only € 2.50 I got a waffle cone of espresso and hazelnut flavored ice cream. I haven’t had ice cream this creamy and smooth in a long time.
This store has a reasonable selection of flavours and the staff are more than happy to help you select the best combination.
For the highest ranked Trip Advisor restaurant I wasn’t disappointed.

This is a good gelato place:
Metal lids with closed bins? Check.
Their pistachio is not green but a natural duller brownish-​green? Check.
The prices are good and lets me sample with friendly service? Bonus points!
And finally – their gelato is fantastic in flavor and in texture. The texture definitely tastes gourmet – thick and rich.

They have unique vegan flavors that are light and not creamy but delectable. I tried a medium cup (2.50 E for 2 scoops) of strawberries with chianti and pears (or was it peaches?) with prosecco. The wines give the gelato a special kick.

Exceptional gelato and great price and value. I got their chocolate and coconut flavors. the coconut was so good. You could really taste the coconut.
Of all the gelato places we ate at, this one is easily the best in Florence.
One tip, the sign on the outside doesn’t say the name of the store. You have to look on the inside of the door and then you’ll see the names.
We actually walked by it initially and were confused by the sign on the outside not matching the store and thought maybe they had been replaced.
Also, the lady behind the counter is very nice and friendly.

Best gelato in Florence. Forget what the guidebooks say and head over here stat. These creations are creamy, dreamy and homemade. The friendly owner served us – excellent Straticella (so creamy delicious) and Mint Chocolate (it is chocolate coloured with a beautiful mint flavour). I only wish we hadn’t discovered it on our last evening in the city!

We were in the mood for dessert after an appetizing lunch at Trattoria da Mario, so we stopped by Marco Ottaviano for some – you guessed it… gelato! I read somewhere that Marco is considered one of the best gelato shops in Florence, but I don’t recall it being that exceptional. However, it was definitely the least expensive (1 cone w 2 scoops for € 1.50) and stood out bc of the round metal lids protecting each gelato bin.
At this point, Marco was probably my 6^th gelato shop within a span of 2 – 3 days, and I felt like I was slowly becoming a gelato expert. I started noticing subtle differences from shop to shop, and I’m not just talking about the standard flavors offered, cone/​cup styles, pricing, or the quality of the bathroom ^^. I’m talking about the quality of the cone, as well as the quality of the gelato/​crema; basically, how the gelato is prepared/​stored. I noticed about 85% of the shops have open bins (so you can see the color/​texture of the gelato) with either a high mound or flat display. Now, here’s the rookie mistake. It might seem nice to actually visualize what you think you’re getting, but this isn’t always a good thing.
–Open bins with tall mounds of colorful gelato = bad quality
–Open bins with flat natural-​colored gelato = good quality
–Closed bins with metal lids = high quality
About 15% of the shops have metal lids protecting their gelato. And it turns out metal lids are usually a positive indicator of high quality gelato.
Other differences include seasonal fruit offerings vs non-​seasonal fruit offerings, as well as premium gelato offerings that are easily 2−3x more $$ than regular gelato.
PROTIP: If you’re looking for QUALITY, look for the METAL LIDS!

Gelato is a must in Florence and you can’t go wrong with this place. Great flavored, price, and quantity. Also very friendly ppl !

This was by far the best gelato I’ve ever had! I don’t eat dairy products so I stick to sorbet but somehow they still manage to make it thick and creamy. Their kiwi flavor was amazing!

BEST GELATO I’ve ever had. They don’t use sugar or cream or preservatives. Tastes natural and fresh because they don’t use chemicals to die their gelato like other places! I’d totally go here everyday, no joke.

on a hunt for good gelato everywhere in italy! we made it a point to come here since we heard great things on trip advisor. The kiwi flavor was strong and had the seeds so you know they used actual kiwi. The coconut flavor was creamy and had little bits of coconut AMAZING! They also had the strawberry flavor with some type of alcohol and it was out of this world. Coming from the girl who does not like the taste of any kind of alcohol.
The lady was super patient, friendly and helpful. translated flavors for us and let us sample them.

Fantastic gelato. Wonderfully thick and creamy, full of flavor, and made with all-​natural products (no artificial food coloring). We’ve tried several flavors at Marco Ottaviano, but the ones that stand out in my mind are Duca’s Delight, which is a very lemon cream; mint chocolate; and their pistachio, which was deliciously salty and sweet at the same time.
We’ve been served by the same woman the handful of times we’ve been there, and she is always very nice and patient. We enjoy sitting in the back and watching the other worker (I think is her husband?) make gelato in the kitchen. Definitely one of the best gelaterias in Florence!

I’ve been in Florence for 10 days and have tried a lot of gelato, but I keep coming back here for the ricotta fichi noci (ricotta, fig, walnut). It is amazing and I will likely dream about it for the rest of my life.
Of note, the sign above the door says «Il Gelateria Gourmet», or something like that, in case you have trouble finding it.

This place has the best vegan gelato I have ever tasted. The family and their dog are adorable as well. This place is a must try.

My favorite in Rome! There were a few seats, which is nice for tired feet that have been traipsing all over Florence. The woman serving the gelato was a little stressed out, but very nice. She took the time to smile, and gave a friendly welcome, which I really appreciate! It’s not that hard to smile once in a while!
The gelato was the best I had in Florence, though all of the places I tried were pretty close. To be fair, we did our research and only went to organic, authentic spots. Flavors we tried:
–ricotta with figs and walnuts — an interesting pick, which I’m glad I tried but it’s on the sweeter side which I’m personally not that into. I wouldn’t kick it out of bed though. Other flavors were classics, and total winners (duh): Sicilian pistachio, black cherry, chocolate, and hazelnut.

This is the gelateria that made me love gelato.
During our trip in Italy we were on a constant quest for the best gelato place. This one is on the top of my chart.
Everything I tried tasted so good, especially the watermelon and espresso favored ones. The watermelon one tastes like the fruit itself without any artificial sweetness/​flavoring in it. And the espresso one… it was like a cup of cappuccino in gelato form. No food coloring, not overly sweet, just perfect.
Wish I could go back there easily.