"Hands down, the creamiest gelato in Genoa Hidden down the Vico Superiore del Ferro, this tiny shop is a secret gem. While most gelaterias keep their colorful products out in plain view, luring children in from the street with their mounds of chocolate and mango and black cherry, Gelateria Profumo prefers to hide theirs in shiny frozen silver canisters. And yet tucked inside those containers are some of the most delicious, interesting flavors in town - and hands down, the creamiest."

"Try the Chocolate Bicchierini While you can never go wrong with a tried and true cone of pistacchio e nocciola (pistachio and hazelnut) gelato, opt instead for one (or two or six) of the small 'bicchierini' here at Gelateria Excelsa for a few bites of different delicious flavors! The chocolate are exceptional - as are any of the ones with 'frutti di bosco' (red fruits like strawberry, cherry, and plum)."

"Artisanal gelato chain Although a chain (we now have a few Grom's in New York City as well), Grom makes an incredible gelato, and is committed to creating a locally sourced, sustainable, high-quality product. The nut varieties are exceptionally good—especially the pistachio and hazelnut ones. They also serve a tasty 'affogato' (meaning 'drowned' in italian)—a shot of dark espresso poured over the gelato of your choice!"

"Get the whipped cream While the gelato at Cremeria Buonafede is delicious, the real star here is the freshly made whipped cream - in fact, it's so good, you can get a cone stuffed full of JUST whipped cream (with a sprinkling of canella (cinnamon) if you like)."

"Gelato in Boccadasse If you take the Corso Italia, you can arrive in Boccadasse in less than an hour --- a perfect sunny afternoon stroll by the sea that will burn off enough calories to feel NO GUILT in ordering a large cone from Antica Gelateria Amedeo in this tiny fishing village. They also have a selection of ice cream novelties on sticks - a great option for enjoying your frozen sweet-treat on the small beach just steps from this shop's front door!"

"Salty Gelato! If throughout your travels around Italy you've tried every flavor of gelato possible, come to Cremeria Dell'Erbe, where they are experimenting with salty gelato. I sampled the salty pistachio, the salty fruits of the forest, and I cannot WAIT to try the salty red shrimp option - while you can buy a scoop to eat in store, this spin on traditional 'dessert' is meant to be served with main courses (ie the salty pistachio on top of hot pasta, the salty fruits of the forest with raw tuna, etc...). Cremeria Dell'Erbe often partners with a local restaurant to do tasting dinners - so make a point to attend one of these if they are going on during your visit - the flavor is just amazing."

"Don't be scared off by the 'soft serv' machines This is my favorite gelato in Genoa - hands down. Super rich flavors, super creamy texture, and little cup/cones that let you take your time to savor each bite. And with slow-food approved ingredients, you can also feel good about eating it! Just beware - the gelateria is on the ground floor of the Eataly building, and directly in the middle of the chaos of Porto Antico, so on warm days the line can be nearly an hour."

"Get the yogurt flavor If you are looking for a gelato that is not quite as sugary-sweet as normal fruity flavors, try the yogurt flavor option at Cream Cafe near the Brignole train station - it tastes exactly like gently sweetened, and slightly tangy, plain greek yogurt. And at only 1.75 euro, it's a relative steal! (The fruit flavors are also quite good here, but the chocolate is often icy, so stick with the yogurt!)"

"Gelato near the Natural History Museum If you head out of the ancient city to enjoy the Natural History Museum in the newer portion of town, enjoy a gelato at Balilla, just a few block over from the museum. While I am not a huge chocolate ice cream fan, the cioccolato extra fondente (extra dark chocolate) here is exceptional - as is the nocciola, the tried and true hazelnut flavor!"