Where is the best gelato near Piazza Maggiore?

There is no official best. Of the shops food writers keep listing, the closest is Cremeria Cavour, five minutes’ walk south on Piazza Cavour. For awards, Gambero Rosso’s 2027 gelato guide gave its top rating, Three Cones, to Cremeria Santo Stefano and Maritozzi e Gelato, both in the center and both about 12 to 15 minutes away.

Gelaterie near Piazza Maggiore, by walking time

Checked October 2026. Walking distances are measured on OpenStreetMap from the middle of Piazza Maggiore. Awards are as reported by il Resto del Carlino when the guide came out in June 2026. Opening hours are not listed here, so check before a late-evening walk.

Cremeria Cavour

Cremeria Cavour is the gelateria on Piazza Cavour, just south of Piazza Maggiore. Dissapore and Scatti di Gusto, two Italian food sites, both include it in their roundups of Bologna gelaterie. Dissapore described it in 2019 as the former Funivia shop on that square under new management. Do not confuse it with Cremeria Funivia, a separate shop on Via Porrettana.

We could not pin down its hours: listings disagree on whether it opens on Mondays. It is not among the Bologna gelaterie that won cones in Gambero Rosso’s 2027 guide, as reported in the press.

Where is the best gelato in Bologna?

If you go by Gambero Rosso, four Bologna shops hold Three Cones in the 2027 guide: Cremeria Santo Stefano, Maritozzi e Gelato, Cremeria Scirocco and Stefino. Only the first two are in the historic center.

Cremeria Santo Stefano is further down Via Santo Stefano at number 70c, under the portico, in a shop with a 1930s look. Bologna Welcome, the city’s tourist board, mentions its classic creams and the pralines and macarons on the counter. You pass the Santo Stefano church complex on the way, so the walk does double duty.

Maritozzi e Gelato is on Piazza San Francesco, west of the square. As well as gelato it fills maritozzi, soft sweet buns, with whipped cream to order.

Stefino and Cremeria Scirocco are outside the historic center. Plan them as a trip of their own rather than a detour from the square.

Closest to the square

Two shops sit within about six minutes. Cremeria Cavour is one. The other is Cremeria La Vecchia Stalla, near the start of Via Santo Stefano, known for creamy Bolognese-style gelato and flavors such as pistachio with Cervia salt, and dark chocolate with sour cherries in syrup. It holds One Cone in the 2027 guide.

Further out, in the 11 to 14 minute band:

• Galliera 49, north of the square: seasonal flavors that change every few days, and brioche from pastry chef Gino Fabbri to put them in.
• Il Gelatauro on Via San Vitale: flavors from the owner’s southern Italian roots, such as citrus, orange blossom and ginger. Bologna Welcome notes it made a Financial Times list of the world’s best gelaterie in 2022.
• Sorbetteria Castiglione, by the old Porta Castiglione gate: trading for about 30 years, with smooth creams, sorbets and the Moretto, a gelato on a stick.
• Delizie Bolognesi on Via Riva di Reno: named best gelato maker of the year at the SIGEP trade fair in 2024, by Bologna Welcome’s account.
• Sablé Gelato on Via dei Mille: about 12 seasonal flavors, mostly fruit and flowers.

Gelato makes a good last stop after a meal in the Quadrilatero market streets. Our where to eat guide covers the food that comes first.