The Curious Case of Viral Sensations in Florence
If you follow social media accounts dedicated to food in Florence, chances are you’ve seen a slew of videos depicting Vivoli Gelateria’s affogato.
For most of my forty years of experience in Italy, non-Italians did not even know what affogato was. Now, it seems the whole world is bonkers about it.
If you’ve encountered the endless videos of Vivoli’s affogato, congratulations, you are now intimate with one the city’s top two viral food items.
Vivoli’s viral moment hit in 2023, while the other location became a sensation back in 2014. Most of you already know what place I’m talking about, but for anyone who pays no attention to what food places in Florence have gone viral, it’s a sandwich shop called Antico Vinaio that was crowned the most voted food spot in the world on TripAdvisor in 2014.
Popularity comes with a price and for the past decade the shop has been reviled by locals almost as much as it’s been glorified by tourists. At some point, I’ll write an article with my recommendations for alternate panini places.
Back to Gelateria Vivoli. It was founded as a dairy in 1929 by Serafino Vivoli, and the family started producing gelato in 1932. By the 1960s, it had become a favorite with the locals. The Vivoli family had to overcome the devastating flood of 1966, and then in the 70s, their gelateria got on the tourist radar.
In the ’80s when I was a student in Florence, my teachers said Vivoli was one of the city’s top gelaterie. (That’s around the time daughters, Patrizia and Silvana, joined the family business.)
What I didn’t realize back then, as I strolled in with zero lines and maximum calm, was that those tutto tranquillo visits would be a strange memory many decades later.
So how did it blow up in 2023?
It was during the Emilio Pucci fashion show in Florence. The creative director Camille Miceli and the show’s videographer, Sam Youkilis, came to Vivoli at the suggestion of a Florentine friend and ordered the Gran Crema al Caffè, Vivoli’s classic affogato. On Instagram, Sam declared it the best he’d ever had. Cue 20 million views and swarms of affogato obsessed tourists.
This article is amusing. It notes “The Americans” lining up outside Vivoli and says they are “so crazy” for this affogato that the wait in line is close to an hour. It emphasizes that “only tourists” get in this line.
What happens when a place like this goes viral and “only tourists” line up, and locals now avoid it because of the lines? Is the place still authentic? I’m curious to hear what you think. Let me know in the comments!
Silvana Vivoli says it was a curious thing, this inundation, as they’ve always made the affogato Gran Crema al Caffè throughout their history.
The lines are not only in high season. Here’s a line I filmed this past December.
Reviewers leaving two and three stars this spring had complaints such as:
Affogato good, but too expensive. Shop not equipped to accommodate the crowds. Unable to find a seat inside. Must eat it in the cappuccino cup, in the street, with cup and saucer in hand, in the middle of passers-by.
Affogato with Pistachio at €8 very expensive. Definitely not worth it. 100% not worth the long lines.
You will pay the instagram influencer hype premium for an average experience.
It was clear to Silvana and the other family members that the gelateria needed “more breathing space”. Thus, in April of this year, they opened an affogato bar next door.
In a collaboration with Winestillery (a distillery I mention in my guide to the Chianti zone) the new bar serves affogato with spirits. Some of the choices (all with spirits from Winestillery) are Malt Whisky with crema gelato and bitter orange peel; Tuscan Dry Vermouth and strawberry gelato; Old Tom Gin and peach gelato.
The affogati range in price from €6 to €12.
Note that a more typical price for an affogato is €4. However, Vivoli’s boozy affogati make for a good post-dinner “destination dessert.” Perhaps on a January night, when there aren’t lines, I’d walk over to the affogato bar after dinner.
What I do know, is Vivoli’s affogato bar cannot be called “a secret gem”, which is how I saw it referred to the other day on Facebook. I decided not to add a screenshot of that post, as I don’t want to look like I’m calling someone out by name. It’s their prerogative if they want to shout it out to followers and encourage those lines to get even longer. But folks, with those lines, it ain’t no secret gem.
This is in heat that feels like a hundred degrees! (37.7 Celsius).
😲
Let’s be honest: Vivoli isn’t the only place in Florence to get a good affogato. Social media has turned travel into a monoculture, funneling thousands of people toward the same “authentic” experiences—which increasingly aren’t authentic at all.
The algorithms reinforce existing viewpoints and this limits people’s exposure to alternate ideas/alternate places.
Where to get alternate views? Read us! Those of us who write on Substack and who live in the city and pay attention to issues of overtourism, and are not trying to make a fast buck by leveraging viral sensations. Read
, and Sisk.Alternate places for affogato
In the center:
Perché No!
In the center just off Via Calzaiuoli, in Via Tavolini, this long-renowned gelateria offers a quality affogato.Badiani
Conveniently located in Via Tosinghi near Piazza della Repubblica, here you can get an affogato with Badiani’s signature gelato flavor, Buontalenti.Gelateria dei Neri
A long-standing, quality gelateria in Via dei Neri that also offers affogato.Amorino
In Via del Corso and also at the corner of Piazza del Duomo and Borgo S. Lorenzo. Known for artisan gelato, they offer a good affogato.
In the Oltrarno:
Sbrino
A fantastic down-to-earth place in my neighborhood with standout organic gelato. As well as affogato, you can get a box of their artisan chocolates, hot chocolate in season, a brioche filled with gelato, and granite. In Via dei Serragli.La Carraia
Artisan gelato and affogato with plenty of flavors to choose from. On the Oltrarno side of Ponte alle Carraia.Cantina del Gelato
This quality gelateria, known for its tropical fruit smoothies, also offers affogato and hot chocolate, and crepes. Located where Via dei Bardi opens to a piazza next to the Arno.
Go here for my article on gelato and granita in Florence.
Go here for my article on overtourism in Florence, Venice, and Rome.
Go here for my article on the best hot chocolate in Florence.
Go here for my article on my favorite bakeries/pasticcerie in Florence.
Traveling to Tuscany? Get my guide on the Chianti zone!
Well said Chandi. Hardly a secret gem on honestly why not support other businesses than lining up in sweltering heat to take a photo and probably dump most of the (now melted) drink..
i’ve been to Florence many times. It is my favorite city in the world. I just like to sit and enjoy a coffee and gaze at the architecture. I always go in November or February to avoid the masses of people. I don’t care if it rains on me or if it’s cold. I do usually stay in the centro storico because I can’t walk far. I avoid the restaurants that are heavily touristic, although I’ve eaten them and I find the food to be very good like you, when I remember that trips in 2011 and compared to the later visits, the number of tourists is astounding, even though I’m in the shoulder season. Really enjoyed reading about this beloved city.