Gelateria Il Porticciolo

I came to Gelateria Il Porticciolo about 15 years ago, and honestly, it was amazing back then — one of the highlights of hanging out in Vernazza. Fast forward to now, and it’s not quite the same. The staff isn’t very friendly, and trust me, that matters way more than you think when you’re on vacation. The gelato itself is still solid, especially if you’re into fruity flavors, but it doesn’t have that old charm that made it memorable. Definitely good for a quick fruity fix, but “service with a smart smile” was lacking compared to the way it used to be.

Ice cream is super creamy and delicious, potentially the best ice cream I've ever had 😍

The BEST Gelato on our entire 3 week Italian adventures!! And boy did we try a lot!! You MUST try the Cinnamon Flavor. We’ve never had this flavor anywhere else- and the both the texture and flavor profile are absolutely 100% perfection!!! I had 1/2Cinnamon and 1/2chocolate in my cup and wish I had gone back for more cinnamon! The owner is so nice and was fantastic managing the lines of people! Beautiful location right along the waters of Vernazza!

My kids are addicted to gelato… in our trip to Italy we must have went to 20+ gelaterias…They all agree this was the best. My wife thinks the pistachio gelato is the most intense flavor of pistachio ever.

Sorry for buying from you! The service was so bad it felt like they were doing us a favor by letting us pay for their not-so-memorable products. Definitely not worth the hype. If you’re in Cinque Terre and truly want real gelato, head to Gelateria Alberto in Corniglia. Their basil and olive oil flavor is out of this world — and the service? Warm, kind, and everything good gelato deserves.

One of the best gellato of dozens we tried in our ten day trip to Italy. The owner seems like a craftsman of great depth of knowledge, craft and character. I wish I had time to get to know him. The toasted coconut and passion fruit were surprisingly delicious. But if you like anise / black licorice, try the gelato. I was astonished how well it came out. The owner imports the root extract from Umbria directly and it is his personal favorite.

Genuinely one of the worst customer service encounters I have had in my life. The man who served me was incredibly hostile and rude, I asked for a small cup (€3.50) was given a flat portion of ice cream despite seeing others being served next to me who were given much larger ones, what you’d usually expect as I’ve ordered gelato many times before. This didn’t bother me too much, so I paid without questioning it, but on asking for a second spoon so I could share the gelato with my friend the man rolled his eyes and said confrontationally “one gelato, one spoon!!!!”. Others around me also looked shocked by his rudeness - I said “so you’re saying I can’t have abother spoon for my ice cream?” he turned around, grabbed a scoop, waved it in my face and said aggressively “PAY €1 MORE IF YOU WANT ANOTHER SPOON THEN. GOODBYE”. Honestly appalled, never been spoken to before so rudely. AVOID this place, avoid this man, it’s a shame as the gelato was delicious but I’d suggest having words with him about how he speaks to paying customers.

This gelato spot was the perfect treat after a hot day exploring the Cinque Terre. The flavors were rich and natural—especially the pistachio and lemon, which were out of this world. Super friendly staff, generous portions, and a view that makes it unforgettable. Hands down some of the best gelato we had in Italy!