Intro: I was in Siena for Palio, the medieval horse race that takes place twice a year. It's a huge deal and that means Siena is going to be congested and a madhouse. An hour or so before Palio, I stopped by La Vecchia Latteria for a snack. Ambiance (2/5): This gelateria is pretty small, so given the timing, ordering was a bit of a mess. There's a small indoor area and the line was out of the door. Definitely a grab and go type spot instead of other ice cream shops that have plenty of seating and are bigger. No seating here. Service (3/5): Given the demand, they were trying to do the best they could by taking orders as quickly as possible. More of a controlled line would have been nice but they were working hard which is always appreciated. Drinks (N/A): Like most gelaterias, they have various soft drinks and water. I didn't order anything. Food (3.5/5): As usual, I went with the medium which allows you to select two flavors. I tend to go with a fruity flavor and a creamy flavor. The selection here is nice and consistent with the hundreds and hundreds of gelaterias that are spread out throughout Italy. Overall: Located in the heart of Siena, La Vecchia Latteria is one of the best and one of the oldest gelaterias in town. It makes for a good spot for a refreshing dessert on-the-go. read more

Great gelato spot in Siena. Short wait but well worth it. Tried some flavors but overall the flavors were delish. Would definitely come back and visit after some pasta read more

La Vecchia Latteria - Gelato Near Me - Siena, SI

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La Vecchia is hands down one of the very best gelato places in Siena, and perhaps in Italy. They make their gelato fresh every day and it's always fresh and delicious. Plus it is not outrageously priced like the other tourist places. Our favorites were the Pistachio, Coffee, and their namesake flavor. We love it so much we went sometimes twice a day on our last trip. Staff is super friendly and you will leave with a smile on your face. read more

La Vecchia Latteria - Gelato Near Me - Siena, SI

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This gelateria was recommended by Lonely Planet. I saw on Google that they have several locations, but one was closed after the pandemic. The small size is one "scoop", but you can choose two flavors. It's only 2.50 euros! I tried pistachio and mandorla di sonia, but they have all the classic flavors like chocolate, hazelnut, and stracciatella. There was only one lady working by herself, but it wasn't busy when I visited. read more

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This was a recommendation by our Airbnb host and it's mentioned in Rick Steves, so I had to check it out. No waiting in queue when we visited mid-afternoon. Though I don't recall what flavors I had, I remember I was impressed and I would certainly return for another cup. read more

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Delicious gelato! The fendente and salted caramel both had little bits of chocolate and caramel, respectively that was a nice addition of texture. My friend was absolutely in love with her combo of the fendente and lemon. It's not the most warm of welcoming store front but the ice cream makes up for it! read more

La Vecchia Latteria - Gelato!!! - Gelato Near Me - Siena, SI

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Really tasty cream. Not the most range of flavors I have seen, but that might mean it's better? Probably will return at least once before leaving Sienna. read more

I think this may be the best gelato I've ever had. Pistachio was incredible. To pad this out, just pretend I had a three paragraph preamble about my custody battle or something. read more

Beware. Ordered a small coffee gelato, gave $20 euros and got 2.50 euros back. The lady went to help the next customer and at the same time watched us as we discussed being short changed. We went to the counter and she said "Oh sorry"...apologized for knowingly scamming us and gave us the $15 euros back that she owed us. If you don't know Italian, Be careful and make you would check your money before you give it so you have no doubt. Besides this, I've had better gelato other places...well, the coffee one wasn't great. read more

Delicious. Sweet cream ice cream flavor was delicious. Pistachio was too rich for me but I think that's a personal preference. My sister said it was the best gelato she'd had yet in Italy (after a month here) read more

We've eaten a lot of gelato in Italy. For texture and flavor, this may be the best we've had. You can also watch them making it.

Top notch gelateria!! They have some very fun flavors available! Got to try it! read more

La Vecchia Latteria - cherry amaretto with salted caramel in a cone - Gelato Near Me - Siena, SI

Best gelato in Siena, confirmed by my Siena food tour, my study abroad professor, and myself :). You can truly taste the difference--the chocolate/cream/nut flavors are creamy and rich, while the fruity flavors are fresh (peach tastes like you are eating a literal peach). Try all the flavors, and they rotate on a daily basis! read more

La Vecchia Latteria - Pistachio and chocolate in a cup (with a cone and biscuit) - Gelato Near Me - Siena, SI

We stumbled upon this little gelato shop while wandering the streets of Siena. This place is located away from the main hustle and bustle of the tourist square and is tucked down a little quiet side street. The line was long with locals so of course we joined the queue -- and I'm so glad we did! The employees were kind and friendly and we communicated just fine with them with our limited Italian. I had a small cup of gelato and the flavors were excellent. Everything tastes so fresh in Italy; the espresso gelato tasted like strong, delicious coffee. They have the standard gelato flavors that you'd expect to find (straciatella / chocolate chip, vanilla, pistachio strawberry, chocolate, coffee) but also some exotic special flavors. You can't go wrong with Italian ice cream and this little shop had some of the best in town. read more

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Best gelato we've had in Italy! Pistachio and Nutella & Mascarpone were incredible. Friendly staff as well! Reasonably priced :)

On a side road just off the Main Street is this small nondescript gelateria. La Vecchia only does one thing and it does it amazingly well, gelato. Was in the mood for a fruity sorbet and the fragola (personal favorite) and tart mandarino was perfectly refreshing against the Tuscan heat. My travel companion had the Arrancia Rossa which was good but couldn't beat the Fragola in terms of a flavor true to the fruit. Delicious! read more

La Vecchia Latteria - Flavors at La Vecchia - Gelato Near Me - Siena, SI

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I waited in line, but when I got to the front, I was bypassed for several other people who came in after me. The young lady behind the counter acknowledged me with a look yet still took others first who obviously came after me. I'm not sure if it was an anti-American thing or not. And to top it all off, the gelato was only average. I would recommend against this shop. read more

This is definitely the best gelato place in Siena! They don't have as many flavors because they focus more on quality and quantity, but it's absolutely amazing gelato! read more

Best gelato in Siena! As good as the famous gelatarias in Florence. Really great service and inexpensive as well. I strongly recommend this place to anyone in Siena with a sweet tooth. The pistachio is especially good! read more

Look out! You'll come back for more! This Gelato is great quality and is made on-site in plain view! We liked the spiced dark chocolate which, unfortunately, they don't make every day. Other flavors were delish as well. Our favorite in Siena. read more

Heard about this gelateria online and randomly stumbled upon it while taking a stroll in siena. Not the best gelato in italy, but very, very good. In fact probably some of the best in siena. Cheaper then the other gelaterias in the center of town and friendly service. Would definitely go back. read more

Delicious! I had a medium and it was plenty for just 2.50£. Fondante is rich and chocolatey! I'll definitely be back for more before I leave Siena. read more

We had gelato once a day (and sometimes twice!) during a two week trip through Italy. This gelateria was one of the best places we tried; it was so good we took the trouble to go back a second time the next day before leaving Siena. The gelato is made on site Prices are very reasonable and free samples available. The black cherry (the "amarena") was my favorite -- creamy, intensely flavorful, without a hint of the artificial. Mmmmm....delicious! Another patron in the gelateria at the time spoke English and Italian, and conveyed to the proprietor how much I enjoyed the amarena and asked the secret of making it so well. In response I received an enthusiastic (accompanied by much hand waving :-) ) description which basically involved fresh ingredients and gentle hand-folding in of the cherries. Apparently a labor of love to make this stuff! Lots of locals in the store, which is always a good sign. The espresso gelato was also excellent. Highly recommended and well worth going a bit out of your way to try if you are a gelato enthusiast and are visiting in Siena. read more