Gelato in Palo Alto

Palo Alto now has two good places for Italian-style gelato. A family-owned Italian deli and gelato shop on Emerson Street now scoops up to 60 flavors until 10 or 11 p.m. A gelato chain founded by two brothers from Milan makes its gelato daily in a shop at Stanford Shopping Center. Two more gelato counters sit a short drive away in Redwood City and Mountain View.

This guide covers where to go, what sets each shop apart and how to order like an Italian. For scoop shops, frozen yogurt and soft serve, see our ice cream guide. Each shop here was confirmed on its own website in late October and early November 2026.

Gelato at a glance

Gelato versus ice cream

Gelato is Italian ice cream, but the recipe and the method differ. It uses more milk and less cream, so it has less fat. It is churned slowly, which works in less air, so a scoop is dense and silky. It is also served a few degrees warmer than American ice cream. Warmer means softer. Softer means the flavor reaches your tongue faster. That is why pistachio and hazelnut gelato taste so intense. Sorbetto, the dairy-free cousin, is made from fruit, sugar and water.

Gelato shops serve with a flat paddle instead of a round scoop. Most will let you mix two or three flavors in a small cup. Ask to taste first. It is expected.

Classic flavors to try first

An Italian gelato case follows a few traditions. If you are new to it, these are the benchmarks to judge a shop by:

• Fior di latte. Sweet milk and cream with no added flavor. It shows how good the base is.
• Stracciatella. Fior di latte with fine shards of chocolate drizzled in while it churns.
• Pistachio. Should be olive brown rather than bright green. Bright green usually means coloring.
• Nocciola and gianduja. Hazelnut on its own, or hazelnut with chocolate, the pairing behind Nutella.
• Limone. Lemon sorbetto, sharp and dairy-free, good next to a rich nut flavor.

Caffe Stellato, Emerson Street

Caffe Stellato is a family-owned Italian deli and gelateria that opened its first shop in 2022 and now has three: 435 Emerson Street in Palo Alto, 816 Middlefield Road in Redwood City and 1112 Burlingame Avenue in Burlingame. Its website says it offers up to 60 flavors of handcrafted Italian artisanal gelato, including sorbets and dairy-free flavors made with oat milk.

The case is the draw, but the shop is also a deli. Italian sandwiches made with imported meats and cheeses on ciabatta or sourdough run from $9.99 for a build-your-own University Special to $16.99 for the Speciale with prosciutto di Parma and hot coppa. The counter also sells cannoli, Italian desserts, Italian coffee and shelves of imported candy and chocolate. Gelato prices are posted in the shop.

The hours make it the late gelato stop in town: 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday to Thursday and 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. The shop is a short walk from University Avenue, so it is an easy stop after dinner or a film at the Stanford Theatre. The shop takes pickup and delivery orders through its website.

Bacio di Latte, Stanford Shopping Center

Bacio di Latte traces its start to 2011, when two brothers, Edoardo and Luigi, set out from Milan to learn traditional gelato recipes around Italy. The Stanford Shopping Center shop is at 660 Stanford Shopping Center, Suite 11A. The company says it makes gelato every day in every shop with Clover milk and cream from Sonoma County family farms, Belgian and Italian chocolate, Sicilian pistachio and Piedmont hazelnut. Fruit sorbets are made with water and a high share of fruit.

The menu goes beyond a cone. Ciocchinos layer gelato with Nutella or pistachio cream and crunchy nuts. Affogatos pour a shot of espresso over a scoop. A cookie can be ordered with a scoop on top. For home, gelato is packed in a pint or in larger Amici and Famiglia containers with two to four flavors. New flavors appear each month. Bacio di Latte does not post hours for this shop, so check the mall's directory before a late visit. Our Stanford Shopping Center guide covers parking.

Note that the company's website is baciodilatte.us. Do not type the .com address, which does not belong to the gelato company.

Nearby gelato

• Caffe Stellato, Redwood City. The second shop at 816 Middlefield Road keeps the same hours as Palo Alto and the same sandwich and gelato menu. It is about 6 miles north. Our Redwood City food guide covers dinner nearby.
• Gelato Classico, Mountain View. Caffe Classico Foods, a Concord company that has made gelato and Sorbetto Classico for more than 40 years, lists a Gelato Classico shop at 241 Castro Street. Its site gives a phone number, (650) 969-2900, but no hours, so call first. Our Castro Street guide covers the rest of the street.

How to order

1. Taste first. Ask for a sample of one or two flavors. Staff expect it.
2. Mix flavors. A small cup can usually hold two flavors. Pair a nut flavor with a fruit sorbetto, such as pistachio with lemon.
3. Choose a cup in warm weather. Gelato is served softer than ice cream and melts faster in a cone.
4. Try an affogato after dinner. Espresso and a scoop of fior di latte or vanilla is dessert and coffee in one.
5. Take some home. Bacio di Latte sells packed gelato. Bring a cooler bag on a warm day.

Dietary notes

• Dairy-free. Caffe Stellato makes oat milk gelato and sorbets. Bacio di Latte's fruit sorbets are made with water.
• Nuts. Pistachio and hazelnut are central to Italian gelato. Bacio di Latte publishes an allergen chart. Ask for a clean paddle if you have an allergy.
• Gluten. Cones, cookie pieces and some mix-ins contain wheat. Choose a cup.
• Caffeine. Affogatos contain a full espresso shot.

When to go

Summer evenings and warm fall weekends bring lines downtown. Weekday afternoons are quieter. Caffe Stellato's late hours make it the choice after 9 p.m.; for other options after dinner, see our late-night food guide. On a shopping day, Bacio di Latte pairs well with a walk around the center.

Frequently asked questions