RivaReno Gelateria brings real Italian gelato to Palma's old town - at one of the city's most beautiful addresses. The ice cream parlour sits right on Plaça de la Llotja, opposite the magnificent Gothic building Sa Llotja, just a few steps from the harbour and the promenade. Riccardo Falcone opened his first RivaReno here in 2015, and ever since, queues of locals and visitors have reliably formed in front of the counter.
What makes RivaReno Gelateria special
The difference comes down to uncompromising freshness: the gelato is made fresh every morning in the adjoining laboratorio, and you can watch the machines at work through the window. Leftovers from the previous day are never sold.
One technical detail explains the famous creaminess: RivaReno stores its gelato at around −10 °C rather than the usual −16 to −18 °C. At this warmer temperature the flavour comes through far more intensely, and nothing tastes icy or hard.
Flavours & specialities
The undisputed star is pistachio: on a summer day this store alone gets through 60 to 70 kilos of it. Falcone uses three to four times more real raw material than usual and skips colouring entirely - the pistachio is the main ingredient, not the dye.
Alongside it sit house specialities like Cremino RivaReno, Bacio and Morena, plus classics such as Nocciola, Stracciatella, Vaniglia Bourbon and Cioccolato. The sorbets are made with up to 65 percent real fruit and are dairy-free; around ten vegan options fill the display case, including creamy versions like pistachio and hazelnut. You can combine two flavours in one small scoop - roughly €4.50 for two flavours in a cone - and, if you fancy, have it topped with liquid chocolate.
Origins & quality
RivaReno was founded in 2004 in Bologna by four friends with unusual backgrounds: a car-industry manager, a BBC reporter, a lawyer and gelato-maker Leonardo Ragazzi. The name refers to the banks of the river Reno in Emilia-Romagna. The first store opened in 2005 in Milan's Navigli district.
Just two years later, the association Golosaria awarded the brand the title "Miglior Gelateria d'Italia" - best gelato shop in Italy. Only natural ingredients are used, without hydrogenated fats, artificial colourings or preservatives, plus Alpine milk from the Stura Valley in Piedmont.
