The 31 best pastry shops in Italy for 2024 awarded by Gambero Rosso

To amaze, tempt, satisfy. This has always been the role of pastry. While it's true that digital communication contributes to the success of a venue or a product, and the challenge is to play with shapes and toppings to make desserts incredibly Instagrammable, it's also true that the most searched specialties on Google are classic favourites. Tiramisu takes the top spot, followed by profiteroles, pandoro, panettone, pastiera, and croissants. These findings stem from data gathered by the Drink & Food Observatory of Tilby (Zucchetti Group's cloud point of sale software), which conducted an analysis of the most searched desserts online based on Google Trends.

Pastry Chefs and Pâtisseries Guide 2024. The Influence of Social Media

Pastry chefs have long since emerged from their kitchens to step in front of cameras and aim for social media visibility. However, never before has the power of social media been so instrumental in attracting large masses of customers or promoting products. Sometimes, all it takes is a single post, a few seconds of a reel, the right hashtags, and the queues start forming instantly. In November 2022, just three seconds of video showcasing the flakiness of the pain au chocolat from Torino's Farmacia del Cambio was enough to “set off a frenzy,” followed by the now-famous Cubrik, which has become a true cult object, replicated in numerous establishments across the country. It spearheaded a genuine “revolution of shapes,” involving other specialties transformed into “cubic” shapes, such as maritozzo, panettone, and even pizza.

Alessandro Dalmasso in his pastry shop

Flavour and health: the commandments of contemporary pastry making

So, does being social mean being skilled? Not necessarily, or at least it's not sufficient. Communication is indeed crucial (which is why this guide awards a special prize, this year going to Pasticceria Gruè in Rome), but it must be an integral part of work that never loses sight of the “substance.” Aesthetics, design, shapes, and colors—essential to garner likes on Instagram and TikTok—must go hand in hand with the substance of the offering. The real game is played in other fields: the quality of ingredients, seasonality, valorisation of the territory, conscious use of technology, increasingly prudent management of fat and sugar content, and the proliferation of “free-from” lines—sweets that meet everyone's dietary needs. These are the foundations that guide the work of the great pastry artisans of Italy—attention to balancing beauty and taste, as well as flavour, healthiness, and sustainability.

The patissier Giuseppe Manilia

Pastry Chefs and Pâtisseries Guide 2024: News and Numbers

The thirteenth edition of the Gambero Rosso Pasticceri e Pasticcerie 2024 Guide brings many delightful surprises, testifying to the liveliness of the sector. The number of reviewed addresses increased to 650, with an impressive 60 establishments making their debut in the guide, spread across the entire national territory. It's a diverse landscape that showcases the good health of major cities while also highlighting many interesting realities in the provinces.

Looking at the figures, Lombardy leads with 89 featured establishments in the guide, making it the region with the highest concentration of recommended venues, followed closely by Veneto, which boasts 70 addresses. There's also positive news from the South, as Puglia leads in new entries with a notable 10 establishments, closely followed by Sicily with 8. Lastly, Piemonte shines brightly, taking it all with Dalmasso as Italy's top pastry shop — one of the two addresses joining the elite of the Tre Torte, plus two special awards for newly opened establishments.

The podium: 31 establishments awarded Tre Torte

This year, there are 31 venues receiving the top recognition of Tre Torte, with two new awardees, Piccola Pasticceria in Casale Monferrato (AL), and Dolciarte in Avellino, joining the other 29 established venues. The pastry shop Dalmasso in Avigliana (TO) stands alone at the top with 95 points, confirming Alessandro Dalmasso as Italy's best pastry chef for the third consecutive year. On the podium, scoring 94 points each, are the Biasetto pastry shop in Padova and Maison Manilia in Montesano sulla Marcellana (SA), with some interesting surprises in the rankings.

The premier league championship of Italian pastry is dominated by Lombardy, boasting 9 champions of high pastry art — 4 of which are in Milan — followed by Campania with 6 establishments. Lazio and Piemonte each have 3 recommended venues, while Veneto, Emilia-Romagna, Tuscany, and Sicily have 2. Trentino Alto Adige and Puglia are also represented, each with one establishment in the prominent team of Tre Torte.

Outside the rankings, with the recognition of Tre Torte d’Oro, is Iginio Massari, an icon who honours Italian pastry art worldwide and serves as an example for all those who want to approach the art of pastry-making.

the master patissier Luigi Biasetto

Here are the best pastry shops in Italy according to Gambero Rosso

95

• Dalmasso – Avigliana [TO]

94

• Biasetto - Padua
• Maison Manilia - Montesano sulla Marcellana [SA]

Cake from Besuschio pastry shop

93

• Besuschio - Abbiategrasso [MI]
• Pasticceria Agricola Cilentana Pietro Macellaro – Piaggine [SA]

cake from Acherer pastry shop

92

• Acherer Patisserie. Blumen - Brunico/Bruneck [BZ]
• Gino Fabbri Pasticcere – Bologna
• Fabrizio Galla - San Sebastiano Da Po [TO]
• Gruè - Rome
• Pasquale Marigliano - Nola [NA]
• Nuovo Mondo - Prato
• Sal De Riso Costa d’Amalfi - Minori [SA]
• Sciampagna – Palermo
• Walter Musco – Walter Musco – Bompiani – Rome

breakfast pastries made by Francesca Castignani of Belle Helene patisserie

91

• Belle Hélène – Tarquinia [VT]
• Caffè Cavour 1880 – Brescia
• Fusto Milano – Milan
• Ernst K Knam – Milan
• Pasticceria Marisa – San Giorgio delle Pertiche (PD)
• Rinaldini – Rimini
• Caffè Sicilia - Noto [SR]

cannoli from Piccola Pasticceria (Casale Monferrato)

90

• L’Arte Bianca – Parabita [LE]
• Cortinovis – Ranica [BG]
• Dolce Reale - Montichiari [BS]
• Dolciarte- Avellino
• Luca Mannori – Prato
• Martesana Milano – Milan
• Piccola Pasticceria - Casale Monferrato [AL]
• Pepe Mastro Dolciere - Sant'Egidio del Monte Albino [SA]
• Pasticceria Roberto - Erbusco [BS]
• Alessandro Servida – Milan

Special Awards

Savoury pastry, digital communication, chocolate desserts, emerging new realities in the spotlight: the special awards of the Gambero Rosso Pasticceri e Pasticcerie 2024 Guide emphasise stories of individuals and key themes in the sector, providing a comprehensive view of its evolutions.

Petra Molino Quaglia Award – Emerging Pastry Chef

• Corinne Tammaro and Stefano Lo Jacono
• Pasticceria Costè – Borgo San Dalmazzo (CN)

FB Gruppo Clabo Award – Innovation of the Year

• Tisti – Pasticceria & Tea Room, Domodossola (VB)

Iceteam 1927 Award – Best Savoury Pastry

• L’Arte Bianca – Parabita (LE)
• Cesare Gialdi Délices à Emporter – Catania

Best Chocolate Dessert Award

• Sciampagna – Palermo

Best Digital Communication Award

• Gruè - Rome

Pasticceri e Pasticcerie 2024 Guide. The pastry chef section

This is a section dedicated to the significant branch of restaurant pastry, entrusted with the delicate role of elevating a tasting experience. Dessert-making involves techniques and distinct characteristics compared to laboratory pastry, a realm that is increasingly gaining well-deserved attention. Within this mini-guide, part of the larger guide, we highlight the most interesting talents in the industry working in some of Italy's prominent restaurants.

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