I visited Tampa back in January 2009 and ordered from an Italian place by delivery a few times. Something that caught my eye were cannolis listed under deserts. I didn’t know what it was at the time but recalled the famous line from The Godfather, ‘leave the gun, take the cannolis’. I ordered regardless. To this day, that flaky pastry with chocolate dipped ends is one of my favourites that I have ever had.
Heading to Barcelona for a short break I figured that I might discover a few decent Sicillian bakeries, since Italy and Sicily isn’t really that far away. I wasn’t wrong. Here’s my five favourites that I discovered, what I very much wouldn’t call reviews and where you can find them too.
Gelaaati Di Marco
In spotting these cannolis in the cabinet it was easy to assume that it would be half-and-half with two different fillings. It was however just one end dipped in chocolate shavings. At Gelaaati Di Marco, your cannoli comes with one filling of pistachio filling throughout. It’s perhaps a little dense but really tasty. A plate would have been nice, but that’s likely just being pedantic. It costs three and a half Euros for one cannoli at the time of my visit. Boasting a firm flaky shell plus filling that is creamy and not too sweet. It’s delicious, simply put.
The place itself is boiling hot inside despite air conditioning blasting. There were no seats spare so we just stood at the mirrored counter and consumed. Menu calls it cannoli del pandrino artigianale, which translates to something along the lines of ‘From The Godfather’. Gelaaati Di Marco specialises in gelato and creates its atmosphere with cover versions of songs that you might recognise. You can find a large glass pane to the right as you stand facing the counter that will allow you to see into the kitchen and observe the artisan bakers at work.
You can find Gelaaati Di Marco at Llibreteria 7 in the Gothic Quarter just down from Placa de Sant Jaume town square.
Il Forno
Once we found Il Forno, we opted for a ricotta cannoli after the previous bakery was pistachio. I actually wish I’d ordered both here! This was only two Euro fifty and comes on a cute plate. So cute I was tempted to steal it. Complemented this criminal act with a cappuccino. This one was a little smaller than Di Marco. It offers a thin crispy shell with a lingering orange marmalade aftertaste. Chocolate runs throughout the centre of the shell which I’m a big fan of. Filling is super sweet and rich and offers a feint Terry’s chocolate orange infusion of flavour.
In retrospect, this was probably the best cannoli that we found. If you can find Il Forno do stop here. We sat kerbside with traffic behind us at one of two tables positioned outside the cafe. This is actually a really adorable spot to stop at and was no where near as busy as the Gothic Quarter.
You can find Il Forno at 338 Carrer de Lepant just around the corner from Jardins de la Industria.
Cremeria Siciliana
Heading toward the Sagrada Familia we stumbled across Cremeria Siciliana on Avinguda de Gaudi. It was a was a small gelato place with generous offerings of gelato ice cream with a few other unique deserts. Here our Sicilian treat cost three Euro fifty (likely due to the location) for a large size and two Euros for a small size cannoli.
Featuring a thick crunchy shell with a hit of sweet spice such as nutmeg or cinnamon, the shell was reminiscent of cinnamon cereal like curiously cinnamon. It was somewhat coarse and chewy hosting a thick, sweet filling. The aftertaste was definitely breakfast cereal-like. That’s the lasting impression that I was left with. An added bonus is that at Cremeria Siciliana you can devour your Sicilian pastry with a unique view.
You can find Cremeria Siciliana at 18 Avinguda de Gaudi near Sagrada Familia
Les dues Sicilies
The first thing I noticed at Les dues Sicilies was the lack of seating, this is only a tiny little takeaway. The sign said one Euro Fifty for an individual cannoli but I was charged two for some reason. The here pizza looked great and if I wasn’t on a mission to stuff myself with cannolis, I would definitely have ordered a slice.
We took a short walk to a square, which I think was called Placa de Sant Cugat with couple of seats, ping pong tables and a park. This cannoli featured large dark chocolate chunks accompanied by a cavalcade of nuts. I got the impression that the crispy shell was likely not made but shop bought, which is fine but lacks the authenticity. I thought this one was quite small although featured hints of cinnamon and salt and was by no means too sweet.
You can find Les dues Sicilies at number 22 Carrer dels Carders.
La Pasticceria di Gracia
This one was a tricky location to find. In navigating the narrow and picturesque streets here I initially walked into a pastaria on the corner of the same block and confused a woman whom had no idea what I was on about when asking for a cannoli/ cannolo. Upon finally walking in to the right place, I’m greeted at La Pasticceria di Gracia and my eyes lock onto what is my final cannoli in Barcelona.
With each end dipped in chocolate and pistachio, this little treat also featured chocolate running through centre lining. I found the pastry to be a tad dry yet soft. I really liked the chocolate chips embedded in the ricotta. It was a smaller size compared to most that I had tried on this trip, however it was fairly priced at just one Euro fifty. Not as good as Il Forno, but a decent effort. It was okay for a quick fix and we end on a nutty finish.
You can probably eventually find La Pasticceria di Gracia at 58 Carrer de Verdi.
Locations
I’ve read your article now what?
- Check out the Barcelona restaurant guide 2019 guide book
- Make your own cannolo with the Cannoli cookbook
- Book yourself on to a walking food tour of Barcelona
- See some of these places on a Fat Tire Bike Tour
- Learn how to make cannolo with this cannoli video