Is Gelarto Rosa Worth the Queue? The Rose Gelato by the Basilica, Shop by Shop
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Gelarto Rosa shapes gelato into a rose on the cone instead of scooping it, and sells it from two shops a short walk apart by St. Stephen’s Basilica: Szent István tér 3, open every day from 11:00 to 22:00, and Gelarto Rosa Grande at Hercegprímás utca 9, open every day from 10:00 to 21:00. The gelato is made on site, and the line outside the small shop is part of the view from the Basilica steps.
What follows is the practical side: which door to pick, how the rose is built, what is in the counter this season, what gelato to take home costs, and whether the queue earns its place in your afternoon.
Two shops, two sets of hours
| Shop | Address | Open | Flavours in the counter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gelarto Rosa | Szent István tér 3, 1051 Budapest | Every day 11:00 to 22:00 | 24 |
| Gelarto Rosa Grande | Hercegprímás utca 9, 1051 Budapest | Every day 10:00 to 21:00 | 28 |
The original is the tiny one opposite the Basilica, and it is the one in every photo. Grande is what the company calls its big sister: it opened because the line at the original so often grew too long. Same gelato, four more flavours, and room to stand while you decide.
The hours split the day neatly. Grande is the morning shop, open an hour before the original. The original is the late shop, still serving an hour after Grande has closed.
Addresses and opening hours from gelartorosa.com, flavour counts from the shop’s own article on its flavours, read on 3 October 2026.
How the rose gets on the cone
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There is no scoop behind the counter. Staff build each rose with a custom-made spatula, laying the gelato on the cone petal by petal, which keeps it creamy instead of packing it down.
The rest is the kitchen’s work. The shop cooks six different bases on site rather than flavouring one, and the vanilla base is slow-cooked with vanilla beans, lemon zest, milk and eggs. The company says nothing in the counter carries preservatives, emulsifiers or volume enhancers.
The cones come from Italy, made to the shop’s own vanilla recipe, and a gluten-free cone costs nothing extra. Ask for it before the rose goes on.
Founder Niki Szökrön learned the trade at the gelato university in Bologna and the rose technique from an Italian family; the petal-by-petal shape, she says, was her father’s discovery. In 2025 the company marked twenty years of making gelato.
Method, cones and history from the About page and the rose ice cream article on gelartorosa.com, read on 3 October 2026.
What is in the counter: the originals and this season’s list
Two flavours on the list started here, by the company’s own account: lavender white chocolate, with domestic lavender oil in a cream base, first made around eighteen years ago, and basil lemon, a dairy-free sorbet first made in 2009 and served all year. If you only try one rose, those two are the house signature.
| Group | Flavours |
|---|---|
| Classics | Vanilla with Réunion vanilla, chocolate matured for 12 hours, Bronte pistachio, lavender white chocolate, basil lemon |
| Vegan | Chocolate sorbet, Alphonso mango, dragon fruit with violet syrup, plus classics made with pea milk |
| Autumn | Pumpkin with orange and ginger, chestnut, black tahini, fig with fig leaves |
| Winter | Walnut, poppy seed with orange, chili chocolate, brown bread whiskey |
| Spring and summer | Elderflower, strawberry, rose, acacia honey, peach, berries, cooked corn, hibiscus |
The seasonal rows rotate, and the counter moves faster than any list: the homepage describes a flavour dreamt up in the morning, made by the afternoon and sold out of its tub by evening. The paleo sorbets are sweetened with birch sugar and stevia, so guests on a diabetic diet are covered too.
Flavour list and seasons from the flavours page and the shop’s flavour article on gelartorosa.com, read on 3 October 2026.
What it costs
The order page prices the gelato you take away.
| What | Price |
|---|---|
| Rose sphere, 300 g, your choice of base and rose flavour | 7,100 HUF (about $22) |
| Thermo box, 500 ml, 4 flavours | 9,000 HUF (about $28) |
| Thermo box, 1 litre, 8 flavours | 16,400 HUF (about $51) |
| Thermo box, 1.5 litres, 12 flavours | 23,600 HUF (about $74) |
| Thermo box, 2 litres, 16 flavours | 30,500 HUF (about $95) |
| Gift box, added to either | 3,000 HUF (about $9) |
A box keeps its texture for an hour to an hour and a half without cooling, then it needs a freezer, which matters if your hotel room has only a minibar. The box flavours are the core twelve: basil lemon, chocolate, strawberry elderflower, lavender white chocolate, raspberry, mango, Oreo, pistachio, salted caramel, vanilla, rose and hazelnut.
Prices are in HUF, which is what you pay at the shop or on the order page. Converted at 1 USD = 320 HUF, the ECB rate on 25 September 2026. Rates move, so treat the converted figures as indicative. Prices from the rose sphere and thermo box pages on gelartorosa.com, read on 3 October 2026.
The queue, and how to get round it
The company is open about the line. Its tiny shop in the heart of Budapest, it says, often has a queue so long that it opened the bigger Grande nearby The company says it serves thousands of guests a day.
Three ways to spend less of your afternoon in it:
- Go to Grande. Hercegprímás utca 9 is the bigger room with the bigger counter, built for exactly this.
- Go early. Grande opens at 10:00, an hour before the original.
- Go late. The original serves until 22:00, an hour after Grande has closed.
Queue and visitor numbers as the company describes them on the About page at gelartorosa.com, read on 3 October 2026.
Is it worth it?
You are paying for three things: a rose built by hand in front of you, a flavour list with real house originals on it, and an address on the Basilica square. If the shape and those flavours are what you came for, it delivers, and Grande takes most of the waiting out of it.
If what you want is the most gelato for your forints, or a parlour with no line at all, the Budapest ice cream guide has the rest of the city’s counters, from District XVI to Buda. And since you will be standing on Szent István tér anyway, the St. Stephen’s Basilica guide covers the dome, the tickets and the hours across the square. More places to eat around town sit in the food and restaurants hub.
Getting there
Both shops are in District V. The original is at Szent István tér 3, on the square opposite the Basilica’s main door. Grande is at Hercegprímás utca 9, nearby in the same quarter. Questions go to hello@gelartorosa.com or +36 70 383 1071.
Addresses and contact details from gelartorosa.com, read on 3 October 2026.
Good to know
How much does Gelarto Rosa gelato cost to take home?
A 300 g rose sealed in a sphere is 7,100 HUF (about $22), and a thermo box is 9,000 HUF for 500 ml with four flavours (about $28), 16,400 HUF for a litre (about $51), 23,600 HUF for 1.5 litres (about $74) and 30,500 HUF for 2 litres (about $95). A gift box is 3,000 HUF (about $9) extra.
What are Gelarto Rosa's opening hours?
The original shop at Szent István tér 3 opens every day from 11:00 to 22:00. Gelarto Rosa Grande at Hercegprímás utca 9 opens every day from 10:00 to 21:00, so it is the one for a morning cone and the original is the one for a late one.
Where is Gelarto Rosa in Budapest?
In District V. The original shop is at Szent István tér 3, on the square opposite St. Stephen's Basilica. The larger Gelarto Rosa Grande is nearby at Hercegprímás utca 9.
Does Gelarto Rosa have vegan and gluten-free gelato?
Yes. The fruit sorbets are vegan, several classic flavours come in a vegan version made with pea milk, and the paleo sorbets are sweetened with birch sugar and stevia for guests on a diabetic diet. A gluten-free cone is available at no extra charge.
How many flavours does Gelarto Rosa have?
The shop opposite the Basilica carries 24 flavours and Gelarto Rosa Grande 28. The core list stays (vanilla, chocolate, pistachio, lavender white chocolate, basil lemon) and the rest turns with the seasons: pumpkin, chestnut, black tahini and fig in autumn, walnut, poppy seed, chili chocolate and brown bread whiskey in winter.
Is there always a queue at Gelarto Rosa?
The company itself says the line outside its tiny original shop often gets long, which is why it opened the bigger Grande nearby. If the line on Szent István tér is long, walk to Hercegprímás utca 9: same gelato, four more flavours, more room, and it opens at 10:00.