Delizia (Mercado da Ribeira)

The counter covers a lot of ground. There are 100% fruit sorbets, classic creamy gelato, and less usual savoury, herb, spice and aromatic flavours, plus a few with alcohol for adults. Lifecooler also lists “dietetic” ice creams, and a visitor in summer 2026 wrote that staff explained the labels on the counter when her family asked for flavours without added sugar. They chose pineapple and watermelon sorbets.

Delizia puts Algarve ingredients first. When MAGG wrote about it, the most-ordered flavours among tourists and locals were carob with orange and queijinho de amêndoa, a flavour named after the region’s little almond marzipan sweets. Carob is a local crop: the pods are ground into a flour that tastes a bit like cocoa, which makes a good talking point with children. MAGG also found a Cerelac flavour, named after the baby cereal familiar to Portuguese families.

Recent visitors single out the plum, lemon and pistachio, and fig comes up again and again in reviews. A child who wants plain chocolate or strawberry will not be disappointed.

The Mercado da Ribeira café is a proper sit-down stop as well as a gelato counter. It serves crêpes (the one with whipped cream, chantilly, is among the most ordered), cakes, coffee and beer, and has a terrace. That makes it workable for a mixed group where one child wants ice cream and another wants something warm.

In 2008 Delizia won the Portuguese guest prize at the first Gran Prix of artisan gelato in Sanremo, Italy, and in 2010 it was the first Portuguese maker at the Sherbeth artisan ice cream festival in Sicily. MAGG reported that it had been ranked 43rd among the world’s best gelato shops outside Italy.

Prices are modest. When MAGG visited, a scoop cost €1.95 in a cone or a cup; prices may have changed, so check the board.

Delizia has two shops in Tavira and one in Cabanas de Tavira. The market café is open all year, but hours change with the season and listings disagree. A reviewer in July 2026 noted it was still open after 19:00 even though Google showed it closing earlier. The Cabanas shop on Avenida da Ria Formosa, the seafront road, gets very busy in the summer months. If you are making a special trip in winter, check first.

The market is by the river in the town centre, a short walk from the old bridge. The ferry to Ilha de Tavira beach also leaves from a town-centre pier, so an ice cream after the boat back is an easy plan. The Ciência Viva science centre in the Convento do Carmo is good for a hot or wet afternoon, and Praia do Barril, with its little train and old tuna anchors, is just west of town. The Mata da Conceição park, with its fallow deer, is a short drive inland.

Where is Delizia in Tavira?

In the Mercado da Ribeira by the River Gilão, shops 5 and 6, on Rua Dr. José Pires Padinha, near the old bridge.

Is there sugar-free or dairy-free ice cream?

It makes 100% fruit sorbets and “dietetic” ice creams, and staff explain the counter labels for flavours without added sugar. Ask about specific allergens.

How much is an ice cream?

MAGG reported €1.95 for a scoop in a cone or cup. Prices may have risen since.

Is it open in winter?

The market café opens all year, but hours change with the season and listings vary. Check before a special trip.