Rome has its fair share of places to get gelato these days. In recent years, gelato shops have popped up all over the city – from national chains like Venchi, Grom, and La Romana – to smaller artisanal producers like Torcè, Punto Gelato, and Otaleg. Even some of my favorites no longer are limited to just one location but are spreading throughout the city and becoming local chains.
This isn’t the only post you’ll find on the internets about gelato in Rome, and there will be a lot of cross-over, but here are five that I like and go back to time and again. I’ve also mentioned a couple of lesser-known cold treats and one which is limited only to summertime – grattachecca or shaved ice. When I first discovered the Roman version of the Puertorican piragua of my childhood, I was very happy! Grattachecca is not granita. Grattachecca is freshly prepared each time – ice that is shaved at the time of order from a single block of ice, placed in a glass and with sweet syrup or juice poured on top. Granita is syrup or juice mixed with water and sugar, frozen and then chopped up. Grattachecca stands are open only in the summer with many of them located by the Tiber River.
Below are some of my go-to places and rather than wax poetic about each of them, I’ve just mentioned their name, addresses and the flavors I usually get. Don’t take my word for it though. Go taste for yourself!
NB: These are all older photos before I knew any better about the environmental repercussions of single-use plastic spoons and straws. The most sustainable and eco-friendly way to eat gelato is on a cone.
Gelateria dei Gracchi
Almond, Zabaione and their Gianduia or Bacio (hazelnut and chocolate). Their Pistachio is also quite good.
Four locations in Rome:
Via dei Gracchi, 272 (original location in Prati neighborhood, not too far from the Vatican)
Viale Regina Margherita, 212 (MACRO museum)
Via San Pantaleo, 61 (Piazza Navona)
Via di Ripetta, 261 (Piazza del Popolo)
Fatamorgana
Always Biancaneve (vanilla, apple, and raspberry), Chocolate Madagascar and Lemon Ginger – sometimes I substitute Chocolate Madagascar with Bacio del Principe (hazelnut & chocolate)
Nine locations:
Via Lago di Lesina, 9/11 (original location in Trieste/Salario neighborhood)
Piazza degli Zingari, 5 (Monti neighborhood)
Via Roma Libera, 11 (Piazza di San Cosimato, Trastevere neighborhood)
Via Laurina, 10 (between Piazza del Popolo & Piazza di Spagna)
Via Leone IV, 50 (Prati neighborhood, near Vatican)
Via dei Chiavari, 37 (between Campo de’ Fiori & Largo Torre Argentina)
Via Veneto, 141 (sold in the Doney bar & cafe)
Via Aosta, 3 (Piazza dei Re di Roma)
Piazza Filippo Carli, 36 (north Rome off of Corso Francia)
Come il Latte
Salted Caramel, Cinnamon and their Mascarpone with Gentilini cookies.
Via Silvio Spaventa, 24/25 (10-minute walk from The Beehive)
Gelateria Del Teatro
The sublime Sage and Raspberry is my favorite flavor here.
Two locations:
Via dei Coronari, 65/66 (original location, Piazza Navona)
Lungotevere dei Vallati, 25 (Tiber River near Ponte Garibaldi)
Alla Fonte d’Oro (grattachecca, shaved ice)
Lemon. Only lemon.
Lungotevere Raffaello Sanzio (a kiosk near the Ponte Garibaldi bridge). Open during the summer months.
Fiocco di Neve – (affogato al caffè)
This gelateria was recently renovated, and while I’m happy that their bathroom got a much-needed upgrade, I do miss the scrappier, grittier version the gelateria used to be. Now the place is a bit too polished, but still, the only place I go to for their affogato al caffè – a shot of coffee, a scoop of either cream or zabaione gelato topped with panna (whipped cream).
Via del Pantheon, 51 (Pantheon)
My favorites are not just limited to this list. I also highly recommend the following:
Torcè on Viale Aventino, 59 (Circus Maximus) which has a large selection of fantastic chocolate flavors and I quite like their Stracciatella (chocolate chip gelato) too.
Palazzo del Freddo dei Fassi at via Principe Eugenio, 50 (Piazza Vittorio) for their ice cream parlour ambiance, their Crema Romana – a delicious pine nut gelato and their Sanpietrini – gelato bars shaped and named after Rome’s famous cobblestones.
Neve il Latte, via Luigi Poletti, 6 (MAXXI museum) for everything – you can’t go wrong with any flavor here made with high quality often organic ingredients and organic milk. The main reason I don’t go here more often is because of their location, but whenever I am in the neighborhood I always stop by.
