Our top picks of the best gelato
Finding authentic gelato in Rome is as easy as visiting Rome from virtually any city in Italy. There are dozens of artisanal, chain, and mom-and-pop gelaterias around Rome. Here are a few to get your sweet tooth smiling.
Gelateria del Teatro
Closest landmark: Via dei Coronari
Gelateria del Teatro could be mistaken for a local grocer, with a list of fresh ingredients that reads like a farmer’s market. It offers more than 200 gelato recipes mirroring the changing seasons of Italy. Sometimes you’ll find Sicilian citrus or Amalfi lemon flavors; other days, options like ginger cream, cayenne chili chocolate, or ricotta cheese fig and almond might appear on the menu.
Giolitti
Closest landmark: Pantheon
With several locations in Rome, the most famous Giolitti gelato store is arguably the one closest to the Pantheon. Now, why does Giolitti make such good gelato? It’s because they know milk like no one else. This gelato brand evolved from a century-old dairy that supplied milk to the royal house. Over a century later, Giolitti still reigns as a must-try gelato shop in Rome, serving gelato in cones, ice cream sandwiches, cake slices, and on sticks.
Fatamorgana
Closest landmark: Basilica of Santa Maria in Trastevere
Fatamorgana’s founder, Maria Agnese, is on a quest to reclaim the magical gelato memories of her childhood… and let’s just say, her imagination runs selvaggia (yes, wild). Tobacco leaves, black rice, wasabi powder—this is one gelato experience in Rome you’ve got to check out. While there are several Fatamorgana branches in the city, the one in the Trastevere neighborhood is highly recommended.
Image Credit: Getty Images, Grant Faint
More gelaterias to consider
Ruins, gelato, repeat.
Enjoy authentic gelato in Rome after every museum visit, and you’ll try every flavor in no time.
Venchi Chocolate and Gelato
Closest landmark: Roma Termini
Venchi Chocolate and Gelato has done its thing since 1878 so you’ll see their presence more than once in Rome. That “thing” they do is chocolate artistry, and you won’t need a back-of-the-box description to understand it. Just order a gourmet gelato cone topped with milk chocolate and you’ll know exactly why this chocogelateria is such a success.
🚆 Trainline Tip: You can sample Venchi Chocolate and Gelato in select places outside of Rome, so look for locations in Milan Malpensa Airport, Venezia Santa Lucia train station, Bologna Airport, and Firenze Santa Maria Novella train station.
Frigidarium
Closest landmark: Piazza Navona
Want one of those photos of your hand holding a towering gelato cone, with cobblestone streets slightly blurred in the background? Frigidarium is the place your followers want to see. It’s a takeout gelato shop with a dueling list of classic flavors and specialty scoops that rock their waffles off. Plus, Frigidarium is near Piazza Navona, where movies like Eat, Pray, Love were filmed if you need more influencer inspiration.
La Gourmandise
Closest landmark: Quattro Venti train station
Close enough to Quattro Venti train station that you can grab your gelato before heading out, La Gourmandise has gluten-free cones for scooping lactose-free gelato into. Lactose lovers are treated to Maltese goat’s milk in flavors like Manjari chocolate and toasted Sicilian pistachio.
Otaleg
Closest landmark: Basilica of Santa Maria in Trastevere
Authentic gelato in Rome means nothing to a vegan, that is, until they stumble upon Otaleg. Homemade gelato and sorbet made in 30 flavors, including vegan options, give the dairy-free crowd a cup worth having in Trastevere.
Come il Latte
Closest landmark: Church of Santa Maria della Vittoria
Visiting Rome after a truffle hunt in the Langhe region? Then you’ll recognize the sweet hazelnuts in Come il Latte’s gelato sourced from the very same forests. Ingredient selection is paramount here, which is why only select cocoa varieties from South America are used, and all praline sprinkles are handcrafted.
Gelateria dei Gracchi
Closest landmark: Piazza del Popolo
With a location on each side of the Ponte Regina Margherita, Gelateria dei Gracchi offers the chance to grab a second helping once your cup is scooped clean. It works out well for everybody: they get an instant repeat customer, and you don’t have to choose between the salted caramel peanuts or the orange fondant.
Fiocco di Neve
Closest landmark: Pantheon
Gelato, but first, coffee? From morning until midnight, Fiocco di Neve hits you with a quick fix of caffeine and sugar. Order up a zabaione: a gelato scoop with a pour of coffee over it and thank us later.
Image Credit: Getty Images, Dudaeva. Image Location: Rome, Italy
Il Gelato Di San Crispino
Closest landmark: Trevi Fountain
Locals swear by Il Gelato di San Crispino as a true-blue authentic gelato in Rome. Near the Trevi Fountain, you can tell this is the real deal because, well, it seems kinda “plain.” No elaborate presentation of wacky colors…and that’s the giveaway, i miei amici.
Neve di Latte
Closest landmark: Castel Sant'Angelo
With more than one Neve di Latte location in the city, if you find yourself in the Prati neighborhood, how’s this for a date night: a show at the Cinema Adriano, a ghost tour of Castel Sant'Angelo, and a romantic stroll through moonlit Rome with Neve di Latte gelato in one hand and your love in the other?
Fiordiluna
Closest landmark: Ponte Garibaldi
Fiordiluna is a name you’ve seen in countless guidebooks and travel shows. Around a quarter- century-old, Fiordiluna’s founders have a hunger for gelato so voracious that they’ve studied everything from fluid dynamics to chemistry to artificial intelligence to formulate an exceptional gelato with just two ingredients.
Günther Gelato Italiano
Closest landmark: Ponte Sisto
Günther Gelato Italiano has a handful of locations in Rome, and we prefer the one near Ponte Sisto. You can’t beat an afternoon treat and a walk along the Tiber River.
🚆Trainline Tip: Günther’s got a gelato stand in Roma Termini train station, so you can grab one before or after taking a day trip from Rome to countless Italian cities.
Fassi Gelateria
Closest landmark: Piazza Vittorio Emanuele II
Walk into Fassi Gelateria, and there’s a good chance that you’re walking into the oldest gelateria in Rome. Opened in 1880 (and followed soon after by Giolitti, the other claimed oldest gelateria in Rome), you can snag a cup or cone for under $2. Visit on the weekend to take a tour of the lab they’ve used for 140 years.
Al Settimo Gelo
Closest landmark: Casa museo di Giacomo Balla
Al Settimo Gelo will make you say, “F*ck, that’s delicious”—Action Bronson sure did when he visited this gelateria in Della Vittoria for an episode of his TV show F*ck, That’s Delicious. Try uttering this phrase when you’ve got a mouth full of gelato cake.
Brivido Gelateria
Closest landmark: Pyramid of Caius Cestius
Last but not least, Brivido Gelateria is just one of many reasons to get off at the Roma Porta San Paolo train station (or Piramide Rome Metro stop) and explore the area. Grab a gelato and let it accompany you to the Mercato di Testaccio, the Mattatoio museum, and the Pyramid of Caius Cestius.
Image Credit: Getty Images, Catherine Falls Commercial
Un altro scoop?
“I came, I saw, I ate way too much gelato and don’t regret a thing.”
If you need something of substance, like a slice or a slumber, check in to one of the best hotels near the Spanish Steps and grab a bite at one of the best pizza spots near Rome’s most popular landmarks.
But don’t lick that spoon just yet!
We’re totally on board with the whole “eat dessert first” philosophy, but not before knowing exactly why we’re spooning scoops before our supper. Here’s what you need to know about gelato.
What is gelato?
Gelato is not ice cream, which gave us a bit of a brain freeze because “gelato” is Italian for “ice cream.” But you’ll taste the big linguistic difference in a single lick: it’s denser, has less fat, and is smoother on the tongue.
Gelato vs. ice cream: what is the difference?
One way to remember the difference between gelato and ice cream is that “cream” is a dead giveaway. Ice cream uses more cream— and eggs, and milk, and sugar—than gelato. Each is churned differently: gelato is dense thanks to a slow churn, while ice cream is fluffier because of a quick wrist. Ice cream is colder and creamier; gelato is cool and keeps you conscious of its flavor profile.
What is the most popular gelato flavor in Italy?
If you really want to fit in at the local gelateria, you’ll go with the cioccolato (chocolate). Not that it matters: we’re trying every single gelato flavor we can get our tongues on and encourage you to do the same. Cone to our head? Our top three would be the stracciatella (chocolate chip), pistachio, and hazelnut.
Header Image Credit: Getty Images, Alexander Spatari. Image Location: Rome, Italy