God's Own Ice Cream

A gelato crawl to some of the best ice cream parlors in Rome, Italy

Best gelaterie in Rome

San Crispino

Giolitti

Tre Scalini

The granita cart

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Ice cream cones from Rome's storied gelateria Giolitti.How to pick a parlor
The gelato shops listed here are far from the only good ones in town. Ice cream abounds across Italy, and most of it is excellent. There are a few markers of a good gelateria, including details to look for in a few flavors, even if you don't like them—because if they cheat on the banana, they'll cheat on the one you want, too:

• A sign proclaiming produzione propria (homemade)
• Banana that is gray (if it's yellow, they're using dye)
• Pistacchio that is pale, grayish -green (bright green: dye again)Although not quite the ice cream mecca Florence is, Rome's gelato is still heavenly.

Any gelateria (ice cream parlor) that advertises produzione propria (homemade) will have a high-quality, tasty stock, but who has the best gelato in town?

Well, that's a question fiercely debated by any and all ice cream lovers.

First, a few ground rules:

Don't call it ice cream. First thing to know, to call gelato "ice cream" is insulting to gelato and unfair to ice cream. Gelato is much richer, smoother, and more flavorful than ice cream.

It is churned, not whipped (as is most traditional American ice cream), so it is far denser, giving it a richer mouth feel. Gelato also is not as laden with sugar and cream, so the subtle tastes of its flavoring comes through much better than in ice cream.
Get it at a gelateria: Second thing to know, gelato is something you go out for at a special parlor called a gelateria, and most of it is consumed during the early evening passeggiata stroll—not that gelaterie aren't equally busy during the heat of midday, or late at night...

I mention this because, unlike in America, gelato is not typically eaten after a meal—or at least you typically don't order it at the restaurant.

Restaurants often do offer "gelato" on their dessert menus, but this is almost always of the pre-packaged variety. This is fine (I'm partial to a tartufo, a Gobstopper-like sphere of vanilla, chocolate, and fudge dusted with cocoa) but it's not real gelato.

Gelateria etiquette
At Roman gelaterie, just like at bars and cafes, don't just saunter up to the bar and order two scoops of cioccolato or an espresso. Go first to the cashier, order what you want, pay for it, and take the receipt to the counter where you can order your cappuccino or your coppa (cup) or cono (cone) of gelato, putting the receipt down with a small coin as a tip.

Cram in as many flavors as you can think of: Third thing to know, you pay by the size of the coppa (cup) or cono (cone), not by the scoop. That means you can (and are encouraged to) squeeze two or even three flavors into even the smallest cup.

Italians taught me that even unusual pairs go great together; a personal favorite: cioccolato e limone (chocolate gelato and lemon sorbetto). No, really; try it.

(Also most Italians order by the cup; the cone is a fun—if messy—American addition to the options, but not too popular).

The best gelaterie in Rome

San Crispino - Everyone's favorite "secret gelateria," which is code for "not (yet) crammed with tourists". In point of fact, it's a pretty poorly kept secret, for which we should all be thankful...

Caffè Giolitti - Perhaps the most famous gelateria in Rome, going strong since 1900 and still serving the best classic Roman ice cream...

Tre Scalini - Classy cafe on Piazza Navona serving the classic homemade tartufo, a gelato gobstopper with a cherry in the center...

The granita cart - On warm, Roman summer nights, the last remaining traditional shave-ice stand in Rome parks on the banks of the Tiber River in Trastevere....

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This material was last updated February 2011. All information was accurate at the time.

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God's Own Ice Cream

A gelato crawl to some of the best ice cream parlors in Rome, Italy

The best gelaterie in Rome

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