A trip to Italy is never complete without gelato. And while Rome, the capital city, is flooded with hundreds of ice cream shops, not all produce and sell good, authentic gelato.
There are a few ways to tell if the ice cream shop you’ve stumbled upon is authentic or not. Gelato is churned at a low speed, meaning less air gets mixed in, which results in a product that is creamy, not fluffy. So, if you see a shop selling “gelato” that’s heaped into mountains, then it’s a pretty good indicator that it’s not real gelato. Authentic gelato is also made with natural ingredients, not unnatural additives or food color which can lend ice cream a neon hue.
America Domani has compiled a list of the three best authentic gelaterie the Eternal City has to offer for your next Roman holiday. All three gelaterie have multiple locations around the city so you can sample authentic gelato wherever you find yourself. Boasting a wide range of creamy flavors made with artisanal, and organic ingredients, these local favorites are must-trys on your next trip. Buon appetito!
Giolitti
Reportedly the oldest gelateria in Rome, Giolitti was founded in 1890 by Giuseppe and Bernardina Giolitti. Located a few steps away from the iconic Pantheon, the gelateria also doubles as a coffee and pastry shop and boasts a large, old-school sitting area decorated with opulent chandeliers and delicate crown molding. Giolitti stays open as late as midnight every day except on Saturdays when it closes at 11:00 p.m.
Gelateria La Romana
Established in 1947 in the historic center of Rimini, a city on the Adriatic Coast in the Emilia-Romagna region, Gelateria La Romana offers flavors that are created using traditional Italian recipes and high-quality ingredients including organic milk, fresh cream, and seasonal fruits and jams.
Fatamorgana
Founded in 2003, Fatamorgana is an artisanal gelateria that uses organic ingredients that are completely gluten-free. Their gelato blends spices and seeds, vegetables and fruits, honey and distilled wines, flowers and aromatic plants, and coffee and chocolates. Choose from unique flavors such as honey, basil, and walnuts; Sorrento walnuts, rose petals, and violet flowers; and mint, ginseng, and almond milk.
Asia London Palomba
Asia London Palomba is a trilingual freelance journalist from Rome, Italy. In the past, her work on culture, travel, and history has been published in The Boston Globe, Atlas Obscura, The Christian Science Monitor, and Grub Street, New York Magazine's food section. In her free time, Asia enjoys traveling home to Italy to spend time with family and friends, drinking Hugo Spritzes, and making her nonna's homemade cavatelli.