Besides breathtaking landscapes, friendly locals, lips-smacking Italian cuisine and a rich history and culture, what we most loved about Italy is their love for gelato. You can find a gelateria in almost every street – and sometimes, a few gelaterie side by side – and once you have tried gelato in Italy, you will never see it in the same light again.

Rome, in particular, has so many good gelaterie. What could be better than enjoying a gelato while admiring the Colosseum and Pantheon? Here is our scoop on the best ice cream and gelato shops in Rome.

Flor Gelato Italiano

With branches in Doha, Beirut and Dubai, and upcoming shops in Asia – Hong Kong, Singapore, Philippines, China and Macau – Flor’s gelato empire is on a mission to bring its gelato – freshly made with natural ingredients and no artificial preservations – to the world.

Besides cup and cone, you can also have the ice cream in a hot brioche, or a hot sponge cake. If you have already hit your gelato quota for the day, Flor serves milkshake, hot chocolate, crepes with nutella.

Via Cavour, 337
Tel: +39 338 5637096
Sun to Thu: 12pm – 11pm
Fri & Sat: 12pm – 12midnight
Nearest Landmark: Colosseum

Gelateria Della Palma

If you are the type who cannot make up your mind on what gelato flavours to get, you will probably spend some time staring at the ice cream selection at Gelateria Della Palma. With 150 gelato flavours to choose from, it is not exaggerating to say that you will be spoiled for choices here.

Via della Maddalena, 19-23
Tel: +39 06 6880 6752
Daily: 8am – 2am
Nearest Landmark: Pantheon

Gelateria del Teatro

This has ought to be our new favourite gelato shop that we discovered during our recent trip. Gelateria del Teatro is not a secret for those in-the-know; it has been featured in many guides to the best gelato in Rome.

It uses the freshest ingredients – like pistachio from Sicily, walnut from Sorrento – and there are many interesting flavour combinations such as white chocolate and basil, pear and caramel, cheese and cherry, custard and pine nuts. But our favourites are their cheese almond and fig, and rosemary honey and lemon. Our only gripe is the ice cream scoops here are much smaller than most of the gelaterie in Rome.

Via di San Simone, 70
Tel: +39 06 45474880
Daily: 12pm – 12midnight
Nearest Landmark: Piazza Navona

Gelateria Valentino

There are a dozen gelaterie around Fountain di Trevi, but the place that you should head to – besides the famous San di Crispino – is Gelateria Valentino. There are no outrageous flavours, or mind-blowing selection, but what Gelateria Valentino offers is authentic gelato with classic Italian flavours.

Its Love Me (ferraro rocher flavoured gelato) is worth a try. Otherwise, go for a scoop of its signature dark chocolate. But a word of caution: the dark chocolate is so rich that we think that it is more suitable to call it the sore-throat inducing gelato.

Via Del Lavatore, 96
Tel: +39 06 6783219
Nearest Landmark: Trevi Fountain

Grom

Any discussion of gelato in Italy will inevitably lead to Grom, which is quite possibly one of the most famous Italian gelaterie, with outlets in Florence, Venice, Milan, Rome and even New York!

We have tried Grom’s gelato on many occasions, and to be frank, while it is good, it is not outstanding. Nonetheless, Grom serves a respectable scoop of gelato made with natural flavouring, and if you have not tried it before, it is worth a shot.

Via della maddalena, 30A
Tel: +39 06 68210447
Sun to Thu: 11am – 11pm, Fri & Sat: 11am – 12midnight
Nearest Landmark: Pantheon

Giolitti

Despite the mixed reviews on Giolitti – some people find it too toursity and over-hyped – it will always remain as our favourite gelato shop, and a place that we return to again and again whenever we are in Rome. Its nutella flavour is unbeatable. We have sampled nutella ice cream from many gelaterie, but no one else comes close.

Via degli Uffici del Vicario, 40
Tel: +39 06 699 1243
Daily: 7am – 2am
Nearest Landmark: Pantheon

Il Gelato Di San Crispino

An establishment in Rome, Il Gelato Di San Crispino has been serving up gelato to locals and tourists alike, so it is fair to say that they know their gelato well. Google “Trevi Fountain’s gelato” and chances are, you will find most of the articles raving about the gelato from Il Gelato Di San Crispino.

Via della Panetteria, 42
Tel: +39 06 679 3924
Daily: 12pm – 12.30am
Nearest Landmark: Trevi Fountain

If you are planning a trip to Europe, Rome – the capital city of Italy, and the eternal city – should be at the top of your to-go list. Here are 3 reasons why you must visit Rome.

Old Bridge

After a day of exploring the Vatican City, take a short walk to Old Bridge, which serves some of the best scoops in the city. An institution in Rome, Old Bridge uses only whole milk, whipped cream and fresh fruits, and it features popular flavours like stracciatella, creme caramel, pistachio, fior di latte and nutella.

Viale Bastioni di Michelangelo, 5
Tel: +39 06 4559 9961
Daily: 9am – 2am
Nearest Landmark: Vatican City

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