Rome's Best Gelato

Rome's Best Gelato

For many travelers, the first taste of gelato -- Italian ice cream -- is one of the most memorable moments of their Italian trip. Almost a cross between regular American ice cream and soft serve, gelato's texture is lighter and fluffier than hard ice cream because of the process by which it's whipped when freezing. Though you won't find the more byzantine concoctions of the States (toffee pecan, double chocolate-chip brownie, Chunky Monkey, and so on), the flavors offered -- hazlenut and straciatella (chocolate chip), to name just two of a hundred artisanal, or handmade, choices -- often put American ice creams in the shade. Along with the listings here, you can find a number of gelaterias in Via di Tor Millina, a street off the west side of Piazza Navona, where there are also a couple of good places for frozen yogurt and delicious frullati -- shakes made with milk, crushed ice, and fruit of your choosing.

Il Gelato di San Crispino (Via della Panetteria 54, Piazza di Trevi. 06/6793924. Closed Tues.) makes perhaps the most celebrated gelato in all of Italy, without artificial colors or flavors. It's worth crossing town for -- nobody else creates flavors this pure. To preserve the "integrity" of the flavor, the ice cream is only served in paper cups.

For years Giolitti (Via degli Uffici del Vicario 40, Pantheon. 06/6991243) was considered the best gelateria in Rome, and it's still worth a stop if you're near the Pantheon.

Della Palma (Via della Maddalena 20/23, Pantheon. 06/68806752) is close to the Pantheon on a street just north of the Piazza della Rotonda. It serves 100 flavors of gelato, and for sheer gaudy display and range of choice it's a must.

Immediately beside the Pantheon is Cremeria Monteforte (Via della Rotonda 22, Pantheon. 06/6867720), which has won several awards for its flavors. Also worth trying is its chocolate sorbetto -- it's an icier version of the gelato without the dairy (instead ask for whipped cream on top).

Fiocco di Neve (Via del Pantheon 51, Pantheon. No phone) has excellent granita di caffè (coffee ice slush) as well as gelato. The chocolate chip and After Eight (mint chocolate chip) flavors are delicious.

Fonte della Salute (Viale Trastevere. 06/5897471) serves about 50 flavors, as well as a wide variety of frozen yogurt. Its location on the corner of Viale Trastevere affords it a seating area that most gelaterias don't offer, so it's a nice place to stop and take a break.

Gelateria alla Scala (Via della Scala 51, Trastevere. 06/5813174. Closed Dec. and Jan.) is a tiny place, but don't let the size fool you. It does a good business offering artisanal gelato prepared in small batches, so when one flavor runs out on any given day, it's finished.

Cremeria Ottaviani (Via Leone IV 83/85, Vatican. 06/37514774. Closed Wed.) is an old-fashioned gelateria with an excellent granita di caffè.

On Prati's main shopping street, Pellacchia (Via Cola di Rienzo 3-5, Vatican. 06/3210807. Closed Mon.) is a classic artigianale (homemade) ice-cream parlor that has been going since the 1920s.

Al Settimo Gelo (Via Vodice 21/a, Vatican. 06/3725567), in Prati, has been getting rave reviews for both classic flavors and newfangled inventions. Inventive flavors, such as cardamom and chestnut, wow locals and gelato fans from all over Rome.

West of Prati, on the hill of Monte Mario, Lo Zodiaco (Viale del Parco Mellini 90, Stadio Olimpico. 06/35496640) is perhaps more remarkable for the city vista than for the ice cream.

To the north of the city center in the wealthy district of Parioli, Caffè Parnaso (Piazza delle Muse 22, Parioli. 06/8079741), as the name suggests, doubles as a café and pasticceria.