Where to Find the Best Gelato in Rome

Summer in Rome is no joke. With temperatures hovering around 94 F/ 34 C and not much access to air conditioning, eating gelato is my number one survival tip to staying cool. Finding the best gelato in the city of Rome is not an easy feat, however. There are about 2,000 gelaterias in this city alone, so weeding out the tourist traps from genuinely delicious ice cream can be a challenge. Here are a few tips and tricks to make sure that you have the best gelato of your life while in the Eternal City, thoroughly tested by locals for trusted recommendations.

Tips for the best gelato:

Stay away from the tourist centers

As with any stores/shops/restaurants in the center, gelaterias around monuments and popular areas can often be hit or miss. Vendors here often have more expensive products of lower quality. While there are a some exceptions to this (which can be found with prior research), your best bet is to move farther away from the center when searching for your gelato of the day.

Look for certificates and awards

While it can be difficult if the store doesn’t advertise themselves in English, there are some ways to tell if they actually have, "the best gelato in Rome!". Inside, a store may advertise their ice cream as “gelato artiginale”, have stickers/certificates from Trip Adviser or “Gambero Rosso”, and might also have flavors “senza latte, zucchero, o uova” (without milk products, added sugar, or eggs).

Check the quality

If you take a look at the gelato before buying, or even entering the store, it could save you from the disaster of wasting one of your limited opportunities on a sub-par gelato. According to Italians, it’s important to see how the ice cream looks in the display. If it seems icey, not freshly made, or completely uneaten, skip it. Good signs of great gelato include: homemade/artisanal gelato, a variety of flavors that look popular, lines with locals (non-English speakers), and finally the availability of various toppings (whipped cream, melted chocolate, and nuts).

Try a few flavors

Most places will allow you to try at least one, if not a few, flavors of gelato. While this will help determine which gelateria out of many to decide on, it’s also helpful when choosing your flavor. Some shops have as many as 200 (!) flavors of gelato and taste testing will help you to narrow it down to your coveted two or three chosen. If they don’t speak English, all you need to ask is, “Posso assaggiare (il cioccolato)?”

Go for it!

There is no excuse not to try as many different gelaterias as you can; no one will judge you if you go for a second (or third…) cone of the day.

Gelateria Recommendations:

To give you a head start, here are a few of my favorite gelato shops in Rome.

Otaleg (Trastevere, EUR)

A new favorite but quickly pushing others off my list, the gelato flavors at Otaleg taste like they genuinely managed to liquify and imbue the freshest ingredients into the gelato, while creating unique flavor pairings. Head to dinner in Trastevere and finish it off with cone of one of their fruit flavors for the perfect end to your evening.

Price: €2.50/small

Brivido Gelateria (Testaccio)

Brivido is another one of my favorites, for its generous portion sizes, free chocolate dip and the creative flavors they’re always coming out with. The owner, Medi, and her daughter work here daily and make over 100 kilos of gelato a day in the summer, proving that women-run operations run the world.

Try their: papaya and lime, avocado, salted caramel, pistacchio

Price: €2/small

Bar San Calisto (Trastevere)

This Trastevere establishment known for their cheap spritzes and packed aperitivo also has cones for only €1 and keeps it very simple, with classic flavors like chocolate, zabaione and strawberry or their fantastic coffee granita.

Try their: granita di caffe with panna (whipped cream)

Price: €1/small, €1.50 granita

Fatamorgana Gelato (multiple locations)

For some scenic shopping/sitting/walking while your enjoy your cono, head to Fatamorgana in Monti. This gelateria is located in the trendy neighborhood of Monti, a short walk away from the Colosseum and Roman Forum. They offer a variety of milk/sugar/egg/gluten free gelato that still manages to taste amazing.

Try their: fragola, pistacchio, amareno, or various chocolate flavors

Price: €2.50/small

Gelateria La Romana (multiple locations)

La Romana has three shops scattered over Rome and more all over the country. It is a family-run operation and they are conscious of listing their ingredients/production methods in the shop and online. Their ice cream is some of the creamiest I have tried in the city—they serve delicious chocolatey flavors with a melt-in-your-mouth sensation. Their base is made with certified organic milk but there are no lactose free options available.

Try their: crema della Nonna or their creamy hot chocolate (with complimentary cookies)

Price: €2.50/small

Il Pellicano (Balduina/Cipro)

If you’re willing to take a short metro or bus ride, Il Pellicano is certainly worth the trip. Because it is farther from the center, this gelateria has low prices, complimentary chocolate, nuts, and whipped cream toppings, and very delicious ice cream. This family run shop makes fresh gelato daily, in house, and experiments with new flavors regularly. Definitely worth a try to experience an authentic spot full of locals.

Try their: bacio (chocolate/hazelnut), cioccolato fondente (dark chocolate), gelso (mixed berry)

Price: €1.50/small