Top 10 Ice Cream Parlors In Rome, Italy

Verde Pistacchio is the perfect combination of creativity and quality. The decor gives you your first clue: the interior is modern, pale green, with a Volkswagen van on one side of the room. There is also a series of blackboards on the opposite wall where all the flavors are noted. The ingredients are fresh and of good quality. The ice cream made here is based upon traditional values, but mostly upon shaping that tradition into something new and exciting. Alongside standard ice cream, Verde Pistacchio also serves cookies, crêpes, ‘tristacchio’ (an exclusive triangular cake topped with pistachios), smoothies and hot chocolate.

A family business, Gelateria Valentino exists through the efforts of its ice-cream maker Jonathan Quarto and his parents, Valentino and Cecilia. They welcome and serve their customers wholeheartedly. The parlor is situated near the Fountain of Trevi, which makes it very accessible to tourists and locals. Gelateria Valentino is there to remind you to excuse neither food nor art, two of the essential features of the Italian capital.

Existing for 25 years in the same spot, this ice cream parlor is truly is a household name in Rome. It is synonymous with tradition and quality. The ice cream produced at Old Bridge is 100 percent natural, with no artificial additives. The quality of the ingredients is of paramount importance to Old Bridge, something which their longevity proves is worth it. For those with an aversion to dairy-based treats, beautiful sorbets and frozen yogurts are also available.

With four different stores scattered across Rome, Gelateria I Caruso is likely to catch your eye several times as you travel through the capital. Alongside classic flavors available throughout the year, this ice cream parlor offers weekly as well as monthly flavors. Alternatively, if you want to stay healthy or are lactose intolerant, you can opt for a ‘cremolato’, a milk-free reduced-fat ice cream made with fresh fruit. On the other hand, if you want to indulge even more, try the ‘semifreddi’. This is an elaborate dessert on a stick for you to eat on the go.

This ice cream parlor has three different locations in Rome and offers seasonal flavors to fully utilize fresh ingredients. They also prepare ice-cream cakes in different flavors alongside standard ice cream. Lactose intolerant? Fear not. Gelateria dei Gracchihas a wide selection of flavors made without milk as well as other gluten-free ice cream to cater to all needs. Gelateria dei Gracchi has something for everyone, and never skimps on the quality. Gelateria della Palma, Rome l © Mararie/Flickr

With 30 years of experience, the owners of Gelateria della Palma never fail to disappoint their customers. With more than 150 flavors served daily, they pick the freshest ingredients of the highest quality to make their famed ice cream. They also produce their own more elaborate desserts, such as tiramisù, cassata siciliana, pralines, and ‘bewitched apples’. Alongside the astonishing number of ice cream flavors, Gelateria della Palma offers a variety of mousse flavors such as Bounty bar, Mars bar, and cappuccino. This is definitely worth a try if you are up for something different.

Upon entering, frequenters of this Otaleg are met with an unexpected view of the so-called ‘Acquarius Laboratory’. This is the place where the ice cream is produced by Marco Radicioni, the owner of Otaleg. It is there that the creative magic takes place, where seasonal ingredients are mixed and blended in surprising ways. Creativity and originality lie at the heart of this recent ice cream parlor led by its owner’s mastery. Besides normal ice cream, ice-cream cakes are prepared daily and are often ornamented with fresh fruit. The logic is as topsy-turvy as the name, but you can’t argue with the result – delicious, quality ice cream in flavors you can’t imagine.

La Gourmandise offers a wide range of intense and unusual flavors made with fresh, quality ingredients. The fruit is bought from the market nearby and other ingredients are purchased from firms with limited production to guarantee a higher quality of the final product. There is a vast array of lactose-free flavors as well as the so-called ‘Parfait’: single-portion semifreddos with exclusive toppings. Try, for instance, the pistachio semifreddo with strawberry and mint sauce to give your summer in Rome a fresh and fruity twist.

Highly recommended by Gambero Rosso, the Italian Michelin guide, this ice cream parlor offers excellent flavors in tantalizing combinations. For example, there are options such as apple and cinnamon (from which the name is drawn), forest fruits and pistachio and almond. Despite being located outside the city center, it is worth the trip. After all, the charming nature of Rome is not simply in its heart, but also in its periphery.

This shop originated from the dreams and talents of its ice-cream maker, Maria Agnese Spagnulo, who turned away from an acting career in order to pursue her passion for food and natural flavors. Her ice cream is 100 percent natural, free from artificial additives, and she even uses whole spices ground by hand. With six different stores in Rome, Fatamorgana is perfect for the purist gelato-lover who craves the personal touch in their cone.