Rome’s Best Gelato
In a city with well over 2,000 gelato shops, the search for Rome’s best gelato might seem like a time consuming endeavor. But thanks to a recent gelato revolution of sorts, a crop of new artisanal shops has set itself apart, shunning the all-too-common additives, emulsifiers, and thickening agents, and using 100% natural, fresh ingredients. The delicious results are some of the best gelato you’ll find in Rome-or anywhere else!
Via Lago di Lesina, 9/11, 00199 Roma RM, Italy
A few blocks from Villa Ada and the Via Salaria, Gelateria Fatamorgana sells Maria Agnese Spagnuolo’s edible works of art. Each flavor is made from all natural ingredients, without chemical additives or artificial flavors, and many are lactose free. Spagnuolo’s whimsical creations are often seasonal and always draw on quality produce, spices and herbs. In the summer, try panacea (ginseng, almond milk, and mint) with ananas e zenzero (pineapple and ginger). There are a number of chocolate variations ideal for winter, including Kentucky (dark chocolate and tobacco). Fatamorgana also offers gluten free gelato, a rarity in Rome where so many shops use additives containing gluten. There are three other branches.
Rome, Metropolitan City of Rome, Italy
In June 2012, Marco Radicioni, an alum of gelato master Claudio Torcè, opened Otaleg in the Portuense district (southwestern Rome). After more than a year of study with the maestro, Radicioni he opened his own space. The name is simply “gelato” spelled backwards, which Marco says manifests in the shop’s inverted design in which his gelato workshop fills the storefront, rather than being hidden in the back. Otaleg severs and array of savory, fruity, and creamy flavors, which are made in a stunning vertical Cattabriga machine that would be the envy of any world class gelataio. The ingredients are all-natural and make use of high quality ingredients like Valrhona chocolate, Bourbon-Madagascar vanilla beans, IGP Tonda Gentile Trilobata hazelnuts, and more. The resulting gelato is rich, compact, and creamy. Among the best flavors is zabaione, which is made with a healthy dose of Marsala Florio Targa Riserva 1840.
Rome, Metropolitan City of Rome, Italy
If there is one person responsible for the relatively recent improvement of Rome’s gelato culture, it is Claudio Torcè. He has trained some of Rome’s premier gelatai (Maria Spagnuolo of Fatamorgana and the Gori siblings, to name a few) and prides himself on producing more than 100 all-natural gelato flavors without compromising quality. Options range from the traditional chocolate and strawberry (both of which are exceptional) to unique flavors such as Sichuan pepper and black sesame. Il Gelato has several locations throughout Rome and its suburbs. The original location is in EUR.
Via Luigi Poletti, 6, 00196 Roma RM, Italy
This tiny natural gelato shop opened behind the Maxxi (the Zaha Hadid-designed museum for 21st century art) to rave reviews in the summer of 2011. The gelataio uses Italy’s best hazelnuts and pistachios, Amedei chocolate, milk from a biodynamic producer, organic fruit, and high quality sugar to make his intense gelato flavors. Pistacchio and chocolate are a classic and unbeatable combo, but look for seasonal flavors like persimmon, mandarin, and pear in the fall and strawberry and berries in the summer.
