God's Own Ice Cream

A gelato crawl to some of the best ice cream parlors in Rome, Italy

Although not quite the ice cream mecca Florence is, Rome's gelato is still heavenly. Any gelateria (ice cream parlor) that advertises produzione propria (homemade) will have a high-quality, tasty stock, but who has the best gelato in town? Well, that's a question fiercely debated by any and all ice cream lovers.

The most famous gelato parlor is the 19th-century Giolitti (tel. +39-06-699-1243; www.giolitti.it), a few long blocks north of the Pantheon at Via Uffici del Vicario 40, which serves loads of traditional flavors such as straciatella (a cross between fudge ripple and vanilla chocolate chip) and such typically odd Roman combos as a scoop of cioccolato (fudgy chocolate) alongside a scoop of limone (tart lemon sherbert).

Caffé etiquette
At Rome bars, cafes, and gelaterie, don't just saunter up to the bar and order two scoop of ciocolato or an espresso. Go first to the cashier, order what you want, pay for it, and take the receipt to the counter where you can order your cappuccino or your coppa (cup) or cono (cone) of gelato, putting the receipt down with a small coin as a tip.

Everyone's favorite "secret gelateria" (which is code for "not [yet] crammed with tourists"—in point of fact, it's a pretty poorly kept secret) is San Crispino (tel. +39-06-679-3924, www.ilgelatodisancrispino.com). To look at it, you'd never even realize that this long, narrow shop sells ice cream—unless you knew that, before a gelateria in Florence invented the glass display case, traditional Italian ice cream parlors consisted of marble counters set with a row of brass lids. Lift the lid, and underneath, sunk into the counter, is the tub of gelato. Their honey-kissed signature flavor is called simply "San Crispino," though they feature many other velvety varieties made with fresh fruits or nuts and sinful delights laced with liqueurs. (San Crispino's a bit hidden; once you've found the the Trevi Fountain, head away from it on Via del Lavoratore, then take your second left down Via della Panetteria to no. 42.)

To go even more traditional, cross to the Trastevere side over the bridge from Tiber Island. There, in warm weather only, along a bend in the busy Lungotevere degli Anguillara boulevard, is parked one of Rome's last remaining granita carts. This is where they still hand-shave giant blocks of ice into a cup and pour sugary flavored syrups on top—the original "Italian Ice," and ancient precursor to gelato.

Another Roman institution that's as vital to visit as the Colosseum or Vatican is the bar Tre Scalini, Piazza Navona 28–32 (tel. +39-06-6880-1996, www.ristorante3scalini.com), where you can sit outside watching the carnival of life on the piazza while indulging in a homemade tartufo ice cream ball (a ball of chocolate ice cream rolled in chocolate chunks with a cherry in the middle).