Giolitti (Rome, Italy)

I was going to wait a few days to post this visit, but Buzzfeed just published a list of some of the world's most visit-worthy ice cream/gelato spots, and Giolitti was on the list!

This ice cream parlor has been serving up sweet endings in Rome since 1900, so I guess in 2014 we're a little late to the party. We stopped here on a late night in Rome, after a good bit of walking around in drizzly, damp weather. Gelato is always in season!
I was a little confused at first-- at Giolitti, you pay up front at the cashier, and THEN you pick up your product. But how am I supposed to know what I want when there are so many choices! It took me a while to decide.

 Giolitti is known for its gelato, but it also had a dizzying, heady display of sweets, from cannoli to Nutella tarts. I resisted the tart, but snagged a cannoli for later (leave the tart, take the cannoli)-- and when I had it the next day for a snack on the train, it was STILL sensational.

The cannoli of my dreams...

But tonight was about the gelato. I got a bit shy and was less brave about snapping photos, but I enjoyed the fancy uniforms the (handsome) young Italian men behind the counter wore. They looked a lot like Disney's Prince Phillip's fancy dress whites-- I'll have to research that more.

I first tasted pear gelato in my 1999 trip (then in Sorrento), and I've never forgotten it. This is NOT the same thing as pear sorbet, which I sometimes find gritty and bland. Pear gelato is a light, fragrant, delectable cloud of flavor. Sublime. And at Giolitti, they ask if you want freshly whipped cream on TOP of the gelato. YES PLEASE THANK YOU. You will not regret it. I got another flavor on top of the pear (Amarena cherry, maybe?), but the pear completely stole the spotlight.

This is a hot spot for locals and tourists alike, at least from what we saw during our stay there, and the gelato was incredibly delicious. If you're wandering around Rome, you'll be happy to take a side trip over here.

Giolitti
Via degli Uffici del Vicario, 40
Roma, Italy
+39 06 699 1243

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