Giolitti, Rome

Oh my god, the dark chocolate is like eating cold goey brownie. I went for the smallest size, it must be the smallest cup I ever had. 5 stars for the ice cream but 1 less for the cones. the cones look like amazing waffle cones but they re just like the cheap card board cones. I quite like the queuing system as it gives you time to decide what flavours to go for. I also tried some other flavours. They re all good, taste like the real thing instead of being artificial. The mint is White and not bright green. Every flavour is a winner. I m definitely going back. The Small size is quite a bit smaller than the medium size so go for medium unless you ve just eaten!

It is the most touristic Gelato parlor in Rome!
You come inside and wait in a line for the cashier to tell her what cone of ice cream you want, then you wait some more for being served. You cannot sit with the cone at the establishment. Alternatively you can sit and be served by the waiters who make you a fancy ice cream or coffee. Prices are reasonable, too many tourists. I am going to try also the chocolates they offer next time I go there.

I am from Rome and still repute Giolitti to be the best of its kind. Interestingly, those who give it one to three stars always mention so-and-so as being better. They almost sound like contrarians, having to show that they know something more than the rest of us. Needless to say, I have been to many gelaterie in my hometown over many decades. There are many good ones, and perhaps in a blind taste test their ice cream would beat Giolitti's. With that said, Giolitti is not just about amazing gelato; it's about being a part of history. It is not just for tourists, trust me.

Probably the best ice cream i'v ever tasted.
Even though it is quite expensive and you have to wait a while until its your turn it is worth it.
And since i needed aout half an hour for even chosing which flavor i actually want (there are tons of different sorts of flavors) the waiting time was bearable.
The prices are quite expensive though..but well thats the price you have to pay at 'romes best ice cream parlor'

We found this shop listed in a guide book, and as we were going to the Trevi fountain we went in. The shop its self is a marvel, wood panelled and looking exactly like its from the 19th century. The range of flavours was immence, we could hardly make up our minds. It’s worth looking at the faces of people when they are deliberating. The shop was very busy but becuase you pay first then choose your gelato you get served very quickly and efficiently. We then took our cones to the Trevi fountain, sat in the cool and scoffed the lot.

While our initial visit many years ago was for the gelato, we now visit almost daily when in Rome. Besides the wonderful gelato, we enjoy Caffe and pastries during the day and the lovely coffee bar drinks in the evening.
We have become quite good friends with one of the coffee masters, having lunch at his home several times.
We have also met Mr. and Mrs. Giolitti, a very charming couple overseeing a very elegant gelateria.
Don’t miss it, it’s very close to the Pantheon, and you surely won’t miss that.

Maybe at some point in the past (probably long time ago), Giolitti was indeed producing top-quality gelato, but this is definitely not the case anymore. Probably, quality was sacrificed for quantity, luckily throngs of tourists who constitute their audience do not have too demanding taste.
Still, worth a visit when passing by the Parliament. For me, Caffe, Zabaionne, Caramel and Amaretto taste better than other flavours. The price is about 15 euro/kg (spring 2008).
Prepare for huge crowds of foreign tourists at all time but late at night. Giolitti certainly belongs to Rome`s landmarks and tourist attractions, but unfortunately not anymore due to the quality of its gelato…

I've read in several guide books that Giolitti has the best ice cream in Rome. To be honest, I haven't tried all the ice cream parlours in Rome, but actually I have not found better ice cream in the City yet.

It's not exactly cheap, but definitely worth the money given both the massive choice and the superb quality.

By the way: Giolitti's is just next door to the Chamber of Deputies, the lower house of the Italian Parliament, so don't be surprised if you suddenly face a massive crowd (possibly with banners and chanting slogans). They're probably not heading for Giolitti's (well, at least not right away :).