This is the must-try flavor in Rome!! The century-old Italian gelato even loved by the Pope

Text and photos byHappy Cloud

It was already so hot in Rome in late May!! This trip started in Spain, and I had lost count of how many Italian gelatos (Gelateria) I had eaten by then; indeed, each place has its own unique flavor, winning over fans based on personal taste—it’s hard to say that what you love, others will necessarily love too. But in Rome, this gelato shop "Giolitti" is absolutely my... absolute favorite; I’ve even secretly listed it as a must-eat dish in Rome.

The funny thing is that I stumbled upon this shop by accident. Yun was wandering around nearby—actually, I was already lost!! As I passed by, it just felt impressive, and I had this urge to check it out, so I ended up at this gelato shop unexpectedly.

Only later did I find out that this gelato shop is quite the legend—not only does it have a century-long history, but it’s also said to be the favorite gelato of Pope John Paul II!! I even saw someone describe it as "gelato kissed by God"... haha, turns out it’s... really that amazing!!

Before ordering the gelato, I had no idea it was so legendary. Seeing the variety of flavors in the two gelato counters, I really didn’t know what to pick; I usually go for my favorite pistachio (pistacchi in Italian), and I’d already had pistachio more than five times. I thought I’d switch it up today.

I noticed there was even a flavor called "Vacanze Romane" (Roman Holiday in Italian)—what could that taste like? Could it be the same flavor Audrey Hepburn had in the movie??

Hmm!! Whatever it tastes like, I’ll get it; it probably has a milky flavor. For the other one, I’ll go with something fruity, so it won’t feel too heavy.

Before I could decide on the flavors, the staff rattled off a bunch of options so quickly that I’m not even sure how I chose—but I blurted out "blueberry," so that became my first pick.

Italian gelato comes in small, medium, and large sizes; priced at €2.5, €3.5, and €4.5 respectively. The price was pretty average for this trip. Not knowing how the flavors would be, I went with the small one first!! You pay at the counter first, then you get a receipt and take it to the gelato counter to choose your flavors.

First, they’ll ask if you want it in a cup or a cone?? After many trials, I always feel like cones give you more gelato, so I went with the small size and picked a cone. The cones here are pretty basic—just different sizes, nothing fancy on the outside (like chocolate coating, etc.).

Also, each shop has different sizes, and the number of flavors you can choose varies. Here, the small size comes with two flavors!! That day, I got really lucky—the shop had barely any customers, and maybe that’s why the staff member scooping my gelato even cracked a joke with me.

Since I decided on the "Vacanze Romane" flavor, he demonstrated pronouncing the Italian "vacanze romane" and asked me to repeat it. My pronunciation wasn’t great, so he made me try again—haha, after about three tries: "vacanze romane, vacanze romane, vacanze romane."

Ah~~~~ Yun still couldn’t roll my Rs properly, which made the other customers burst out laughing, and they even joined in to demonstrate—it was such a memorable moment!! Maybe because of that, I ended up taking casual photos.

The seating area next to the counter costs extra!! This is common in many gelato shops—if you want to sit down and eat, the added fee might even be more than the gelato itself, so I just took it outside to eat standing up!!

Not sure if it was because of the time of day, but there weren’t many customers that day, and no one had cameras. People who bought gelato just ate it right away—no one took photos, not even with their phones. At first, I thought it was just regular Italian gelato, but when I got back to the apartment and looked it up, I realized how amazing it actually was!!

That day, I didn’t add whipped cream on top, which saved me some guilt and let me enjoy the pure gelato flavor. The weather was really hot, and by the time I took it out, it was already starting to melt, dripping onto my hand—I quickly licked it off and dug in!!

The "Vacanze Romane" flavor had a rich milky aroma, but it looked super sweet. However, it wasn’t cloying at all; it had vanilla, creamy notes, and even a hint of caramel. There was also some mystery flavor that felt like perfume—stimulating the taste buds in different stages. Such an intriguing flavor.

Maybe it was the movie influence making me overthink!! Hahaha. The other blueberry flavor was just incredibly delicious—so fruity, so good, so good (I’m saying it three times because it was so good it moved me!!). It felt like blueberries were rolling on my tongue, and I absolutely loved it!!

Mmm~ This was the best fruit-flavored gelato I’d had on the entire trip. It was so good that I immediately marked its location and tagged it on Google Maps. I’m sure I’ll come back for it again. After finishing it, I continued my aimless wandering—no, I mean, continued searching for my way!! Although I had a map, sometimes I just wanted to rely on my instincts and see what surprises I’d stumble upon. This gelato was definitely one of those happy accidents!!

A few days later, right before leaving Rome, I still couldn’t forget the deliciousness of Giolitti Gelateria (I had tried many others too), but I was still longing for my beloved Italian gelato, so I made a special trip back.

Seeing the huge crowd at the entrance, I had a bad feeling—ah!! Would I make it in time?? But I thought, if I missed it this time, who knows how many more years I’d have to wait? So I quickly paid, grabbed my receipt, and joined the line!!

It was completely different from that day—the shop was packed, and the staff were too busy scooping gelato to joke around. Later, I met a young Taiwanese couple who had just arrived that day. They heard it was delicious and came too—they were seriously debating what flavors to get.....

Up front, people were speaking English, also discussing what to order. Suddenly, this shop felt so commercialized to me—in Yun’s eyes, it had become a traveler’s favorite!! Maybe it was because it was Saturday, there were so many people. I was suddenly glad my first visit was in a quiet, fun setting.

Today, I still went with the small size, two flavors—one milky, one fruity. I went with rice and strawberry this time. The fruit was fresh and delicious, sweet with a hint of tartness—loved it. The rice-flavored gelato was also great, mainly milky, but the rice texture was surprisingly familiar, reminding me of glutinous rice. I wonder if it was local or imported long-grain rice??

But speaking of the spirit of gelato, using local seasonal ingredients—was it Arborio rice used for risotto?? I don’t know, but I do know the two flavors blended well, and both came through. Though it was milk-based, you could still taste the rice aroma and the sweetness of starch when chewing. This was delicious too!!

Despite the time pressure, I was so happy to have finally gotten to eat the Italian gelato I’d been craving. With a heart full of satisfaction, I could leave Rome, leave Italy.
Giolitti Gelateria—I believe I’ll definitely come back again.

..................................Eating, drinking, and having fun—there’s no end to it.

Gelateria Giolitti (Giolitti Ice Cream)
Website:http://www.giolitti.it/english/home.html
Address: Via degli Uffici del Vicario, 40, 00186 Rome,
Italy Phone: +39 06 699 1243
Business Hours: 07:00–01:30

＊For more information, please see -->Happy Cloud’s Travel Blog＊Fan Page＊