Gelato in Rome.

Cold, dense, and served warmer than ice cream. The Infatuation states its selection rule before it names a single shop, and it is a craft test rather than a taste one: "The best gelato is served at a slightly higher temperature than typical ice cream, leading to a faster melt, so steer clear of places flaunting towering displays, it's a sign that what they're selling may be whipped with air or packed with stabilizers." 1 That single sentence sorts most of the counters in the centre, and it is the one thing to carry around this city.

Marco Radicioni moved every machine into one shop on Viale dei Quattro Venti in June 2023 because two labs did not work for somebody who wants to control the gelato right up to the counter. He pasteurises six litres at a time, for every flavour, and churns in a vertical batch freezer he prefers because it whips in less air. 3 Less air is the whole argument the Infatuation's rule is pointing at, arrived at from the maker's side. The house builds recipes by subtraction, with no additives and no surplus sugar. 4 On the plainest thing he makes, Radicioni told Gambero Rosso "when I make the fior di latte I am happy", and the fior di latte changes through the year with the pasture and the hay. 3

Antonella De Santis introduces Radicioni as "one of the most important and most awarded gelato makers in Italy". 3 He learned it working for one of the city's first gourmet gelato makers, which The Infatuation reports without naming the shop. 1 Sarah Cicolini sends people to Otaleg (Monteverde) and her reason is the counter turning over: "it stands out for its truly unique and hyper, seasonal flavors. Think prickly pear, passion fruit with cocoa beans, or even gorgonzola with blond chocolate. They also offer an entire section of dairy-free sorbets." 2

Otaleg (Monteverde) in Monteverde Nuovo, and go without a flavour in mind. Cicolini will not name a single favourite for the same reason: "I don't have a single favorite flavor sorbet since the flavors are always changing with the seasons, but I really love their beautifully aromatic rosemary sorbet." 2 The counter opens for breakfast and runs late; the coffee bar inside it shuts in the afternoon while the gelato keeps going. 4 The Trastevere shop on Via di San Cosimato is the same business through a different door, and Katie Parla names eight more gelaterie across the city alongside this one; she sells paid walking tours in Rome. 5