Giolitti is Rome’s gelato centurion. The 120-year-old caffe has its original 1940s decor, including the wrap-around bar, parlour tables, and its unforgettable lighted lettering fanning out above the entrance. While every gelato concoction from tartufo to cassata is on the menu, one (or two) of the 50-plus flavors, ungarnished in a cup or cone, is the way most locals go—from suited politicians to uniformed school kids, who are all likely to be in there at the exact same moment.

Two decades of serving the ideal dense yet fluffy pistacchio scoop—made with intensely flavorful Bronte pistachios—is enough to award Gracchi’s several locations a place on the map. But an additional charm of the business is its minimalist bolthole space in Prati, where mostly Italian is spoken and faithful fans line up outside during the warmer months.

A neighborhood gelateria through and through (think no frills design, straightforward service, and a steady flow of regulars), this place in Prati has an astounding sense for sourcing: Iranian saffron, organic orange blossom honey, raisins from Pantelleria, and Verdelli Siciliani lemons from a family-owned farm all make an appearance in the flavors.

From the street, this unassuming storefront might look like any other business in Centro Storico, but owner Giancarlo, his son Alessandro, and his daughter Viviana take turns at the counter and in the back lab making sure that’s not the case. Among the modest number of offerings, legends like dark chocolate with rum and prunes or stracciatella are balanced with novelties like fresh kumquat. They also make granita with ripe seasonal fruit, like lemon, gelsi (mulberry), or strawberry.

At this counter-service-only bar in central Sallustiano that does things the old way, the cones are handmade and the menu features a whole subsection of ricotta-based gelati, like ricotta fichi caramellate e nocciole (ricotta, caramelized fig, and hazelnuts). They also serve frozen yogurt and cremolati, a pulpy, ripe fruit slushy. Located in the central but still niche Sallustiano neighborhood, it’s walking distance from Termini Station, but far enough to be off the radar of tour groups.

In his Monteverde gelateria, Dario Benelli uses the very specific Maltese goat milk as a canvas for his gelati, infusing it with herbs and spices to form one-of-a-kind flavors. He took inspiration from Renaissance recipes for specials such as his crema allo zafferano e noci (saffron and walnut cream) gelato and fiordilatte al finocchio selvatico (milk and wild fennel) flavor, and is known for combinations like chocolate caramel with coffee and cardamom.

More than 20 years ago, this counter space in Trastevere made it a priority to source from fair-trade, local, and micro producers to create its small batches of finely tuned seasonal fruit and chocolate-, cream-, and nut-based classic gelati. The shop’s little novelties are subtle but stand out: like Duetto, which combines hazelnut and pistachio in a single scoop.

Three generations of Giuffre family pasticceri (pastry makers) created this long-countered gelato parlor in Trastevere with 1950s charm. They make a superb brioche con gelato—Sicilian-style soft sweet bread rolls that when filled with gelato make the perfect summer breakfast.

You can tell by looking at the masterfully swirled, richly colored gelato behind the counter that there is an obsession with quality at Neve di Latte in Flaminio. Executive gelato maker Simone Romano ships in ingredients from the best producers in Italy and around the world, such as Australian Manuka honey, sugars from the Philippines, and milk from a high-altitude biodynamic farm in Germany where cows graze on delicious flora in clear air.