It was just ten days ago that I was lamenting the dearth of spectacular gelato in the center of Rome. Sure there are Gelateria del Teatro, Fior di Luna, and two locations where Claudio Torce’s gelato is sold. But most everything else out there is garbage. My neighborhood was particularly devoid of interesting gelato choices and, while I find Monti a fairly overhyped topic, this is real news I cannot resist reporting. On Thursday, one of the greatest gelaterias in Rome on the planet, Fatamorgana, opened a new branch in Piazza degli Zingari. I’m not in Rome to enjoy it just yet, but I got the heads up from Monti-dwelling reader Biduline who wrote on Wednesday,

“I am so excited because today I discovered that a new gelateria is opening in Monti, just at the bottom of my street. And the owners told me it was a natural flavour, fresh ingredient, no additives, no gluten gelateria! They are on Piazza degli Zingari (there was a kind of office space there before). I am soooo excited about that new opening because a good gelateria was what was missing in Monti, right?!”

So right. Imagine my joy when Biduline wrote back today to confirm the opening of Gelateria Fatamorgana. This is thrilling news. This exceptional natural gelateria is a welcome addition to the neighborhood and exploring Fatamorgana’s creative offerings like fennel/honey/licorice, sheep’s milk cheese/chestnut honey/orange zest, and almond milk/mint/ginseng will no doubt become a daily ritual.

Fatamorgana is located at Piazza degli Zingari 5. There other branches are on Via Lago di Lesina 9/11 (Trieste-Salario) and Via Bettolo 7 (Trionfale-Prati).