Chocs Away

If you love chocolate (and lets face it most people do!) then the Chocolate Festival taking place in Lazio this weekend  (10th - 12th October) could be the place to go. Castelli di Cioccolato is dedicated to all things chocolate and is held in the town of Marino. However, if you don't wish to venture that far, then your cravings can be well satisfied in Rome itself.

 
 
Where better to start than with gelato. There are so many contenders for my favourite chocolate gelato - the dark chocolate with bitter sweet orange from Il Gelato Bistro (pictured above) and the dark chocolate with red wine from Gelateria del Teatro are just two to mention. However my outright winner has to be 'Kentucky' from Fatamorgana - dark chocolate and tobacco! Sensational.

 
If you would prefer a chocolate cake then head to Valzani in Trastevere where you can buy Sachertorte, a traditional Viennese dessert which harks back to the days of the Austrian domination of Italy.

 
This quaint old fashioned store also sells a bitter chocolate  and chilli praline called Diavoletti. At Easter time their milk and dark chocolate eggs are beautifully wrapped and each one contains a 'surprise'

 
Whilst coffee is the predominant flavour in a Pompi Tiramisu, the topping certainly is a chocolate 'hit'.


It is hard to make a choice from the exquisite pastries on display at Cristalli di Zucchero - all miniature delights. Chocolate options include Pear William which contains a white chocolate mousse , chocolate and passion fruit macaroons or tiny profiteroles.


Finally, what better way to end a meal than with a cheeky take on a Ferrero Rocher chocolate as served at Marzapane.

 
Where do you go for your chocolate fix in Rome?
 
Fatamorgana - Piazza degli Zingari 5
Il Gelato Bistro, Circonvallazione Trionfale 11/13
Gelateria del Teatro, Via dei Coronari 65
Valzani, Via del Moro 37
Pompi, Via della Croce 82
Cristalli di Zucchero, Via San Teodoro 88
Marzapane, Via Velletri 39