Confetteria Moriondo e Gariglio is the oldest chocolate shop in Rome, founded in 1850 by cousins Agostino Moriondo and Francesco Gariglio. It is very centrally located, not far from the Pantheon.
You don’t see a lot of chocolate shops that look like this anymore. Walking in feels a bit like walking back in time. It’s not all magical though. At first it feels a little dark and uninviting. The displays are a little dusty and empty in some parts or in other areas exploding with so much variety than one almost feels overwhelmed by the selection. It doesn’t feel like the bright chocolate shops we are used to today (that also sell chocolate for a much higher price than this Confetteria it is worth mentioning, for the same or lesser quality products than you can get here).
But the space grows on you and we ended up spending much longer in this little wonderland than I originally expected. The kids, not surprisingly, loved it. In addition to a range of flavored and filled bonbons, they also make chocolates of every shape you can imagine, everything sold by the piece, and everything we tasted was very nice. But what really makes it special isn’t the chocolate but the staff who are warm and friendly, generous with their smiles and their servings (especially if you are under the age of 10).
The chocolatier himself went out back to prepare my hot chocolate, I suspect from the flavor using the same couverture they use for their chocolates. Unfortunately, despite the café area set up to enjoy it, the hot chocolate was presented in a disposable cup which, at least for me, always takes away from the experience. It was a very sweet dark chocolate, not one I was able to finish, but with a good chocolate flavor and lovely consistency.
Confetteria Moriondo e Gariglio, Via del Pie di Marmo, 21-22 moriondoegariglio.com
