Best Coffee Shops and Restaurants in Rome

By: Liz Huber

HEY EVERYONE!!

If you’re someone who is studying abroad in Rome, Italy in the near future, this blog post is for you. Especially if you’re someone who loves trying restaurants or cafes in a new city. When I was in Rome, I made it my mission to go to a new coffee shop or restaurant at least 4 days a week and I tried to remember some of my favorites. 

Not only are cafes/restaurants a great place to hang out, do homework, and chill, but also a great place to get a piece of the culture. Specifically, coffee culture in Italy is really different than in the US. There are obviously a couple cafes you can find that are similar to cafes in the US, but overall, cafes are an efficient part of the day to get caffeine and chat with those around you. You walk in, go up to the bar and order a drink: most Italians would get an espresso or macchiato (espresso with a dollop of steamed milk), and then drink it quickly at the bar, and head off for your day at work. 

Most places did not have people sitting and enjoying a sugary latte for a long period of time, but instead just taking the shot of espresso and going. It was so different from me, especially coming from my last block in Buenos Aires where we spent hours every day at cafes!

Here are some of my suggestions below!

ROME

casa del caffe d’oro

5/5 stars. don’t even remember what i got, except for some crème filled pastry thing. we went here our first morning in rome and it was honestly such a nice start to the trip! the waiter was really friendly, and he taught me how to say “can i have a cappuccino”. we sat outside at one of those little tables on the street, and the coffee was so smooth and good. my roommate got a cappuccino and said it was still the best one she’s had on the trip. will be planning to return. 

la feltrinelli 

bookstore AND coffee shop! would totally recommend for the vibes if nothing else. we bought books and were just sitting and reading them. my cappuccino was good, nothing too special, but the orange juice was amazing. a little pricey (3.5 €) but the guy literally squeezed it in front of me so i can’t complain. 

feffo caffe

3/5 ⭐️ 
near vatican, so if near the vatican i would recommend but not for any other reason. i go because it’s convenient, and the pastry was good, but nothing too special. i ordered a Frappuccino the  first time, and it was really liquid consistency, just cold. it was definitely good, but nothing i would go out of my way for. also the wifi didn’t work, but the employee let me use his hotspot. 

trecafe 

really enjoyed this place actually. i ordered a cappuccino (good as always), and they had a ton of pastry options. i got a pastry, and then went back for another because i liked it so much. it was consistently busy with locals, which i’m assuming is a really good sign too. people would get a coffee at the counter and leave quickly, but i sat at a table and worked on stuff for a couple hours by myself. honestly, i would really recommend to go here by yourself. it’s really tiny, but if you get a table it’s a good spot. the employees were nice too! i will be going back if i need to work on stuff or just want a quick spot too. it really works for either which is nice. 

il pappagallo 

5/5 stars any day. first went to this place out of convenience because it’s right by the hotel, but it’s easily my favorite. it’s such a nice vibe because the employees know all the customers, and they’ve even started recognizing me. the main barista is so kind, and he always puts cocoa in my cappuccino! their prices are RIDICULOUSLY cheap, and it’s still gotta be one of, if not the best, cannoli i’ve had in rome still. their pastries are also so good. it’s such a good place, and i usually go once a day. i wouldn’t necessarily go 45 mins out of the way or anything because im sure there are other places like it in each neighborhood, but i definitely prefer it to all the other cafes in my area. 

i dolci di nanna vincenza 

LOVE THIS PLACE. a little bakery, and they have coffee too. definitely a contender for favorite cannoli, theirs are so good. prices are pretty decent too, and they have so many tasty desserts. wouldn’t go here for anything but dessert, but it’s a great simple place. 

poke house roma

poke restaurant, really good!!! i can’t speak on the poke because i got an açaí bowl, but it was definitely the best açaí bowl i’ve had in a while. my friend got poke and said she really liked it and would like to go back. it was such cute vibes with a second story with a bunch of tables and street view. i would totally go back there and try more things, and also to just sit and work on stuff with a snack. the girl working there was SO nice, and it was just overall a great place!!

two sizes

supposed to be the best tiramisu in rome, so i wanted to try it of course. it was really good! the thing is, it was the first and only tiramisu i’ve had in rome, so i can’t really say how it compares to others. it was definitely good, and i would get it again. i’m not a huge huge tiramisu person, so that’s why i don’t know how valid my vote is. if you do like tiramisu, i would say definitely go here just to try and see what you think because they have a bunch of different flavors! i also got a cannoli and it was good. 

otherwise bookshop

LOVE THIS PLACE! a tiny, locally run bookstore. there were a bunch of people there, but it was just so cute. the lady working there was sweet and when i was checking out, she told me the book i was getting was one of her favorites. i think it would be a great place to find good reads if you’re into that. prices were probably about the same as US prices. 

mammò

This place is a great restaurant to go to for some American food if you’re craving a piece of home. I noticed they have pasta too, and it came in HUGE portions, so I’m sure it’s really good. I got the mammò burger, and I clearly did not read the menu very well because it actually came with 4 burger patties. I somehow missed that part, and was unable to finish the burger because it was so big. It was incredible though, definitely would recommend, just not getting that burger! My friend got a bacon, egg, and cheese bagel and said it was really really good. 

homebaked 

This is the other place that’s got American food, really good for brunch. Its owned by the SWEETEST people, an older couple who met while studying abroad. The husband is from new york, and the wife is Italian, and they opened the restaurant together. I would go just to support them because they are so kind. But, the waffles and chocolate pancakes are INCREDIBLE. Definitely hits the spot when you’re just craving an American breakfast. Even the bacon was good, I was impressed. I also got their pumpkin spice latte, and it was honestly really good. 

pausa ristorante

This restaurant was really cute, it’s owned by a grandmother who seems to be the chef also. I got a cheese pizza, and it was good! I think if I had asked her what she recommended and gotten that, it might have been better. Everything was good, but it was just good. I think I would go back and try what she recommends.

osteria la fortunada 

This restaurant was one of the restaurants that was recommended to me multiple times to visit in Rome. It’s one of the most famous osterias I think, and there was a woman making the pasta in the front window, so obviously it was fresh. It was really good! I got carbonara. I will say, I feel like it was not my favorite meal I’ve had for the prices and reviews to have been so high. The prices were way higher than normal places for pasta since it is so well-known, but I feel like it did not live up to the price. The noodles I had were a really specific type that the lady was making in the front, and it was really thick and almost spongey. It was definitely good and authentic, but just not my favorite. It was super busy though, and I think it is definitely a favorite for people. 

La biga (right by colosseum)

I stopped here just to get a drink and see the view. This cafe is definitely one that you should only visit for the view. It’s literally right in front of the colosseum, so it’s incredible. The prices were ridiculously high for coffee and stuff, but you’re just paying for the view. I got an orange juice, and it was not great. I think this would be a good place to go for a cappuccino and sit and just enjoy. There was also a cafe right next door with the same view, and I would imagine it would be the same experience. Definitely would recommend if you want a coffee or snack with the most incredible view.

La bottega del caffe 

I honestly liked this place a lot! I ordered lasagna, croissant, cappuccino. They have good wifi and let me sit and work on stuff for a couple hours. They had a ton of outdoor seating, and it overlooks a little piazza, so I think it would be a great place to go for lunch and sit outside on a nice day. The lasagna seemed a little hard on the edges, but overall it was good. I would definitely go back though, because they had a lot of different dishes that I am sure were all great. The croissant was also really good. 

dolce rotonda

definitely one of the best if not the best cannoli i’ve had since being in rome. it was one of the bigger cannoli, and it was only 2.50€!!! such a good deal! it was SO good, the ricotta filling was so fresh and perfectly sweet. i would definitely recommend, i want to go back and try more desserts. 

pizzaré 

This restaurant was a recommendation I had from a friend to try in rome, and it did not disappoint. It was by far the best pizza I had in all of rome! It’s primarily a pizza restaurant but they have pasta and stuff too. It was SO good, the pizza was Napoleon style, but it was actually incredible. We even talked about how much we wish we could go back because it was so good. 10/10 would recommend.

squili

This is a restaurant that we went to a few times out of convenience to where I live. It is a simple place that has sandwiches and pastries, but also has full meals. I like it a lot, but I would not say its the best food you could get in rome. i have heard the sandwiches are really good for a good price, and the cannoli was definitely the best one I had in rome! But the food, I cannot say much. I got the carbonara both times, and it was good but not my favorite. I would definitely go back for sandwiches and pastries. They also have gelato that is really really good.

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