15 Best Breakfast in Rome, Cafes and Italian Bakeries [2022]

During the year I spent living in Italy, I was always on the quest for the best breakfast in Rome, the best bakeries, cafes, pastry shops – whatever I’d need to bite into stunning Italian cornetti.

It’s pretty simple, really; it doesn’t make sense to live in such a culturally rich country when it comes to food, and not be after the best bakeries in Rome that’ll allow you to taste their beautiful cornetti, maritozzi, cannoli, and other bits of famous breakfast food in Italy.

I’ve already told you a bit about food in Rome, with the best street food and cheap eats in Rome, and the best halal restaurants in Rome with Muslim-friendly food spots.

In terms of famous desserts from Rome, I have found quite a few spots that I consider to be the best.

There are of course lots of amazing bakeries and cafes in Rome that offer some really tasty cornetto filled with pistachio cream, custard cream, and other Nutella goodies.

I always keep an open mind about trying out new breakfast spots in Rome, though – because why should I limit myself?

Today, after talking lengthily about the best restaurants in Trastevere some time ago, we’re onto the very best breakfast in Rome.

Deliciously sweet, with creamy coffee unlike any other you’ve probably had in your life, you’ll see – you’ll find here top-of-the-range breakfast food in Italy, right in the heart of the best bakeries in Rome and cute coffee shops!

15 Best Breakfast in Rome, Cafes and Italian Bakeries [2022]

I really want you to be able to find the best breakfast in Rome when you visit the city. If you’re a digital nomad moving to Italy, congratulations! You’ll find the best coffee in Rome, and I promise you, breakfast food in Italy is some of the best I’ve ever tried.

After living in Paris and London, being able to find authentic desserts from Rome in lots of little bakeries was a dream come true.

I’ve always been a foodie, and always will be. Some of the places I’ll mention here not only serve the best breakfast in Rome, but I’ve also visited them time and again when I was looking for cafes to study in Rome.

Some are not only considered the best bakeries in Rome by myself but are also recognized widely as places that offer delicious breakfast food.

So, you can do that two birds one stone thing, and enjoy the best breakfast in Rome with some free WiFi and your laptop open for a few hours in the morning.

It’s the best of both worlds, and if you’re living this part of your life in a hostel, you’ll love that new life pattern drawing up before your very eyes!

If you’d also like to discover other amazing spots in Rome, here are a few guides you might want to read as well:

• the best cafes to work in Rome
• the best places to study in Rome, read, or chill

Best Breakfast in Rome: C’era una Volta il Caffè

C’era una volta il caffè – I don’t even know where to begin. For sure, the best breakfast in Rome. It’s one of those local coffee shops located in San Lorenzo, on Via Tiburtina, a long street that start near Termini. Just a few minutes’ walk, and you’ve got some of the best coffee in Rome.

There are a few tables outside of C’era una volta il caffè, but as in many of the best cafes in Rome, you’re kind of expected to eat fast while you’re sitting or standing at the counter.

That’s it, the Italian breakfast food culture is such, and I’ve learned to enjoy that morning ritual in just a few minutes before I got on with my day, except in big cafes in Rome where you can work and study.

C’era una volta il caffè (literally translated, once upon a time coffee) was one of my favorite surprises in Rome. I used to visit a student workspace nearby when I started my first travel blog, and I would often visit this coffee shop to get breakfast in Rome.

What’s not to like? It’s central, almost only known by locals, and the cornetti and bombe alla Nutella they serve are out of this world.

Defo one of my favorite coffee shops when I’m looking for the best breakfast in Rome. Plus, once you’re done, if you want to see amazing street art in Rome, San Lorenzo is one of the best neighborhoods to do so.

Best Breakfast in Rome: Sant’ Eustachio Il Caffè

I remember the first time I visited Sant’ Eustachio il Caffè. At that time, I had no idea that the cafe served not only the best coffee in Rome but some of the most famous breakfast food in Italy. There, for sure, you’ll find a filled cornetto to satisfy your wildest dreams.

I first tried Sant’ Eustachio il Caffè with my younger sister. These were some of our first days in town, and we were looking for the best places to eat breakfast in Rome. I believe we were walking around Campo de’ Fiori or the Pantheon – in any case, both are located super close to the coffee shop.

We decided to take a little break and have some breakfast, and we saw Sant’ Eustachio il Caffè, located in a slightly secluded piazza. It was cute, there were some seats available outside on the terrace, and that’s all we needed to have the best breakfast in Rome between sisters.

Sant’ Eustachio il Caffè serves some of the best coffee in Rome, and tourists and locals alike queue to buy some bags of coffee beans to make Sant’ Eustachio coffee at home.

The 1938-established Roman cafe is perfect if you just want to have a little breakfast and keep going to see some monuments and free museums in Rome afterward.

It’s quite fast-paced, and lots of locals visit it on a daily basis to grab some of the best breakfast in Rome – really a local place that you should visit while you’re in the city.

Read: The Best 24 Hour Places to Study in London

Best Breakfast in Rome: Caffè Faro

I mentioned Faro Caffè in my guide to the best cafes to work in Rome, and I stand by what I said in this guide. This is definitely a cafe that serves the best coffee in Rome, artisan-made from delicious fresh beans.

Faro Caffè is located a few minutes away on foot from the Termini station, so you can have a little walk there before sitting down in the quaint coffee shop. If you’re looking for the best breakfast in Rome, you’ll be well-served at Faro Caffè.

First off, the cornetti are filled with custard, Italian pistachio cream, marmalade, and Nutella,… You’ve got it all.

There are lots of pastries small enough that you can order two as well, and the type of bomba alla Nutella (filled doughnuts with Nutella, one of my favorite desserts from Rome) that I’m so fond of.

The specialty coffee place is famous in all of Rome, and even outside of the city. How could it not be, given that the coffee is incredibly smooth and tasty there?

It’s located between Termini and La Rinascente (the equivalent of Selfridges in London, or Printemps in Paris), so you can do a bit of high-end shopping after eating.

Best Breakfast in Rome: Meeting Place Bologna

I did not think that the Meeting Place in Piazza Bologna would offer some of the best breakfast in Rome when I passed the threshold a few weeks ago.

On my last visit to Rome, I had one goal: trying some of the best breakfast in Rome without actually visiting the bakeries, pastry shops, and coffee shops I’m used to.

At Meeting Place, we discovered one of the very best cafes in Rome, with a huge terrace, and a type of coffee I’d never tried before: ginseng coffee (caffè ginseng).

Far from being the bitter taste I’d expected, ginseng coffee is sweet and delicious, and we ended up asking for it in all the coffee shops and bakeries we visited for the rest of our stay.

In addition, you’ll find at Meeting Place great art, and some of the best pastries in Rome, with my ultimate favorite, la bomba alla Nutella.

Best Breakfast in Rome: Dolce Rotonda

Dolce Rotonda offers not only some of the best breakfast in Rome, but if you’re right in the center of Rome, then this bakery slash pastry shop slash coffee shop near the Pantheon will have you hooked.

At Dolce Rotonda, you’ll taste the best maritozzo in Rome (a full guide to the best maritozzi in Rome is in the works!), along with ginseng caffe, delicious caffe latte, and many, many more pastries.

Whoever wants to have a taste of the best breakfast in Rome would do well to pay Dolce Rotonda a visit, especially given the fact that despite its location, it’s still quite affordable.

Best Breakfast in Rome: Pasticceria Romoli

Pasticceria Romoli might be located a bit far off the center of Rome, around Libia, but it is one of the oldest – and best bakeries in Rome. And really, no one could state otherwise.

At Pasticceria Romoli, which I’ve visited only once, I tasted some of the best breakfast in Rome I’ve ever eaten. Tiramisu, maritozzo, delicious filled cornetti, and more kinds of coffee than you can imagine – that’s what you can expect at Pasticceria Romoli.

Best Desserts From Rome: Rossi Tiziano

When I first arrived in Italy, I stayed for a few months at the YellowSquare hostel. That is clearly the best digital nomad accommodation for coworking in Rome, and I’ve even written a full guide about this.

If you’re a digital nomad or a student coming to study abroad in Rome, you’re going to want to read this, because I’ve mentioned only places with free WiFi, lounges, and coworking spaces inside the hostel/hotel.

All this to say that, just 30 seconds away from the hostel, on Via Palestro, and super close to the Termini station, you’ve got the Ristorante Rossi Tiziano. And that, folks, is my little secret when it comes to places for the best breakfast in Rome.

I have visited this place time and time again, and although they are called a restaurant, to be, it’s just one of the best bakeries in Rome where you can also get lunch. Rossi Tiziano closes super early in the afternoon, but it also opens very early in the morning.

And early in the morning is when you want to go if you want to get the very best breakfast in Rome.

One word: conchiglia.

A word that means seashell, but also means that you’ll have a caramelized pastry filled with crema di latte (milk cream), crema di latte e amarena (milk cream with Amarena cherry marmalade), pistachio cream, Nutella, and more amazing fillings.

Of course, if you just want a good old cornetto filled with custard cream, you’ll find it there. If you want a mignon (the Italian name for mini pastries), there are lots there. And the caffè latte, friends – hands down some of the best coffee in Rome.

Best Breakfast in Rome: Mister C

Located close to the Policlinico station, just a few stops away from Termini, Mister C is probably one of the most underrated spots when it comes to getting the best breakfast in Rome.

Since I stayed at a hostel right in front of the Mister C Pasticceria e Gelateria, I had breakfast three or four times there in the span of just 7 days.

And I can guarantee you that given the price, we ordered three to five pastries every single day, along with caffe latte, cappuccino, and ginseng coffee.

So you want to find the best breakfast in Rome? In the quiet universitarian area that is Policlinico, Mister C is one of the best-hidden gems in Rome.

Read: Porta Portese Market: Biggest Flea Market in Rome

Best Breakfast in Rome: Trecaffè, Via Leone IV

There are lots of things you can do on solo travel to Rome, and in my opinion, visiting Trecaffè is one of them. I think I’ve only brought my sister and one or two friends there.

But since Trecaffè is already an institution when it comes to finding the best breakfast in Rome, you sometimes wish it would remain a hidden gem.

Breakfast food in Italy is simple but varied – you can count on your carbs there. Whether you’re looking for the best desserts from Rome or just a simple pastry to start the day, you’ll see – cream lies at the core of breakfast.

Trecaffè is not only one of the best places for breakfast in Rome, but it also offers lunch and snacks during the afternoon that you will need if you’re walking around the city and stopping around the Vatican and the Ottaviano metro station.

It’s definitely a perfect place to stop by before enjoying the best free views of the city, that’s for sure.

The breakfast selection is huge, and you’ll want a bomba alla Nutella (a doughnut ball filled with Nutella, with sugar, sprinkled all over), or a cornetto alla creme/pistachio.

Since filled croissants are so famous in Italy, why should you not try them in one of the best cafes in Rome? The cream is deliciously thick, and yes, you can taste the difference according to the places you visit when looking for the best breakfast in Rome and dessert places.

Also, Trecaffè on Via Leone IV has a terrace with lots of seats, so if you’re looking for the best cafes to study in Rome, that’s definitely one I would suggest.

Best Cafes in Rome: Forno Feliziani

If you’re looking to have breakfast near the Vatican Museums at a super affordable price, then you’re going to have to pay a visit to Forno Feliziani.

A pizzeria slash coffee shop offering a wide – wide – array of pastries, types of coffee, and cheap lunch options.

Forno Feliziani is definitely a place to have on your bucket list for the best breakfast in Rome.

If you’ve tried lots of cafes in Rome and want something a bit different, you’ll find so many different pastries at Forno Feliziani that you’ll wonder how you haven’t come across the place sooner.

Best Breakfast in Rome: Barnum Cafe

I already mentioned Barnum Cafe in my guide to the best cafes to work in Rome, and to be honest, you’re going to have to visit the coffee shop at least once if you’re after the best breakfast in Rome.

A coffee shop; I might be stretching the word when it comes to Barnum Cafe.

This cafe slash restaurant located ultra close to Campo de Fiori offers not only a great space to study and work on your laptop, but also offers delicious coffee, classic Italian pastries, and plates of pasta unlike any you might have come across before.

Best Desserts From Rome: Pasticceria Regoli

Pasticceria Regoli is one of the best bakeries in Rome, and one of the oldest as well. It’s no wonder why locals and tourists have it on their bucket lists – if you’re looking for the most authentic and best breakfast in Rome, their world-famous maritozzi will have you hooked.

Located in the Esquilino neighborhood, Pasticceria Regoli is perfect if you’ve just hopped off the shuttle bus from the airport, and looking for breakfast in Rome near Termini Central Station.

Not only that, but once you taste their amazingly huge brioches filled with thick whipped cream, you’ll go back again and again.

One of the typical desserts from Rome, maritozzi are traditional pastries that grooms-to-be offer their brides before they get married (maritozzo comes from the word marito, husband in Italian).

If you’re after a traditional breakfast in Rome that’ll plunge you deep into Italian food culture, getting a maritozzo and a cappuccino in the morning is that perfect touch to make your stay in Rome even better.

Of course, if you’re feeling more classic, Pasticceria Regoli also has lots of the amazing filled cornetti that you can find in all the best bakeries in Rome. But really, the whipped cream combined with those brioches? Unbelievably tasty.

After you’re done, you can have a little rest at Piazza Vittorio Emanuele and its huge, beautiful garden with palm trees. Also, the Esquilino area is filled with Asian shops, so you can have a stroll there after tasting some of the best breakfast in Rome.

Best Bakeries in Rome: Pasticceria Linari

Pasticceria Linari is famous, and oh-so-famous for providing locals and tourists with the best pastries in Rome.

Not only will you find the best maritozzo in Rome at Pasticceria Linari, but this classic Italian bakery also has anything you might wish for on the menu: creamy cannoli, decadent cakes, and amazing cups of coffee that will wake you up in no time.

It’s not a secret anymore; Pasticceria Linari, an institution in the Testaccio area, offers the best, very best breakfast in Rome.

Best Desserts From Rome: Pasticceria Desideri Basilica San Paolo

Usually, when tourists come to visit Rome, they’ll look for the best bakeries in Rome to have breakfast and coffee but remain near the center of Rome.

And we don’t want that here, on The Working Line. I want you to be able to enjoy the best breakfast food in Italy, and oftentimes, it’s not in the center of the city that you’ll find it.

One of the best places for desserts from Rome is Pasticceria Desideri. How did I come across it? By going to Ostia Lido Beach. When coming from Rome to Ostia, one of the stops you can get off at to change and get the Lido train is Basilica San Paolo.

Once day, I wanted to see what was going on around Basilica San Paolo – was it attractive? Interesting? Lively?

The basilica definitely is one of the must visit things in Rome, but if you’re looking for the best breakfast in Rome, you also have to pay a little visit to Pasticceria Desideri.

Read: The Best Tips To Increase Productivity Working From Home

Located almost in front of the station entrance, Pasticceria Desideri is open from early in the morning. It offers the most classic Italian breakfast food, as well as tiramisu, cakes, and just beautiful pastries overall.

It’s not even that expensive, and the fact that Pasticceria Desideri is located outside of the center makes it one of the best hidden gems in the city.

I visited this place with my little sister, and remember ordering 4 or 5 cakes, pastries, and cornetti – we did finish everything, helped by some of the best caffè latte I’d ever tried. Really a must-visit if you’re after delicious desserts in Rome.

Best Breakfast in Rome: Casa Manfredi

Located in Aventino, close to the famous Circo Massimo, Casa Manfredi is probably one of the most… posh pastry shops in Rome, and it deserves every type of highlight it can get.

You’ll get there some of the most delicious cornetti in town, with delicious, creamy coffee to savor while watching the city wake up.

If Casa Manfredi is famous for offering the best breakfast in Rome, there’s no wonder why: the cream used in the pastries is delicate, thick, and leaves a lingering taste on the palate.

It might be a tad pricier than some of the other coffee shops and bakeries in Rome I’ve mentioned in this guide, but it is a top-notch spot for those looking for delicious breakfast in Rome.

15 Best Breakfast in Rome, Cafes and Italian Bakeries [2022]

There you have them, all the best bakeries and cafes for the best breakfast in Rome. As you have seen in this guide, there is a plethora of different desserts and breakfast food you can get in Italy. And I have never been able to choose my favorite.

Although if I have to choose the best coffee in Rome, I’d probably go to Faro, while I would definitely visit Rossi Tiziano near Termini and Trecaffè near the Vatican for cornetti and Italian breakfast food again and again.

If you’re more into something savory and looking for the best street food in Roma, I have written a full guide for you on that topic. You might want to check it out, especially if you’re open-minded enough to try some creative cheap foods, like the Trapizzino you can get on Piazza Trilussa!

Until next time!

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