Rome: My Food Guide

Rome may be known for it’s incredibly rich history and ancient sites dotted around the city. But its culinary scene is quite frankly just as monumental. So let’s deep dive into some of what Rome’s food scene has to offer. This guide focusses on the vegetarian food scene with emphasis on pizzerias, artisanal bakeries, and specialty coffees.

Rome’s Food Scene

Mariuccia

Located at Piazza della Cancelleria, 92, 00186 Roma

Mariuccia is situated right in the heart of Rome just minutes away from the Piazza Navona. It hosts a casual and welcoming style with both indoor and outdoor seating available. It’s a spot that can get pretty busy with fairly long queues (especially for dinner), so I’d definitely recommend booking in advance.

They’re known for their traditional Italian menu which offers a variety of pizzas, pastas, panuozzi (sandwiches made from pizza dough), freselle (a double baked bread), and fritti (fried bites). But what they really specialise in are their Neapolitan pizzas.

This was my first dinner on day 1 of exploring Rome’s food scene and it did not disappoint. I ordered the L’Ortolana, also known as the ‘green grocer’s pizza‘ which is my usual order at many pizza spots. It’s a great choice for vegetarians and comes with mozzarella, roasted vegetables (courgettes, aubergines, and peppers), basil, and extra virgin olive oil. It’s worth noting that Ortolana does not always come with tomato sauce, so I did request that when ordering.

It was a delicious Neapolitan pizza, which is a style of pizza I’m hugely passionate about. From the texture of the quintessential puffy crust to the wood-fired char and leoparding. It most definitely hit the spot. The sauce was fresh and seasoned well, with the perfect amount of mozzarella and vegetables.

I also ordered the Montanarina classica, which are fried pizza dough covered with tomato sauce. I first tried these in New York and it’s since set me off a slight montanarina-obsession. I’m always searching for these at every pizza spot I visit. They had a subtle crispness on the outside with a soft, bouncy, and light interior. Imagine a cross between a savoury doughnut with the texture of a Neapolitan pizza crust. They were outrageously delicious, more-ish, and a great little bite to complement the meal.

I did in fact return for one final meal on my last day in Rome and ordered the L’Ortolana once again, but this time I also ordered a dessert. I asked whether they had any offerings with pistachio (another passion of mine), to which they explained they actually do a Pistachio Montanarina. For pistachio lovers, I cannot recommend this enough. The montanarina are stuffed with a generous amount of pistachio cream and finished with a dusting of powdered sugar and chopped pistachios. Considering the fried dough itself is savoury and light, the richness and sweetness of the pistachio cream ends up providing the perfect balance. It’s not toothachingly sweet, and it’s honestly just a perfect dessert to experience in Rome.

Summary and recommendations

• Great restaurant with indoor and outdoor seating
• Perfect for solo dining, couples, friends/family dinner
• Book in advance, especially for dinner reservations in order to avoid the large queues
• Their specialty are their Neapolitan pizzas. I ordered the L’Ortolana (make sure to request tomato sauce if you would like sauce), which comes with mozzarella and roasted vegetables
• I also recommend their Montanarina classica (fried pizza dough with tomato sauce) and their Montanarina pistacchio (fried pizza dough stuffed with sweet pistachio cream)
• €12-15 pp excl drinks

Piccolo Buco

Located at Via del Lavatore, 91, 00187 Roma

Piccolo Buco is a renowned pizzeria located just steps away from the iconic and historic Trevi Fountain. On first glance, it’s quite an ambiguous hole-in-the-wall that’s fairly unassuming. If it were not for the large menus on either side of the entrance, you may miss it entirely. But upon a closer look the 50 Top Pizza 2024 sticker becomes apparent. The 50 Top Pizzas have been a list I’ve gradually been working through across the last 3-4 years, and I was adamant that I had to experience Piccolo Buco on this visit.

It’s important to note that Piccolo Buco do not take any reservations. You must simply queue right opposite the entrance and await your turn. The queues can be quite extensive around lunch and dinner hours, but it does move at a fairly decent pace.

The interior is small and cosy but oozes warmth through the bustle of chatty diners, lovely staff, and the view of spectacular pizzas finding their way out of the kitchen. The menu offerings for vegetarians are slightly on the limited side and they generally don’t allow for many changes to the pizzas (swapping cheeses is fine, but they won’t add extra toppings). But don’t let that stop you from visiting, they just want the pizzas to be experienced as intended. And as an ex private chef, I get it.

These guys are hugely passionate about their pizzas and every ingredient is locally sourced. Upon conversing with the waiter, he explained about every farm they source their ingredients from and their commitment to quality. And boy, does it show.

I ordered the Piccolo Bucos Parmigiana which has their artisanal organic tomato sauce, fried aubergine/eggplant cubes, fresh basil, and a parmigiano reggiano fondue (which can be substituted for mozzarella). The style of the cornicione (crust) gave me more of a canotto vibe, which is another popular style alongside Napoletana. It tends to have a larger, more puffy, and more airy cornicione in comparison to Neapolitan. This usually requires a combination of pre-ferments and a higher hydration dough.

This pizza was nothing short of incredible, and it was without a doubt one of the best I have ever eaten. The crust was light and airy with a beautiful wood-fired flavour running across. There was also the perfect amount of extensibility in the crust (something I look for), which allowed it to spring back to shape and not turn into smush when compressed. I noticed a slightly higher salt percentage in the dough in comparison to Mariuccia’s pizza, which I really appreciated as it allowed the crust to shine just as much as everything that was put on top of it.

The sauce was equally a delight, it was fresh, sweet, and well seasoned. The aubergine/eggplant cubes were fried to perfection with a wonderful melt-in-the-mouth texture. And the mozzarella was the most flavourful mozzarella I have ever tasted with a very distinct note of dairy paired with a slight tang and mild saltiness. Much of the mozzarella in the UK is fairly mild, this however was anything but. And finally, I must shout out the extra virgin olive oil that was drizzled on right before serving. It’s so incredibly flavourful and aromatic that you immediately notice it on the very first bite.

All in all, this was my favourite pizza of the trip and honestly one of the best I’ve ever eaten. I appreciate the commitment to quality and I’m already planning my second trip back to Rome later this year with Piccolo Buco being at the very top of my to-eat list.

Summary and recommendations

• Recognised by the 50 Top Pizza guide and featured in the ‘Pizzerie Eccellenti 2024’ category. Has also ranked in the 2022 edition
• Great restaurant with indoor seating only. Has a small, cosy, and intimate vibe
• Does not take bookings or reservations – you simply have to queue on the small street directly opposite so be prepared to wait. Try and be strategic with your timings to avoid peak lunch/dinner hours
• Perfect for solo dining, couples, friends/family dinner
• Their specialty are their Neapolitan/Canotto pizzas. I ordered the Piccolo Bucos Parmgiana which was spectacular. It was the best pizza I ate in Rome
• Incredible commitment to quality and they’re very conscious about their ingredients and sourcing
• Limited vegetarian menu, but what they have is excellent and very high quality. They’re hesitant to make changes to the pizzas as they want it to be eaten as intended (substituting cheeses is fine for e.g. but they won’t add additional toppings)
• €15-20 pp excl drinks

Seu Pizza Illuminati

Located at Via Angelo Bargoni, 10 – 18, 00153 Roma

Seu Pizza Illuminati is another renowned pizzeria located in Rome’s Trastevere district. It’s known for its modern approach and innovative take on the traditional pizza. Founded by the highly acclaimed pizzaiolo Pier Daniele Seu, the pizzeria has gone on to garner high praise and even higher levels of recognition. Featuring 10th on the 50 Top Pizza World 2024 and 5th on the 50 Top Pizza Italia 2024, it’s proven itself to be a bold contender in the realm of contemporary pizzerias.

The interior is spacious, well-lit, and with plenty of seating – making it perfect for all occasions. The menu offers a range of traditional pizzas (such as a margherita or bufala), alongside more contemporary options (such as the super provola e pepe and the 100% root celery). There are a good number of vegetarian options available and these will all be combinations that you haven’t heard or tried before.

I decided to order the Super Provola e Pepe, which features roasted tomatoes, yellow pacchetelle, smoked provola, SEU pepper mix, smoked ricotta, and greek and purple basil. I’m a huge fan of the fresh flavours that are preserved within pacchetelle, and I love ricotta on pizza – so this sounded like a rather solid option.

Unfortunately (and I’m genuinely gutted to say this), this pizza was hugely underwhelming. In terms of the crust and dough itself – no issues whatsoever. It’s a solid base with a light cornicione and a lovely woodfired smokiness. However it’s not quite as light as Piccolo Bucco which I’m assuming is down to a lower hydration in the dough.

Now, with regards to the combination of cheeses – these left this pizza incredibly salty. The grab-your-water after every bite kind of salty. It sadly overpowered the pacchetelle, which became almost indistinguishable from any other tomato sauce. The saving grace here were the small bites of roasted tomatoes, which added a necessary sweetness to balance out the saltiness. There just wasn’t enough of these sweet bites of tomato to provide the much-needed respite. There was also no form of pepper visible on the pizza (neither the capsicum variety or the peppercorn variety) which I queried with the waitress, who explained that that was simply a mistake on the menu. A disappointing mistake, might I add. I really do think some sweet roasted peppers would have worked perfectly to lift the flavours here.

I did also order Seu’s My Margherit (a margherita is always a great baseline and reference point in any pizzeria). This featured a San Marzano tomato stew, fior di latte treccia, basil and the mistakenly-added-to-the-menu seu pepper mix. Once again, no peppers in sight. I have to say that this pizza was good, but not amazing. It wasn’t particularly memorable or special and there isn’t much I can rave about. With Piccolo Bucco fresh in my mind, I can’t deny the fact that Seu did not meet the same level of quality or flavour.

Alas, we must move on to dessert. The final course to end the meal on a sweet finish. I ordered the Tiramiseu (I do love a good pun, but you know what I love more? Peppers on my pizza when it’s on the menu). This tiramisu is made with a lady finger purée, salted chocolate crumble, mascarpone cream, coffee gel, and cocoa. And once again, this was hugely disappointing. The puree of the lady fingers turned them into mush, with a texture not too dissimilar from a weetabix that’s been soaked for far too long. The coffee flavour was subtle and rather muted, which distanced this dessert from the very essence of a tiramisu. The mascarpone cream lacked richness and flavour, there were no real notes coming through from neither dairy nor egg yolks. And the only real positive here was the salted chocolate crumble, which was actually quite a nice addition both flavour and texture wise.

All in all, Seu Pizza Illuminati was a disappointing experience for me and not somewhere I’d go back to. For non-vegetarians, you may very well have a different time here. Other tables were visibly enjoying their pizzas, which also looked elegant and very creative. I just don’t feel that the veggie selection of pizzas are quite up to par in comparison to the other offerings within Rome’s food scene.

But I do think it’s important to give credit where it’s due. Pushing the boundaries with new and fresh takes on traditional dishes can be polarising for many, and it really does take guts to do this with an unapologetic boldness. After all, all foods were someone’s wild creation at some point in time, and now they rack up tally points on our dinner menus under the guise of ‘purism’.

Summary and recommendations

• Placed 10th on the 50 Top Pizza World 2024 guide and 5th on the 50 Top Pizza Italia 2024 guide
• Offers a mix of traditional and contemporary pizzas – very interesting and creative menu
• Indoor seating only. Spacious, well-lit and suitable for all occasions
• Can get busy and is often booked up, so worth booking an advance if planning to visit
• Sadly I found the vegetarian pizzas (Seu Super Provola e Pepe and Seu My Margherit) quite disappointing
• Non-vegetarians may have a different experience. Other tables seemed to really be enjoying their pizzas, and the pizzas did look very elegant and creative
• Tiramisu was lacklustre and I found the texture to be quite mushy due to the pureed lady fingers
• €25-30 pp excl drinks

Bonci Pizzarium

Located at Via della Meloria, 43, 00136 Roma

Bonci Pizzarrium, located near the Vatican in the Trionfale district, was founded by Gabriele Bonci. Well known for revolutionising the pizza-by-the-slice scene (pizza a taglio). After seeing Gabriele Bonci and Bonci Pizzarium feature on Netflix’s Chef’s Table (one of my favourite shows), I had immediately saved this spot on my list of places to check out.

Their signature pizzas are made in large rectangle trays and sold by the weight of the slice – which allows customers to dictate how large or small of a piece they’d like. It was quite fascinating watching each slice being cut swiftly with scissors according to each customer’s preference.

It’s a small pizzeria with no seating that offers a to-go service only. There is a single bench right outside, but I leave it to you to decide on whether you choose to participate in the hunger games of seating. Crowds can pile up here leading to long queues and a fairly hectic ordering experience. So all I can say is to get to Bonci early and be prepared to wait.

Things do move swiftly here, so be prepared! For vegetarians like myself, this can be quite tricky as none of the pizzas were labelled. I found that the server did get quite frustrated when I asked which pizzas were vegetarian as this inevitably slowed the queue down. I think keeping a menu or a list of offerings should be standard, and that would have saved both him and myself the catch-22 of mutual frustration.

On the day I visited, there were very few vegetarian options, but the offerings do change frequently. There are days when there are more vegetarians pizzas so I was rather unlucky to visit when things were more limited. I ended up ordering the Margherita and Marinara slices, and honestly both were lovely.

They have an almost focaccia-like base with a great crispy crust, subtle chew, and plenty of airy alveoli running through. It’s a great tasting base with a lovely fresh tomato sauce that pairs beautifully. The mozzarella on the margherita was fresh, milky, and had a lovely bounce. But I have to say, the star here really was the marinara. Covered with a thick layer of sauce, dried oregano, and lashings of extra virgin olive oil. It was quite the delight to eat. I’d definitely consider coming back to try some of the other vegetarian pizzas.

The only downsides here were location, lack of seating, and price in my opinion. Bonci is situated quite far out on the outskirts of Rome – it ended up being a good 30 minute walk from the Vatican. The lack of seating isn’t the end of the world, but after queueing for a fair amount of time, sitting down to enjoy a slice just feels like a much needed luxury. With the ever increasing attention, Bonci has become a tourist hotspot and this always inevitably leads to price increases. Supply and demand curves, right? Slices can range from €4-9 depending on the pizza and the weight- the heavier the toppings, the higher the price.

Summary and recommendations

• Featured on Netflix’s Chef’s Table
• Pizza a taglio (pizza by the slice) system. Each slice is priced on weight
• No seating, to-go only. Queues can be long so be prepared to wait, but generally moves swiftly
• Offerings change frequently, sometimes more veggie options and sometimes fewer
• Marinara was the highlight for me. Excellent sauce and olive oil
• €4-9 per slice excl drinks

180 Grammi Pizzeria

Located at Via Genazzano, 32, 00177 Roma

180g Pizzeria Romana is located in Rome’s Centocelle district. The name refers to the traditional weight (180g) of their dough balls used for Pizza Romano (Roman style pizza). Founded by the acclaimed pizzaiolo Jacopo Mercuro, it has also been awarded 29th place on the 50 Top Pizza World 2024 and 13th on the 50 Top Pizza Italia 2024.

The interior is bright and open with heaps of natural light running throughout, all thanks to the floor to ceiling glass surrounding the pizzeria. It feels modern, warm, and incredibly welcoming. There’s plenty of seating available, but this is a pizza spot that can get very booked up. I would highly recommend booking in advance, perhaps even well in advance.

Being at the forefront of the Pizza Romana scene, Jacopo Mercuro has taken on the approach of serving both traditional and contemporary Roman style pizzas. For anyone unfamiliar with this style, it consists of an incredibly thin and crispy pizza with a very minimal cornicione (if any). Often referred to as ‘the crunchy one’ – quite the opposite of a pizza Napoletana!

Once again, the vegetarian menu here is more on the limited side. But they are all solid and reliable options nonetheless. For those who are not vegetarian, I think you’ll most definitely be spoilt for choice. I ended up ordered the Margherita and the Funghi, and surprisingly this was the only pizzeria that had mushrooms on the menu. For full disclosure, I’m someone that consumes mushrooms on an almost daily basis. It’s actually my favourite pizza topping. So 180 Grammi was already heading in the right direction from the get go.

Now these pizzas were absolutely sublime. The crust was crunchy and flavourful with a glorious char running around it. If you like a slice that doesn’t droop or has minimal drooping, then this is the pizzeria for you. The sauce was fresh and vibrant (this seems to be the norm within Rome’s food scene!), with just the right amount of mozzarella dotted on top. Finished with a generous amount of fresh basil and extra virgin olive oil. Yes, it may be simple, but this is simplicity executed with perfection. The menu features a range of options that covers the classics all the way to the contemporary and creative – so don’t fret if you want something a bit more bougie.

180 Grammi is also very well known within Rome’s food scene for it’s fritti (fried bites) which are one of their popular offerings. These fritti are considered to be part of the signature 180gr experience. Unfortunately I had my return flight to catch and a very limited amount of time at 180gr, so my main focus was only on the pizza. One for next time, though.

180 Grammi is once again located further out on the outskirts of Rome, quite far from the main tourist attractions. If you feel passionate about experiencing Pizza Romana from the best of the best, or perhaps you’re also working through the top 50 pizza list like myself. Then I’d say to try and fit this into your itinerary. But if it’s just a bit too far out for you, don’t worry, there are so many wonderful pizzerias to explore in the heart of Rome.

Summary and recommendations

• 29th place on the 50 Top Pizza World 2024 and 13th on the 50 Top Pizza Italia 2024
• Specialises in Pizza Romana (thin and crispy with very minimal cornicione)
• Also specialises in their fried bites (fritti)
• Funghi and Margherita were excellent
• Little bit further out from Rome’s main city centre but worth the trip if you have time!
• €25-30 pp excl drinks

Rome Coffee and Bakeries

Forno Monteforte

Located at Via del Pellegrino, 129, 00186 Roma

Forno Monteforte is a bakery located right in the heart or Rome, just minutes away from the Piazza Navona. It’s quite the classic Roman bakery with the whiff of a modern atmosphere. Tucked away on one of the many side streets with a fairly inconspicuous entrance, it’s fairly easy to miss if it were not for the ensemble of bread loaves located under the bold Pasticceria sign.

Forno Monteforte have a lovely selection of offerings. Ranging from bread loaves, pizzas (specifically pizza alla palla), croissants, maritozzi (brioche buns filled with whipped cream), as well as a huge variety of seasonal pastries, desserts, and biscuits. They also do a vegan croissant, too.

I decided to try their regular croissant and their pistachio croissant. Both were freshly baked, buttery, and incredibly flaky. The pistachio, stuffed with a generous amount of pistachio cream, was naturally my favourite. This pistachio cream had a far more pronounced flavour of pistachio in comparison to the commercial ones available in the UK. It also wasn’t quite as sweet, which in turn made it taste even nuttier and more balanced.

They’re also very affordable, priced at €1.50 for a plain croissant and €2 for the pistachio. Which is an absolute bargain for the quality of the pastries! I also recommend getting the croissants alongside a cappuccino, they’re the perfect company for one another.

I would also like to mention that the quality of coffee at Forno Monteforte is reasonable, but not particularly impressive. Any specialty coffee fans may be disappointed here. In general, the specialty coffee scene in Rome is still in its early days and hasn’t quite developed as much as other cities (London, for example).

And finally, if you’re keen on trying out the pastries at Forno Monterforte, I highly recommend getting there within the first few hours of opening. The pastries do sell out quite quickly, so plan this as your first stop of the day to avoid any disappointment.

Summary and recommendations

• Sells bread loaves, pizzas (specifically pizza alla palla), croissants, maritozzi (brioche buns filled with whipped cream), seasonal pastries, desserts, and biscuits. They also do a vegan croissant too
• Regular croissant and pistachio croissant are great
• Very budget friendly at €1.50 for a plain croissant and €2 for the pistachio
• Coffee is reasonable here. Specialty coffee enthusiasts may be disappointed
• Pastries can sell out quickly so try and get here in the first few hours of opening
• €5-6 pp incl coffee

Julietta Pastry and Lab

Located at Via Francesco Negri, 25/27, 00154 Roma

Julietta Pastry and Lab, located in the Ostiense district, is a pastry shop and artisanal food lab. This place is truly a pioneer within Rome’s vegan food scene. It’s where food science meets art, along with a little bit of magic.

Julietta offers a huge range of products, from 100% plant based pastries, to artisanal tofu, seitan, cheeses, condiments, as well as nut butters and cream. They also offer plenty of seasonal delights which vary throughout the year. From the moment you walk in to Julietta, you’re embraced by this really warm and inviting space. This little pastry shop comes with heaps of character and equally lovely staff.

I decided to check out Julietta on my second day in Rome, and was immediately greeted by an array of some of the most stunning pastries I have ever seen. These guys are definitely artists, there’s no doubt about that. When browsing the selection it felt like a disservice to only try one pastry, and so I didn’t. I ordered 3.

Before any judgement ensues, I was also sharing these pastries. And anyways market research is important, right? I ordered the Pistachio and Raspberry Croissant, Coffee Cream Croissant, and the Pistachio New York Roll.

My word, these pastries were magnificent. The croissants were light and flaky with a lovely honeycombed interior. The marbling effect of the raspberry added an extra finesse that honestly made me stop for a minute in admiration. The pistachio cream was stunning. It was light, nutty, and had the perfect amount of sweetness. The tartness of the raspberry cut through the richness of the pistachio and provided the perfect balance. This was without a doubt one of the best pastries I’ve ever eaten.

The coffee cream croissant was also lovely. It had a very light coffee whipped cream which just melted away in the mouth. The pistachio New York roll was almost like a condensed croissant baked as a roll with a very generous filling of pistachio cream. This was a delicious pastry but I do think it was erring on the side of being a bit too rich, even for me. It’s definitely a pastry I’d recommend for pistachio lovers, but I think it’s worth sharing this one.

I was so blown away by these pastries that I ended up going back to Julietta every single morning during the rest of my trip. I desperately wanted to try more of their offerings as well as a daily repeat order of the pistachio and raspberry croissant. During the next few days, I tried their Diplomatica New York Roll, Pain au Chocolat, and the Chocolate and Coconut Pain Suisse.

The diplomatica New York roll was filled with a vanilla pastry cream – which I think worked a lot better than the pistachio cream. It wasn’t as rich nor as sweet, and the fresh raspberry garnish added a lovely pop of freshness and acidity. Also, the plant based cream they use here is nothing short of perfection, it’s beautifully light and indistinguishable from a dairy based cream.

The pain au chocolat was crisp and light, but I did find that internally it was mostly air with no real structure. This did take away from that flaky experience we all long for. The redemption however, was the dark chocolate oozing from the depths of the pain au chocolat. It seemed to be around a 70% dark chocolate with a great balance of sweetness and bitterness. It was smooth and rich with a pronounced cocoa flavour and a hint of fruitiness. All things considered, I would still order the pain au chocolat again – it was good, just not perfect.

On the other hand, the chocolate and coconut pain suisse was simply okay. The chocolate pastry was great, with a lovely deep cocoa flavour and the texture was crisp and flaky. But the coconut filling was quite dry, cakey, and dense. It had a pronounced coconut flavour with the texture of desiccated coconut running through, which I appreciated. But for me personally, it was just far too dry.

Overall, the quality of the pastry work here is to be admired and commended. They really know what they’re doing. When it comes to plant based pastries, I’ve had some questionable ones in the past. But I ended up triple checking that these were actually plant based. They’ve mastered the science and art behind plant based pastries and it really does show.

I highly recommend checking Julietta out, irrespective if you follow a plant based diet or not. These are quality pastries and I genuinely have not stopped thinking about that pistachio and raspberry croissant to this very day. This is truly one of Rome’s edible gems.

Summary and recommendations

• Totally plant based bakery and artisanal food spot
• Sells plant based pastries, artisanal tofu, seitan, cheeses, condiments, nut butters, creams, and seasonal desserts
• Incredible quality of pastries – I had to triple check these were even plant based
• Highlight: the croissants, especially the pistachio and raspberry (absolutely unreal)
• €10 pp (for ~2 pastries) excl drinks

Love

Located at Via Tunisi, 51, 00192 Roma

Love is a café and bakery that specialises in coffee and croissants. Located in Rome’s Trionfale district, just a short walk from the Vatican. They offer a wide range of pastries which fuse French and Italian techniques and traditions, along with a few Love signatures.

This is a moderate sized café that caters for dine-in and takeout. The queues for sitting in can get fairly extensive but I found that it generally moved pretty swiftly. They don’t take bookings so it’s walk-in only here. Being one of Rome’s few specialty coffee spots, its popularity has skyrocketed so I’d recommend getting here early. Especially on weekends as the pastries do sell out quickly.

First things first, coffee. I opted for the Cappuccino Love which is usually €3 (substantially cheaper than London!). However the price can vary if opting for a specific bean from their Love Origins menu, which hosts a variety defined by their origin, process, and roastery. This list of beans changes frequently depending on the season (usually due to harvest times), which is a very good sign to ensure freshness, diverse flavour profiles, and a connection to specialty coffee culture. The cappuccino was the best I had in Rome and I actually ended up purchasing some beans to take home.

Next, pastries. I ordered the Croissant Cioccolato and the signature Moon Love. Visually these pastries are breathtaking, they utilise a ‘striped’ lamination pattern which is incredibly masterful. Both pastries were flaky, buttery, and generously filled. The cioccolato was filled with a rich and velvety chocolate crème pâtissière. It was pastry perfection and I highly recommend.

The moon love… wow, just wow. This is one of their signature offerings and it pays homage to coffee enthusiasts (right up my street!). There’s layers to this one, firstly the croissant dough itself is infused with ground coffee beans. Which is so smart and innovative, right?! Once baked, the pastry then gets filled with a coffee crème pâtissière which again has ground coffee running though it. Then, it gets topped with a milk chocolate and coffee ganache and finally finished with a coffee crumble. The mind truly boggles at this level of genius-ness. This was without a doubt the best pastry I have eaten to date.

Both of these pastries cost €3.50 and €4.50 respectively, which is an absolute bargain for the level of quality and finesse. This is high level pastry work and it has to be an essential stop on your itinerary. I only discovered Love on my last morning in Rome so I’m gutted I didn’t get the chance to return. But this will be my first coffee and croissant stop when I head back. I cannot recommend this spot enough, please, please, please do check Love out!

Summary and recommendations

• One of Rome’s few specialty coffee spots. Also offers specialty pastries
• Offers dine-in and takeout, but does not take reservations. Queues outside can be long but generally moves swiftly. Get here early to avoid disappointment
• Quality is incredible. Some of the best pasties I’ve ever eaten and coffee was exceptional
• Coffees can vary in price depending on the beans selected. Beans change seasonally
• Highlights: Croissant Cioccolato and their signature Moon Love (a must for coffee enthusiasts)
• Very well priced with pastries ranging from €2–€7. The daily specials generally being the more expensive options
• €6-10 pp (for a pastry and coffee)

Barnum

Located at Via del Pellegrino, 87, 00186 Roma

Barnum is another specialty coffee spot situating right in the heart of Rome, minutes from Campo de Fiori and Piazza Navona. They also offer a breakfast and brunch menu as well as a variety of pastries and cakes.

Barnum offers a fair amount of seating, though as expected it does get very busy. It’s a specialty café right in the city centre, so as you can imagine it’s extremely popular. They don’t take any bookings so seating is acquired on a first come, first served basis.

They offer a range of origin coffees which change seasonally. Each bean can be brewed in various ways, such as espresso or V60 (a type of pour over), and they usually have a recommendation for each one. They also offer a house blend which seemed to be the most popular.

I ended up ordering a classic cappuccino which was great. But in all honesty, espressos are where it’s at if you fully want to appreciate all the notes of the beans. Once any milk is added, the nuances of the flavours are diluted. But it was still an excellent coffee regardless.

This is a pricier coffee though, which I guess is to be expected given that it’s a specialty coffee shop right in the centre of the city. If I remember correctly, I think I paid around €6 for the cappuccino. However the beans do vary in price so keep this in mind as some will be cheaper, and equally some will be even more expensive.

I didn’t end up trying any of the pastries or cakes, which in hindsight I really have no explanation for. That’s not like me, but something I’ll definitely have to try next time. They did look great!

Whether you’re a specialty coffee enthusiast or just like a reliable cup, I do recommend checking out Barnum. It’s in a great location so chances are you’ll be passing by it or near it anyways. It’s also just down the road from Mariuccia, so you can’t really go wrong with a great cup of coffee and a great pizza.

Summary and recommendations

• Another specialty coffee spot in Rome
• Can get very busy so try and avoid peak times
• Offers a variety of pastries, cakes, and coffees. Coffees can be brewed as espresso or pour over (they’ll have a recommendation for method)
• Beans change seasonally
• Great coffee but can be on the pricier side depending on the beans chosen
• €3-6 pp for coffees