Do you love coffee and want to make sure you get the best of the best in Rome? Find out where to find the best coffee in Rome and what to order in our guide to the best coffee experiences in the capital. Updated with favorites for the current year!
A very old TV commercial circulated in Italy when I was a child. It showed Italian actor Nino Manfredi saying ‘Coffee is a pleasure. If it is not good, what sort of pleasure is that?’, just before savoring a lovely cup of the espresso of choice.
Many Italians from my generation would remember that ad and many would agree: bad coffee is awful but good coffee can be a real pleasure, a sensory awakening that starts on your lips and tongues and becomes a full body experience once caffeine makes its way though your body.
If you are in Rome, you will find no shortage of good coffee, but what if you wanted to go from good to great? If you are wondering where to find the best coffee in Rome and what coffee specialties to order where, keep reading.
Please note: this post contains one affiliate link to GetYourGuide. Should you make a purchase through it, I might make a small commission.
All the coffee establishments mentioned in the post are my own selection and recommendations are based on my own experience. I have received NO compensation whatsoever for inclusion in the list and I paid in full for all the coffee and food we recommend in this list.
The best coffee in Rome: St Eustachio il Caffe’
If you are looking for the best espresso in Rome, the black delights Italian simply call ‘caffe” then the place to be is Bar Sant’ Eustachio.
This coffee shop is a real institution in Rome: is serves delicious coffee al banco (meaning: standing, at the bar) and has the added advantage of being in the very centre of the city, in historical piazza Sant’ Eustachio, after which is it named.
The square is worth visiting even if you are not a coffee lover but for the caffeine addict this is a real treat: as ‘Un caffe’ per favore‘ and you will soon be served a strong yet delicious small cup that will make you see what real coffee is all about.
If you want more than just a quick caffeinated gulp, have a peek to the far end of the shop and take in the ancient coffee machines and grinders: they will give any modern sleek contraption a run for their money!
Just a word of caution: if you need to avoid sugar, make sure you tell them (senza succhero per favore)
Address: Piazza Sant’ Eustachio, Rome city centre
Other coffee places you may like:
Caffe’ Tazza d’Oro, Address: via degli Orfani, 84 near the Pantheon / Piazza Navona
Sciascia Caffe 1919, Address: via Fabio Massimo 80/A (Prati neighborhood)
For American style coffee, you need specialised establishments. You can find here >>> the best American Breakfast places in Rome
Something special! If you are really into coffee then in Rome you can join a coffee and gelato tour and follow and expert guide! Find it here >>> Espresso and Gelato Tour in Rome
Best granita di caffe’ in Rome
On a hot or even just warm day in Rome, head to Piazza del Pantheon and go to the famous Caffe’ Tazza d’oro, just beside the square (you can see it from just outside the church, super easy to find thanks to large yellow and black signage outside).
This is another Rome institution and the thing to order here is granita, crushed ice infused with coffee and topped by fresh whipped cream.
It is an indulgent delight and contains just enough sugar to make it totally addictive. Have it while strolling around the area for maximum pleasure
Address: Via degli Orfani, 84
Best cappuccino in Rome
Cappuccino is coffee based so it will come as no surprise that the places with the best coffee in Rome are also high up on the list as the places with the best cappuccino!
My favorite places for the best cappuccino in Rome are:
Sant’Eustachio il Caffe’, Address: Piazza di Sant’Eustachio, 82 near the Pantheon / Piazza Navona
Caffe’ Tazza d’Oro, Address: via degli Orfani, 84 near the Pantheon / Piazza Navona
Sciascia Caffe 1919, Address: via Fabio Massimo 80/A (Prati neighborhood)
La Cannoleria Siciliana, several addresses >> Piazza Re di Roma, 10, Corso Trieste, 100 e Piazzale degli Eroi, 24
Bakery House, Piazza ladro 8 (Trieste Salario area), also excellent for American style breakfast.
Best tiramisu in Rome (coffee based)
Tiramisu is not a Rome specialty as such (it s said to come from Veneto).
However, if you are in the city and want a soft scoop of this most delicious of Italian dessert, you will find great satisfaction in the tiramisu Two Sizes, a small and informal shops specialising in Tiramisu close to Piazza Navona.
I adore tiramisu and have been scouting the city for the best one and this simply wins: a relative newcomer to the tiramisu food scene, this places served traditional and more inventive tiramisu flavours and is perfect for a sweet treat while walking as the tiramisu comes in take out containers (rare in Rome, tiramisu is usually a sit down, end of meal dessert)
Address of Two Sizes Tiramisu Via del Governo Vecchio, 88, 00186 Roma RM, Italy
Incidentally, Two Sizes is close to some of the best gelato places in Rome: if heading that way with kids, everyone can have a treat!
Love food? Then you may enjoy my self guided food tour, leading you to the best food spots for traditional Rome food in the city center! Read here >> my diy food tour of Rome.
Best affogato al caffe’
Affogato is a mix of two of the things that Rome dies best: gelato and coffee.
With affogato, you get a large cup of vanilla ice cream ‘drowned’ in espresso and the result is every bit as delicious as you can imagine.
A great lace for it is Panella, historical coffee hang out in via Merulana, 54 (Termini area) where you can also get a great cappuccino topped with Chantilly cream. If you are in the mood for a treat, this is a great address to have!
I hope you enjoyed this article and helped answer the question: what are the best coffee experience in Rome?