All you need to know about breakfast in Rome. What to expect from a Rome breakfast, best breakfast spots in Rome and how to order hour favorite breakfast items in Rome
I love breakfast in Rome.
Whether I have it at home or al bar, a traditional Italian breakfast is my addiction of choice, complete with a dash of caffeine deliciousness and just the right dose of sugar, in the shape of a cornetto or other sinful baked good.
If you are not familiar with what constitutes the perfect Rome breakfast, don’t worry, you are not alone.
The truth is that Rome is not particularly known for its breakfasts and in many cases what you have here is similar to what you find in other parts of the country a quintessential Rome breakfast being little different from a traditional Italian one
However, if you happen to be in Rome and wonder what to expect for the first meal of the day or if you have been to Rome and would like to replicate that moment of foodie bliss at home, it is handy to understand some of the Italian breakfast basics and also learn specialties that are typical of breakfast in the eternal city.
What is a typical breakfast in Rome?
Breakfast in Rome is usually a quick enough affair, a meal usually consumed at home or at a cafe (bar = Italian cafe).
The typical Rome breakfast at home commonly has coffee, milk and some for of carbohydrate-based food: bread with spread, commonly butter and jam (burro e marmellata) or Nutella for kids, breakfast biscuits or fette biscottate, which as are crispy galette, particularly appreciated for being light in calories.
Breakfast al bar, on the other hand, looks pretty different
This can be an alternative to a home breakfast or more often in addition to it, a sweet break enjoyed before getting into work or in the middle of the morning with a colleague.
At the cafe, usually breakfast comprises of coffee, in whatever guide the person prefers, with the accompaniment of a sweet carb-based treat, usually cornetto (semplice or ripieno), bomba, ciambella or maritozzo, the most iconic of all Rome treats!
Let’s look at each of them in detail.
What do you drink for breakfast in Rome? Coffee drinks
Coffee, cappuccino, latte macchiato & Co
Coffee is the undisputed protagonist of Rome breakfast and it comes in as many varieties as the people ordering it
All it takes is to walk into a bar and listen to the oroders to see that no two coffees are alike.
You may here people ordering caffe’, caffe’ lungo, caffe’ macchiato, caffe’ macchiato freddo’ caffe’ al vetro and this is before you even start considering cappuccino and variation on the concept of milk and coffee (what aborad is called latte), which seem to be so many, you need a full coffee disctionary for them alone!
Ordering coffee in Rome is such a peculiar experience, it not by chance it was one of the first Rome scenes in Eat Pray Love, the proficiency in placing the perfect order used as a metaphor for the real roman (actually if you are in the mood for a good film set in Rome, have a look here)
Thankfully, despite this plethora of options, you don’t need to be a coffee coinousser to get your order in. The Ain things you need to know about coffee in Rome as these:
Caffe‘: if you want a simple espresso, you simply ask for ‘un caffe’ per favore‘.
This gets you a small espresso cup, usually with a lot less coffee than you may expect (it is super concentrated) and you can have it black or add sugar/ sweetener usually available on the bar itself.
Caffe macchiato: if you want your coffee with a drop of hot milk, you ask for a caffe’ macchiato.
Macchiato literally means ‘strained’ and the amount of milk added is usually decided by the barista, although some will our the milk in front of you, waiting for your signal to stop.
Soy milk is commonly available as a non-dairy alternative.
Cappuccino: Cappuccino needs no introduction but I want to include it in this list because I hear so much nonsense about cappuccino in Italy I don’t want to skip any opportunity to make things right.
While cappuccino is very popular for breakfast it is not only a breakfast drink and there is absolutely no rule, formal or informal, about not drinking it after 11 am. You can drink cappuccino absolutely whenever you want, the only ‘rule’ being that it should be enjoyed away from your meal and not with it, not to ruin the flavor of one or the other!
Soy cappuccino is a common alternative should you be dairy free.
Latte Macchiato: Latte macchiato is close to what abroad is called ‘latte’, a large glass of milk with coffee in it (coffee in Italy is always espresso).
Caffe’ lungo: Caffe’ lungo literally means long coffee but must not be confused with an Americano or the standard ‘coffee’ you usually find abroad.
Caffe’ lungo is served in a small espresso cup and is an espresso with a little extra hot water, achieved by leaving the cup under the coffee machine for a little longer.
If you want a coffee that is not espresso, the abs way is to order “American in tizzy grande’ which means American style coffee in a large cup.
Tea, Juices, hot chocolate etc
Tea, juices and hot chocolate are also common drinks you find in Rome cafes.
Tea is hot in Italy, unless you specify you want ice tea ‘te’ freddo‘ and juices come in two versions:
Freshly squeezed orange juice, if in season
Bottles of juice: common flavors include Ace (carrot, orange and lemon), pear, nectarine, apricot, grapefruit, pineapple and more.
Rome breakfast foods
Each person has their preferences when it comes to breakfast in Rome however, these are the most traditional Rome breakfast staples.
Cornetto, cornetto semplice, cornetto ripieno, saccottino
The most traditional Rome breakfast is made of cappuccino and cornetto, a sweet baked pastry with a shape reminiscent of that of the French croissant.
Indeed, cornetto looks similar to its French cousin, the croissant, but it is very different, to such an extent that is very easy to like one but not the other.
They truly have a lot less in common when it comes to taste than their appearance suggests!
Italian cornetto is sweeter, less flaky / softer, it tastes less buttery and come both empty and stuffed:
Cornetto semplice (empty), is a plain cornetto.
Cornetto ripieno (= stuffed) is a basic cornetto with either cream (custard, not whipped), chocolate or jam.
To oder, you ask for:
cornetto alla crema = with custard
cornetto al cioccolato = with chocolate
cornetto alla marmellata = with jam
As well as cornetti, common breakfast pastry goods are saccottini (pain au chocolat), ventagli (like the French Palmines), tartelettes, cannoli, apple cake, tea biscuits and more.
Maritozzo
A very special mention goes to Maritozzo, the most Roman of all Rome breakfast pastry and the only one truly original form the city.
Maritozzo is a sweet, soft bread-like pastry opened up lengthwise and fill with whipped cream. It is a caloric bomb and one of the most satisfactory things you can ever start your morning with.
Fun fact: Maritozzi is said to date back to medieval times and to be at the center of a peculiar tradition, now gone. On the 1st of march, suitors would give the gift of a Maritozzo to their beloved, hidden in the cream a jewel or even a ring! The tradition is not alive anymore however maritozzo is so loved by Romans, it has its own celebration: maritozzo day!
Bomba and ciambella
Baked goods are not the only form of sweet treat you can get with your Rome breakfast: if you prefer your carbs friend, Rome delivers with bombe and ciambelle!
Bomba (una bomba, a bomb) is a big dollop of sweet dough, fried and filled with, usually, custard cream or jam. It has a golden crispy outside, usually sprinkled with sugar, and a soft inside, hiding the filling.
Ciambella is similar but it has no filling and a hole in the middle, effetely a form of plain doughnut…. but nicer!
Can you get savoury breakfast in Rome?
If you don’t like sweets at this point you may be despairing about your ability to enjoy breakfast in Rome at all however, it is possible to have a savory start of the day too.
If you go to a normal bar, you usually have a selection of tramezzini (triangular sandwiches with different typed of fillings) and pizza options that can do the trick.
If you instead want a full cooked breakfast, then you need to go to places with American style breakfast, which is how we call a sit down breakfast with eggs and pancakes!
Find here >> my curated list of the 5 best places in Rome for American Breakfast!
The best places for breakfast in Rome
If you are looking for just coffee and a pastry, you genuinely do not need a list of ‘best places for breakfast in Rome’.
No matter where in Rome you are, you are sure to have several local ‘bar’ with coffee and pastry and, as long as you see locals in it, you can trust it is good!
That said, if you are close to one or more of the places below, it will be worth going specifically!
This is my list of the best breakfast spots in Rome (with sit down tables)!
Grue – (Outside of the city center) V.le Regina Margherita, 95, 00198 Roma RM, Italy a delicious patisserie with a vast choice of breakfast staples, coffee, juices and tables indoors and outdoors
Bar La Licata (City center, Monti): Via dei Serpenti, 165, 00184 Roma RM, Italy Bar la Licata is a well known cafe in the Monti district with good breakfast options that include a classic Italian breakfast (coffee and pastry), savory option (Coffee and sandwich), vegan breakfast and American style breakfast dishes such as pancakes They aeven have avocado toast!
Forno Monteforte (city center, Campo de’ Fiori): Via del Pellegrino, 129, 00186 Roma RM, Italy Forno Monteforte is a lovely bakery in Rome city center with bread, baked goods (sweet and savory) and a good selection of traditional breakfast drinks. Vegan options avaiable.
Tulipane (city center): Via del Pavone, 28, 00186 Roma RM, Italy a super curated bakery famous for its bread and pastries such as cornetti and pain au Chocolat.
Barnum (city center): Via del Pellegrino, 87, 00186 Roma RM, Italy if you are looking for a non-Italian or at least a non exclusively Italian breakfast in Rome city center, this place is for you! Barnum is a trendy, well known spot, with delicious breakfast offerings ranging from cornetti/ bombe / pastries to cakes, eggs, sandwiches, toast, pancakes, yogurt and more.
Breakfast in Rome from the grocery shops
If you prefer to make your own breakfast at your accommodation, you’ll be happy to hear the supermarkets in Rome have amazing options!
As well as all the staples you can wish for (fresh bread, eggs, milk, cured meats, cheeses, yogurt etc) in supermarkets you can find fresh bread and pizza, breakfast biscuits to dunk in your drink of choice, cereals, breakfast packaged snacks, juice and of course tea, coffee, milk, cocoa etc.
I hope you enjoyed this overview of what to expect from a Rome breakfast and my choice of the best breakfast in Rome Buon Appetito!