Find out where to enjoy a classic Italian breakfast in Rome, from espresso to cornetti and much more. Discover the best places in the city of Rome to have breakfast and morning coffee, from the earliest hours of the morning to the afternoon.
For more on eating your way through Rome, check out my guides to the best carbonara in Rome and the best tiramisu in Rome.
Jump To
- What is Typical Breakfast in Rome?
- What Do Romans Eat in the Morning?
- What Time is Breakfast in Rome, Italy?
- Best Places for Breakfast in Rome
- Trendy Spots for Modern Pastries and Brunch
- Roman Style Breakfast
- Historical Insights: Did Romans Eat Breakfast?
- How Much is Breakfast in Rome?
- What Did Poor Romans Eat for Breakfast?
- How to Order Breakfast in Rome
- How to order breakfast in Italian
- FAQ'S
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Breakfast in Rome is one of my favorite things about this city. Not because it's fancy. Because it's the opposite. A good coffee. A fresh pastry. Five minutes at a marble counter. That's it - and it's perfect every time.
Romans keep breakfast simple and sweet. If you're grabbing a sad hotel buffet instead of heading to a local bar, you're missing one of the best parts of Rome.
What is Typical Breakfast in Rome?
A traditional Roman breakfast is more of a snack than the feasts served up at breakfasts in other parts of the world, usually a sweet pastry (a cornetto, similar to a croissant, but less buttery, and often stuffed with jam, cream or chocolate) and a cappuccino or caffè latte. So it's simple, not too filling, and just tasty enough to get on with your day.
What Do Romans Eat in the Morning?
Cornetto - Italy's answer to a croissant, but sweeter and softer. Order it vuoto (plain) or filled with crema, cioccolato, or marmellata. Dipping it in cappuccino foam is very much encouraged.
Cappuccino - Order it without apology. In Italy it's a morning drink. The foam should be thick and velvety. After 11am, switch to an espresso (just call it a caffè - not an espresso, which is what tourists say).
Maritozzo - This is Rome's own pastry and I always order one. A soft sweet bun sliced open and stuffed with fresh whipped cream. It's been a Roman breakfast staple for centuries and it's absolutely worth it.
Cornetto al Pistacchio - Pistachio everything has taken over Italian pastry culture and I am fully on board. Rich, creamy, and very hard to stop at one.
Spremuta - Freshly squeezed orange juice. Especially good in winter when blood oranges are in season. Nothing like the boxed stuff.
What Time is Breakfast in Rome, Italy?
Breakfast in Rome can be surprisingly early: most Romans eat between 7:00 AM and 10:00 AM, and many will enjoy their first meal in a bar (what Italians call a café) on their way to work, relishing the thumb-twiddling ritual of being served a standing breakfast at the counter: a quintessentially Roman experience.
Best Places for Breakfast in Rome
Coromandel - An intimate and relaxing environs, Coromandel serves up a selection of Italian flavours with an international twist. Fabulous service and food to match, this place is the perfect breakfast destination.
Barnum Roma - Via del Pellegrino 87. This place is great for breakfast with good quality and great value for the cost, especially if you're into avocado toast and various coffee choices. It also has a really nice atmosphere for those looking to settle in and relax over a slow morning. Free WiFi is also available.
Moonrise Café: definitely the most original and best breakfast in Rome.
Sciascia Caffè 1919 - Best for Traditional Coffee with Rich History and Classic Italian Café ExperienceIf you're looking for a traditional Roman coffee experience with rich history and classic Italian café atmosphere, make sure to visit Sciascia Caffè 1919.
Roscioli Caffè Pasticceria - Essentially Renowned for its breads and pastries, stop into Roscioli for a true taste of Roman bread baking and a quick pick-me-up with a freshly baked pastry or bread. Go vacation in Italy to start your day off with freshly baked breads, like an Italians.
Le Levain Café - French-Italian gastronomic fusion; hundreds of different kinds of pastries and excellent coffees; a sophisticated setting, but with eco-friendly materials and quality ingredients.
L'Antico Forno di Piazza Trevi - For the best breads and pastries in Rome, go to this bakery right by the Trevi Fountain, a great area to take it all in.
Sant'Eustachio Il Caffè: Always a crowd Often considered one of the best places in the city for a coffee, Sant'Eustachio Il Caffè is an antique café where you will get a true Roman espresso experience.
Trendy Spots for Modern Pastries and Brunch
Not every morning in Rome needs to be a marble counter and a 3-minute cornetto. These spots are for when you want to slow down, take photos, and eat something a little more interesting.
Coromandel - Piazza Navona area
Just behind Piazza Navona and one of the most popular brunch spots in Rome right now. The menu goes full international - eggs Benedict, croque madame, pancakes, waffles, stuffed bagels, avocado toast, cinnamon rolls. Great for groups with mixed preferences. It gets busy on weekends so I'd book ahead or arrive early.
Forno Monteforte - Campo de' Fiori area
A charming bakery on Via del Pellegrino with some of the best pistachio croissants in the city. Fresh pastries, good pizza bianca, and really lovely orange juice. It's the kind of place you duck into for a quick stop and end up staying. Very popular with locals in the know.
Lumière - Prati
A sleek, modern café in the Prati neighborhood near the Vatican. Beautiful space, great for a savory breakfast or a slow morning with specialty coffee. The design is clean and photogenic. Less crowded than the centro storico options and worth the short trip if you're in that area.
Caffè Novecento - Via del Governo Vecchio
A classic Roman bistrot that does breakfast the old way - beautifully. On one of Rome's most charming streets near Campo de' Fiori. Coffee, pastries, and a relaxed old-world atmosphere that feels genuinely Roman. Open from 9am and a great spot for a leisurely start before exploring the neighborhood.
Le Levain - Trastevere
A French boulangerie-pâtisserie tucked near Piazza San Cosimato in Trastevere. Le Levain has been bringing French-style pastry to Rome since 2014 and they do it beautifully - flaky, buttery croissants, tartes, choux, sablé, macarons, and their own naturally leavened bread. If you want proper French croissant quality in Rome, this is the place. I always stop here when I'm in Trastevere.
La Ménagère Roma - Centro
A chic, design-forward brunch café that's all over Instagram. Beautiful interiors, a considered menu, and the kind of vibe that's equally good for a solo coffee or a long Sunday brunch with friends. Elegant without being stuffy. Book ahead for weekend brunch.
Love Specialty Croissants - Trastevere
This place has a cult following for good reason. Specialty croissants with inventive fillings, buttery flaky texture, and really good coffee to match. Multiple locations in Trastevere. Consistently rated among the best pastries in Rome and the photos speak for themselves. A must if croissants are your thing.
Vivi Le Serre - Monte Mario
This one is all over Instagram and it earns every tag. A botanical oasis - glass walls, plants everywhere, natural light filtering through. The brunch menu has pancakes, shakshuka, cinnamon French toast, avocado on rye, and a full drinks list including matcha latte and golden milk. It's relaxed, beautiful, and feels nothing like anywhere else in Rome. Book ahead on weekends.
Barnum Café - Centro Storico
French-style croissants made by Australian pastry chef Nadia Spiliotacopoulous, who was brought in specifically to upgrade Rome's croissant game. Kouign-amann, pistachio croissants, specialty filter coffee, croque monsieur, avocado toast, and scrambled eggs. Vintage decor, a great bar counter, and a calm pace. My pick for a proper slow morning.
Ginger - Near the Pantheon / Spanish Steps
Health-forward and very popular with the 25-40 crowd. Two locations in the center. Think açaí bowls, yogurt with granola, eggs with bacon, pancakes, and fresh juices alongside good coffee. Clean white walls, lots of plants, and the kind of light that makes everything look good. Great if you want something lighter or more nourishing than pastries.
Merenda - Ostiense
A little further from the tourist center but worth it. A raspberry-colored Marzocco machine, pastel coffee cups, cute outdoor seating, and a savory brunch menu. It has a very specific aesthetic - the kind of place where every corner is a photo. Popular with locals in the Ostiense creative crowd.
Love Café - Prati (near Vatican)
Some of the prettiest pastries in Rome. The display case alone is worth a visit. Beautiful savory brunch options alongside really good coffee. Consistently popular on Instagram and for good reason - it looks as good as it tastes.
Roman Style Breakfast
A Roman-style breakfast has more to do with the atmosphere than the food. It's mostly eaten on the run at the neighbourhood bar with the rest of the city as it springs to life around you. The atmosphere is important: raucous locals exchanging salutations and the barista calls out the regulars' orders.
Historical Insights: Did Romans Eat Breakfast?
It's a long way from the Romans' bare-bones morning meal They did, however, belabour the point that the ancient Romans' daily nosh was commonly known as 'ientaculum', which consisted of a few slices of bread, olives and cheese, possibly with a side of meat or fish. They generally ate a side of meat or fish. They generally ate it quite early in the morning before heading out for the day.
How Much is Breakfast in Rome?
Prices, of course, also vary depending on the location you choose to eat in. Breakfast at a café - a coffee and a cornetto - can cost anything between 2 and 5 euros; a more substantial breakfast, with sandwiches or a platter with cheese and cold cuts, might be closer to 5 euros up to 15 euros.
What Did Poor Romans Eat for Breakfast?
'The poorer citizens of Rome', who would often eat 'bread alone and thin porridge or boiled-up leftovers from yesterday's dinner', might think they've got off lightly by today's standards.
But the inexpensive breakfast options still depend on an assortment of simple staples: a plain cornetto, for example, or a slice of pizza bianca (often the bread is lightly salted and eaten for breakfast, since it's tastier than the sweetened variety).
How to Order Breakfast in Rome
At most Roman bars, you pay at the cassa (cashier) first, then bring your receipt to the counter to order. Simple.
Always stand at the bar. A cappuccino standing costs around €1.20. Sitting at a table can cost €4. Romans almost always stand.
Go between 7 and 10am. Pastries are freshest early and the best cornetti sell out.
How to order breakfast in Italian
Customer: Buongiorno! Un caffè, per favore.
Translation: Good morning! A coffee, please.
Barista: Certo! Vuole anche qualcosa da mangiare?
Translation: Sure! Would you like something to eat as well?
Customer: Sì, prendo un cornetto alla crema.
Translation: Yes, I'll have a cream-filled croissant.
Barista: Ottima scelta. Altro?
Translation: Great choice. Anything else?
Customer: No, grazie. Quanto devo?
Translation: No, thank you. How much do I owe?
Barista: Sono quattro euro in totale.
Translation: That will be four euros in total.
FAQ'S
What do Romans eat for breakfast? A cappuccino and a cornetto - almost always. Many Romans also love a maritozzo, Rome's iconic whipped cream pastry. Breakfast is always light and quick.
What is a maritozzo? A soft, sweet Roman bun stuffed with fresh lightly sweetened whipped cream. One of Rome's most iconic foods and something I always eat when I visit.
How do you order at a Roman bar? Pay at the cashier first, then order at the counter. Stand - it's cheaper and it's what locals do.
When should I eat breakfast in Rome? Between 7 and 10am. Pastries are freshest early and the atmosphere at a packed Roman bar in the morning is something special.
