My favorite cafés in Rome

One of the main characteristics of Italian culture is without a doubt coffee. With so many coffee bars in Rome, how does one choose? Well, having travelled, explored, and worked all over this city and being an avid coffee addict, I’ve had coffee in just about every neighborhood of the city and I always like discovering new places. Hence, I’ve tried so many of them that I feel I can recommend a good one depending on which area you find yourself in.

These are my favorite coffee shops in Rome by neighborhood. In choosing them, I considered not just the quality of the coffee but also the atmosphere, as I find that just as important. Good atmosphere to me means friendly barmen, nice lighting, comfortable seating – somewhere you can sit alongside a book for a while without being bothered. These are the coffee bars I continually go back to (listed in no particular order).

Historic Center: The historic center is of course vast and crowded with bars, so I’ve chosen two here.

Near Via del Corso, there’s a great place to take a break from shopping or the chaos of the center. It’s actually a bookstore with a coffee shop. The food selection isn’t great because it has generic bookshop pastries, but the atmosphere is nice and relaxing. It reminds me of the bookshop cafés in the States, which I love and miss. There’s also a beautiful rooftop terrace, great for an evening drink.

Red Bistrot e Libreria, Via Tomacelli, 26 (closed down)

Also amidst the chaos, near Piazza Navona and on a main street, is an American style café with a chilled vibe and tables overlooking the imposing church of Sant’Andrea della Valle. There’s a good selection of food and wines too.

Buddy, Corso Vittorio Emanuele II, 107A

Trastevere: In an area full of tourists and American students (that attend the nearby American University), this place is very accepting of people that linger over a coffee for far too long. They also have a delicious “forno” and “tavola calda” for when you get hungry.

Giselda, Viale di Trastevere, 52-58

Testaccio: This ‘hood has so many good options I couldn’t narrow it down to one, so instead I’ve separated them according to season (indoors vs outdoors).

Summer: This one is unique because it’s only outdoors. The bar is a walk-up booth and they have tables on the sidewalk. You can get breakfast there; then, there’s warm lighting in the evening making it a good option for a drink too. Very cool.

Tram Depot, Via Marmorata, 13

Winter: There are a few of these around Rome (Parioli, Ponte Milvio, EUR), but I chose this location only because it’s close to where I live and hang out, so it’s the one I go to regularly. This is a “forno”, with a coffee shop, pastries, and “tavola calda” with decent lunch options, so you can make this a day event if you want to. My favorite time to go though is midafternoon for a coffee and something sweet, as they have so many tempting options.

Gianfornaio, Via Marmorata, 159

Monti: Although Monti is more known for its nightlife, this is another characteristic neighborhood of Rome that I felt should be included in the list. This one was also difficult to choose just one, so I’ve included two here, again separated by season.

Summer: With plenty of tables outside and even a high table inside facing the open window, this a great spot for a coffee or drink in the late afternoon/early evening. Overlooking the quintessential streets of Monti and its main piazza allows for some good people watching, and inspiration is sure to hit. This is the Rome people picture when they think of the Eternal City. There’s also good lunch options worth trying.

Civico 4, Via degli Zingari, 4

All Year: This bar is lovely indoors because of its vintage décor and big windows overlooking the street, as well as outdoors for its big patio. In the evening it gets crowded, but it in the daytime it’s quiet and chill.

Bar Monti, Via Urbana, 93

Ostiense: This is actually a restaurant but they also have breakfast, coffee, and pastries so it’s great for an afternoon break or even aperitif.

Ristorante Angelina, Via del Porto Fluviale, 5/F

San Paolo: Near the university, this place is frequented by a lot of students, making it a good option for reading and studying as you won’t be the only one. They offer a cheap “tavola calda” at lunchtime and usually play good rock music.

Fulmini e Saette, Via Gaspare Gozzi, 83

San Giovanni: A bit hidden, on a less busy street in this otherwise crowded neighborhood, there’s a bistro that has a good aperitif and also dinner. The movie “The Place” was filmed here, so they changed the name of the restaurant for it and have left it since. It’s cozy inside, they have a good selection of teas and usually play soothing background music.

Sacco Bistrot & Cocktail (aka The Place), Via Gallia 70 (closed down)

Piazza Vittorio: This is the multi-cultural neighborhood of Rome, where to come if you want to get away from Italy for a day.

A 3-story café with good coffee, good music, lunch options, and also great for an aperitif. Lots of tables outside overlooking the piazza, or the tables on the first floor are prime seats for people watching below.

Gatsby, Piazza Vittorio Emanuele II, 106

Vintage-style bar around the corner from Gatsby, but a bit less known since it’s on a side street. Somewhat divided in two, you can relax on the sofas to the left surrounded by books and feel like you’re in someone’s living room, chill at the bar with the friendly barmen, or opt for a table on the right for a standard restaurant feel. Since they’ve reopened after Lockdown, they’ve added a good-size outdoor seating area too.

Caronte, Via Machiavelli, 23

Colosseo: This is one of my favorite places in Rome. Steps from the Colosseum, in a quiet hidden street in the historic neighborhood of Celio is this cocktail bar/bistrot. In addition to the avant garde decor and design, my favorite part is being able to sit at the bar since it’s lined up with bar stools. I’ve always loved sitting at the bar at places because it makes it easy to mingle with the people nearby and even chat to the barmen, making it a more social experience – as opposed to just sitting at a table alone or with whomever you went. This is one of the only places I’ve found in Rome that has this. You can go for Sunday brunch, a meal, mid-afternoon tea and sweets, aperitif, or late night drinks. After Lockdown, they’ve added tables outside where you can sip your drink with a view of the Colosseum in the background.

Caffè Propaganda, Via Claudia, 15

Termini Station: It’s hard to find good choices near the central train station, but there’s a quiet, cozy bistro two blocks away that I go to regularly where the staff is very friendly. They have good coffee, a large cappuccino, and a good selection of teas and hot chocolate. You can even stay there for a drink and aperitif after a hard day’s work. They have plenty of tables both indoors and outdoors – a patio and a nice rooftop terrace. Yummy lunch too.

Mille 13 Bistro, Via dei Mille, 13/a

Flaminio: This bar’s retro feel called me inside one day, then the writings on the wall kept me going back. A great, quiet cafè where to read or study while sipping a coffee and checking out the great sayings on the walls when you want to take a break. It’s frequented by a lot of high schoolers after school, so it can get busy in the early afternoon.

Flam Bar, Via Flaminia 67

Parioli: A chill place for grabbing a coffee, hot chocolate, food, or drinks. It seems that I end up here more in the winter while hiding out from the cold and rain, but there are also tables outside facing the piazza. Update: I’m not sure that this place has opened back up after Lockdown.

Sesto, Piazza Buenos Aires, 1 (closed down)

Keep in mind that in Italy, meal times are sacred. For this reason, some places that offer lunch or dinner prefer their customers not stay for too long during these times unless they are also eating. I’ve learned to accept this as part of the culture here, so it’s best to be respectful of this.

Did I miss any neighborhoods or coffee shops you feel I should have included? Feel free to share your ideas and I’ll check them out.