Where to Find Specialty Coffee in Rome (for Coffee Nerds)

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A Word on Traditional Italian Coffee Culture

The thing about Rome, and the rest of Italy for that matter, is that the coffee culture is very different from what you’ll find in just about every other country around the world.

In Italy, coffee is a much more social experience than it is in, say, the United States (the coffee culture I’m most familiar with).

In the United States, you walk into a cafe and see tables occupied by one or two people (mostly), and they’re either chatting amongst themselves, reading, or they have headphones on and are working on a laptop. 

Coffee in Rome is a much more social and much quicker experience. Contrast the average coffee shop in the US that I just described with an average Roman coffee shop (which almost is a misnomer, because most places that serve coffee in Italy are also a bar in the afternoon and evening). 

You walk into a small, skinny space packed with people standing shoulder-to-shoulder at the bar, talking amongst themselves and bantering in Italian with the barista (complaining about something, usually), who is generally wearing a white collared shirt, a tie, and an apron. 

It’s loud, it’s a little chaotic, and it’s quick. Most people are in and out within a couple of minutes, which is partially because they charge extra to sit at a table versus standing at the bar. 

It’s different, and it’s absolutely one of my favorite things to experience in Italy. Is it the “best” coffee? Probably not. Is it worth seeking out the experience? Absolutely yes. 

The other thing to keep in mind about Italian coffee is that they LOVE their crema, that thick layer of lighter foam (it’s not actually foam, but it’s the best word I can find to describe it) that sits on top of a shot of espresso. 

The reason you get so much crema is partially due to the fact that they’re using coffee blends that include robusta, a coffee varietal that you don’t really find too much in specialty coffee.

Usually, we’re used to drinking arabica in North America, which is more aromatic (and also harder to grow – expect to see more robusta in the coming years!). 

Anyway, the point I want to make here is that you should absolutely spend some time forgetting about chasing that incredible aromatic light roast gesha and instead focus on the experience of enjoying a dark roast espresso standing at the bar.

In fact, I’d argue that it’s a crucial piece of any Rome itinerary, and should absolutely be on your agenda while you’re in town.

Here are a few of my favorite spots to do just that, in no particular order. 

Caffe Sant’Eustachio

Sant’Eustachio is another spot that is just off the piazza where you’ll find the Pantheon. Walk past the tables outside (which are ridiculously expensive to sit at in terms of the price you’ll pay for the coffee) and head directly inside to order your coffee.

The thing I like about Sant’Eustachio is that they serve their flagship “Gran Caffe” in an interesting way (it’s almost frothy, but I don’t think I’ve seen the barista use a frother of any kind), though it’s a closely guarded secret in terms of what, exactly they do.

One thing I do know is that they’ve been serving the Gran Caffe for almost a century with sugar, and when you tell the barista what you want, they’ll ask you “con zucchero?” (with sugar).

Most coffee purists will automatically say no, but after trying it both ways, I actually think the sugar makes it a more pleasant drink.

And that’s how they designed it, after all, as the signs all over the bar tell you in Italian and English. 

Where to Find the Best Specialty Coffee in Rome

Now, let’s get into the places where you’ll go beyond the “single shot at the bar” and find specialty coffee. 

In terms of the process for putting together this guide, I do tons of research on coffee shops before my trips involving big Excel spreadsheets and priority rankings so that I make sure to hit the places I’m most excited about.

Mostly, that’s because their Instagram is exclusively beautiful shots of their pastries, which look delicious, but are definitely not gluten free, so they’re not particularly interesting to me.

In fact, when I ordered my coffee on my first visit, the person taking my order looked dumbfounded when I said just the coffee and skipped their pastries. 

LOVE is in Prati, a few blocks from Pergamino (which would make a nice one two coffee punch) and the Vatican. It’s a busy spot, and it quickly became apparent why when I stepped inside. 

In a city (country?) where many people start their day with a light breakfast of coffee and cornetti, this is perhaps the most elevated take on that idea, with great specialty coffee offerings from espresso and milk drinks to hand brewed filter coffees (with a selection of beans that ranges from basic to rare) and handmade fresh pastries that look incredible. 

But this guide is, after all, a guide about coffee and my experiences exploring Rome’s coffee scene, so let’s talk about the coffee. 

They are very much a multi roaster, working with Aliena, a local roaster who is affiliated with Faro (which is a good option that you’ll find below), and other roasters around Europe (they also had the Barn and Manhattan when I was there). 

On my first visit, I gravitated immediately towards the Ecuadorian Sidra, which has quickly become one of my favorite varietals (after pink bourbon, the GOAT).

It was roasted by Manhattan, and the barista patiently chatted with me at the bar while they prepared it as I stumbled through questions about the process in semi-coherent Italian.

The end product was a bright and juicy cup with a lemon curd sweetness that was easily my favorite cup of coffee in Rome. 

I enjoyed my time here so much on that first trip that I made a second special trip to visit before I hopped on the train, and they remembered me (presumably because I asked all sorts of questions) from my first visit.

On that second trip, I was interested in a specific coffee that the barista had recommended to me on that first trip – a washed Tanzanian coffee also roasted by Manhattan – that was also very good, but not nearly as memorable as that first coffee they brewed for me. 

I was the only person who wasn’t speaking Italian, and I found that a nice change of pace from being in the historic center and hearing alllllll the different languages as I was meandering around. 

The thing that really sets Fax Factory apart, at least in my opinion, is the selection of roasters that goes well beyond the usual roasters you see at multi roaster shops in Europe (the Manhattans of the world).

Here, they have roasters like Oven Heaven in Bordeaux, France, Peacocks from Brianza (a small city in Italy), and even a Lithuanian roaster called Taste Map. 

For example, I had an Ethiopian coffee roasted by Oven Heaven coffee in Bordeaux, France, which is a micro roaster I had never personally heard of.

I enjoyed it so much that I promptly ordered an espresso of a coffee that the barista had recommended, and walked away EXTREMELY caffeinated. 

If you’re looking for a unique selection of roasters and are willing to make the journey, I highly recommend it! Bonus points for not a single word of English being spoken while I was there on this latest trip. 

You’ll find them about a half mile (15-20 minutes on foot) due north of Termini, on the southeastern border of Villa Borghese. It’s not the most convenient place to stop by on this list, but it’s also not the least convenient (that award goes to Fax Factory, though I think it’s worth the journey if you’re into specialty coffee). 

There are two things that stand out to me here, and this has been consistent across all of my visits: the quality of the coffee (and care in preparing it), and the relative coldness of the staff. 

Taking the second one first, I have found that at most places in Rome, I have been greeted with graciousness and warmth when I do my best to complete the initial interaction – ordering and paying – in Italian before eventually running out of runway and asking if we can switch to English. 

I have never been given that grace or warmth at Faro.

And, to some extent, I get it – it’s a customer service business that’s always busy, and I’m just some random tourist who doesn’t speak Italian and that they’ll never see again.

But that doesn’t change the fact that it’s just a worse experience when you aren’t able to engage with people (and it’s not from lack of trying). 

Anyway, your mileage may vary (especially if you speak / look Italian), but that was one of the first things I jotted down about the experience here on my last trip, which says something. 

Still, the coffee is good, and you should definitely still visit for that reason!

As I walked in and up to the bar on my last visit here – keep in mind, it’s ~2pm on a weekday afternoon – the barista asked me if I had a reservation.

Which I didn’t know was a thing, but it turns out that they’re trying to put more emphasis on their food program, and the seats inside were all reserved for people who were eating lunch (there were exactly two people doing so). I have Celiac Disease and need to eat gluten free, so eating here wasn’t really an option. 

Which was totally fine – I wanted to sit outside anyway – but it’s something to keep in mind if you’re planning on visiting. You can either stand at the bar, or sit outside if there’s a table available.

The other big thing that has changed is that they have gone from a multi roaster model (they used to work with famous European roasters like the Barn from Berlin) to roasting their own coffee under the Aliena brand.

Which is cool! They had coffees from famous producers and farms, and a variety of origins and processing methods from traditional washed coffees to funky anaerobic coffees. 

I had a honey-process Ethiopian coffee from Sidama called “Dimtu”, and it was lovely. Everything you want in an Ethiopian coffee – delicate, orange fruit sweetness, and slightly floral.

Not a hint of bitterness, which is a testament to both the brewer and the roaster (and is something you don’t always get in Rome). 

They also had some more highly processed coffees on their menu, if that’s what you’re looking for. 

However, over the past few years, they have absolutely made an incredible step forward in their coffee program, and are now bringing in all sorts of exciting roasters (mostly from around Europe) and brewing them in modern styles (pour over and espresso, but longer shots than you find elsewhere in Rome). 

Seriously, head over to their Instagram and check out the rotation of roasters they have going on. It’s impressive. Also notice that nearly every post is about coffee, which tells you what they’re focused on. 

I sidled up to the bar on a weekday afternoon, already plenty caffeinated and about to make my way north to the Stadio Olimpico to catch a Roma match.

I showed up at the right time because the barista was explaining their coffee menu to someone in English, and I got to hear it. 

Basically, they are looking for interesting coffees from around the world (though as I said, mostly Europe) with a variety of flavor profiles, and they are constantly changing the coffee they are brewing. 

It’s also worth noting that the barista spent 5-7 minutes with this person helping them choose a bag of beans to take home, walking them through just about every bag on the shelf. 

On the wall across from the bar, you’ll find a blackboard with coffees written in chalk.

They have three categories – Aeropress, V60, and espresso – with a couple of coffee options for each. If you’re not sure what you want, the barista is more than happy to walk you through the offerings and help you find a coffee that will fit your preferences. 

I had a washed Colombian coffee roasted by Nomad (my favorite coffee shop in Barcelona), and as you can see from the picture, they’re definitely pulling more modern espresso shots (read: more liquid pushed through the coffee) than you’ll usually find in Rome. And it was good!

I wish I had made it back a second time during my trip to try a filter coffee, but I opted for LOVE instead. 

On my next trip to Rome – likely in the next year or two – this will be one of my first stops for coffee in Rome. 

Pergamino is basically around the corner from the entrance to the Vatican Museums, which means they deal with a LOT of tourists every single day.

I was standing at the bar enjoying my espresso and chatting with the baristas on this last trip, and three separate people came in to use the toilet without buying coffee or anything (and I was only there for maybe 15-20 minutes). 

Still, despite the number of tourists that come here who are largely ambivalent about the quality of the coffee they’re getting, they are serious about their specialty coffee. 

They’re a multi-roaster cafe (which, admittedly, is my favorite kind of coffee shop), and they had beans from a couple of Italian roasters (Gardelli from Forli and Garage from Verona, the two best roasters in Italy, I think) along with rotating selections from other European roasters (DAK from Amsterdam, for example). 

I went here twice on consecutive days, and while the service was initially a little cold (I’d imagine it’s because of all the tourists), once I started asking questions about the coffee (in broken Italian, which we eventually moved over to English), the baristas became much more animated and willing to engage. 

They have a menu that features several (four, when I was there) espresso options, including one base option and a few more exciting options from a variety of roasters.

Then they also have a selection of 4-5 filter coffees that can be prepared with a V60 or Aeropress, also featuring a variety of roasters, countries of origin, and processing methods. 

I had two shots of espresso across my two visits on this last trip – a natural process Ugandan coffee roasted by Gardelli that was a little funky, a little sweet, and a lot fruity, and a thermal shock Costa Rican coffee under the Pergamino brand (that was roasted by Garage in Verona, who is a friend of the owners). 

I will say that on initial impression, the staff here have been downright unfriendly when I’ve interacted with them, but once I started asking questions about the coffees and how they prepare them, they have warmed up a bit.

Be prepared to feel like you’re intruding on their day at first. 

However, I also feel like I should mention that their location around the corner from the Vatican makes this make a TON more sense.

I have personally witnessed many people come in without saying a word, using their bathroom, and leaving. Or using their tables outside to sit without ordering anything.

If I had to deal with that, I’d probably be skeptical of tourists too!

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