Rome kicks and eats, from ice cream to granita and from pizza to sip of coffee
COFFEE
It is almost always a guarantee. Good coffee is served in any cafeteria in the Italian capital... And at worldly prices. Some of them also have other added attractions, such as, for example, the Sant'Eustachio Il Caffè (Piazza Sant'Eustachio, 82), a place from 1938 that preserves its original decoration and smells roasted long before entering . The coffee, which is always served sweetened, is produced following ethical and sustainable practices in South America and Africa and is roasted and blended by them. It is also sold to prepare at home (they even have capsules for espresso machines). It opens every day from 8:30 a.m. to 1:00 a.m. (Saturdays until 2:00 a.m.) and in summer they have a small terrace. very close, the Tazza d'Oro It is another of the places of the Rome “of all life”. In addition to its aromatic coffee, the selection of teas is immense.
In a very different concept, a reflection of the new times, the Caffè Letterario (Via Ostiense, 95), rather than just for a drink on the go, it's to stay for hours enjoying all the possibilities offered : from performances or poetry to music... It has a bookstore and a design area and at night it serves an aperitif.
Why does it cost so much to make good coffee?
GRANITAS
During the hot months there is nothing in Rome more popular and more refreshing than a granite (granita) or, better yet, a grattachecca (soft drink with crushed ice and syrup, sometimes topped with pieces of fruit, drunk only in Rome) . They are offered in many street stalls and cafes, but the reputation of some of them is maintained over time. In the Fonte d'Oro (Piazza Belli) they serve it with orange, tangerine or papaya, although the most demanded is coconut and lemon; and in Mizzica (Via Catanzaro, 30/36) , famous for its appetizers and Sicilian specialities, it is forceful and very tasty.
To the rich Roman granita!
ICE CREAMS
Italian ice cream parlors differentiate their product between varieties of cream and fruit sorbets . Goodness is given by the material, the base of the product, that's why you always have to be attentive to the seasonality of the menu and consider the seasonal recommendations. Probably the gelateria most famous in the city Giolitti . Although it has several branches (and franchises abroad), the really well-known one is Via degli Uffici del Vicario, 40, with its art deco interior . There he took Obama to her daughters, "to try the authentic Roman ice cream." They serve semifredi and original drinks made from special events, like the Olympics or the World Cup. Open from 7:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., every day.
In Il Gilato di S. Crispino (Via della Panetteria, 42) , despite the fact that its very long menu has very interesting options –fresh nuts and dried figs, armagnac, wild orange, Creole lemon...–, the specialty is San Crispino gelato, with sardinian strawberry tree . In Fassi (Via Principe Eugenio, 65) , open since 1880, you have to try its 'San Pietrino ’, a semifreda specialty that pays homage to the city’s tiles. In addition to the ice creams, their desserts are fantastic: the _caterinett_a, the micione or the tramezzino and the brioches with ice cream.
Having a 'sgroppino' at Giolitti, possibly the most famous ice cream parlor
Saint Callisto (Piazza di San Calisto, 3) is another of the most beloved ice cream parlors by the Romans. Despite the area (very close to Piazza de Santa Maria in Trastevere) and its enormous popularity, prices are still very cheap and its aesthetics have not changed. You have to take it easy: sit on the terrace and order the sgroppino, lemon ice cream with vodka.
Small, modest and inconspicuous, it is the place of Pica (via Della Seggiola, 12), known only to the best informed Romans. The menu (about 18 artisan flavors) varies with the season. Rice pudding is the object of passions. At the other extreme, one of the latest additions to the universe of gourmet gelato in Rome is The Fat Morgana . Its ice creams, with original flavours, such as pears in wine or basil, walnuts and honey, can be tried at any of its branches: at the Trastevere, in Monti or in Prati.
Having a 'sgroppino' in San Calisto
ONE BITE
In addition to the hundreds of taglio pizzerias (to the cut) that there are in the city, to eat an improvised snack without wasting time (and for little money), and try another Italian specialty (of Emilia Romagna ), you can opt for a piadina at **La Piadineria**.
_ You may also be interested..._*
- Rome Guide
- Ice cream parlors in Rome: summer with two scoops
- Rome: 8 ephemeral plans for the eternal city
- Trastevere(walking) in Rome
- The heir neighborhoods of Trastevere
A pizzeria on Via della Pace