Traditionally, breakfast in Italy is a decidedly sweet affair that sees treats like eggs and bacon shunned in favor of lighter and quicker options. At home, bread and jam, or milk and cookies, are the usual breakfast, while others opt for a cornetto and cappuccino at the bar. Brunch, meanwhile, is a relative new concept to the Roman dining scene but one that has quickly been embraced by international travelers and expats in the city. From American-style pancakes and savory sandwiches to buffets of pasta salads, vegetables, meats, and cheese, there’s a little bit of everything on the menu.
Get in the know with our guide to Rome’s best brunch spots.
A relative newcomer, Marigold opened in Rome’s Ostiense district at the end of 2018. Since then, Roman foodies have fallen in love with their international approach to dining. Danish baker Sofie Wochner bakes Scandinavian-style rye bread, sourdough loaves, and other cakes and pastries while Italian chef Domenico Cortese comes up with creative, seasonal dishes for lunch and dinner (we love the warm salads and handmade pastas). Avocado on rye, buttermilk pancakes, and homemade granola are some of the most popular brunch items on the menu. Don’t miss tasting Sofie’s famous cinnamon swirls (and picking up a few extras to take home).
Located at the foot of the Spanish Steps, Babingtons is a historic tearoom opened in 1893 by two English ladies, Anna Maria Babington and Isabel Cargill. As you might expect, afternoon tea is the real crowd-puller here, but the breakfast and brunch options can more than hold their own – thanks, in part, to the high-quality ingredients used in each dish. Smoked salmon, caught in the River Ugie in Scotland, finds its way into a ‘royal’ Eggs Benedict, while smoked Ummera Irish bacon is the star of a classic English breakfast of eggs, tomatoes, mushrooms and beans.
One of the first places in town that offered non-Italian breakfast dishes, Coromandel now has an extensive brunch menu, as well as lunch and dinner options. Choose from six different types of pancake, French toast, Eggs Benedict, avocado toast, scrambled eggs and bacon, vegan waffles, omelettes, cakes, pastries, and a whole host of other dishes. With gorgeous vintage-inspired interiors, delicately patterned porcelain plates and unusual furnishings, it’s a quirky restaurants that beckons you to linger. We love their fluffy soufflé!
Situated in an ex-warehouse in the industrial Ostiense neighborhood, Porto Fluviale is a modern eatery that encompasses a trattoria, pizzeria, and bar. An Italian-style lunch/brunch buffet is on offer throughout the week but it’s especially appetizing on the weekend, when an impressive selection of dishes are served for hungry groups of friends, families and couples. Expect hot and cold pastas, soups, vegetable sides, salads, meats, cheeses, and a selection of desserts. With fruit juice included in the €19 price, it’s one of Rome’s best value brunches.
Vivi Bistrot has six locations around Rome with varying brunch options so check the menus online first if you have your heart set on something in particular. The company champions organic farming, healthy food, and sustainability so on the menu you’ll find fresh pressed juices, smoothies, and homemade cakes and desserts. Brunch specialities include organic scrambled eggs on whole wheat toast with roasted cherry tomatoes, pancakes with maple syrup, and yoghurt and granola. We love the Villa Pamphili location in particular for a weekend brunch in a leafy green setting.
If brunch to you means anything-with-avocados, then Avocado Bar in Monti should be on high your list. Italy’s first restaurant dedicated entirely to the green fruit, this healthy fast food joint offers dishes such as avocado toast with beetroot hummus, smoked salmon, or ricotta cheese; avocado salads; avo ‘burgers’; and nachos with guacamole. The tropical themed interior is cute but the space compact so expect no-frills dining and quick eats. You can also take dishes to go and sit outside in Monti’s charming piazzetta if the weather is nice!
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