Ai Tre Tartufi: Best View on Piazza Navona

From this café on Piazza Navona you can see the big fountain right in front and have a perfect view on the whole square, there's a good deal of shade, so you won't get sunburnt while eating our ice cream. Prices are considerably average, if you compare with the other cafés on the Piazza. Home made ice cream and Italian foods.

Tartufo, clearly the café's speciality. Ice cream covered either with cocao-powder or rasped coconut, delisciuos!!!

Piazza Navona 26/27

FOR OPTIMUM FRESHNESS:
To maintain the freshness and flavor of your coffee, please store beans in an airtight non-odor container and keep in a cool place or at room temperature. For extended storage and use, coffee beans can be placed in the refrigerator or freezer.

FOR OPTIMUM BREWING:
Always start with pure freshly drawn water. The amount of coffee used per cup will vary depending on the different roast you choose. Beans should be ground immediately before brewing. The grind determines the type of brew:

• Very Fine: Turkish

• Fine: Espresso

• Medium: Drip Style

• Coarse: Percolated

Antico Caffe Della Pace: A great cafe: Antico Caffe Della Pace

Antico Caffe della Pace is a lovely cafe very near Piazza Navona. Located on a narrow but colorful side street, it's a great place to have a leisurely lunch and watch the people stroll by. We sat at the outdoor patio for the best view. I've heard this restaurant described as upscale, but at lunchtime it's a casual environment. We thought that this was one of the most charming and memorable places that we ate while in Rome.

I loved the ham & mozzarella panini. The salads here were also wonderful!

Price: US$11-20 
Address: Via della Pace 3-7 - Situated two blocks from Piazza Navona and in front of a gorgeous church (Santa Maria della Pace).
 

Radio Londra Caffe: Good Nightclub
This place is one of those "slash" places. Part restaurant / bar / pub / club. Whatever you want to call it, it is a good time. This place was jam packed with a bunch of crazy Italians and tourists. Thats what my guidebook said, thats what it was. They have drink specials late into the night, which I found other clubs did not do. The snack food was not worrth writing home about. Give it a pass by eating before you go out. Also, they will try and make you buy a "membership" pass for the year, for 5 Euro. If you aren't too big of a group, I am sure that you will be able to talk your way out of it like we did. It is located in Trastevere, so its a bit of a hike out, but worth it in the end. 9pm-3am Sun, Mon; Wed-Fri; 9pm-4am Sat; closed Tue.

Address: Via di Monte Testaccio, 65b - In the Testaccio quarter in Trastevere.
Phone: 39 065750044

Blues café!: They all knew to find this place...

We needed a little break after we visited the vatican museum and the sistine chapel before heading to the 'San Pietro in Vaticano'. I know Blues café doesn't sound too good. But they had a terrace with 2 tables , the sandwishes looked attractive and tasted even better. Christa enjoyed her way to strong Italian coffe (which she ruined with hot water) and Free's panini tasted georgeous as well. What more would a person wish for. Seems like all the neighbouring shops knew this address as well. At some moments the bar was more looking like a take away.
Price: less than US$10
Address: Piazza Risor Gimento 7 - A neighbour of the pope.
 

Tazza d'Oro: The Best coffee in Rome ?

Tazza d'Oro is known as Rome's "house of coffee", and I have read that it is supposed to have the city's best coffee. Located just across the Piazza from the Pantheon, it is the perfect place to stop off for a quick espresso mid site-seeing.

For a famous Roman institution, their coffee sure is cheap. If you have a espresso standing at the bar it is only costs 65 euro cents! Just go and pay at the cash register first and then present your docket to the barista

Price: less than US$10  
Address: Via degli Orfani, 84 (Pantheon) - just off Piazza della Rotonda
Phone: 39 06 6789792
Website: http://www.tazzadorocoffeeshop.com/homeeng.htm
email: info@tazzadorocoffeeshop

Tips for Coffee

When you order a coffee it is normal to leave 5 or 10 cents as a tip with the receipt when you put it down on the counter. 5 or 10 cents is enough, as untiol 3 years ago it was nromal to leave 100 or 200 lire, so it is fine. Don't start big tipping as it only makes people then expect those big fat tips all the time. In Rome it is more a courtesy than an expected sort of thing. In Florence, you almost never see anyone tip for a caffee.

Caffe Tazza d'Oro: Granita

Caffe' Tazza d'Oro (which translates to "Cup of Gold") is often cited as the best coffee in Rome and it is definitely worth trying out for yourself. As is true at all italian caffes, pay first and then take your reciept to the counter to get your food/beverage.

The thing to get is the coffee granita. Granita is an iced drink that comes in different flavors, but most often coffee, lemon or orange. At Tazza d'Oro, you will get a mixture of crushed ice and espresso topped off with some of the thickest cream I have ever come in contact with. The best way to eat it is to mix the cream into the ice/espresso part. But be warned: the cup may look small, but this is one of the most intense coffee drinks I've ever had and rarely was I able to finish it!
 

Price: less than US$10
Address: Via degli Orfani 84 - With your back to the Pantheon, Tazza d'Oro is off the right-diagonal corner. It has big yellow letters above the entrance.

Spago


This is a historic bar in the centre of Testaccio with an eclectic mix of music, drinks and décor. It's part bar, part music venue and part gallery space, with local painters and photographers getting to display their work on the walls. Pretty cool for a casual night out.
 

Theme: Other
Address: 35 Via Monte Testaccio

The Drunken Ship: The Drunken Ship


Most popular bar on the Campo with a modish design that distinguishes it from other more classical venues. It's the place to go if, you don't mind being around some tourists. A great location right on the piazza, DJs most evenings and happy hour from 5-8pm.
 

The Vineria, right in the middle of Campo de’ Fiori, is still very ‘in’ and makes a perfect rendez vous for an early evening drink. Customers range from well-known actors to local winos, although lately the atmosphere has become a little more wannabe.

Il Nolano at number 11 is as good for people-watching and always less packed. Just a few doors down at number 20 is the Drunken Ship, good for those in search of English-speaking ex-pats and tourists. Equally popular but rather more refined is Antico Caffè della Pace, Via della Pace 5, close to Piazza Navona. The cosy interior is adorned with antiques, while the ivy-clad façade looks onto a notoriously popular summer terrace. For a romantic pre-dinner aperitif, take a table at Caffè di Marzio, Piazza Santa Maria in Trastevere 15, and enjoy a glass of wine overlooking this delightful piazza in the heart of Trastevere.

Il Gelato di San Crispino Via Panetteria,42, Rome, Italy (near Trevi fountaion)

The best gelato in the world

Creamy ice creams and sorbets are concocted daily at this fine shop using only the freshest ingredients.

All the products are made from the finest fresh ingredients and it shows.

Speciality is:

Zabaglione flavour tastes of the finest Marsala.

The meringue with chips and the crema di limone (lemon cream).

Licorice flavor only if you are a anise fanatic-- it is quite strong

Vini e Buffet Italian wines and seasonal menu

This lovely wine bar has a wide choice of Italian wines and is always full, thanks also to its location near the historic centre of town. It is spread over two floors and so has plenty of space for all the customers and a great variety of salads, pâtés and other cold dishes are offered.

Piazza della Torretta 60 neighborhood: Centro Storico

Cremolati San Barbara!: For dessert only....
 

One evening we were walking , not going to any direction. We were searching were the light and the noise came from. Well the noise was a fantastic choir in the sizzling hot church of San Barbara. (the choir's name was 'officina Musicae - and it was a sunday evening...;-)) But the doors were wide open , and some chairs were waiting for us to rest our tired feet. Those chairs belonged to 'San Barbara Cremolati'. Frozen yoghurt , pancakes in a lot of flavours... 'cremolato' is a fruit flavored ice-water made with real fruit. (I didn't liked the mint) I watched facinated how he made the square pancakes and chose the one with créme de chesnut and Grand Marnier. I even managed to choose even a richer one for my mate...with chocolate mousse and banana's. Pancake San Barbara. Hmmmm , music and pancakes. I'll never forget.
 

Price: less than US$10 
Comparison: about average
Address: Largo dei Librari 86 - Near 'campo dei Fiori'

Pasticceria Dagnino: The best Sicilian Cannoli in Rome

The famous “Sicilian Cannoli” are made of wafer shells filled mainly with “ricotta” and a piece of candied fruit or chocolate. This shop sells all kind of sicilian pastries (like cassata siciliana ) and much more... the only advice I can give is... GO!!! They're so crunchy and sweet and wonderful!!!
 

Price: less than US$10 
Address: Via V. Emanuele Orlando 75 - Near Piazza della Repubblica and not far from Termini Railway Station
Phone: (39) 06 4818660
Website: http://www.pasticceriadagnino.it

Siciliainbocca: Great Sicilian Food!
 

From starters to desserts Sicilian cuisine is a real delight! The restaurant is in Prati area (they have also a winebar in Trastevere with quicker dishes) and is furnished with colorful Sicilian pottery. Closed Sundays. (on their website there are also recipes)

Starters: "panelle" (pancakes of chickpea flour) - a must; "polipetto caldo" (little boiled polyp with lemon); "primo sale all'acciuga" (hot cheese with anchovy and rockets). Pasta: "Maccheroni alla Norma" (short pasta with fried eggplant, salty cheese and fresh basil); "Pasta con le sarde" (pasta with sardine, fennel flower, pine kernels and breadcrumbs) - great! Fish: "Sarde a beccafico" (sardines with seasoned breadcrumbs inside) - a must Desserts: "Cannolo siciliano"; "Cassata siciliana" - yum!; "Trionfo di gola di Panarea" Liqueurs: "Rosolio alla cannella" (sweet cinammom liqueur); "Limoncello" (lemon liqueur); "Liquore al fico d'india"

Price: US$31-40 
Address: Via Emilio Faà di Bruno 26 (Prati)
Phone: 06 37358400
Website: www.siciliainboccaweb.com.

Coffee

Coffee
The first-time visitor to Rome is likely to be confused by the many ways in which the locals consume their caffeine.

An espresso is a small amount of very strong black coffee. It is also referred to simply as un caffè. You can ask for a doppio espresso, which means double the amount, or a caffè lungo (translated as a slightly diluted espresso). If you want a long black coffee (as in a weaker, watered-down version), ask for a caffè Americano.

A caffè corretto is an espresso with a dash of grappa or some other spirit and a macchiato ('stained' coffee) is espresso with a dash of milk. You can ask for a macchiato caldo (with a dot of hot, foamed milk) or freddo with a spot of cold milk. On the other hand, latte macchiato is warmed milk stained with a spot of coffee. Caffè freddo is a long glass of cold, black, sweetened coffee. If you want it without sugar, ask for caffè freddo amaro. Gran caffè is a wonderful, almost bubbly, coffee made by beating the first drops of espresso and several teaspoons of sugar into a frothy paste, then adding the coffee on top.

Then, of course, there is the cappuccino, coffee with hot, frothy milk. If you want it without froth, ask for a cappuccino senza schiuma. Italians tend to drink cappuccino only with breakfast and during the morning. They never drink it after meals - 'How can you put all that hot milk on a full stomach?' - or in the evening and, if you order one after dinner, don't be surprised if the waiter asks you two or three times, just to make sure that they heard correctly.

You will also find it hard to convince bartenders to make your cappuccino hot rather than lukewarm. Ask for it ben caldo, molto caldo or bollente (boiling) and wait for the same 'tut-tut' response that you got when you ordered a cappuccino after dinner.

Milky coffee variations include caffè latte, a milkier version of the cappuccino with less froth. In summer the cappuccino freddo, a type of iced coffee, is popular.
 

How to make the perfect italian coffee


Here is the Decalogue for making a real Italian coffee with the “moka” (Italian coffee machine). Following these very simple tips, you will be able to make and appreciate Italian home-made coffee at its best.







1. Buy a good quality coffee that is suited to your tastes

2. Absolutely avoid blends with surrogates, that substantially alter the result.

3. Use only fresh and light water. Saltish or too rich in limestone waters weaken the flavour. Remember not to use boiled water.

4. Conveniently dose the proportion of coffee and water. The most common coffee-pots, such as the Express or “Napoletana”, already have predetermined proportions in accordance with the number of coffee cups they produce. In all the other cases remember to use about one spoon of coffee for each cup.

5. Do not accelerate preparation times, by using hot water in the coffee-pot; on the contrary water must be cold, and needs to heat slowly hot. Be patient for a few minutes.

6. Do not press the powder in the coffee-pot. Put the coffee gently inside the coffee-pot and try to eliminate any lumps.

7. Do not leave the coffee-pot unattended on the stove; coffee and coffee-pot could be compromised. The lid must be kept open to avoid that the steam condenses in the pot, burning or altering the coffee flavour
8. Remove the coffee-pot from the stove when the coffee is ready. Never let the coffee boil, move the coffee-pot from the flame a few moments before the coffee stops coming out.
9. Drink the coffee very hot (as soon as it is ready and served) This is the appropriate moment to fully appreciate its taste and fragance. The remaining coffee must be kept in glass or ceramic jars, not in metal containers; furthermore it must be re-heated in a bain-marie never directly on the stove.
10. Clean the coffee-pot after use with hot water. Never use soap or detergents. Before the first use or after a long period of disuse it is better to boil the coffee-pot with a small amount of coffee.

(from www.caffe.it)