Coffee came to Italy through Mediterranean trade in the late 1500s. By the 18th century, coffee houses had become places to read, argue, make deals and be seen. Rome’s Caffè Greco, founded in 1760, drew writers and artists from across Europe.
Then coffee sped up. Luigi Bezzera patented an early espresso machine in 1901, and Alfonso Bialetti introduced the moka in 1933. The coffee bar became part of Italy’s daily life: coffee before work, after lunch, between errands. Usually standing. Rarely without company.
That culture still shapes Rome today. But specialty coffee has found its place alongside it.
While the scene remains compact, you’ll find Roman roasters, Scandinavian-style light roasts, bakeries that care about extraction and a few kiosks serving excellent coffee.
If you’re after hard-core specialty coffee focused spots, you’ll be surprised by some inclusions. If you’re after really good coffee regardless of the setting, you’re in the right place.
Faro
Via Piave 55, Sallustiano
Faro has been the poster child for modern coffee in Rome since 2016. The owners later founded Aliena Coffee Roasters, whose beans now fill the grinders. Start here if you are new to Roman specialty coffee. Early morning is best; it gets busy quickly.
Barnum
Via del Pellegrino 63/65, Regola
Barnum moved a few doors along Via del Pellegrino in May 2026, leaving number 87 for a larger space inside the former Palazzo dei Re Magi. The new address has three rooms, more seats and the same rotating list of Italian and international roasters. The kitchen serves breakfast and brunch until 3:30pm, with no evening service and no reservations.
Sensorio Coffee Lab
Via Flaminia 69, Flaminio
Brothers Matteo and Luca Di Lorenzo opened Sensorio in 2023 after working in hospitality abroad. The room is larger than it first appears, with brunch and pastries available until the afternoon. Sensorio sits five minutes beyond Piazza del Popolo, just outside the thickest part of the tourist centre.
Casa Matti
Via Sabotino 49/51, Della Vittoria
Casa Matti serves Friedhats, the Amsterdam roaster known for its modern, light-roast style. Matteo Strano and Kevin Habib opened Casa Matti in 2024. It won the café category at the 2025 Puntarelle d’Oro, the annual awards through which Roman food publication Puntarella Rossa recognises the city’s best recent openings.
Fax Factory
Via Antonio Raimondi 87, Pigneto
Fax Factory has the broadest coffee rotation on this list. Its blackboard can carry around 20 coffees from several roasters, with the names changing through the year. Give the barista a rough flavour preference and let them pick. Fax opened as an art and community space before developing into a serious café, and traces of that earlier life remain in the exhibitions, music and slightly battered room.
Luna by Faro
Via delle Quattro Fontane 175, Barberini
Luna is the more spacious, bakery-led expression of the Faro and Aliena group. Pastries are made on site. There’s also breakfast and lunch. Weekday service currently ends at 4pm; Saturday and Sunday run until 7pm. It’s one of the few dependable specialty stops within an easy walk of Trevi and Piazza di Spagna.
BAP
Via Raffaele Cadorna 5, Sallustiano; Piazza delle Vaschette 15, Borgo Pio
BAP comes from the Mauceri family, now in its third generation at Roman roaster Torrefazione 68. If you’re into traditional Italian espresso, BAP’s rounder, chocolate-led house blend is a good bridge to specialty. The Cadorna café opened in 2024; the smaller Borgo Pio branch followed in 2025. Use the first for breakfast near Porta Pia and the second before entering the Vatican crowds.
Le Levain Café
Via Piave 8, Sallustiano
Le Levain built its name on French baking. The Via Piave shop adds coffee from Picapau, a Roman micro-roastery. The coffee is good. It’s even better when you pair it with one of Le Levain’s croissants, pain au chocolat or the more elaborate pastries. Order something with enough acidity to cut through all that butter and take whichever laminated pastry has just reached the counter.
Grani
Viale dei Quattro Venti 152 C/D, Monteverde Vecchio
Giorgia Roscioli makes almost everything sold at Grani, including croissants, biscuits, granola, focaccia and preserves. Garage Coffee Bros complements that fair with excellent coffee. Insider tip: pair the coffee with the almond-glazed veneziana. Grani closes at 3pm and takes Mondays off.
Mostro
Piazza di Porta San Paolo, Ostiense
Mostro revived the old Café du Parc kiosk opposite the Pyramid of Cestius in 2024. Daniele Deidda oversees a coffee list built around Aliena, with guest roasters appearing seasonally. Later in the day the kiosk does natural wine and draught cocktails. The tables are outdoors, the traffic is close and the setting feels unmistakably Roman. Stop here on the way to Testaccio or Centrale Montemartini.
Fischio
Piazzale degli Eroi, Prati
Fischio is an open-air kiosk on a traffic island near Cipro metro. Expect coffee in the mornings and natural wine, beer and cocktails later in the day.
How to visit Rome’s specialty coffee shops
If you have one day
Do four.
Start at Faro, walk to Luna, cross the historic centre to Barnum, then finish at Retrobottega. The route passes Trevi, the Pantheon, Piazza Navona and the Capitoline Hill.
If you have three days
Day one: Faro → Le Levain Café → Luna → Barnum → Retrobottega
Day two: Sensorio → Casa Matti → Fischio → Grani, Farine e Caffè
Day three: BAP → Fax Factory → Mostro
The second day requires a bus or taxi between Prati and Monteverde. On the third, Metro B takes you from the Pigneto side of town towards Piramide with one change.
If you have one week
Day one: Faro → Le Levain Café
Day two: Sensorio → Casa Matti
Day three: BAP → Luna
Day four: Barnum → Retrobottega
Day five: Fischio → Grani, Farine e Caffè
Day six: Fax Factory
Day seven: Mostro
The final two stops sit in neighbourhoods worth exploring. Give Pigneto an afternoon. Pair Mostro with Testaccio, the Protestant Cemetery or Centrale Montemartini.
FAQ
What is the best specialty coffee shop in Rome?
Faro is the best starting point. It has the city’s longest track record as a dedicated modern specialty café, serves coffee from its own Aliena roastery and offers espresso, V60, batch brew and cold brew.
Where can I find specialty coffee near Rome’s main attractions?
Luna is near Trevi and Piazza di Spagna. Barnum is close to Campo de’ Fiori and Piazza Navona. Retrobottega is beside the Forum Boarium and Circus Maximus. BAP’s Borgo Pio branch is convenient for the Vatican.
Which Rome coffee shops roast their own beans?
Sensorio sells coffee under its own roasting label. Faro and Luna belong to the team behind Aliena Coffee Roasters. BAP is connected to Torrefazione 68, while Retrobottega helped create Nudo with roaster Nicolò Zorloni.
Where can I drink V60 coffee in Rome?
Faro, Barnum, Sensorio, Casa Matti, Fax Factory, Luna, BAP, Grani and Mostro all offer V60 or another hand-filter method. Beans and methods can change, so ask what is available before ordering.
How much does specialty coffee cost in Rome?
A standard specialty espresso generally costs about €1.50 to €4. Filter coffee usually falls between €4 and €10, depending on the bean and dose. Rare microlots can cost more. Table service may be included at cafés such as Luna.
Are Rome’s specialty coffee shops open in the evening?
Most close during the afternoon. Retrobottega, Mostro and Fischio continue into the evening, although food, wine and cocktails gradually replace coffee as the main attraction. Luna currently closes at 4pm on weekdays and 7pm at weekends.
What should a beginner order at a specialty coffee shop?
Try the house espresso if you normally drink Italian coffee. For a clearer, longer cup, ask for the day’s batch brew. A V60 is worth the extra wait when the café has a bean you particularly want to taste.
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