Coffee & tea

There was a time when in Rome tea was only available in pharmacies. Two English ladies came to the city planning to open a tearoom and a space for reading. So they opened Babingtons, just a couple of meters to the side of the Spanish steps lower level, and right under the place that was John Keats’ home.

Just ahead of the entrance door you have the welcoming sight of the cookies, scones, cakes and pies that a few minutes from then you will be devouring in your table.

It is not a cheap place: You will be paying about 10E for a small tea pitcher, and another similar amount for the accompanying sweet treats. But on the other hand you will get to feel like an Englishman (or woman) having tea the proper way. The waitress wear this cute white-and-turquoise dresses and speak a correct English.

The selection of teas and infusions is varied. In the menu you can read the characteristics of every particular flavor and essence. If by the end you liked the tea so much that you would want to take it home with you well, you can. Just ask the waitress or at the register and they will give it to you a beautifully packed bag. Enjoy!

Recently I met a friend that I hadn’t seen for years, for a Saturday morning coffee at Antico Caffe’ Greco. This bar is located in the middle of Via Condotti and is one of the oldest coffee shops in town, founded in 1760.

The atmosphere in the coffee place is interesting as all the little details of the furniture are conserved extremely well. When you enter the place it is like you are transported back in the 18th century. You can imagine people like Goethe or Stendhal sipping a cup of coffee and discussing the philosophy of life.

My chat with my friend was not as deep but it was a great place to catch up on a rainy Saturday morning, I had a cup of coffee and a croissant and she had a cappuccino and croissant, and when we were ready to leave we even saw a gladiator paying for coffee!

One thing to pay attention here is that the prices increase if you sit down at the table but the experience is worth it.

This is just another coffee bar at the next corner, but the modern design makes the experience of tasting their coffee worth it.

This coffee spot continues to re-invent itself and in fact the last few evenings that I went there I swapped my coffee for a glass of red wine! Now they are also a wine bar.

People that that live or work in the area, go and have their breakfast here with a cup of coffee and maybe a freshly baked croissant before heading off to work.

I like to go there at mid-morning and chat around with a friend sipping a cappuccino and indulge in a chocolate or cream filled croissant. And now they expanded with a small patio outdoors with tables with umbrellas to protect you from the hot sun, but it is so refreshing to have a mid-afternoon cold iced tea!

Take a lovely corner looking over the Colisseum, a bunch of visionary entrepreneurs, an awarded chef and the “most wanted” maitre patisser and…Caffè Propaganda is the happy outcome!

Opened only a couple of months ago, Caffè Propaganda has already gained the spotlight in town. Two chefs (below!), four partners (dj & communication gurus), four menu’s to fulfill any taste and request, this French bistrot enjoys extended opening times (from 12:00 to 02:00, soon also for breakfast) and an interesting selection of sandwiches and roman traditional recipes for a quick bite that makes the best alternative to well known risto-wine-bar in town.

Chef Arcangelo Dandini and chef-patisser Stephane Betmon have worked on two different set of choices that won’t disappoint you, I can promise! Whether for just a coffee or a drink, or an informal but classy date, Caffè Propaganda has already hit its target…that love it back, unconditionally!

A small glass door that opens on a sleek, Chinese corner. Maybe the best in town. Elegant, quiet, intimate and…delicious! Green T is very different from any other Chinese restaurant in town. Far more expensive (but still withing European range for good quality VS money ration) for anyone used to stuffing him/herself with just a couple of notes, but absolutely worth a try, especially in a city that does not often offer high quality in oriental cuisine.

At lunchtime fixed menu that ranges from € 12 (quick meal) to € 19 (fish menu) are available. Of course, an “a la carte” menu is always there, with deli from all around China. It’s open at lunch & dinner time (12:30 – 15:00; 19:30 – 00:00), it also offers tea, Chinese design objects, books, clothing, and a very special totally oriental experience.

P.S. perfect for a date!