The world of Croissant he went crazy with geometric and imaginative shapes. But it has also grown a lot: in Rome, for example, the level of yeast for breakfast is very high. We therefore decided to highlight the specialties not to be missed in each of the establishments that stood out the most for the quality of their croissants and croissants. Without further ado, here are the unmissable croissants of the Capital.
The best croissants to try in Rome
Pain au chocolat – Forno Conti
A beautiful bakery with Northern European tones which, in addition to delicious naturally leavened bread, offers excellent specialty coffee (espresso or filter) and high-quality desserts. The viennoiserie pieces are exquisite: many original recipes that change on a rotating basis, but the great classics are especially striking. The pain suisse, for example, or the excellent pain au chocolat, with its fragrant pastry, quality chocolate, full and happy bite.
Forno Conti – via Giusti, 18 – instagram.com/fornoconti.roma/
Cream croissant – Cafè Merenda
If there is a specialty in this delicious pastry shop in the Ostiense area, it is the custard. Smooth, silky, rich: it flows happily through all the house yeasts, and in the classic croissant it reigns supreme. For lovers of the genre, a taste of the most traditional morning dessert is unmissable: the pastry is textbook, the cream extraordinary, the filling generous but never excessive, perfectly balanced. Without a doubt, the best cream croissant in Rome at the moment.
Café Merenda – via del Gazometro, 5a – cafemerenda.it/
Wholemeal Croissant – Grains, Flours and Coffee
It’s not easy to find a good wholemeal croissant. The one from Grani Farine e Caffè (which, in addition to croissants, also offers the Italian croissant version) is balanced, well developed, scented with good wheat. It is covered with many seeds on the surface, pleasant to taste. The small Monteverde pastry shop immediately stood out for the quality of its yeasts, and the wholemeal one is no exception, to be filled, if desired, with an excellent homemade bitter orange jam. Paired with fine specialty coffee, in espresso or filter.
Grani Flours and Coffee – viale dei Quattro Venti, 152 c/d – instagram.com/grani_farine_e_caffe/
Simple Croissant – Le Levain
Today, finding a state-of-the-art French croissant in Rome is child’s play, but when it opened in 2015, Giuseppe Solfrizzi was the first to bring the concept of French boulangerie to the capital. The credit goes to him for having discovered the beauty of the flaky croissant, so different from the Italian croissant (which today, however, has almost disappeared from modern pastry shops). There are many pieces of viennoiserie in the two branches of the restaurant, but the classic crescent, with pastry rich in Isigny butter, is unbeatable.
Le Levain – via Luigi Santini, 22/23 – via Piave, 8 facebook.com/LeLevainRoma
Cinnamon bun – Marigold
You can eat well at any time of day at Marigold, an Italian-Danish bakery a stone’s throw from the Gazometro. In addition to the plated breakfast – always served with carefully extracted specialty coffees – there are homemade flaky yeasts, fragrant and delicious. The one filled with almond paste is a true delicacy, in true French style, but the jewel in the crown here is the cinnamon bun: not a croissant or even a croissant, but certainly one of the most famous modern breakfast yeasts of recent years.
Marigold – via Giovanni da Empoli, 37 – facebook.com/marigolddrome
Danish with cream and chocolate chips – Bonci Bakery
Bonci is the king of sliced pizza, the master of bread making, but in his bakery in via Trionfale you can also find a rich assortment of desserts. The croissants are delicious, offered in many variations: our favorite is the Danish with custard and large pieces of chocolate, with a soft and balanced dough, and a rich filling. Bonus for the quality of the chocolate, excellent and present in abundance.
Bonci Bakery – via Trionfale, 34 – bonci.it/shop/
Pain suisse – Love
Right from the start, this café in the Prati area declared that it wanted to focus everything on pain suisse, the yeast that has been driving Italians crazy since last year. Moon Love, a coffee-scented croissant with an unusual shape, then became famous, but the truth is that the promises were kept. Beyond the more original pieces, the pain suisse is the king of the counter: a crunchy and melting puff pastry shell, a light custard that maintains its softness well even during cooking, and pieces of high quality chocolate that make the difference. With a «Love» cappuccino with double espresso (specialty), it’s the end of the world.
Love – via Tunisi, 51/53 – instagram.com/love.roma_/
Maritozzo with cream – Grué
A safe address for refined desserts made with great technique: at breakfast Grué does not disappoint with its array of artfully made yeasts, but the Maritozzo is probably the real gem of the house. A tall and soft brioche, fragrant and divided by lots of fresh whipped cream, delicious but at the same time light. Then there is the special version, with a custard insert, dosed to perfection; to try.
Grué – viale Regina Margherita, 95/97/99 – facebook.com/pasticceriagrue/?locale=it_IT
Savory croissant – Tulips
Tulipane is much more than a “simple” oven: here you feel good at any time and you immediately feel at home. The pastry shop has been well defined from the beginning, a linear proposal made of great raw materials and impeccable technique. The viennoiserie section is beautiful and varied, with pain au chocolat and hazelnut swirls, but the lion’s share is played by the simplest croissant: French style, swirls of highly scented pastry which, filled with excellent cured meats and other ingredients selected with cured, they become the perfect base for a delicious savory snack.
Tulipane – via del Pavone, 28 – facebook.com/tulipane.roma?locale=it_IT
Fruit croissant – Casa Manfredi
The basic croissant dough becomes squared, lower but still ethereal, and is enriched with fresh fruit on the surface: in contemporary pastry shops these new yeasts are increasingly common, and those of Casa Manfredi are unparalleled. The basket with raspberry compote and fresh raspberries is perfect for those who love the simplest and freshest flavours, with a small sour note well balanced with the sweet component. And then, all the breakfasts designed by Giorgia Proia will make puff pastry lovers happy.
Casa Manfredi – viale Aventino, 91/93 – via dei Conciatori, 5 – facebook.com/casamanfrediaventino/?locale=it_IT
Fried croissant – Walter Musco Bompiani pastry shop
Why settle for a croissant when you can have a fried one? Walter Musco has never been afraid to dare, and so in his pastry shop in Tor Marancio he decided to dip the croissant in boiling oil. I’m not satisfied, he also filled it with a good custard and covered it with granulated sugar: it seems crazy, but despite the amount of fat, the palate remains clean thanks to the quality of the raw materials and the excellent technique of the craftsman.
Pastry shop Walter Musco Bompiani – Largo Benedetto Bompiani, 8 – facebook.com/pasticceriawaltermuscobompiani?locale=it_IT
Special croissant – Con.tro Contemporary Bistrot
We almost can’t stand croissants with original shapes and extravagant flavors anymore. To really amaze you need a great knowledge of the trade and a sophisticated taste: this bar-bistro in the Monte Mario district has succeeded with the Black Forest, a yeast that recalls the flavor of the classic German cake all chocolate, cream and cherries. An experience to try for a delicious breakfast.
Con.tro Contemporary Bistrot – via dell’Acquedotto del Peschiera, 156 – facebook.com/controbistrot?locale=it_IT
Veneziana – Caffè Hungaria
In this place with a Central European atmosphere and retro details you can find elegant and tasty pastry options. Breakfast does not disappoint, with a wide and well-executed offering: among the different yeasts, the Venetian deserves a separate chapter thanks to the soft dough with a tight and well-developed structure, and then the lots of vanilla-scented custard. A nice way to start the day.
Caffè Hungaria – Piazza Unità, 7 – facebook.com/caffehungaria/
Off the charts
Roman Ciavattone – Black Vanilla
Impossible to frame the slob. It is not a yeast but is made of puff pastry, it is a dessert for breakfast but also for a snack. In any case, it is never missing in the capital’s pastry shops: it is a large puff pastry shell covered in sugar and filled with creams or jams, perfect to pair with a cappuccino. The best is undoubtedly the one with ricotta and chocolate chips from Nero Vaniglia, in the Garbatella area: a bite of pure happiness.
Nero Vaniglia – Circonvallazione Ostiense, 201 – facebook.com/nerovanigliagiorgiagrillo
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