Wordless Wednesday: Roman stone ornaments

Clicking on any one of above photos will reveal them all in a much more flattering resolution.

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Top coffee places in Rome

If after a meal at one of the places I suggested in my recent post about where to eat on a budget in Rome you feel like you need a cup of strong coffee, you should keep reading.

Neither M. nor I are true coffee lovers. That does not mean we can not appreciate a good cup of coffee and every time we visit Italy, we treat ourselves with a cup or two. Rome was no different.
We have had a couple of not-so-great coffee experiences during our trip, but mostly it was great stuff and not at all expensive. That is if you take it as locals usually do - at the bar.

Among the places we have been to, these two impressed us the most:

• Antico Caffè Greco on Via Condotti 86 (just a stone-throw from Spanish steps) is a centuries old classy institution. They serve (in my humble opinion) the best coffee in Rome. You can get an excellent espresso for 0,80 Euro - if you drink it at the bar. On the other hand, if you choose to order a cappuccino at one of those classy looking tables you can however expect to pay 8 Euro. You will be served by a classy waiter in white gloves but nevertheless the price seems a bit high by my standards.
• Tazza d'Oro on Via degli Orfani 84 is also a famous coffee place located near another popular sight - the Pantheon. They serve many varieties of coffee which they roast and mix themselves. It is a perfect place not only for drinking a cup of coffee, but also for buying a pack of it for your coffee-drinking friends back home. The best thing is you can try it out before you buy it. An excellent value for the money.

Regardless if you are or are not a coffee person I strongly recommend you to stop for a cup at both places mentioned above. After all you will probably find yourself near the Spanish steps as well as the Pantheon at some points of your stay in the Eternal city.

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Best desserts Rome has to offer

It may be impossible to pick just one out of a number places in Rome claiming to offer the best ice-cream, chocolate cake, tiramisu and tartufo. If ice-cream is your thing you should probably check out which are the best ice-cream places in Rome in our opinion. Italians really do know a thing or two about the art of making good ice-cream.

This may come as a surprise to some of you, but apart from ice-cream there are also some other, at least just as delicious desserts to be found in Rome. Among the things we got to taste there are at least two places that stand out:

• Pompi on Via Albalonga 7 is where you want to be when you feel the need for a dessert. Here you can get (supposedly) the best tiramisu in Rome for 3,50 Euro - if you take it with you. You can obviously expect to pay more if you choose to eat it sitting down. They serve generous portions of tiramisu deliciousness in various flavours. In addition to Tiramisu classico al caffé you should also try the Tiramisu al pistacchio variety.
• Tre Scalini on Piazza Navona 28 is a somewhat pricey restaurant with an impressive confectionery section. That is where they make their famous Tartufo. It will cost cost you a hefty 5 Euro and you can double that if you order it sitting down. No point in doing that since you can enjoy a great atmosphere anywhere on Piazza Navona, just a few steps away. Despite the price it is worth a try.

Either of those things might not seem all that cheep for a dessert but you should keep in mind both come in pretty large portions that might easily satisfy two persons each.

You are very welcome to share your own experience of sweet Rome in the comments section.

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