Casa Manfredi Is A Hidden Gem Away From The Tourists

If you find yourself off the well worn cobblestones in Rome and need a pick-me-up, then you should consider grabbing a pastry and coffee at Casa Manfredi.

The Origins Of Casa Manfredi

Started by a pastry chef with an architectural background with a passion for baking: Giorgia Proia is the pastry chef at Casa Manfredi. She pursues her personal vision of pastry making, which has made Casa Manfredi on Viale Aventino famous over the years. They try to balance traditional baking with experimentation of traditional Italian and French pastries.

Casa Manfredi started as an artisanal pastry shop that also offered top-quality coffee. When you stop by, you can enjoy the creativity of the pastry chef who has turned her passion into a daily experience for everyone in the bar.

The Casa Manfredi Atmosphere

When you come to Casa Manfredi, it can get busy due to their popularity and reputation. We showed up early one weekend morning and found it relaxed and inviting. There is an abundance of outdoor seating, which is important given the limited space indoors. There is a thriving takeaway business, which we have enjoyed, but this visit was for breakfast.

The waitstaff was professional and pleasant and the chairs were spaced out enough that you still had a little bit of privacy. We settled in and reviewed the unique menu and felt unrushed to make any decisions.

Menu Highlights At Casa Manfredi

The second menu was written on a chalk board out front of the restaurant. This is a brunch menu that includes some French favorites, like: Croque Madame and Croque Monsieur, Avocado Toast and Eggs Benedict. Strangely, this chalk board brunch menu also was on the paper menu. I’m assuming it was to call added attention to Brunch, since they seemed identical.

Practical Information For Tourists

This restaurant isn’t very different from others, in terms of ordering and getting a seat. As a reminder:

• When Ordering: You can either sit at a table outside and order from the waitstaff, or if you want to eat and run, you can go inside to the bar and the friendly staff will take your order for eating at the bar. You can also order some pastries to go.
• Peak Hours: This is a breakfast shop, so you should expect a crowd and limited seating in the mornings from 8:00AM until 10:00AM. During the week, they open at 7:30AM, so if you get there early enough, seating probably wouldn’t be a problem.
• Tourist vs. Local Appeal: This bar is popular among the locals. It is also close to FAO, so you should expect a very international clientele, but I wouldn’t call them tourists. It is not very close to the major sites, so the tourist crowds would be minimal.
• English Language Help: While there are no guarantees that the staff will speak English, on our visit the waiter was discussing our order in English and given the international clientele, there is a better chance than not that you won’t have trouble communicating with them

Where Can You Find Casa Manfredi?

While you stroll along  Vial Aventino, between the Piramide di Cestius and Circo Massimo, you will find Casa Manfredi. The address is: Vial Aventino, 91/92, and here is a map to help you:

How Does Casa Manfredi View Itself?

According to their website, here is how Casa Manfredi sees itself:

“Casa Manfredi is a place where you can feel good. A place born from the love between Giorgia and Daniele and the desire to create something special together. A place that reflects the dreams of a couple and their desire to share a space where they can always feel part of a big family, just like at home. Manfredi is their son, and the Aventine has seen him grow.”

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