Beautiful breakfast spots in Italy

Vintage Bakery

Step inside Vintage Bakery for a little taste of America on your Italian tour. The retro diner-style bakery does just about the best breakfast or brunch in Milan and is perhaps the only place you’ll find maple syrup in the city; pour generously over triple-stacked pancakes, bagels and bacon and eggs. This small place will deliver a big breakfast, but it isn’t the only thing it does well. Vintage Bakery also offers an array of cakes and classic cupcakes if you’re aching for something sweet, and even has health-conscious and vegan options for lunch and dinner.

Vintage Bakery, Via Genova Thaon di Revel, 20159 Milan, + 39 02 9920 3619

Caffè Florian

Caffè Florian opened its doors in 1720, making it Italy’s oldest café, with a list of former patrons that includes everyone from Casanova to Charles Dickens. With several sumptuous neo-baroque rooms that still have much of their original decor, and a large outdoor seating area in Piazza San Marco, it is the perfect place to people watch (or celebrity spot) over a relaxed breakfast, chosen from a menu dedicated to Venetian delicacies such as pastries and savoury stuffed croissants.

Caffè Florian, Piazza San Marco, San Marco 57, 30124 Venice, +39 041 520 5641

Finisterrae

Finisterrae occupies a prime spot on Piazza di Santa Croce next to the famous church of the same name. The breakfast is classically Italian, and if the smell of the superb coffee doesn’t draw you in, the many delectable sweet treats and pastries will. The menu changes seasonally, but you’ll be sure to find the exceptional pistachio croissants and Sicilian-style sfogliatelle all year round – assuming they haven’t sold out. Finisterrae also offers visitors a variety of places to sit, including a generous terrace in the square for sunnier moments as well as a large and cosy lantern-lit restaurant for cooler winter days. However, our top tip is to ask for the garden, a quiet oasis at the back that is heated in winter and offers a little peace in a bustling part of the city.  

Finisterrae, Piazza Santa Croce 12, 50122 Florence, +39 055 263 8675

Gusto

Although not strictly a breakfast destination, Gusto is the ideal place for a lazy brunch on weekends. The Gusto version of this popular meal comes in the guise of a savoury buffet, which encourages customers to try a variety of British and Italian house favourites and enables couples, friends and families to share food – a tradition that is integral to Italian dining. Once finished with your weekend brunch, you can browse the Gusto emporium where you can find everything you need for your table at home, from tablecloths to cutlery and glasses as well as food and wine books by international chefs.

Gusto, Piazza Augusto Imperatore 9, 00186 Rome, +39 06 322 6273