Faro - Caffè Specialty
Dario Fociani pulls a double espresso for 2.50 euros because that is the price that makes the room work.
Why go
Dario Fociani came out of Roscioli Caffè and opened Via Piave with Arturo Felicetta in December 2016, with Dafne Spadavecchia and chef Lorenzo Gregori alongside: a northern-European room by the architect Laura Iacomini, about 25 covers, a long counter selling beans to take home, and alternative extractions from the first week (Puntarella Rossa). Rubens Gardelli's coffee is the one always on the bar. Gambero Rosso gave it Tre Chicchi and Tre Tazzine, its top marks, in the Bar 2025 guide, and Fociani puts the economics on the table: a double espresso at 2.50 euros because that is what makes the business hold.
Order this / avoid
- Order: the filter. Then a maritozzo, the cream-split bun Gambero Rosso rates among the city's best, and stay for lunch if the plates look right.
- Avoid: ordering it like a Roman bar caffè. The room works to specialty extractions and sells the beans to take home.
What locals & experts say
- Gambero Rosso (2019), ranking the city's specialty bars: its headline on this room is
Faro, Caffè Specialty: the number one bar in Rome
.1 - Katie Parla: for third-wave coffee she names four rooms and this is one of them, near Piazza Fiume. She sells paid walking tours in Rome.2
- Sarah Cicolini, chef-owner of Santo Palato (The Relisher, 2025):
If you love coffee, Faro is the best spot in Rome. It was actually the first place in the city to introduce specialty coffee culture, and they're incredibly passionate about what they do—constantly experimenting with new techniques.
5 - Dario Fociani (Gambero Rosso, Michela Becchi, 2024):
We turn over a lot to earn little. We look expensive on price, but this is the only way a business like this is sustainable.
3
Good to know
- Timing: breakfast from early, through lunch, closing in the evening.
- Booking: walk in.
- Where: Via Piave 55, a few steps from Piazza Fiume, in the Sallustiano quarter north of Termini.
Verdict
must-visit — Gambero Rosso ranked the specialty bars of this city and put Dario Fociani's room first of nine, and gave it Tre Chicchi and Tre Tazzine in the Bar guide, which is the top mark in both. Sarah Cicolini calls it the best coffee in Rome and orders the filter. Katie Parla sends readers here for third-wave coffee. Fociani publishes his own economics. This is the coffee stop in Rome.