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Caffe Roma Pastry
- Nearest Transit:
-
Spring St (4, 6, 6X)
Bowery (J)
Canal St (4, 6, 6X)
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- No
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
Jess S. said: "This is my go-to place for cake. Its always a savory, incredible experience, and they are perfectly portioned. Much thought is put into the texture, flavors, ingredients. Everything Ive tried is excellent. This is a mainstay in all…" read more »
70 reviews for Caffe Roma Pastry
Review Highlights
"This cannoli was simply marvelous."
(in 17 reviews)
"The hazelnut hot chocolate was DELICIOUS."
(in 4 reviews)
"...a cannoli and a cup of coffee, and then buy cookies to go."
(in 3 reviews)
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70 reviews in English
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Review from Tina Z.
Manhattan, NY
10/12/2011
We stopped in here after a night at the San Gennaro Feast to rest our feet and take a break from the crowds. We ordered some delicious gelatto (cookies & cream) & with the zeppoles we bought from the street vendors- yumyum! The tiramisu was absolutely tasty as well!
The decor & ambiance was very nice & the cookies all looked mighty tasty - will definitely be back to try more treats! -
Review from Phil H.
After a night out and in the area I love hitting up this old piece of Little Italy and grabbing a box of home made treats to bring home for next morning's breakfast.
There is nothing like having a hot cup of coffee when recovering from the previous night's partying and dipping a tasty piece of anisette cookie or sesame cookie in it while watching TV. Dropped in here the other night on the way home and filled up a box of their terrific cookies - enough for a few days! Well made stuff here. All types of Italian pasties. The kind that Grandma used to make. Prices are very good too. Their cookies are just as good, if even better, then the more well known touristy Italian places in the area.
Sometimes when we are here and it is nice out you can sit outside and enjoy a well made cappuccino and a pastry. Nothing like people watching in Little Italy. -
Review from Kelly G.
Brookfield, WI
1/14/2012
Stopped here for an iced coffee for myself and gelatto for a hungry child. Stepping into a dark, cool, & quiet place was more that welcomed after walking through the busy, touristy streets of Little Italy. Great selection of Italian treats and cafe. Definitely an "old" fixture in LI. Will return.
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Review from Dana M.
Waldorf, MD
1/11/2012
Ok for starters....the lady at the counter had a serious attitude problem. I proceeded to be nice and place my order. We ordered a lot as we were taking some home to family for Christmas. I got my Dad the blueberry pie which he loved. The cannoli's were average....I've had better. There was these little chocolate chip cookies with raspberry preserves in the middle which were out of this world. The cheesecakes were good..not super great, but good. And the many other cookies we got were good all in all.
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Review from Jessica M.
Woodbury, NJ
11/22/2011 1 Check-in Here
The cappuccino and canoli were delicious. And although I've only had a lobster tail one other time (at a Wegman's grocery store, no less) I'm going to go for the stretch and say Caffe Roma's lobster tail was the best I've ever had. Perfect stop for a pre-dinner dessert.
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Review from Jenna B.
Los Angeles, CA
12/11/2011 1 Check-in Here
All we wanted was some delicious gelatto and this is the place to go. We walked in to a group of Italians sitting at the table drinking their coffee and it felt so authentic that you would not know we were in Little Italy. This is a must if you are craving some yummy dessert!
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Review from alicia k.
Atherton, CA
12/3/2011
This seems like a great place to grab a coffee and get some work done.
I bought some cheesecake and a cream puff. YUM!
Plus, the staff is super friendly. -
Review from John W.
5/25/2011 3 Check-ins Here
I wonder if perhaps my judgment is clouded by the circumstances surrounding it, but on a recent night here I had THE BEST TIRAMISU I'VE EVER HAD IN MY LIFE. All the beats are 100% NAILED--the spongy cake, the light and airy cream, the thick and bold espresso overtones.
The other stuff here is not too shabby, either. Great cannoli, superb espresso (naturally), great Italian cookies.
The setting can be either romantic (if there aren't too many people there and the wait staff can be more attentive) or downright CRAZY (if the place is jammed up with tourists, which happens a lot). Best to avoid if the tables are all spoken for at the moment, because they will forget the order you came in, and watching some Australian dude with a fanny pack get seated before you, even though he came in after you, is a soul-crushing experience.
So...........best bet is to show up off-hours. You can savor your yummies, have a great conversation with your honey, and pretend you're in romantic old Italy for an hour.... -
Review from Lucky M.
San Leandro, CA
11/4/2011 1 Check-in Here
It was raining cats and dogs during the San Gennaro Festival, so we stopped in here for some coffee. Had my first cannoli here. The coffee was excellent!
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Review from Mary W.
Manhattan, NY
12/26/2011
The ambiance here is old New York. Very crowded during this winter holiday and the service was frazzled and stressed, but the desserts are so phenomenal. Today, they were selling "pies" at $5 each, For customers , this is best deal in town for the quality. I bought the "cheesecake" pie which is not not a standard New York style but rather a sumptuous, moist, cake-like dessert with essence of lemon and bits of citron. Absolutely heavenly!!! The pie weighs around five lbs!!!! The owner says that after January, the cafe quiets down and they allow wifi again.Warning: Cash only, although there are ATMS outside that charge a fee of $2.50
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Review from Rich A.
New York, NY
12/26/2011
This is quite possibly the best anisette cookie you will find in NYC
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Review from dill w.
Kirkland, WA
7/29/2011
Terrible lemon Italian Ice. Too sweet, grainy, but the worst is the fake lemon flavor. Tasted like artificial lemonade mix.
Service was odd. I approached the counter where I could see empty ice cream bins, but asked anyway if they had italian ice. Was told yes in the back, so I went to the back counter where 2 very nice guys served me, but they couldn't take my money. So I had to go back to the first counter and wait for the guy there to take my money... italian ice is melting ... and see if I could get a plastic spoon to take with me .... slurping the nasty tasting lemon ice as it's melting, waiting for them to take my money and get me a spoon, considered just leaving the thing on the counter and not paying BUT DIDN'T. So when he finally got to me I asked that he print a receipt but he couldn't figure out how to do that. OMG. He asked somebody else and they couldn't either. FFS. Oh and can I get that spoon please?
Would be 1 star but wanted to be fair since I didn't try their pastry or espresso although I doubt they would be any good with how poor the service and the travesty they served me in that cup. -
Review from Shirley N.
San Francisco, CA
3/24/2011
Family members discovered this place many years ago, and we've been coming ever since. Adjacent to Chinatown, and on the fringe of Little Italy. We always make an attempt to come here if we're in NYC, and this last time it was no exception.
We've sat and ordered dessert and espresso here, and more times than not, we just come to order an assortment of Italian cookies. This last time, it was $12.99/lb. The ammoretti is my current favorite.
The lighting is very dimmed, and it always appears closed, but on closer inspection, you'll find it is opened.
The place reminds me of a bar and a soda fountain, but neither alcohol or ice cream is served here. -
Review from Michelle A.
Henrico, VA
12/6/2010
I usually stop in here when I am in the city, because this is a traditional bakery, which there aren't so many left of nowadays. I like to have a cannoli and a cup of coffee, and then buy cookies to go. My friend and I stopped here on Sat morning around 11am for a cannoli and a cappucino. Unfortunately, they had one waitress working and she wasn't very good. She routinely ignored customers, and forgot which tables needed attention. I saw one customer actually waving his hands like he was hailing a taxi- she ignored him too.
That being said, the cannoli was delightful, as always, and our cappucinos really hit the spot. And it was nice to sit and chat and relax. I'll go back next time I'm in town, because I like the ambiance and I'm never in rush, so the slow service isn't a big problem.
Also, can't beat the prices. She gave us our cannoli free (couldn't tell if this was an accident or on purpose) and our whole bill was $10. AFFORDABLE. -
Review from Juan G.
Chino Hills, CA
3/7/2011
This space can get a bit dark at night because of the dark green and dark wood that's the interior. They have some chandeliers hanging but I don't think they're functioning too well. But for me, this adds to the charm of this place.
The canolli is very good here, nice recotta taste with a flaky crunch from the shell. You can't go wrong here if you are craving a canolli. I also tried the eclair that was filled with a creamy filling that hinted toward a vanilla note. Very good.
Only complaint is that they don't serve regular coffee. Only espressos, lattés, cappaccinos. So I order the Caffé Americano, which is three shots of espresso with hot water in a 8oz cup. Very good substitute.
If your in the area, this is a good kick back place to rest that has great Italian pastries and all in a vintage setting.
p.s. one clean toilet for the whole place, which is typical for NYC. -
Review from Jacquelyn S.
Brooklyn, NY
7/17/2011 2 Check-ins Here
get the amaretti cookies!!!
perfect flavor: not overly sweet and heavy on the almond flavor. perfect consistency: crunchy exterior and moist chewy cake-like interior.
$12/lb works out roughly to $0.50/each.
when they were closed for vacation, i tried the amaretti from ferrari on grand (known for tourist-clogged sidewalks & gelato) and was sorely disappointed.
i will never stray again! -
Review from David M.
Washington, DC
10/19/2010
One star for the ambiance (tin ceilings, old wood), and one for the amaretto cheesecake, which was pretty OK. Minus three for the cappuccino. I came here specifically because I thought they would know how to make an Italian cappuccino, but (like someone else mentioned) it came out as a hot latte in a glass cup. After I explained to the (nice) waitress how to make a cappuccino, she told me that's just the way the guy makes them. OK... so it wasn't a mistake, it was just an unforgivable cultural FAIL. That said, the waitress did her best to make me happy, bringing out an americano and then some steamed milk. It wasn't a cappuccino, but it was appreciated.
It just seemed sad somehow... like it was purely dedicated to separating unwitting tourists from their dollars, and had stopped pretending to be Italian. = ( -
Review from Liz M.
7/13/2010
On these clammy days, most if not all iced lattes will taste good.
I think that was the case here.
Pastries are decent. Nothing super special. I haven't tried the cannoli yet though.
I'd recommend the Saturday and Sunday specials.
AVOID the ICE! $4.50?! Uh, that's sooo worth a trip to Ralph's Ices! -
Review from Leticia M.
Woodbridge, VA
8/21/2011
My mother and I stopped in here on our visit to NYC. I had the cannoli and my mom had the amaretto cheesecake. They were both wonderful! I will definitely stop in here again.
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Review from brendan t.
LAWRENCE TWP, NJ
10/24/2011 1 Check-in Here
Great coffee, great dessert. One of the best in the neighborhood
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Review from Kristine V.
New York, NY
5/4/2011
I liked it. Good prices, decent service. Good desserts. Tight seating.
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Review from Amayee O.
Anaheim, CA
7/29/2011
Okay hands-down the best tiramisu EVER! Ever ever. Good cappuccino, good cannoli (however that was the 1st one I've had so I guess I wouldn't really know). The server that sat us was rude, but the guy who actually helped us was real sweet. I loved this place.
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Review from Victoria S.
Santa Monica, CA
10/14/2010
This review is for the cannoli only. My husband would give it 5 stars, but since I've been eating my Gramma's connoli's since I was a wee child, I'm going to have to knock it down to 4.
The filling was great, had a hint of nutmeg which was a nice tough. The shells were a bit thick but seemed to be the norm for non-home made shells.
In all, I'd say definitely worth checking out the cannoli here. -
Review from April M.
Manhattan, NY
10/21/2011 1 Check-in Here
I love it here for the ambiance and old-school vibe (not particularly fabulous food/service, but that's beside the point). It's so old fashioned that I want to spend all my money here to keep the nice old man behind the counter in business.
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Review from Danielle K.
Portland, OR
8/12/2008
Believe it or not, I tasted my very first cannoli here. And it's all been downhill since then. See, they don't sell cannoli where I'm from. They don't have amazing Italian corner shops and cafes where I'm from.
And this disappoints me.
Because I'm freaking Italian.
But everything about Cafe Roma was seriously awesome. From the cannoli (that somehow survived the plane ride back to the West Coast) to the eclairs to the gelato and the espresso (which is a feat for the East Coast, let me tell you...no offense...but all y'all have nothing on Stumptown).
I have dreams about this little place.
Adorable old-fashioned set-up. Little cafe tables are reminiscent of a European espresso bar. The staff is nice. The pastry display case is always full, and they'll box anything up for you without a problem.
Mmmm...cannoli! -
Review from Sadie S.
Brooklyn, NY
3/19/2008
I don't actually like the pastries here very much. (If I want Italian sweets, I'll go to Court Pastry, thanks!) But I have long cherished the belief that, in off-hours, the touristy Italian bakeries like Roma, Veneiro and even Ferraro make some of the most relaxing spots to hang out in the city - open secrets! Unlike 'coffee houses' they're never crammed with lap tops or bad music, the staff is lovely, and they actually let you linger as long as you like.
You can often find me in the dark, retro confines of Roma (and everything in me screams to allude to The Godfather, but I just read about how Italian-Americans hate people always talking about it and stereotyping) of an afternoon, reading, working and sipping an espresso. In fact, I make the trek from Greenpoint! At these times, you can sort of imagine what the place was like back when this was just another coffee shop and Little Italy was truly Italian!Listed in: Back to the Future
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Review from Rani P.
3/3/2010 1 photo
We needed a coffee and tea break, and when you're in Little Italy, it seems like you have more choices than ever. We got a small table in Caffe Roma and enjoyed our hot drinks. I took a look at their pastries and ordered a small plate of cookies. They tasted delicious and fresh, and added a great treat to our coffee break.
By far, I loved the atmosphere above all else. It really reminded me of a neighborhood cafe that had been around for decades. My only complaint was that the music (pop music from the 90s and today) didn't quite fit with the ambiance.. but besides that- all of the staff were extremely friendly and courteous.
Yes, it's true- they only take cash... but the atmosphere allows for it. Why would you want a place like this to pay fees on credit card charges? Let them keep the extra cents to stay around for decades to come! -
Review from Tammy C.
11/14/2009 1 photo
(See pic)
So most places in Little Italy are sit-down restaurants and I was only looking for a cafe to have a pick-me-up cap to enjoy the bustling style passing me by.
Dropped by here and had a Neapolitan cake with a cap.
Service was okay but the bill was double charged. I was also asked as I was still having the cake whether I wanted the bill. The place was not that busy at the time and I thought just because I was typing on the iPhone for a minute does not mean I am done with my dessert. I thought desserts are meant to savour?
Maybe I have lived in the west coast for too long.
It's a busy place and lots of people are inside going in and out. If you want to stay for a while I suggest getting it to-go and sit outside, especially on a much warmer fall day in NYC as well as the filming at Onieals just a couple blocks away it's great to do people watching with the blocked off traffic. -
Review from Madeline L.
Astoria, NY
9/11/2008
Café Roma - is a depressing place- and not because of its decor. From my initial feeling - it just looks like people working there are not that happy. Management is not very friendly. None of their desserts looks or smell appealing and is so overpriced because it's by weight. I just needed to stop here to give my sister a caffeine fix - so she won't be grumpy later on. Again - Café Roma - a perfect example of why Little Italy is becoming littler Little Italy.
The positive side to Café Roma is the god father like setting - lots of wood molding dimly lit, with very gaudy looking cake designs. -
Review from Tina C.
6/18/2009
After a picnic and three hours of karaoke I wanted a happy ending to a fun filled day. A few of us walked around Broome Street where one of us was in need to utilize the facilities, which we stopped by Caffe Roma Pastry. I bought a cannoli as an excuse to use their facilities.
The lighting is very poor as it's very dark and errie feeling. The staff is unwelcoming as we were given the most rude scowl looks when ordering our pastry. I also felt ignored and not served properly. Personally, I believe managment and staff are anti-social as they appear to hate serving customers. I do not recommend dinning-in here since the service is so poor. -
Review from stephen p.
Los Angeles, CA
2/25/2008
No matter which route you take, stumbling along from Chinatown in the cold always leads you to Caffe Roma ;)
On this blistering cold Sunday after the Chinese New Year parade on Mott St. Linda, Nicolette and I piled into Caffe Roma and collapsed onto a corner table recently vacated (as we were surrounded by empty cups and trash).
The cakes are great. The limited coffee on offer is old skool. The crowd is a mixture of young locals, regular family groups and me, the informed tourist looking for hot coffee and carbs. Ask the waiter/ess which is the best cake...Can't go wrong here even if it's a bit cramped and service a little slow. Oh, and they only take CASH, but there's an ATM across the street in the corner store with the canopy. -
Review from Jason F.
Greenlawn, NY
8/17/2010
My brother and I were wandering all over Manhattan when we found ourselves in Little Italy. After all that walking, I needed some caffeine to pick me up. As we walked down Mulberry Street, I was looking for a place to get a dessert and some coffee, when we happened upon this place.
What we found was a really quaint classic Italian pastery shop. It wasn't crowded when we stopped by, so we got a table and relaxed for a little while. I wanted a plain coffee, but they didn't serve coffee after 5pm, so I had a cappuccino instead.
The cappuccino was really good, bold espresso flavor and served piping hot.. I also had a cannoli with it. This cannoli was simply marvelous. The crust was crunchy and delicious, and the filling was the gooey sugary goodness you would expect to find in a pastry in Little Italy.
The table service was pleasant, efficient, and quick. The people working there were really pleasant as well. The only thing that was not so great was that their air conditioning system was not very cold. It was very warm inside. Otherwise a really great experience. -
Review from linda c.
Manhattan, NY
6/29/2011
I have searced all over the NYC area and the biscotti, cookies and pastries at Cafe Roma are fantastic, they taste delicious...no one, even on Arthur Avenue makes Italian cookies this good, and the service has always been lovely.
LHC -
Review from lemonjelly l.
Santa Barbara, CA
5/4/2009 1 photo
I've only visited New York twice, with about four years inbetween. Yet both times I somehow ended up at this cafe.
Both times I was with someone who wanted a cannoli. And afterwards, both friends said, "meh."
But that's not Caffe Roma's fault. That's just a difference of expectations.
I like Caffe Roma because their pastries are made in house, they seem to be a long standing business with regular patrons as well as tourists, and the interior - provided you are near the window - is pleasantly photogenic.
Prices seem reasonable, although I have nothing else to compare it to.
Service was friendly, even for an obviously bumbling tourist as myself.
Maybe someday I'll return, and bring a friend who wants to try a pastry other than a cannoli. Then I'd have more to write about. -
Review from May Y.
New York, NY
10/12/2007
4 stars 'cause of the gorgeous dark, smoky (very applicable during the evening), old world atmosphere but I had a piece of sucky tiramisu.
Tiramisu- it tasted funny, stale maybe, but then again it was 7pm on a Wednesday. Eh, who knows. -
Review from Payam Z.
10/22/2008
I have actually been here quite a few times and one thing that can be said is that the pastries are consistently good.
The biscotti is some of the best around (no doubt) and I recommend buying bulk and taking it with you whether you are a tourist or not!
The rum cake is also quite excellent.
The cannoli has been ok the few time I have had it. Honestly the best Cannoli ever can only be found at Mike`s Pastries in Boston and these guys are quite some distance from it (but that`s another story!)
The only problem I find with this place is the truly unreasonable prices. Cannoli at $4-6 a pop is a bit unrealistic in my opinion! -
Review from Jennifer N.
Washington, DC
12/28/2009
Dear Caffe Roma,
You have such lovely cannolis, especially the chocolate ones (though, believe me, I notice that you don't completely fill the shell with creme- there's that empty spot in the middle), but I wonder if it would be possible for you to lose the surly and rude waitress.
She was there tonight- December 28th (Mon) at about 8:30pm- and we weren't the only customers who noticed her bad attitude. In fact, there were people talking about her rudeness all over the cafe. When my husband offered to point out which cookies he wanted, and she snapped at him and yelled "I know what you want," I was left to believe that either a) you don't know how rude this woman is, and perhaps you don't realize that she's scaring off customers or b) you are trying to cut down your business. Oh, and when she slammed our drinks on the table -- even spilling some of the water -- I thought, "Maybe Roma wants to go out of business and they are using this waitress to scare off customers."
So, Roma, maybe it's time to break up with this rude waitress, or at least let her know that her bad attitude has been well documented.
Oh, and here's one last tip- I know 8:30pm is late and all, but if there are only, like, three things in your display case, it makes customers sad. It doesn't matter if those things are good. It just looks really, really depressing.
Love,
A customer
P.S. Why is it I can only get cookies in 5's? Suppose I want 2? I mean, wouldn't you rather have me buy 2 cookies than none? -
Review from Natasha L.
Half Moon Bay, CA
12/21/2010
This place had good pastries. I didn't eat any but my friends had a cannoli and a choco cheesecake. My espresso was decent. Here is why 2 stars. Dirty. Bathroom was DISGUSTING for a bakery cafe. Second my friend found part of a straw wrapper in her coffee. Yech.
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Review from Heath R.
Los Angeles, CA
12/10/2007
It's no De Robertis, but this is pretty darn good. After a hot and steamy lunch at Thai Son, Rick and I stopped by this historic corner joint, ostensibly for coffee. We ended up getting a table and sitting down for dessert because of the wide range of pastry offerings.
Rick got a coffee, black, and I got a cappuccino. He enjoyed his coffee quite a bit, but mine was just fine. I guess I like it a little stronger and less dessert-y. But the pastries were to die for. Rick got a vanilla eclair, which, our waitress says, men order more often than the traditional chocolate eclair. "I guess it's a guy thing," she says.
I got the French Napoleon, one of their weekend specials -- only available on Saturday and Sunday. It's a layered cake with various cremes and frosting, and they hide some raisins or somesuch in there. I wouldn't say it was life changing, but it was pretty good right then and there.
Check it out for the ceiling, tile floor, and fixtures on the wall if you're in the neighborhood. Then get a snack. Tasty treats! -
Review from Jane H.
1/9/2011 1 Check-in Here
This isn't the first time I am the first person in a restaurant and I bring in the business. I really wanted tiramisu, and it was 9PM, cold, and I was tired of wandering. To that matter, we stumbled upon this cafe. At first we thought it was closed, it was so empty, but we cautiously stepped in and it was, in fact, open!
Now onto the food. The hot chocolate was quite good, not too sweet, and definitely chocolate y. The cappuccino was standard. Nothing much to say there. They RAN OUT OF TIRASMISU! I was so sad. I got a cream puff instead. The cream was more like custard, and I didn't like it. However, the puff pastry was not bad.
The service was OK, when we walked in wondering if it was open, no one stepped up to welcome us in. In fact, we hovered outside for a good 5 minutes wondering how open the place was. We walked half way into the restaurant before someone waved that we could sit anywhere. They should have paid us to eat there, because NO ONE was there until we came in, and people started to wander inside. One of the forks came a little dirty, but once we brought it to their attention they quickly replaced it.
I don't think I would go here again of my own will, but it wasn't a terrible experience. Pretty standard, really.
