Casa Manfredi

So. Casa Manfredi, Via dell'Aventino, a neighbourhood that already gives you fair warning the bill won't be a pleasant surprise. Two of us went to try this maritozzo that's on every "best of Rome" list out there. Spoiler: we weren't convinced.

Let's start with the main problem. Inside the maritozzo was vanilla cream. It was even written on the menu, along with raisins — which I honestly didn't see anywhere. That alone is enough to throw tradition out the window: a classic Roman maritozzo is whipped cream, full stop. The cream was there, plenty of it, but too dense, almost heavy. And the maritozzo itself was too airy, over-proofed. Not what I was after.

The pain au chocolat? Unremarkable. Good, but nothing that sticks with you.

Then there's the price issue, which is what really gets under your skin. Four euros at the counter, five at a table. For a maritozzo. On a plastic plate. On the Aventino. And the service — they interrupted us several times while we were talking, just to clear the table. The outdoor tables are worn and shabby, while everything inside is immaculate. The staff dressed like they work at the corner bar, which wouldn't be a problem in itself, but with that location and those prices, it feels a bit off.

Seven euros each for breakfast here just doesn't add up.

Maybe for the pastry selection it's a different story, but for the maritozzo? Overrated, no question about it.