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Il Fornaio |
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by eatonj / 09.20.2004 |
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Name |
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| Il Fornaio |
| The sign outside the bakery |
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Il Fornaio
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Location and Hours |
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| Storefront |
| A view into the inside of the small bakery |
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This bakery is located at number 4 Via Natale del Grande in Trastevere. To get there from the University of Washington Rome Center, go to Via Arenula, where the tram runs and walk along the tram line south across the bridge (or take the tram to the second stop past the bridge). Take a right on Via Cardinale Merry del Val and walk to the next block, which will be Via Natale del Grande. Il Fornaio will be the third shop on the left.
Hours are 8:00-18:00 every day, however some of the breads are not ready until 8:30 or 9:00. This is in one of the only shops on the street that does not close for siesta.
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Rating |
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Rating is a 5. This is by far the best bakery I’ve been to in Rome. It is a bit of a walk from the Rome Center (about 15 minutes) but is well worth it.
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Price Range |
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| Sweets |
| Biscotti and other sweets at the bakery |
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Depending on what you want (bread, biscotti, etc.) you can spend from 30 cents to two and a half euros for a nice snack or good complement to a meal. Baguettes cost 30 cents, rolls 20 and small loaves of bread are 90. A muffin is 80 cents, and four or five biscotti may be a 1.50 euro. Prices are similar to most other bakeries. They also sell some packaged prosciutto and pasta, but I would recommend buying these fresh at another shop down the block (for pasta, try the great homemade pasta shop in the center of the block on the other side of the street!).
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Time of Visit |
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As my apartment was down the block on Via Natale del Grande, I frequented the shop at many times on many days. The first time I went was early afternoon because the bakery right next door to my apartment was closed for siesta. Upon one visit it was clear that their bread was so far superior that I frequented it as much as possible.
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Description |
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| Family owned and run |
| The wonderfully family that owns and runs Il Fornaio |
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Il Fornaio is a small family-owned and run bakery. Depending on the time of day one, two or all three of the family members will be working to keep the bread stocked, help customers and man the register. They do not sell large loaves of bread which you can purchase by weight, but specialize in rolls, baguettes, and smaller loaves of bread (each probably could serve 2-3 people along with a dinner). The best time to visit is between 9:00 and 10:00 is because the bread is still warm. Sometimes you’ll find a fresh batch of warm bread in the afternoon as well, but not guaranteed. One warning about going early in the morning is that some of the bread is not yet cooked. If you want biscotti, croissants, muffins, etc. going right at opening time is fine, but for a full selection of breads I would wait until at least 9:00 to visit.
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Menu |
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I have tried most everything at the bakery, including many variations of bread, muffins, croissants, and cookies. Usually I am there just for the bread though.
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Review |
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| Pane! |
| A part of the selection of breads offered at Il Fornaio |
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While the biscotti and croissants at Il Fornaio are good, I would most recommend the bread, this is what sets it apart from other bakeries. Unlike many other bakeries here I have tried, the bread is soft, warm, and smells delicious. (One of my favorite things to do is to buy a loaf in the early afternoon and leave in the kitchen and come back for dinner with the entire kitchen smelling like fresh bread!) The baguettes are great for a small snack or to add a bit of meat and cheese to for a fantastic sandwich. For the larger loaves I would recommend the white bread (pane bianco) over the whole-grain bread (pane integrale) as the flavor of the white bread seems to be better. They make a fantastic olive bread (pane di olivi). If it is something sweeter you seek, I would recommend one of their fresh muffins, which are warm throughout the morning. Also, you shouldn’t have to worry about ordering any of the disgusting, unsalted Tuscan bread that many Romans seem to like because I don’t believe they sell it.
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