Remote worker friendly cafes in Rome: a guide for digital nomads
Last Updated on December 30, 2024 by admin
If you’re familiar with traditional Italian coffee culture, you’re probably aware that getting coffee is a ritual that’s generally kept short.
People don’t tend to linger over coffee for hours like we do in the US or elsewhere – meeting for coffee in Italy is more of a quick check-in or a break at work. If I meet up with friends “for coffee” in the US, you won’t be seeing me for several hours.
You also might know that coffee is generally cheap in Italy – you can get an espresso for around 1 euro, and a cappuccino or latte for just a little bit more. It also often costs more to have your coffee sitting down (rather than standing up at the bar).
For these reasons, you won’t find that tons of cafes welcome digital nomads and other laptop-based workers in Rome, because they’re not really designed for people to sit and spend several hours working. Most traditional coffee bars don’t have wifi, either.
Italian coffee culture didn’t evolve to support 21st century ways of working – imagine that!
This is sure to cause some friction between the city’s cafes and what I’m assuming will be an influx of remote workers coming to Rome on Italy’s new digital nomad visa.
Anyone who has worked remotely knows that it can be nice to get out of the house and to work alongside a cafe breakfast, brunch, or lunch with a coffee. So, what’s a digital nomad in Rome to do, when most cafes aren’t conducive to laptop time?
Fear not, there are actually lots of great cafes in Rome where you can work as a digital nomad – you just have to know which ones. And because this is Rome, some of these cafes are housed within gorgeous museums!
This list isn’t exhaustive, so if you find one or have a favorite that I didn’t include, please share it in the comments so I can add it to the list!
I’ve mostly based this on my knowledge of being a hybrid worker in Rome, and also on info I’ve collected from friends or sources across the interweb.
I’ve grouped them by neighborhood so you can find the closest one to you, or so that you can test out a few in an area of the city you’d like to get to know.
In case you’re wondering, according to my research, Pigneto has the highest concentration of remote-work-friendly cafes in Rome – unsurprising, considering its international, hip vibe.
If you need to book a proper co-working space or want to investigate places to work in your area that may not be on this list, check out the Nibol app.
Digital nomad and remote worker-friendly wifi cafes in Rome
Before we start
Be aware that some places ask that you not work through the lunch hour to allow more space for diners. Check when you arrive. The same is true for aperitivo. If you’re going to stay at a place during a meal or aperitivo hour, you should eat, or in the case of aperitivo time, drink and nibble.
Another good thing to know is that while many cafes in Rome now allow digital nomads and remote workers to sit and stay awhile, they may not be equipped with outlets. It’s probably best to charge up your devices before you head out for the day. You may also come across a place that allows for remote working, buuuuut has spotty wifi. Have a backup (like hotspotting from your phone) just in case.
This goes without saying, but you have to order something to eat and/or drink if you want to work in the cafes listed below. If you stay awhile, maybe order a few little somethings.
Vittorio Emanuele
Casa Dante
Piazza Dante 8
Casa Dante is a great, laptop-friendly place to work. It’s got a large interior and lots of cozy corners.
Gatsby
Piazza Vittorio Emanuele 106
Gatsby allows remote working from its first floor, so order something and head upstairs.
Caffè Palazzo Merulana
Via Merulana 121
The cafe at Palazzo Merulana (a museum and event space) allows remote working in a specific area.
Molino Bakery and Bar
Via Merulana 281
There are a few of these scattered around Rome, but as far as I can tell, the one in Via Merulana doesn’t come with a time limit for those working remotely (the other locations ask you to only work for an hour or two).
Prati
Pergamino Cafe
Piazza del Risorgimento 7
Pergamino is Rome’s original specialty coffee bar. Note that the seating is outdoors, so plan accordingly depending on the weather.
Ostiense
Il Nido – gusto e miscele
Via Ostiense 26
Nido is a cute cafe right on Via Ostiense. When I lived in the area, my husband used to work there pretty often, and he noticed that their opening hours aren’t always exact, although that could have changed.
Caffè Letterario
Via Ostiense 95
Caffè Letterario has been around for ages, allowing people to work in their large, underground space, which has a cafe and a library.
Casa Manfredi Teatro
Via dei Conciatori 5
Specialty coffee, a modern interior, and some of the most decadent pastries in Rome, aaaand you can work? Get this exact vibe at Manfredi Teatro.
Angelina al Porto Fluviale
Via del Porto Fluviale 5/F
Angelina has two locations – one in Ostiense and one in Testaccio. I’m not sure if the one in Testaccio allows co-working, but according to multiple reports, Angelina on Via del Porto Fluviale does.
Furio Camillo
Babù
Via Carlo Denina 18
Babù is a great co-working space in Rome. Note that they charge to use their wifi, but they have great lunch deals that allow you to stay for four hours and have a meal.
Parioli
The Hoxton Hotel
Largo Benedetto Marcello 220
Probably my favorite place to work remotely in Rome is the lobby of the Hoxton Hotel. The decor is beautiful (they even have a fire place for chilly days), there’s plenty of space, and there’s a cosmopolitan, international vibe. They also have good food and coffee, and you can work right up until aperitivo time and then enjoy a cocktail. What’s not to love?
Quadraro
Largo dei Quintili 16
I have yet to make it to Bar Coppi, but I’d love to check it out. They host events and courses, serve food and natural wine, and yup, allow people to work remotely from their large co-working space.
Campo de’ Fiori
Spazio Sette Libreria
Via dei Barbieri 7
I hesitate to include the name of this gorgeous bookstore, which has a kitty cat, a frescoed ceiling, and a little cafe upstairs that you can work remotely from, but I’m sharing it because I love you.
Hotel Chapter
Via di S. Maria De’ Calderari 47
Another new, vibey hotel lobby that allows remote working is Hotel Chapter. According to some sources, you can also work from their lunch spot, Market, which serves light, healthy fare and fresh-squeezed juices.
San Giovanni
Materia
Via Andrea Provana 7
Materia welcomes remote workers before and after lunch, so between around 12 and 3, you’ll be expected to close up “shop” and eat something, or head out.
Re di Roma
Zero
Piazza Re di Roma 57A
Zero has a three-hour limit for remote working.
San Lorenzo
Assaggi Bookstore and Cafe
Via degli Etruschi 4
A book-and-coffee shop that allows co-working near Rome’s largest university, Assaggi also hosts a lot of events.
Giufà Libreria Cafe
Via degli Aurunci 38
Another bookstore/cafe that allows co-working near Rome’s largest university. In the evening, stick around for food and a glass of natural wine.
Pigneto
Like I said above, if you want a big variety of places to work from, you should base your Roman stay in Pigneto (I’m also biased – it’s one of my favorite neighborhoods in Rome because it’s mostly untouched by tourism).
Fax Factory
Via Antonio Raimondi 87
Fax serves specialty coffee at great prices, and even has little signs indicating where you can sit and work from. Great people, great vibes, great coffee, A+ from me.
Lo Yeti
Via Perugia 4
I’ve never actually been to Lo Yeti, which has been around since 2003, but after reading some of the reviews about the food, I want to get there asap! Go to work, and go hungry.
Necci
Via Fanfulla da Lodi 68
Another Pigneto classic, Necci has both indoor and outdoor seating and allows co-working, but note that it also gets busy at mealtimes, so ask what the deal is once lunch rolls around.
Zazie nel metrò
Via Ettore Giovenale 16
This cozy cafe allows remote working during the day and turns into a live music venue at night.
Via del Pigneto 106/a
From breakfast to after-hours drinks, Bottiglieria looks like the kind of place you might just want to stay in all day. I’m not sure if that’s allowed, but they do have wi-fi and welcome digital nomads.
The Forum
Piazza del Pigneto 8a
Billing themselves as a bistro and co-working space, the Forum is a relative newcomer to Pigneto’s remote-work-friendly scene, but by the look of things, they’ve fit right in, serving great-looking food, wine and cocktails in a modern, minimalist space.
Trastevere
Aula studio at Cinema Troisi
Via Girolamo Induno 1
This isn’t a cafe, per se, but there is a cafe in the same complex, which, in addition to the study/work area, is a cinema and media library.
Ripa Grande
Lungotevere Ripa 3
Ripa Grande allows customers to work alongside breakfast or a light lunch.
Testaccio
Il Testaccino
Via Mastro Giorgio 58-60
Just off the very well-known Piazza di Testaccio, Testaccino allows remote working and serves coffee, lunch and aperitivo.
Monti
MIT Food & Coffee Brewery
Housed in the Double Tree by Hilton Monti, MIT serves a mix of traditional and creative dishes and has wi-fi for web-based workers.
Flaminio
MAXXI – National museum of 21st century art
Via Guido Reni 8
Two of the dining spaces at the MAXXI museum are equipped with wi-fi and allow people to work – Palombini, which has designated seats for work or study, and Mediterraneo, which allows working until 6pm. Expect to clear out of both places at lunchtime, or stay and eat.
Caffè delle Arti
Via Antonio Gramsci 73
Located in the Galleria Nazionale d’Arte Moderna, Caffè delle Arti is one of, if not the most beautiful places to work in Rome as a digital nomad. The soaring ceilings and rich decor are enough to inspire the artist in any of us.
Piazza Navona
Chiostro del Bramante
The cafe-bistro at Chiostro del Bramante, a beautiful Renaissance cloister that houses a modern art museum, allows people to work, but note that most of the seating is outdoors.
Chains in Rome that allow remote working
Gianfornaio
Gianfornaio has multiple locations all over the city, and, as far as I know, they allow remote working from all of them.
Via di San Sebastianello 6 (Spagna)
Via dei Gracchi 179 (Prati)
Via Marmorata 159 (Testaccio)
Piazza Palombara Sabina 25 (Libia)
Viale Parioli 95e (Parioli)
Largo Maresciallo Diaz (Ponte Milvio)
Largo Apollinaire 5/7 (EUR)
Starbucks
Love it or hate it, Starbucks has officially entered the building, starting with one location that has grown to eight, some of which I won’t include here because they’re in the land of far, far away.
Stazione Termini (I wouldn’t count on good wi-fi or outlets because it’s just kind of part of a food court)
Via della Guglia 56/59 (Montecitorio) – this Starbucks has a two-hour wi-fi limit.
Via Cola di Rienzo, 21/A-23/A (Prati)
Piazza di San Silvestro 6 (Via del Corso)
Did I miss your favorite place to work remotely in Rome? Share it in the comments!
Digital nomad moving to Rome? Check out these guides!
Everything you need to know about Italy’s digital nomad visa
How to find an apartment in Rome
How to get a SIM card in Italy
The ultimate guide to Roman street food
How to eat like a modern Roman
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