Typical breakfast in Italy | Curious facts about what Italian eat for breakfast

When we’re travelling, we tend to start our day in the right way. Well, what’s better than a delicious breakfast? Italy is known for its food, and in this guide, we have highlighted all the typical breakfasts in Italy that you must try.

From the delicious shot of espresso to bread with butter and jam, your breakfast in Italy will allow you to enjoy every flavour of each region in Italy. It doesn’t matter if you’re visiting the sunny south or the stunning mountains in the north; your day needs to start with the right amount of carbs.

Yes, the typical breakfast in Italy includes carbs but even proteins, don’t worry. We know that you are now curious and want to have an answer about what do Italian eat for breakfast! Let’s get into that!

What is a typical Italian breakfast?

A typical Italian breakfast is a cappuccino, espresso with croissant, bread with butter, jam, or Nutella. Additionally, if you’re making your breakfast in Italy at home, you will most likely find cereals or Mulino Bianco biscuits.

What is a typical Italian breakfast? An easy balanced mix of ingredients to start well your day.

Latte Macchiato

Let’s start by saying that if you’re ordering a regular Latte in Italy, you will only receive plain and pure white milk, without any traces of coffee. 

Latte in Italian means milk; therefore, if you want to order a large coffee with milk, you must order a Latte Macchiato. Remember this when travelling in Italy; otherwise, you will be disappointed when the barista brings you just plain milk. 

Brioche or Croissant

When walking inside a bar, you will find so many different types of breakfast pastries, from the typical and traditional sweet treat that might vary depending on the region to the common and ordinary croissant or brioche. 

Alongside your cappuccino, you need to have something to eat. Well, what’s better than a freshly prepared croissant? If you really want to experience an authentic Italian breakfast, you can ask for a croissant with “pasta brioche” made with soft dough.

Bread, butter and jam (Pane, Burro and Marmellata)

Pane, burro and Marmellata is for sure one of the most famous italian breakfast food. It doesn’t matter in which region you are; you will always find bread, butter and jam for breakfast. 

What you might find different is the type of bread, but overall, the Italian breakfast is the same. If you’re renting a place for a little while and want to prepare a typical breakfast in Italy, you can head to the supermarket and buy some pancarrè, known as sandwich load, toast it and mix it with butter and jam.

Also, you might find the “fette biscottate”, which looks like a crispy pancarrè, perfect for spreading “burro” – Butter, “marmellata” – jam.

Pastry | What do Italian eat for breakfast?

Apart from the brioche mentioned above and croissants, there is a whole world of delicious pastries, which vary from region to region. We might need an entire blog post about the different traditional pastries for breakfast throughout Italy. Wherever you’re going, from the moment you step inside the local bar, you will find a wide selection of pastries.

For example, there is a vast choice of food in Naples, and with these also so many choices of pastries.

From rum baba’, croissant, sfogliatella, and ciambella to fried dough with chocolate, having something sweet alongside your coffee is always recommended. The same exact story can go for other regions north and south, such as Puglia, Trentino, Emilia Romagna and more.

Fette Biscottate with Marmellata or Nutella

If you’re not fancy bread with jam, you can always ask for or buy rusks. They are perfect with jam or Nutella. Fette Biscottate tends to have fewer calories, and locals across Italy love to have them in their cupboards as they are ideal for morning snacks.

You can find different types, whole grain, plain and many more. We personally love them with Nutella, but I mean, anything with Nutella is delicious!

Italian breakfast biscuits

Going to the supermarket and thinking about having a proper Italian breakfast will make you want to buy everything. There are so many different types of biscuits, Gocciole, Pan di Stelle, Baiocchi and many more. 

The majority are from the Mulino Bianco brand and are super delicious. Visiting a local grocery store, you will see long sections of biscuits, just because Italian loves these so much.

Cereals

Usually, cereals are not a big part of the classic Italian breakfast. However, you can still find locals eating them. Compared to the UK, you won’t find a comprehensive production of cereals in supermarkets or bars.

I still remember my first time in London when I was trying to buy something for breakfast, and the only thing that I could find in Sainsbury was cereals. Well, in Italy, the majority of the time, you will find biscuits instead.

A typical breakfast in Italy for cereals is Muesli with granola, or really popular among kids are Coco Pops, which are delicious.

Milk or Milk with coffee

In most Italian houses, you will find at least a bottle of milk if you open the fridge. In Alessia’s house, milk is the first thing that comes out. 

Milk with a dash of coffee is perfect for the traditional “Zuppa di Latte”. You take the cup with milk and a bit of coffee, warm the milk up and take the biscuits. If you have Gocciole or Pan di Stelle, even better. 

You start to put the biscuits inside and slowly, slowly break them. This will allow you to have a typical Zuppa di Latte, where in the end, you eat the biscuits that have absorbed all the milk. It’s super yummy, and if you have never tried it, you must do it while in Italy. 

You can ask the barista for a different type of milk, they usually use the semi-skimmed (parzialmente scremato), but if you wish to have skimmed, you can ask for scremato. 

Breakfast in Italy is sweet

Keeping up with the initial question “What do Italian eat for breakfast?”, it’s now time to get into sweet, like the “dolce vita in Italy”. The typical breakfast in Italy is sweet, and it will always be.

Well, Italy is not France, therefore, a coffee with a croissant is a must while in Italy.

It doesn’t matter if you’re at the bar or home, you will always find something sweet to eat in the morning.

You will end up eating a traditional Italian Breakfast at the bar

Oh yes, a proper breakfast in Italy is made at the bar. If you’re going out in the morning and even if you’re in a rush, you will always find the time to stop at the bar, grab a shot of espresso and have a bite before heading to work.

It is even true that Italians love to take it slow, and in some regions and villages, you will find people sitting, reading the newspaper and enjoying their breakfast.

Italian breakfast is made of small portions

Compared to the traditional English breakfast; the Italian breakfast is small. We’ve mentioned many times that a cappuccino and a croissant are what we all need to start our day.

Breakfast in Italy is cheap

Can you believe that with only €2, you can buy a proper breakfast in Italy? I know it sounds crazy, but it’s true. In some places, you might go up to €3 but this is the price for a single espresso and a croissant.

Just to confirm, Italians serve a glass of water with your coffee, and you can ask for a free refill, whether you get it at the table or on the go at the counter.

Italian breakfast varies from region to region

During our road trip to Emilia Romagna, we had the opportunity to try different breakfasts while exploring different villages. You will taste different things from north to south based on the region.

Typical Breakfast in Venice Italy

If you haven’t been to Venice yet, this is your call to book a flight and spend 2 days in Venice. A traditional breakfast in Venice will be with the local apple stride, which is a pastry cooked with apples inside. Served hot, it’s typical in the Veneto region and a must-try while in Venice.

Breakfast in Liguria 

It will sound weird but it’s actually delicious, in Liguria, the typical breakfast is focaccia and cappuccino. This incredible combination is highly recommended while visiting the area, highly recommended.

Typical breakfast in Florence Italy

While in Florence, if you’re starting your day early, you will see many locals standing at the bar and waiting for their espresso and croissant. With just 2 euros, you can start your day in the right way. 

If you wish, you can also sit down and order a few more pastries to try while in Florence. We would highly recommend trying a croissant with cream or apricot, they are super delicious.

Breakfast in Rome

You can’t leave Rome without trying the local Maritozzi. This soft and light brioche bun filled with whipped cream is a typical breakfast in Rome that locals love to eat in the morning. It’s absolutely delicious, and you need to try it.

Breakfast in Sicily

In Sicily, you will find many places that offer brioche and croissants but if you’re looking for a typical breakfast in Sicily, and if you are visiting Palermo we recommend you try the local granita. Sicily is known for the variety of granita flavours, from coffee to almonds; the granita is a great add-on to your breakfast. Also, the most popular pastry is, of course, the “cannolo”, perfectly freshly baked in the morning.

If you are looking for a fatter product, check out the cassata, a cake made with ricotta cheese and candied fruit. The same products are often used to fill the cannoli, and instead, with the cassata, these are layered between rounds of sponge cake that are soaked with fruit juices or liqueur.

Italian breakfast doesn’t take long

If you want to meet someone in the morning and catch up over a coffee, usually, it won’t take long. Italian breakfasts aren’t that long, depending on which region you are in.

Locals tend to stand at the bar waiting for their coffee and in the meantime biting the croissant. Their breakfast is over in less than 10/15 minutes, and they are ready to start the day.

If you wish to learn a bit of Italian, below you will find a few phrases that will help you to order a typical breakfast in Italy:

Buongiorno, vorrei un caffe per piacere – Good morning I’d like a coffee please
Buongiorno, un cornetto e un cappuccino per piacere – Good morning, a croissant and a cappuccino please 
Quali cornetti avete? – Which kind of croissant do you have?
Quanto costa? – How much is it?

Below you will find a few words that will help you to don’t mess up your Italian breakfast:

Latte – Milk (plain milk, no coffee)
Latte Macchiato – Milk with coffee 
Caffe Macchiato – Espresso shot with a dash of milk
Caffe Lungo – Long Coffee
Succo di Frutta – Fruit Juice
Té Nero – Black Tea

TRAVEL INSURANCE FOR ITALY

Don’t travel anywhere without travel insurance, no matter your journey. We have learned that at our expense while travelling from Dubrovnik to Hvar, our ferry was cancelled because of rough sea weather.
Even though Italy is safe, the pandemic taught many people that things might go wrong everywhere in the world, and insurance is frequently the only option to mitigate any problems with the least cost or stress to you.

Hey Mondo | COVID-19 coverage, medical expenses and total travel costs. A fantastic app with 24-hour medical care and no extra charges. You can save 5% on your insurance by booking through our link.

SafetyWing | COVID-19 coverage, comprehensive travel & medical, and insurance can be purchased while travelling for digital nomads.

Q&A Typical breakfast in Italy 

WHERE TO GO NEXT?

Every time is good to travel and make new experiences. As London-based travel bloggers, it’s easy to find cheap flights and explore new places even just at the weekend. Italy is our home country, and we explored most of it, and here are some of our favourite guides. Travel with us, and get some inspiration through the gorgeous Italian landscape. See more in Italy Travel Guide.

FOOD GUIDES AROUND ITALY

What to eat in Naples Italy
Puglia food guide
Cooking class in Florence Italy
Palermo Street Food guide, markets and more

ITINERARIES AND GUIDES

Things to do in Positano Italy
Positano one day itinerary
Positano or Sorrento where to stay on the Amalfi Coast
Most famous landmarks in Italy
Incredible reasons to visit Florence
Why you should visit Italy in winter
Florence to Venice day trip
Things to do in Naples Italy