La Renella

If you are walking along Via del Moro in Trastevere and catch the aroma of warm, freshly baked bread, you have arrived near La Renella. It is Trastevere’s oldest bakery, delighting Roman palates since 1870 with bread, pizza and delicious pastries made with wholesome ingredients and traditional methods. Its bakes are always fresh and cooked to perfection in the historic wood-fired oven.

The long, narrow space offers plenty of seating thanks to a wall counter running the full length of the room and dozens of stools ready for passers-by. Despite a modern black-and-white update, the bakery keeps its welcoming, traditional feel with exposed brick ceilings and the carefully preserved original signs displayed behind the glass counter. Behind the glass you will find loaves of every shape and pizze alla pala that look as good as they taste. The baking workshop is open to view, letting you admire the craft that goes into every bake.

Here, doughs are prepared the traditional way, shaped by hand to respect slow proving times and catering to every preference with a range of carefully chosen flours. That includes the ‘sporty’ loaf made with wholemeal wheat flour and rolled oats, as well as kamut loaves and cornbread. But the bakery’s signature loaf, for which La Renella is known across Rome, is its ‘Filone della Renella’: a crusty loaf with a tender crumb, baked in an oven fuelled by hazelnut shells. There are also flavourful pizze alla pala, including carciofi e guanciale or fiori di zucca, alici e mozzarella, alongside a selection of baked sweets such as chocolate savoiardi and the famous brutti ma buoni biscuits.

Thanks to fast, friendly service, La Renella is ideal for a quick lunch, an afternoon snack or picking up a tasty takeaway pizza for dinner. Once greeted by the tempting bakery aromas, walking away without taking at least one bite of its sweet and savoury treats is practically impossible.